Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels spouts? Oh-yes please! You may have turned your nose up at these cute little cabbages, but try them again, especially roasted.  Roasting brings out the natural sugars in vegetables, making them sweeter tasting, without adding on the calories.  You will amaze even the kiddos (yes, they will try them, maybe even ask for seconds).
Brussels sprouts are in the cabbage/cruciferous family, which has been linked to many health benefits such as decreased cancer risk, heart health, and detoxifying. The following is a super easy and enjoyable way to eat these little powerhouses!

Serves: 8 sides 
Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of Brussels sprouts
• 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• freshly ground pepper
• 1-2 tbsp of balsamic (our favorite is an espresso flavored balsamic, but regular is fine)

Instructions:

1. Cut sprouts in half length wise
2. Place onto a cooking sheet (our favorite is a stoneware sheet, but regular cookie sheet with a rim is fine)
3. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper
4. Roast at 375 for 15-20 minutes until slightly browned, flipping half way through to cook evenly. Be sure not to overcook, or you'll decrease the nutritional value, as well as run the risk of making them bitter.
5. Drizzle with balsamic and enjoy!
   

Nutritional Benefits:

• High in Vitamin K: 194% in 1 cup (about 3 oz)
• Jam packed with Vitamin C (yes, it's in more than oranges!) 120% of daily value in just 1 cup/3 oz.; an amazing anti-oxidant that helps with immune function
• Anti-oxidant
• Anti-inflammatory
• Reduces risk of heart disease, improves circulation, decrease cholesterol
• Zero Fat raw, in this recipe low in Fat: 14g of fat in entire recipe, due to oil
• Good source of  Fiber: 3 g per 3 oz serving

Pumpin' Pumpkin Bars-gluten free & vegan!

 

 So we're experimenting with pumpkin this month and found these awesome pumpkin brownies. Unlike another recipe we made with beans (that was more like a pumpkin pie), these turned out more cake-like, soft and moist.  YUM YUM! We adapted this recipe slightly from www.ambitiouskitchen.com taking out the refined sugar.  These freeze awesome and are a total crowd pleaser while being healthy!
    The 2 main components in this recipe are oats & pumpkin, both power houses in terms of nutritional value. Pumpkin is packed with Vitamin A, needed for red blood cell creation, bone and teeth development, and immune health.  Oats are very high in maganese.  Maganese is essential for:

• Help your body utilize several key nutrients such as biotin, thiamin, ascorbic acid, and choline
• Keep your bones/teeth strong and healthy
• Help your body synthesize fatty acids and cholesterol
• Maintain normal blood sugar levels
• Promote optimal function of your thyroid gland
• Maintain the health of your nerves
• Protect your cells from free-radical damage

Source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=77

Ingredients:

• *2 1/2 c oat flour (we take 2 1/2 c organic rolled oats and grind them up for a few seconds in our Vitamix/blender and measure out to make sure to have 2 1/2 c flour)
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1/4 c honey
• 1/4 cup molasses 
• 1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 2 heaping tsp cinnamon (we love cinnamon)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 or 1/3 c chocolate chips (vegan) + 2 tbsp for top
  

*use certified gluten free oats if needed

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with cooking spray (could make it in a larger pan, but these wouldn't end up as thick, and watch timing if you do so).
2. Make oat flour-by pulsing rolled oats in blender until flour forms
3. Mix wet ingredients together.  Mix dry ingredients (excepts chips) in a separate bowl and gradually add in dry ingredients.
4. Fold in chips and pour into pan
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool and slice.
   
   
   

Nutritional Benefits:

• Pumpkin: high in beta carotene (Vitamin A): great for immune, bone, teeth and eye health, 1 c-840% of daily needs!
• Oats: high in fiber 1/2 c dry=4 g fiber and maganese (1c=68% of daily value) 
• Low in sugar/no refined sugar
• Low in fat
• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-oxidant

Nutritional Information (based on 16 squares, but you could easily get 20 out of these)

Calories: 121 (in total recipe: 1938)

Fat: 3.3g (in total recipe: 53g)

Carbs: 21.7g (in total recipe: 347g)

Fiber: 1.8g (in total recipe: 28g)

Protein: 1.7g (in total recipe: 27 g)

Molasses Corn Muffins

The typical corn muffin is either loaded with fat or super dry.  Theses are neither! We borrowed the base of a Martha Stewart recipe and tweaked it to make it low in sugar (no refined) and fat.  This muffin is awesome with chili, stew, or reheated for a morning quick breakfast to go. We use organic ingredients whenever possible.

