Tag: winter foods

Chicken, Veggie and Bean Soup

During the colder winter months, our body craves warmer, heartier meals.  Dishes that nourish the body but also feel cozy and heartfelt.  Soups and stews are often my go-to dishes throughout the winter season.  I love breaking out the crockpot or stock pot and throwing ingredients together to create a simple and delicious meal.

When deciding on dinner last night, I wanted something that supports the seasonal detox I’m doing right now.  Including foods that support detoxification and gut health, include farm to table ingredients, provide tons of flavor and those that help me feel nourished.

This soup can be prepared as the recipes shows, but there are many ways you can make adjustments.  You can choose different vegetables, beans, meats and spices.  I love cooking with fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley and others that support detoxification and the removal of heavy metals.

Since this is the time of year when many want to detox from the holidays or work on new goals, I recommend sticking to fresh, organic (if possible) ingredients.  To learn more about EWG’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen (great for shopping): Dirty Dozen  Clean Fifteen

 

Chicken, Veggie and Bean Soup #homecooking #farmtotable #foodismedicine

Click To Tweet

 

Chicken, Veggie and Bean Soup

 

ingredients:

1 tablespoon avocado oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 large carrots, chopped

4 celery ribs, chopped

4 chicken breasts, chopped

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

1/2 tablespoon all-purpose or herb seasoning (salt-free)

2 15-ounce cans adzuki beans, drained and rinsed (or other beans of choice)

4 cups vegetable broth

1 bunch spinach or kale

Handful of fresh herbs, chopped (parsley, cilantro, thyme, etc)

Optional: Microgreens for garnish, flavor and health benefits (I used borage)

NOTE: Local Microgreen Source (available all year): Maryland Microgreens

Directions:

Place a large soup pot on the stove over medium heat. Add oil,  onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for about 3 minutes.  Add chopped chicken, salt, pepper, seasoning, beans, and vegetable broth. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes on medium-low heat.

Check the pot every 10 minutes to ensure that there is sufficient liquid in the pot. If you need more liquid, add about ¼ cup of water or broth at a time.  Add leafy greens (such as kale or spinach) until wilted.

If desired, add in chopped fresh herbs and combine.  Serve and enjoy warm.

NOTE: If you’re like me and prep food to make meals simple and easy, this is a great recipe to double or triple and store.  I recommend storing this dish in glass containers or mason jars for later use.

 

I would love to hear your soup combination of choice.  i welcome you to comment below or message me. if you’re considering a reset or detox this season, i welcome you to see what i’m doing for improved health and wellbeing. more info here: Nourished In The New Year

CheerS to Health and Happiness in 2020!

XOXO,

KIM

Winter Squash

Healthy Changes to Your Winter Nutrition

As the temperature drops, our nutritional needs change. Except for winter-sports enthusiasts, people become less physically active. After all, when it’s cold and snowy outside, even a trip to a neighborhood grocery store is a daunting task. With the advent of cold and flu season, staying healthy takes a bit more effort. What’s more, nutrition-packed fruits and vegetables that were plentiful during the summer may be in short supply—and take a bigger chunk out of our wallets.

However, there are many delicious and affordable ways to ensure proper nutrition during the dark days of winter. These tips will help you maintain optimum health and please your palate at the same time.

Healthy Changes to Your Nutrition in the Winter #seasonaleating #winterfoods

Click To Tweet

Go for Beans

There are many varieties of legumes, including garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), lentils, lima beans, and pinto beans. These hearty foods have something in common: they are fiber and protein powerhouses. Beans can be added to stews and soups, served in salads, and cooked and eaten by themselves. To reduce gassiness, soak them in water for six to eight hours and rinse before preparing.

With the cold season in full swing, it’s a perfect time for chili.  Load up on the beans when cooking up your favorite chili.  This is a great stew recipe too!  Add whatever beans you enjoy.  Healthy and Hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Try Some Spuds

Potatoes have an undeserved bad reputation for their starch content. However, they are chock full of vital nutrients. One potato provides hefty amounts of immunity-boosting vitamins B6 and C (29% and 25% of the recommended daily allowance of each). Fiber—4 grams in an average-size potato—and folate, essential for the proper development of unborn babies, are added bonuses. Purple potatoes are great sources of anthocyanins, antioxidants with a variety of benefits ranging from keeping heart disease at bay to reducing inflammation. Adding carrots, parsnips, turnips, and other roots vegetables to mashed potatoes is a delicious way to include vegetables in a wintertime dish.

Talk Turkey

This bird is not for Thanksgiving only. Low in calories and high in protein, it’s a natural in sandwiches, soup, salads, stir-fry, and by itself.

Include Winter Squash

Spaghetti, acorn, and butternut are only a few types of this colorful, tasty, nutritious vegetable. Winter squash is low-calorie and rich in fiber, vitamin A, folic acid, and vitamin C. Acorn squash also has 30% of the RDA of vitamin B1, 25% of B6, and 31% of magnesium. And butternut squash is a powerhouse of vitamins A and C: 179% and 31% of their respective daily requirements. Leave off the butter and syrup and try a little ghee, applesauce, maple syrup, brown sugar, or cinnamon.

Recipe: Simple Spaghetti Squash

Add Some Greens and Reds

Chard, collards, and kale flourish in winter.  The frosty weather can reduce kale’s bitter taste. With healthy amounts of vitamins C, A, and K—and plenty of folate in escarole, mustard greens, and collards—leafy greens can keep people’s immune systems in good shape. Red cabbage, a cousin of kale, contains few calories and lots of vitamin A, plus zeaxanthin and lutein, phytochemicals so important for eye health as people age.

Don’t Forget Fruit

Citrus fruit is loaded with vitamin C. Grapefruit, oranges, and their cousins are also excellent sources of all-important flavonoids. Hesperidin, the dominant flavonoid in citrus fruit, is known to raise HDL cholesterol (the good kind), reduce LDL cholesterol, and lower triglyceride levels. And if you have not yet tried pomegranate juice, you may want to add it to your daily regimen. It contains more antioxidants than any other kind. Studies show that pomegranate juice may help prevent free radicals from doing damage—and increase the flow of blood to the heart in patients whose tickers do not receive sufficient oxygen because of blocked arteries.

By adding these good-tasting and nutritious foods to the menu, you can ensure that you and your family will weather the chilly season. Enjoy!
P.S. If you’re looking for some delicious and healthy recipes for your holiday meals, I welcome you to check out my Healthy Holiday Guide
do you feel like you’re struggling with your nutrition and health goals this time of the year? let’s connect and schedule a free discovery session. click on the contact button here.  i look forward to talking with you soon. Contact

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

Click To Tweet

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!

fullsizerender-64

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