Creamy Sweet Potato Curry Soup

A nice variety of winter vegetables mixed with grains! It’s a complete meal in a bowl!

Ingredients
1 yellow pepper, seeded and cut into large chunks
1 sweet potato cut into large pieces
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
1/2 a turnip, chopped
1/4 cup quinoa
1/4 cup barley
3 cups broth
1/2 red onion
1 TBSP curry powder
1/4 cup cream cheese salt and pepper
1 TBSP dijon mustard

Combine first 9 ingredients into a pressure cooker, turn on high and lock lid. Once lid locks into place turn heat down to medium and allow to simmer away for 30 minutes until everything is nice and soft.

Add final ingredients and combine with an immersion blender or in a regular one. Check seasonings and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients
6 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups milk 1 small onion, finely chopped
Another great addition is some left over ham or bacon if you have any

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over low heat until melted.

Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly.

Gradually stir in milk, 1/2 cup at a time. Heat to boiling. Boil and stir 1 minute.

Arrange potatoes in greased 2 quart casserole in 3 layers, topping each layer with part of the chopped onions and 1/3 of the sauce. Layer in the meat as well if you are using it.

Dot the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, broken into little pieces.

Cover and bake until potatoes are tender, about 60-70 minutes. Let stand 5 to 10 minute before serving.

Lettuce Wraps

This is a quick and light lunch that has loads of fibre and veggies!

Ingredients

1/2 red onion
1 TBSP olive oil
1 can black beans – salt free, rinsed
1/2 cup salsa
1 tomato diced
1 cup frozen corn
2 TSP each garlic powder and chili powder
Pepper
** Any other left over cooked veg you happen to have … this particular one had squash and cabbage in there too!
Large lettuce leaves
Cooked rice
Shredded cheese

In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Saute red onion until tender and add beans, salsa, tomato, garlic powder and chili powder and corn. Cook until heated through. Add pepper to taste.

To assemble, take a lettuce leaf, a couple spoonfuls of rice and bean mixture and top with cheese.

Pasta With Avocado Sauce

Avocados, in addition to being super tasty are one of those foods that help to control blood pressure and manage cholesterol levels. For many women this becomes an issue when pregnant, so why not help the situation out naturally!?! They also do wonders for your hair, and their soft creamy texture makes a wonderful pasta sauce without adding heavy cream.

Ingredients
1 zucchini, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 TBSP garlic powder
1 – 2 ripe avocados, mashed
Pasta, cooked via package directions, drained with a little cooking water reserved
Grated cheese if desired

Heat a skillet over medium high heat, add first 8 ingredients and cook until mushrooms and zucchini are soft. Add avocados and reserved cooking water from the pasta. Stir until creamy, add more water or olive oil if you prefer a lighter consistency. Add pasta to skillet, turn off heat, and toss to coat. Grate a little cheese over the top for an added boost of calcium!

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Potato Leek Soup

I’ve been under the weather lately and craving soup! Here is one of my all time favorite winter soups.

Ingredients
2 lbs potatoes diced
3 TBSP flour
5 cups veggie broth
2 leeks,rinsed and chopped
1 TBSP dried dill, or 2 TBSP fresh
2/3 cup half and half
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper

Add potatoes and leeks to slow cooker, sprinkle with flour and stir to coat. Add broth and dill and salt and pepper to taste and cook 7 hours on low until potatoes are tender.

Puree soup in batches in a blender or using a hand blender. Stir in half and half and cheese. Enjoy!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

One of my husband’s favourite holidays is Halloween: the decorations, our family traditions and especially the food. I’m not just talking about the mini-chocolate bars and candy, but fall food with a Halloween twist. Making food fun, especially during a holiday like Halloween, is a clever way to sneak nutritious snacks and meals into your spooky celebrations. Here is a great recipe that is so much fun to make your little monsters will have no idea that these tasty treats are good for them!

Ingredients
Pumpkin seeds saved from carving your pumpkin
4 tbsp vegetable oil or melted butter
Various seasoning

When carving your pumpkin separate the seeds from pumpkin flesh – a great job for those too small to carve their own pumpkin! Wash seeds in a sink or big bowl of water, making sure you remove the pumpkin flesh by rubbing them between your hands. Drain in a strainer and dry with paper towel.

Preheat your oven to 275 degrees.

Spread the dry seeds out on a cookie tray and lightly baste with vegetable oil or melted butter, just enough so that seeds are coated but are not swimming in oil.