Made 10 muffins (1/4 c batter in each)
Ingredients:

• 3/4 c corn meal (we use organic stone-ground)
• 1/2 c whole wheat flour (could sub out oat flour if you'd like gluten free)
• 3/4 c skim milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 3 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
• 3 tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

*optional addition fresh/froze corn kernels (1/4 c) to add additional fiber

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray muffin tin with cooking spray 
2. Melt coconut oil
3. Add all ingredients into a bowl and blend
4. Using 1/4 c measurements, place into muffin tin.  Our made 10 muffins.  For the empty 2 containers, we add a little water to help the other muffins cook evenly and to prevent the pan from burning.
   
5. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
6. Let cool for 5 minutes and remove from tin and enjoy! Click here for a vegetarian chili recipe to go with these.
   

Nutritional Benefits:

Coconut Oil: no cholesterol, non-inflammatory

Molasses: high in potassium (236 mg in each muffin), iron, calcium, and low in sugar

Whole Wheat Flour: higher in fiber & protein than white flour, less refinement allows for longer digestion and less spiking of glucose levels in the blood stream

Low in Fat

Low in Sugar

Nutritional Information per muffin:

Calories: 119

Fat: 5 g

Carbs: 15 g

Fiber: 1.4 g

Protein: 3 g

Pumpkin Pudding-Vegan

Looking for the fastest dessert ever? Here it is! Great for fast week night dessert. Awesome as a smoothie or throw it into the freezer for a vegan ice cream! Yum!

Ingredients:

• 12 oz silken tofu (I used one pack of Nasoya silken tofu).
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (might want a little more, maybe 1 tbsp)
• 1 cup canned pumpkin, unsweetened
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/2 tbsp flax seeds
• 1/4 tsp salt 

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender (we used a Vitamix)
2. Pour into 4 ramekins or pudding cups
3. Place in refrigerator, eat chilled 

Nutritional Benefits:

• Pumpkin: packed with Vitamin A: nutrient that aides in the healing process of bones, teeth, and other tissues
• Anti-inflammatory
• High in Protein: great for healing and rebuilding tissues
• Low in Sugar and no processed sugar (1 tbsp per serving)
• Rich source of Omega 3 fatty acids: excellent for heart health
• Source of Fiber

Nutritional Information:

Calories:147

Fat:5 g

Carbs:22 g

Fiber: 2 g

Protein:6.5 g

Calcium: 20% of daily needs

Vitamin A: 190% of daily needs

Pumpkin Muffins-gluten free

Made with oat flour, these super fast muffins are an awesome side dish to stews, soups, or to pop and go in the morning! Packed with potassium and Vitamin A-how can you go wrong? They're also low in fat and sugar (with no processed sugars).  Kid approved!

Makes: 12        Prep and Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 c oat flour (or other flour)-to make pulse 2 c rolled oat in a blender, measure out 2 c
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger

• 3/4 c pumpkin
• 1/4 c maple syrup
• 3 tbsp molasses
• 1/2 cup milk (we used skim, but could use almond or soy) + 2 tbsp
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/4 c apple sauce

Ad-ins: pecans, fresh cranberries, chopped apple, dried cranberries, and/or chocolate chips (totaling about 3/4 c)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl
3. Mix wet ingredients into a mixer or blender
4. Add in dry ingredients
5. Mix until blended.  Add optional ingredients (we added 3/4 c cranberries-fyi they're tart)
6. Pour into muffin cups and bake about 15-20 minutes until tester comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes and remove from pan.  Serve warm or at room temp.  These will freeze well!
7. Serve with this chicken stew below.
   

