Sides

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin, Lime and Pumpkin Seeds

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin and Pumpkin Seeds

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin, Lime and Pumpkin Seeds

I find this time of year with fresh produce in abundance so inspirational!

The vegetables on display by local growers who take such pride in their offerings is sheer art!

Cumin and pumpkins seeds (also know as pepitas), are a very delicious combination and enhance the sweetness of the carrots. Did you know cumin also has the ability to aid digestion as well as help insomnia and respiratory ailments? It was used by the Egyptians 5,000 years ago, and is popular today in many cuisines.

Pumpkin seeds are a great alternative to nuts in cooking, and have excellent nutritional benefits like containing zinc for immune support, magnesium, fiber and plant based Omega 3’s.

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin, Lime and Pumpkin Seeds

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin and Pumpkin Seeds

Preheat your oven to 400º degrees.

Ingredients:

4 Cups of Young Carrots

1/4 Cup of Good Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of Ground Cumin

Juice of 1 Lime

1 1/2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink (My favorite :-))

1/2 Teaspoon of Pepper

1/3 Cup of Pumpkin Seeds

Directions: Toss the washed carrots with the olive oil in a large bowl. Add the Cumin, Salt and Pepper and squeeze the juice of one lime over it. Toss thoroughly to spread the seasoning evenly. Pour the Carrots onto a large parchment lined cookie sheet in a single layer.

Oven roast for 40 to 50 minutes until the carrots are starting to caramelize. Toss them once or twice during roasting to re-coat with the oil and seasonings.

Remove them from the oven, and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds (pepitas).

Serve them hot!

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin and Pepitas

Oven Roasted Carrots with Cumin, Lime and Pepitas

Eat Your Nutrients!

Orange Apple Pecan Cookout Salad

I am so excited that cookout season is here finally! Cold salads to serve alongside something on the grill lets me relax outside with a glass of something to sip beforehand, because the sides are prepared and marinating in the refrigerator.

Orange Apple Pecan Cookout Salad

Leafy green salads are great, but heartier salads to heap on your plate are filling and fun as well. I have a new recipe for you that is packed with vegetables and fruit with a sprinkling of crunchy pecans. You can make it up to two days in advance. It just gets better with time. One of the things I love about this salad is all the colors and the fresh tastes.

This is a robust side with healthy, grain free, nutrient rich carbohydrates. Here is what you will need!

Orange Apple Pecan Cookout Salad

Preheat the oven to 375º degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and prepare the Squash.

Butternut Squash Prepped for Roasting

Place the squash cubes from below on the cookie sheet and toss with 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, 1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt and 1/4 Teaspoon of Black Pepper. Roast for 20 minutes until tender but still holding together. Try a piece to make sure it is how you like it. Then,

Ingredients for Salad:

1 Medium Butternut Squash, Peeled, Seeded and Cubed into 1 1/2 inch cubes

(Roast the Squash Above and Cool Slightly before making the Salad, Measure out 4 Cups of Squash and save any extra for another time.)

1 Can of Mandarin Oranges (I used Native Forest Brand in it’s own juice)

1 Apple, seeded and diced (I like Fuji, but you choose)

1/4 Cup Fruit Sweetened, Dried Cranberries

1/4 Cup Raw Pecans, Coarsely Chopped

2 Scallions, sliced

Ingredients for Dressing:

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

2 Tablespoons of Cider Vinegar

1 Tablespoon of Honey

1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

Directions: Whisk together your dressing and set aside. In a large bowl, add the prepared salad ingredients including the roasted squash cubes that have mostly cooled. Pour the dressing over the ingredients, and gently toss. Taste, and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Place in the refrigerator two hours before serving to let the flavors meld.

Ready to Toss

This salad keeps well in the refrigerator. It is a delicious, filling, colorful salad that is packed with all those wonderful fruits and veggies to make us glow with health!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Lacinato Kale with Garlic and Almonds

Lacinato Kale, also referred to as Dinosaur Kale, is a flat leafed kale with dark green blue leaves. This is my favorite kale to cook with. It has a slightly nutty flavor, and is less bitter than Curly Kale. I use Curly Kale to make kale chips, because the curls grab on to every bit of sauce you put on them. By now you would have to be hiding under a rock to not hear about all the health benefits in greens, and Kale has taken center stage in the past couple years.

Lacinato Kale with Garlic and Almonds

Kale is full of benefits, such as it is high in fiber, is a good source of Calcium, Iron, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Vitamin K. It is fabulous for strengthening your immune system, bones and skin.

This recipe for kale is crunchy, garlicky and savory. It is important to eat greens with fat to help your body access the nutrients, plus it just plain tastes good. I have used Olive Oil in this recipe. There are endless ways to serve this dish. It makes a great side for fish and chicken. Add some protein, and you have a meal.

