Tag: healthy cooking

Fall Superfoods

HEALTHY FOOD SWAPS USING FALL SUPERFOODS

Fall food swaps are a simple, healthy way to support this season’s change, strengthen our immunity and support our body as we approach the holiday season ahead.

If you want to eat a little healthier through the fall season, it doesn’t require completely changing your nutrition. In many cases, you can just make a few substitutions with the foods you already enjoy. Lower-fat foods that are tasty and nutritious. Here are some healthy food swaps that use fall superfoods.

Use Pumpkin in Cake Mixes

One of the easiest healthy food swaps you can do with your fall superfoods is to use pumpkin puree with cake mixes. This turns your cake or cupcakes into just 2 ingredients, including the cake mix of your choice and pumpkin puree. The pumpkin replaces all other ingredients you would have mixed in with the cake mix, like oil and eggs. This is often done with a spiced cake mix that goes well with pumpkin, but don’t be afraid to experiment with vanilla and chocolate cake mixes as well.

Don’t like pumpkin?  Use fresh applesauce instead.  Both pumpkin and apples are incredible fall foods with many health benefits.

Sweet Potatoes Instead of White Potatoes

Many people enjoy potatoes, especially in the fall when you want more savory dishes, but they tend to be high in carbs and fat, and not very nutritious. Instead of having traditional white potatoes in your dishes, try sweet potatoes. These are a superfood, so they are filled with nutrients, and are amazing to enjoy during the fall season. You can enjoy stuffed sweet potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, sweet potato fries or even sweet potato soup.

Use Cauliflower for Low-Carb Options

If you are on a low-carb nutrition plan, then you should become familiar with cauliflower. The bland taste and slightly rough texture of cauliflower makes it perfect as a substitute for many of the carb-rich foods you can no longer have. You can use it to make mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes, make lots of types of rice with it, or even make cauliflower steaks. Be creative and find different ways to substitute the higher-carb ingredients with cauliflower.  Cauliflower can pack a lot of flavor when cooked with avocado oil or ghee, herbs and spices.

I love to make healthier pizza with cauliflower crust.  I keep it simple and healthy with this crust of choice.  Link: Cauliflower Crust

Quinoa Instead of Rice

The last substitution you can make for a healthier superfood-rich meal is to replace your rice with quinoa. Most types of rice, including white rice and brown rice, are okay in moderation, but they lack the nutrition you need for a well-balanced meal. Quinoa is considered a superfood, so it is the perfect alternative when you want to have a rice dish. You can make a harvest quinoa side dish with squash, pumpkin, and spices, which is simply to make and very good for you with all the superfoods included.

As mentioned, there are many ways to swap some of your traditional dishes for healthier, super food filled, yummy recipes.  Below is one of my favorites this fall season.  It’s a great recipe to share with family and friends and it uses up those leftover pumpkins from Halloween. ?
Roasted Pumpkin with Cranberry Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds of fresh pumpkin, seeded and cut long ways into crescents

3 Tbsp raw local honey
3 Tbsp avocado oil (or another oil of your choice)
Optional seasoning: 1 tsp pumpkin spice

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly oil. In a small bowl, combine and stir the oil and honey. Spread pumpkin slices on prepared sheets, side by side. Brush one side of the slices with oil and honey mixture. If adding the spice, lightly dust before roasting. Roast 10 to 15 minutes, or until browning begins.

Carefully flip the slices with tongs and brush with the remaining oil combination. If desired, you can add more spice (if using). Roast another 10 to 15 minutes or until desired texture and color. Serve with cranberry sauce

Cranberry Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces fresh cranberries
2 apples, peeled and chopped 1 cup of water
1⁄2 cup local raw honey

DIRECTIONS:

In a saucepan over high heat, bring all ingredients to a boil. Once the ingredients begin to boil, reduce the heat to low. Simmer and stir occasionally until the cranberries pop and the ingredients thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool. This delicious dish can be refrigerated for serving later or served after cooking and once cooled down.

