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Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

9/28/2015

We are officially in fall which means I can eat all the butternut squash I want! Butternut squash soup felt like the best way to welcome the season so I put together an easy soup with lots of flavor. Topping with hemp seeds not only give a nice texture, but also provides a great source of protein, omega-3s, fiber, antioxidants, and many other valuable nutrients.

Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 4-5 cups)
2-3 cups of vegetable stock
1 cup whole fat, unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoon curry
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, diced
1 tablespoon coconut oil
salt and pepper to taste
crushed red pepper to taste
hemp seeds for topping

In a large pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat
Once hot, add shallots, garlic, and ginger. Saute 2-3 minutes.
Add curry, nutmeg, and allspice, and cook for 30 seconds.
Add butternut squash, salt and pepper, crushed red pepper if using, and stir well coating squash with all seasonings.
Add vegetable stock and coconut milk to the pot. Bring to a boil, stir, cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Allow soup to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until squash is soft.
Remove soup from heat and use an immersion blender to puree soup until smooth.
Give soup a taste and add any additional seasoning you may need. Simmer soup for a few more minutes to further combine flavors.
Serve soup topped with hemp seeds.

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Taco Salad

9/15/2015

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This taco salad gives a healthy twist to Taco Tuesday! Between the greens, chickpeas, avocados, and cashew sour cream, there is a ton of plant based protein offered in this tasty salad. With the use of simple salsa there is no need for dressing. Give this salad a try next time you want a health approach to tacos!

Taco Salad

mixed greens of choice
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tomato, diced
1 avocado, sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1/2 tablespoon grapeseed oil
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, plus more if you like
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
1 cup cashews, soaked 2 hours and drained
1.5 teaspoons lemon juice
1.5 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
pinch salt

For the salsa: Mix diced tomatoes, juice of 1 lime, 1 tablespoon cilantro and a pinch of salt together in a small bowl. Refrigerate for 1-3 hours.

For the roasted corn: Preheat oven to 400. Mix corn, grapeseed oil, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Spread corn on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until corn is brown on edges.

For the chickpeas: add a little oil to a pan over medium heat. Once oil is hot add taco seasoning and cook for 30 seconds. Add in chickpeas and coat peas in seasoned oil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for about 5 minutes, or until peas or soft.

For the cashew sour cream: Place cashews, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup water, and pinch of salt in a food processor or high speed blender. Blend until very smooth. If mixture is too thick add water by the tablespoon until desired consistency is reached.

Constructing the salad: Place greens in bowl first. Top greens with the taco chickpeas, roasted corn, and sliced avocado. Top with salsa and a drizzle of cashew sour cream.

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Veggie Summer Rolls

9/2/2015

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I am excited to soon enjoy the delicious flavors of the fall harvest but want to enjoy summer's bounty for as long as I can. Though there are hints of fall being in the air with slightly cooler mornings, the heat and humidity are holding strong in the afternoons. My body still craves fresh, light meals, and that is what I'm feeding it. These Veggie Summer Rolls are the perfect option for such a meal. They are easy to assemble and require no cooking. Use my recipe as a guideline and feel free to be creative with your favorite veggie filling.

Veggie Summer Rolls
(makes about 12)

1 head butter lettuce , chopped
2 medium carrots, spiralized, or cut into match sticks
1 cucumber, spiralized, or sliced thin
1 avocado, sliced thin
1 bunch of glass noodles
Cilantro
Rice paper spring roll wrappers (I used brown rice paper)

Soak glass noodles in hot water for 10 minutes or until soft. Once soft drain and set aside.
Place spring roll wrapper in warm water until it becomes soft (about 10 seconds or so). Remove wrapper and place on your work surface. I used a paper towel under my wrappers and lightly blotted any additional water on top of wrapper so they did not become too wet for rolling.
Place your veggies and glass noodles on your wrapper and fold bottom portion of the wrapper over the veggies. Follow this with a full roll. Then fold in left and right side, and roll toward top of wrapper until you reach the end of wrapper.
Let stand for a few minutes before eating.
Serve with your favorite sauce for dipping. My peanut dressing is my top pick and the recipe can be found here http://www.naturallynourished.net/blog/category/sauces-dressings

Note: Try to keep your summer rolls for being stacked on one another as the rice paper can be sticky and cause the rolls to tear. These are great for lunch the next day and wrapping them individually in parchment paper will prevent sticking.

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Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

Taco Salad

Veggie Summer Rolls

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