Lacinato Kale

Lacinato Kale with Garlic and Almonds

Ingredients:

1 bunch of Lacinato Kale, Stripped of Stems and Washed

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced (I use a garlic press)

1 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice (It brightens the dish)

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds

Directions:

Slice the Kale into 1 inch strips by grabbing a bunch and using a sharp knife on a cutting board. Set aside.

Heat the Olive Oil in a large cooking pan over high heat. Add the Minced Garlic, and cook just briefly, just about 30 seconds. Add the sliced Kale and Sea Salt. Cook over high heat until the Kale is wilted, tossing frequently. Once wilted, add in 1 Tablespoon of fresh squeezed Lemon Juice. Toss just to coat.

Place the kale in a serving dish and sprinkle with the Sliced Almonds.

It’s Ready to Eat! It is so good!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Celeriac Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Side Dish

I simply can’t get enough of this side dish! It is my new favorite potato replacement, but really in is unfair to Celeriac to call it a substitute for potato, like it is second best. Celeriac is an under appreciated root vegetable. Maybe because in it’s unpeeled state, it is unattractive (sorry celeriac).

Celeriac, Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Side Dish

However, the inside of the celeriac is a beautiful creamy white, and it loves to soak up flavor! In addition, it offers those who partake of it a nice dose of Vitamins C, K, B6, Phosphorous, Potassium, Magnesium, Manganese and Fiber.

You can make this side in under 30 minutes on the stove top. Let’s go!

Celeriac Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Side Dish

Ingredients:

2 Medium Celeriac Root (peeled and cubed into about 1 inch dice)

1/2 Cup Chicken Broth

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Oil Packed Sun Dried Tomatoes (finely minced)

2 Tablespoons of Fresh Basil, sliced

1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Directions: With a large heavy fry pan on the stove top, add your olive oil and warm over medium high heat. Add the cubed celeriac, and sprinkle with salt. Cook the cubes until just starting to brown, which will take approximately 2 minutes, turning once or twice. Add the broth and minced sun dried tomatoes. Cover the pan, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer covered for 20 minutes, until the celeriac is fork tender, but not falling apart. Remove lid and cook until the liquid is mostly evaporated, and there is just enough left to make a nice sauce. Sprinkle the celeriac with sliced fresh basil. Toss to incorporate the basil and serve!

Celeriac, Sun Dried Tomato and Basil

Eat Your Nutrients!

Festive Cranberry Sauce

Festive Crannberry Sauce

This is the Best Cranberry Sauce Ever!!! IMHO 🙂 Even if you don’t like cranberry sauce, you will like this one! It is that good!

It is bright, sweet, and tart, a gorgeous, gorgeous shade of berry, and the coconut sugar added at the final stage adds an earthy warmth like a cozy hug that can’t be described. After the sauce is poured warm into a serving bowl, it is sprinkled with toasted, coarsely chopped walnuts and chilled for the perfect accompaniment to your holiday table! It is definitely going on mine! Happy Holidays!

Festive Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Pint of Fresh Cranberries

1/2 Cup Organic Apple Cider

1/2 Cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

1/2 Cup of Honey

Zest of One Organic Orange

1/2 Cup Toasted Walnuts

Directions: In a medium saucepan, add washed, fresh cranberries, cider, orange juice, honey, and orange zest. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the berries pop and the juices have reduced by about half.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350º degrees, and place the walnuts on a cookie sheet. After the oven has preheated, toast the walnuts for five minutes. Remove from the oven and cool, then coarsely chop them and set them aside for sprinkling on the top of the cranberry sauce when it is ready.

Place the warm, simmered cranberry sauce into a blender. Blend until smooth and emulsified. Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle while warm with the toasted, coarsely chopped walnuts. This allows some of the walnuts to sink into the sauce so they are throughout and on the top. Chill at least four hours. This will keep in the refrigerator and can be made in advance!

Makes 2 Cups

Eat Your Nutrients!

Oven Roasted Fennel, Carrots and Red Onion

Roasted Vegetables

My favorite way to eat vegetables in the colder months is oven roasting! Roasting vegetables in the oven brings out the natural sugars in the vegetables, and it caramelizes them adding even more layers of flavor.

If you have been following me for awhile, you have heard over and over to eat your vegetables and eat your nutrients. 🙂 Oven roasting makes it an easy way to do so! Yes! Some of the health benefits of Fennel is it contains Phytonutrients, Vitamin C, Fiber, Folate and Potassium. Red Onion is a source of Sulfur and Quercetin (cancer protective). Carrots are high in Vitamin A, and also contain good amounts of Biotin and Vitamin K. By eating these three all together, you are getting a powerhouse of beneficial nutrients!

This recipe for Oven Roasted Fennel, Carrot and Red Onion is an outstanding choice to serve at your Thanksgiving table. It is colorful, rustic and so delicious! I hope you give it a try!