This recipe and many more will be featured in my Healthy Holiday Guide COMING SOON! To learn more or get on the waiting list, message me here: Contact Kim

Have you discovered a healthy swap that you enjoy?  I welcome you to share!

Happy Fall Y’all!

XOXO,

Kim

Healthy and Hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew

When the weather is cold and dreary, I crave good, hearty food.  That’s exactly what happened this past weekend when we had snow and ice.  I make a lot of stews, soups and chili recipes this time of the year, and I knew exactly what I wanted this past weekend.  A big bowl of my healthy and hearty slower cooker beef stew.

I love a good hearty meal when the weather is not so delightful.  I remember growing up as a child and having the most wonderful, warm and hearty meals at home.  Especially after a good snow storm and being out sledding all day.  My mother and grandmother taught me a lot about family and food.  That’s why I get all warm inside when I eat these kinds of dishes.

Healthy and Hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew #crockpot #beefstew #simplerecipe #farmtotable #winterfoods

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My family has a southern background, so I grew up around a lot of heavy and “not so great for me” foods.  That’s why I love taking different recipes and altering them. Not only do I feel better, but my digestive system thanks me for it.  You can still eat good, hearty food and eat well.

This recipe is perfect for the winter but can be enjoyed anytime throughout the year.  Not only is it filled with clean, farm to fork ingredients, but it’s easy to make.  I love my crock pot this time of year and use it often for meals.  Not only will your family love this recipe but your home will smell yummy too!

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Healthy and Hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Ingredients:

2 pounds lean, grass fed chuck meat, cut into bite size pieces

1/3 cup stone ground white rice flour* (or your flour of choice)

1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes, with juice (preferably organic and BPA free)

4-5 red potatoes, cut into large bite sized pieces

3 carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces

2-3 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 Bay Leaf

1-1/2 cups low sodium beef broth (organic and homemade are better options)

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp dried oregano

Olive Oil (for browning)

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl, whisk flour and pepper together.  If using salt, add it in here as well.

Lightly coat all sides of the bite sized pieces of meat with your flour mixture.  Start to warm (medium heat) up a skillet on your stove top with a little olive oil.  Place portions of your flour coated meat in the skillet.  Allow them to cook for about 20-30 seconds per side.  You want to lightly brown the outside of the meat but not cook through.  Remove the cooked pieces and set to the side.  Continue until you have cooked all of your coated meat.

Add your cooked meat pieces to your slow cooker.  Add your prepared potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, diced tomatoes (with juice) and Worcestershire sauce.

Combine your broth, balsamic vinegar, spices and them add in with your meat.  I like to place my bay leaf under some of the ingredients, but that’s just me. 🙂

Cover and cook your ingredients on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.  Stir well through the cooking process.  The ingredients will soak up a lot of the liquid and create a yummy, hearty texture.  Make sure they don’t get too dry and burn.  You can always add in a little more broth, but it’s been my experience that everything cooks well and comes together perfectly at the same time.

*NOTE:  Minus some of my condiments, I try to stick to a gluten free meal plan, so I use Bob’s Red Mill ground white rice flour for my dishes when flour is recommended.  You can use another kind of flour as well.  I’m not a huge fan of salt, so I omit it from most of my recipes.  Please add in and taste as desired.  Same with the spices. I am a huge fan of spices, so I tend to add a lot.  Please omit if you want to keep it simple.  I also LOVE garlic and onion (for the taste and health benefits), so if it’s too much for you, adjust the ingredient size.  It’s your dish, so add in (or take out) what you like. 🙂

 

I would love to hear your feedback after trying the recipe.  Please comment below or message me with any comments or questions.  I hope this hearty, healthy recipe is as much of a hit in your home as it is in mine.

Wishing you a warm, healthy holiday season!

XOXO~

Kim