Nutritional Benefits:

• Packed with Potassium (2664 mg) & Vitamin A (150% of daily value in entire batch)
• Low in Fat (only 14 g in entire batch)
• Low in Sugar
• High in Antioxidants
• Good Source of Vitamin C (cranberries)
• Gluten Free
• Anti-inflammatory

Nutritional Information in Entire Batch Made With Cranberries:

Calories: 1340 (each muffin=112)

Fat: 29g (2.4g/muffin)

Carbs: 245g (20g/muffin)

Fiber: 18g (1.5/muffin)

Protein: 36g (3g/muffin)

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread (oat flour/gluten free)

All things pumpkin! Yum-we love the delicious, warming tastes of fall!  We've been trying to reduce our flour intake to see if it helps us with inflammation. So far, we feel better.  I've adapted a traditional recipe to reduce the amount of fat and sugar.  We replaced oats with the flour traditionally called for in the recipe.  If you'd like to make your own oat flour, which we did, put 2 c rolled oats into a blender for about 1-2 minutes until they form a flour. You'll have a little left over.

Ingredients:

• 1 c pumpkin puree
• 2 c oat flour (or you could use traditional flour)*use certified gluten free oats if you need
• 1/4 c applesauce (no sugar)
• 1/2-3/4 cup of honey (we used 3/4, but could definitely reduce to 1/2)
• 1/4 c water
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 c cranberries (we buy them now when in season and freeze them for the year)

Instructions:

1. Grind oats in blender if making your own flour and measure out 2 cups
2. Place all ingredients into a mixer 
3. Pour into a greased loaf pan (we used a large pan).  This is enough for 1 large pan (9x5) or 8.5x4 plus a mini loaf pan
   
4. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour 15 min or until tester comes out clean

Nutritional Benefits:

• Good Source of Vitamin A (pumpkin): helps in bone and teeth strength, healing, and blood circulation
• Good Source of Vitamin C (cranberries): cranberries are an awesome source of this healing/disease preventing vitamin
• Anti-inflammatory: oats and above vitamins help to reduce inflammation, aiding in heart & dental health
• Low in fat: no added oils, better for heart health
• Reduced sugar, no refined sugars: helps decrease blood sugar spikes
• High in Fiber and Calcium (oats): oats are high in both of these, as well as taking longer for the body to digest.  This helps to regulate blood sugar spikes.  Oats are also anti-inflammatory
  

Indian Cauliflower Rice Bowl

OMG! I have been experimenting with cauliflower in shredded form, and it's amazingly versatile.  I served this to our daughter and told her it was cauliflower.  I wish I hadn't, because she told me, "Oh I thought it was rice! I like it." My son said, "it's ok" (which translates to, had I not know it was cauliflower I would have loved it).  Both of these may not sound like compliments, but trust me, they are.  The recipe below can really be adjusted to have the flavoring of any rice dish you'd be interested in making.  The base tastes like a rice pilaf, and feel free to stop there, because it was awesome as a pilaf (even top it with some slivered almonds and you'll fool everyone!). The recipe makes enough for 6 servings as a side dish or 2-3 large main dish portions.

Cauliflower Rice Pilaf Base:

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup of red onions-about 1 large (could use regular onions too)
• 2 1/2 cups (or more) of mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups of cubed eggplant (could omit if you don't have any)
• 6 cups of shredded cauliflower (this is half of a head of cauliflower-left over from making cauliflower pizza crust)
• 1-2 cups of water or broth 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• fresh pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Shred the cauliflower in a food processor using the shredding attachment
   
2. Saute onions until translucent, then add eggplant and mushrooms
   
3. Add in cauliflower
   
4. Saute until cauliflower softens, adding in broth/water as needed to prevent sticking
5. Add salt/pepper to taste
6. *top with slivered almonds or toasted pinenuts

Indian Cauliflower Rice Bowl

Do you love 1 dish dinners? We do! Snap to eat, take to kids games, and less dishes! Who doesn't love less dishes?

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower rice base (above)
• 1 cup of beans (we used a mix of chick peas and black beans-use whatever you have on hand)
• 2 cups of greens (again it can be any kind, we used kale and collard greens)
• 1 lime, zest and juice
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 garlic cloves-minced
• 1/4 tsp cayenne

Instructions

1. After making the cauliflower rice pilaf, add in remaining ingredients listed above
   
   
   
2. Saute until greens are wilted (adding more water/broth if needed)
   
3. Serve and top with slivered almonds, pumpkins seeds (what we used), or toasted pine nuts
   

Enjoy!

