Fall is here, which means it’s time to load up on pumpkin spice lattes, turkey dinners, and other autumn-inspired comfort food. Coming home to a big bowl of hot soup is just what the doctor ordered after a long, cold day in October. Here are some of my favourite recipes to have during the fall (and winter too!). They are relatively inexpensive and some pricey ingredients can easily be modified.
Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
2 cups of onions, chopped
2 tbsp. of butter or coconut oil
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. Garam Masala
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. sea salt
6 cups butternut squash, peeled and chopped
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups apples, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 cups water or vegetable or chicken broth
½ cup light coconut milk (or regular milk)
In a large stock pot, sauté the onions and butter until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the spices, squash, sweet potatoes, apples, and cook a few minutes more. Add stock or water and coconut milk to the mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until the ingredients are soft and tender. Puree the ingredients with a blender. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.
(Credit: Live the Smart Way by Kathy Smart)
Shepherd’s Pie
2 cups mashed potatoes
½ lb. lean ground beef
2 medium onion, minced
½ tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 ½ tsp. Gravy Browning
½ tsp. beef soup mix (or beef stock)
½ tsp. dried basil
½ cup sliced carrots or corn is optional
Cook ground beef over medium heat and stir constantly, until meat is browned and crumbly. Mix in minced onions and stir. Add dry ingredients and Gravy Browning. Mix well and cover and cook over low heat. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until meat is done. Remove from pan and place meat in a glass oven-proof dish. Cover with mashed potatoes and cook at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.
Chicken Cacciatore
1 ½ lbs. chicken breast
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion
4/5 garlic cloves
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
¼ red wine (optional, but it gives the recipe more flavour)
3 tbsp. Italian spices
4 bay leaves
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 green pepper (optional)
1 tbsp. flour or cornstarch (for gluten-free option)
Slice onion and garlic into small pieces. Cut chicken into bite-size cubes. Fry chicken at medium-high heat with olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and garlic. Let cook until the surface of the chicken is white. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and red wine and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature to low and add Italian spices and bay leaves. Cover and let simmer for about 40 minutes. Then add sugar and salt to taste. If the cacciatore seems too watery, add maximum 3 tbsp. flour or cornstarch as a gluten-free option. Serve with Jasmine or whole-grain rice.
Chocolate Banana Whole Grain Cookies
3 large ripe bananas, mashed, (about 1 ½ cups)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup coconut oil or butter
2 cups quick oats
2/3 cups ground almonds
1/3 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
2 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. fine grain sea salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and oil or butter. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the oats, ground and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Using a teaspoon, drop the dough into small rounds on parchment paper, about an inch apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the pan before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Take caution when making these cookies. They are highly addictive!
(Recipe Credit: Live the Smart Way by Kathy Smart)
Photo Credits :
http://www.ncva.ca/blog/eat-smart-make-curried-butternut-squash-and-apple-soup/