Oven Roasted Fennel, Carrots and Red Onion

Preheat your oven to 375º degrees.

Ingredients:

2 Fennel Bulbs

6 Medium Carrots

1 Large Red Onion

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon of Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Directions:

Wash and trim the fennel, and remove the stalks. Slice the fennel into 1/2 inch slices. Peel the carrots and slice. Peel the red onion and cut in half, then into 10 wedges total. In a medium bowl toss the prepared vegetables with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a parchment lined, rimmed baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes until the vegetables are tender and caramelized, tossing with a spatula after the first 20 minutes.

It is ready to Serve!

Enjoy your day!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Go Beyond the Salad

Hello! I hope you are having a peaceful Autumn! What’s new?

When you think about healthy eating, salads and green vegetables usually come to mind. But how about adding a little more variety to your plan?

Roots like carrots, sweet potatoes, and turnips, are a rich source of nutritious complex carbohydrates. Instead of upsetting blood sugar levels like refined sweet foods do, they help regulate them.

Why Eat More Root Vegetables?

Long roots – carrots, parsnips, burdock, and daikon radish – are excellent blood purifiers and can help improve circulation in the body. Round roots – turnips, radishes, beets, and rutabagas – nourish the stomach, spleen, pancreas, and reproductive organs.

Which root vegetables do you eat most?

If you’re like most of the world, it’s carrots and potatoes. Here are a few others to explore:

Beets contain an abundance of antioxidants and are highly detoxifying. They contain dietary fiber, magnesium, iron, glycine, carotenoids, lutein, flavonoids and trace minerals.
Kohlrabi also referred to as a German Turnip is a good source of Vitamin C, B6, Folate and Thiamine, as well as trace minerals. It is a member of the Brassica family.
Celeriac, also known as celery root, is rich in fiber and has a respectable amount of antioxidants. (I like it mashed like potatoes, or a mixture of steamed carrots and celeriac mashed together.)
Jicama is crunchy and refreshing and contains a generous amount of vitamin C. It’s a favorite in its native Mexico and South America.
Onions are rich in antioxidants and other phytonutrients, making them prized for their ability to strengthen the immune system.
Parsnips, which look like giant white carrots, boast a sweet, earthy taste. They also contain plenty of fiber, as well as vitamin C, folic acid, niacin, thiamine, magnesium, and potassium.
Radish is an excellent source of vitamin C. It’s also contains calcium, molybdenum, folic acid, and is beneficial for digestion.
Sweet Potatoes contain unsurpassed levels of beta-carotene and are also rich in vitamin A. They also provide potassium, phytonutrients, protein, and fiber.

Excited to add more roots to your diet? Here’s a fun, easy recipe:

Easy Roasted Root Vegetables

Easy Roasted Root Vegetables

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 – 50 minutes
Serves 4 – 6Ingredients:
1 Sweet Potato
2 Parsnips
2 Large Carrots
2 Turnips or Kohlrabi
1 Daikon Radish (or substitute/add in other favorites like squash or beets)
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
Optional herbs: rosemary, thyme or sage (fresh or dried to taste)Preheat your oven 375 degrees. Peel, wash and slice all the vegetables into long spears or bite sized cubes.
Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly grease. Place prepared vegetables onto the baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs of choice.Roast uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes until the vegetables are tender and golden brown. Stir after the first 20 minutes, then continue roasting.Tip: Any combination of vegetable will work. Roasting only one kind of vegetable also makes a nice side dish!

Oven Roasted Root Vegetable Fries

Grilled Zucchini, Tomatoes and Scallions with Fresh Basil and Dill

On a beautiful Summer evening, I don’t want to be in the kitchen. Did you ever notice with grilling, you get to sit and relax while the food cooks more than when you are preparing a meal in the kitchen?

Grilled Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Green Onions with Fresh Basil and Dill

Grilled Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Scallions with Fresh Basil and Dill

Grilled vegetables also taste really delicious, they aren’t mushy, and you can combine ones that have relatively the same cooking time, toss them with a marinade and seasonings and come up with endless one dish vegetable sides.

Here is a fairly quick recipe for grilled zucchini, tomatoes and scallions I find Summery and a crowd pleaser.

Grilled Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Green Onion with Fresh Basil and Dill

Grilled Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Scallions with Fresh Basil and Dill

Grilled Zucchini, Tomatoes and Scallions with Fresh Basil and Dill

Organic Ingredients:

4 Zucchini on the smaller side (about 4 cups) sliced into spears

2 Local Medium Tomatoes (any color)

1 Bunch of Scallions, sliced in half lengthwise

1/4 Cup Fresh Basil, torn roughly into pieces

1 Tablespoon Fresh Snipped Dill

2 Tablespoons of Virgin Avocado Oil

1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt

Directions:

In a large bowl toss all the prepped ingredients together until well coated with oil. Place in a grill pan with holes. Grill on medium for 30 minutes, top of grill down, (relax until the vegetables are tender).