Nutritional Benefits:

• Low in carbs! Great for those on a gluten free, or low carb diet
• Low in fat-only 17 g in entire dish (could even be omitted if you wish to saute onions in a little water)
• High in anti-oxidants (vitmain C)
• Heart Healthy
• Diabetic Friendly!
• High in Fiber
• High in Calcium
• High In Vitamin C

Nutritional Information for 1 cup of raw cauliflower:
Vitamin C-86% of your daily needs (DN)
Vitamin K-21% (an anti-inflammatory vitamin)
Folate-15% (linked to brain and neurological function and formation for developing brains)
Fiber-2g
Protein: 2g
Calories: 27
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=13

Chick Peas:

Serving Size 1 cup (240 g)

Per Serving% Daily Value*

Calories 286

Calories from Fat 25

Total Fat 2.7g4%

Saturated Fat 0.3g1%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.6g

Cholesterol 0mg0%

Carbohydrates 54.3g18%

Dietary Fiber 10.6g42%

Sugars 0.0g

Protein 11.9g

Vitamin A 1% · Vitamin C 15%

Calcium 8% · Iron 18%

Read more: Calories in Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans, Bengal Gram), Mature Seeds, Canned | Nutrition and Health Facts http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-chickpeas-garbanzo-beans-bengal-gram-i16058#ixzz2i2LbcePx

Apple Sauce-low to no added sugar

Use those apples that are awesome right now and make a delicious low sugar sauce to put on top of chicken, turkey, or to snack on.  If you're craving a warm, and comforting dessert-heat a little apple sauce up and it'll satisfy you (without added fat and sugar)!

.

 Directions:
1) Cut up apples (easiest way is to use an apple peeler).  You can keep skins on if you don't mind the fact that some will be floating around in sauce (does provide added fiber and nutrients, however).  The total amount of apples you use depends on how much sauce you want.  It does cook down a lot.

2)  Place in a large pot with a little bit of orange juice to prevent browning

3)  Add cinnamon and nutmeg to taste, and depending on amount of apples being used, add water or cider to prevent sticking and to allow apples to steam. *we use a large soup pot and add about 2 -3 cups of liquid and about 4 tsp cinnamon and 2 tsp nutmeg (adjust accordingly to taste)

4) Allow pot to steam and come to a slight boil, stirring to prevent sticking.

5) Once apples have cooked down and have mushed out, taste.  You can add a little bit of honey at this time. To a large pot we add no more than 1/3 cup of honey to keep added sugars low.

6) To save you sauce you can put into freezer containers or can.  To can, place hot apple sauce into hot jars, leaving 1" head space.  Place lids on and process in hot water bath for 10 minutes (pints) and 15 minutes (quarts).


Nutritional Benefits:
Little to no added sugar
No Fat
Cinnamon: aids in blood circulation
Apples: High in fiber and Vitamin C, a vitamin that aids in healing and disease prevention (anti-oxidant), soluble fiber helps to improve heart health by lowering cholesterol levels in the blood.  In 1 small apple there is 17% of your daily fiber needs and 14% of Vitamin C, so by consuming applesauce, you are consuming a great quantity of apples, and therefore fiber and Vitamin C amount (just watch total sugar)

Apple Crisp (vegan)

Apple Crisp After Baking

Desserts are often high in sugar and fat.  This cobbler takes advantage of all the delicious apples we can grow here in Buffalo, while keeping things low-fat and low sugar.  Go picking or pick up some fresh apples from your farmers market.  Get more than you think you'll need, they last a long well in cold storage (and it's 1/3 the price you'll pay in the store).

Apple Crisp (made without DAIRY!) for a 9x13 pan

Ingredients for Filling:

8 apples (about, use as many as you need to fill the pan): use an apple peeler if you have one

Citrus juice (you can use lemons or orange juice)-about the squeeze of 1 lemon/orange or drizzle juice on apples to prevent browning

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp honey

Instructions:

Mix the above into a bowl and the place apples into a 9x13 pan

Pour 2-3 tbsp of apple cider into bottom of pan (to coat bottom of pan)

Ingredients for Topping:

2 cups rolled oats (organic preferred)

1 cup whole wheat flour (can be replaced by more oats if gluten free)

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsp coconut oil (organic)

2 tsp cinnamon 

Instructions:

1. Mix topping and place on top of apples
2. Preheat oven to 375
3. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour (until bubbling), remove foil for 10 minutes to brown up

Enjoy!