Time to season your seeds! There are so many ways to do it – here are just a few. Mix flavourings together in a bowl and sprinkle or drizzle over oiled seeds.

Fall flavours: 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground allspice

Spicy: 1 tsp cayenne pepper, ½ tsp thyme, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper

Savoury: ½ tsp garlic salt and 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Natural: 1 tsp salt

Lemony: 2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

Cook seeds in a 275 degree oven for 10 – 20 minutes until golden brown. Oven temperatures will vary and they burn quickly, so keep an eye on them and give them a stir every 5 minutes or so. Allow seeds to cool when they come out of the oven for 10 minutes. These are delish served warm or cold.

 

Peach Ice Cream

Peaches are out and in season in Ontario and we should take advantage! Here is an ice cream recipe that you can easily make without an ice cream maker. Though if you do have an ice cream maker just pop this recipe in and follow the directions that came with it.

Ingredients
4 ripe peaches
1/2 cup each lemon juice and sugar
1 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Wash and mash peaches. mix with lemon juice and first amount of sugar in a small air tight container. Chill in fridge for 2 hours.

Mix milk and sugar together, dissolving sugar in a wide air tight container. Metal mixing bowls work best as they freeze well, but plastic will work too. Add juices from peach mixture. Stir in heavy cream. Place in the fridge for one hour. Once chilled place in freezer for 30 minutes.

Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

Place back into the freezer for 40 minutes. Then beat again. Repeat the 40 minute freezer, then beat cycle 3 times. The more you beat it the softer it will be. If you like hard ice cream feel free to freeze after the first time you beat it.

During your last session with the mixer, add the peaches. Usually after a couple of hours of freezing so they don’t just sink to the bottom.

 

 

Grilled Corn And Black Bean Tacos

These tacos are served cold, so they are super easy to put together ahead of time for a quick dinner, or make a great lunch the next day. Feel free to grill the corn the night before when you are BBQ or just used cooked corn from frozen or salt free corn from the can.

Ingredients
2 cups grilled corn, cut off the cob into kernels
1 cup black beans
1 avocado, cubed
1 lime
1 TSP cumin, ground
2 TBSP olive oil

Mix all ingredients together and allow to sit in refrigerator for at least an hour for the flavours to meld. Serve with taco shells, salsa, cheese and lettuce.

Chickpea Divan

This is a spin off Anna Olson’s Turkey Divan – same idea but no meat!

Ingredients
2 cups broccoli, cooked half way and then chilled in cold water to stop the cooking
3 TBSP butter
1 small onion, diced
2 cloved garlic, minced
2 carrots, shredded
2 spoonfulls all purpose flour
1 TBSP minced fresh oregano
2 cups veggie broth
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup white wine
2 TBSP mustard
1/4 cup un-cooked quinoa 
2 cups shredded cheese of your choice (I used cheddar), divided
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup bread crumbs
2 TBSP minced chives

In a non stick pan, melt butter, saute onions, garlic and carrots until soft. Add flour and stir to coat. Add liquid, mustard and quinoa and reduce until quinoa is soft and it is a thicker consistency.

Melt in 1.5 cups of cheese, add chickpeas and cooked broccoli.

Transfer to an oven safe dish, top with bread crumbs, left over cheese and chives. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Mint Tea Poached Pears

 

I’m always looking for ways to sneak more fruits and veggies into my family’s diet. I’ve found there is always room in our snacks and desserts for a little more nutrients. That is why I love the idea of poached pears! Simple and easy to do, it turns eating a pear from ‘that thing you do to get your fruit and vegetable serving’ to a yummy treat that might even have you going back for seconds!

Hubby and my step daughter love them when they are served warm. Of course my step daughter likes them best when served with a little vanilla yogurt – or even vanilla frozen yogurt. But a little calcium isn’t bad for you either!

Ingredients
1-2 pears, peeled, halved and core removed
4 cups water
1 mint tea bag
3 TBSP lemon juice
1/4 – 1/2 cup sugar

While you are halving, coring and peeling your pears – put the water in a saucepan over high heat, bring to a boil then turn down to a light simmer. Add lemon juice and mint tea bag and allow to steep for at least 20 minutes.

Add sugar 1/4 cup at a time – test after each addition until sweetened to your taste. Add pears and cook until fork tender.

Remove pears when finished and set aside. Keep 1/2 cup of the poaching liquid – discard the rest. Return liquid to the pot and boil until thickened into a syrup. Serve warm syrup over pears.