Eat Your Nutrients!

Summer Peach and Berry Fruit Salad

Peach and Berry Summer Fruit Salad

Hello Lovely People!!! One of the things so fantastic about this Summer Peach and Berry Fruit Salad is, it is just naturally gorgeous! You don’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, it is no cook, and it is nutrient rich. The nutrients, polyphenols and variety of natural from nature color pigments in the fruit feeds your skin, which is out in the sun more in the Summertime.

Summer Peach and Berry Fruit Salad

I know you all want your skin to glow! Am I right? Glowing skin just screams “healthy”. It is far lovelier than any makeup, although I like and use makeup.

Peach and Berry Summer Fruit Salad

I’ll admit I am really careful about balancing my nutrition. I have worked hard on my gut health over the last three years so I can really absorb the nutrients I eat. I have learned to listen to my body and be intuitive about what it may need. The needs of our bodies changes based on many factors including the time of year, our age, exposure to toxins, activity levels, stress, sleep, illness, and our environment.

Food is your most basic form of self care. One thing I rarely compromise on with myself is, I don’t eat junk. If I am having a treat, the food is real food ingredients. If you adopt this way of eating, if you aren’t already, you will get feedback as your body changes. We really are what we eat. People will comment on how obvious it is that you take care of yourself, and ask you your secret.

Next week I will share a new chocolate chip cookie recipe with you made from real food. All the recipes you will find on my blog are real food recipes. So check out the recipe index.

Summer Peach and Berry Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

5 Organic Juicy Ripe Peaches (pitted, peeled and sliced)

6 oz. of Organic Blackberries

2 Cups Organic Strawberries (halved)

1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds

1 Organic Lime (Zest and Juice)

2 Tablespoons Dry White Wine (Optional, I used Sauvignon Blanc)

2 Teaspoons of Good Quality Honey

1/2 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions: Whisk together the Lime Juice, Honey, Lime Zest, Vanilla and White Wine if using. Pour over the bowl of prepared fruit and gently fold. Refrigerate 2 hours and up to 24 hours. Right before serving, sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Serve chilled and enjoy! Have a fabulous weekend!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Green Beans with Figs and Bacon

I can’t resist fresh figs when they hit the market in the Summer. They are so elegant and miraculous when you cut them open and see the gorgeous insides. They are artwork and remind me of a kaleidoscope or a fireworks display. Figs are little packages containing calcium, fiber, potassium, iron, Vitamin A, niacin, folate and Vitamin C.

When I go shopping for food to cook for the week, as a nutrient seeker, I have an open mind and am looking for the freshest seasonal produce I can find. When I get it home, I decide what to do with it and get into my creative mode, which I find very therapeutic and rewarding.

This week I found fresh green beans, fresh figs, and some good quality organic bacon. A little bacon goes a long way to flavor a dish. I used two slices, but if you want more, feel free to embellish.

Green Beans with Figs and Bacon

The figs are halved and caramelized in olive oil which makes them sweeter. The natural sugars in the figs cause them to caramelize without any added sugar. They are natures perfect little plump package.

Green Beans with Figs & Bacon

Ingredients:

1 Pound of Fresh Green Beans, snipped and steamed for 5 minutes or until tender, drained and set aside

6 Fresh Large Figs (washed, halved and stems removed)

2 Pieces of Cooked Bacon, crumbled

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Aged Balsamic (I used 18 year old Balsamic which is very low sugar and amazing)

1/2 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Fleur de Sel Salt for finishing (optional)

Directions: In a large fry pan, warm olive oil over medium heat. Place the figs in a single layer cut side down, and sautee until caramelized (about 2 minutes).

Add steamed beans, salt and pepper, and gently toss with tongs to coat and warm the green beans. Add the balsamic and continue cooking until the balsamic forms a glaze. This will be accomplished quickly. Plate and sprinkle with crumbled bacon and a pinch or two of Fleur de Sel finishing salt.

I have an assignment for you this month to invest in your healthy life and longevity. Try one new vegetable and fruit from the produce isle each week. Swap it out for something you would eat processed, and eliminate that one processed food in place of a fresh, whole fruit or vegetable each day. If you need ideas, here is a Fruit and Vegetable List you can print and take to the store, or just browse the produce isle for interesting fruits and vegetables you haven’t tried before or haven’t had in a long time. Go home and Google recipes for what you buy. Remember, creating healthy habits that last a lifetime happens one step at a time.

This recipe is a delicious one that you will really enjoy, and it is beautiful to the eyes and body.

Enjoy your day!

Eat Your Nutrients!