Nutritional Benefits in this Apple Crisp (whole pan serves 10-12):

Apples: high in fiber and vitamin C (whole pan has 160% Vit C) high in potassium 

Oats: high in calcium, fiber, and helps to maintain blood sugar levels

Cinnamon: aids in blood circulation

Coconut oil: cholesterol free 

*totals in entire pan:
28g fat 

70 g sugar from honey

112 g carbs from oats (8g sugar)

12 g fiber from oats (much more depending on quantity of apples used)

Quinoa Salad with pistachios, artichokes, and avocado

Looking for a different kind of side dish? High in protein, gluten free, and delicious, this food will help you to repair and heal.  Easy to eat after any dental procedure and can be eaten cold or hot (we like it cold).

Quinoa Salad: Pistachios, Artichokes, Avocado:

Ingredients:

• 3 c cooked quinoa (or 1 cup dry and then cook)-click here for directions on how to prepare quinoa
• 1 can artichokes coarsely chopped
• 1/4 c chopped pistachios
• zest and juice of 1/2 lemon 
• 1/4 c craisins or dried cherries (unsweetened)
• 1 avocado
• pepper and salt to taste

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa and let cool if you'd like the dish to be cold (it can be made several days in advance)
2. Mix above ingredients together and enjoy! (how easy is that?)

Nutritional Benefits:

Quinoa: 1 cup cooked quinoa provides the following:

• 5 g fiber
• 8 g protein
• 4 g fat
• 39 g carbohydrates
• 222 calories (when cooked in water)

Avocado: High in Vitmains C (20% DV), K, B5, Potassium (20%), and folate (25%),fiber 9g!, and omega-3 fatty acids, avocados are a power food that helps to reduce inflammation, support heart health, and supports blood sugar regulation

Lemon: high in Vitamin C, provides antioxidants to fight infection

Artichokes:Very high in fiber (more than prunes!) 1/2 c provides 4g fiber and 2 g protein with 0g fat, helps lower bad cholesterol, cancer fighting antioxidants, and aids in digestion
Pistachios: high in protein, healthy fats, and micronutrients: copper, Vitamin B6, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, and Thiamin

Beets-how to enjoy them

Can’t Beat It!  Looking for a way to enjoy these amazing beauties in season right now?

Here is an easy way to do it!

How to prepare the greens:

1. Cut off greens right after you pick them or purchase them.  The greens loose a lot of water through them, and are best used right away-or washed and kept in a storage container. DO NOT WASTE THESE! 
2. Methods of preparation for greens:

• chop and saute with a little water and add fresh herbs like basil or dill towards the end of cooking.  After the greens wilt, you can season with a little salt and pepper.  Greens also are great with a little acidity added at the end.  Great choices are: fresh lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or a white balsamic vinegar
• Throw into a smoothie-raw
• Chop and mix in with other greens to make a salad, or eat on their own in place of lettuce

How to prepare the beets:

1. Roasting: chop off tops and roots and wash.  Place into foil, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar (or water if you don’t like vinegar).  Roast at 375 or 400 until a knife inserted goes in easy-you will smell them when they’re ready.  Let cool and rub skins off.  They will peal right off when complete.  You might want to wear gloves (I have looked like a murderer after peeling before!).
2. Shredding raw: grate beets and carrots for a great salad.  Add some sunflower seeds for a added crunch and protein.  Drizzle with a little vinegar and add a little freshly ground pepper.
3. Stovetop: peel beets and place into a pan.  Cover with balsamic vinegar and boil on stove until fork tender

Nutritional Information on Beets: High in calcium and iron-beets can be found locally almost year round (they’re super easy to grow also!). Calcium is needed for healing and building strong bones and teeth.  Iron aids in oxygen binding, and therefore helps with proper circulation which helps in healing. www.altmandental.com