Butternut Squash Soup Recipe for Fall

Fall is my favorite time of year and I switch from eating lots of salad to soup. Two days ago I read through several soup recipes using Butternut Squash and decided to come up with one of my own. It was delicious and is now in my favorite recipe notebook. If you are looking for some good tasting soup recipes using Fall vegetables this will satisfy.

Butternut Squash Soup with Apples

1 butternut squash peeled and cut into cubes

1 medium apple, peeled and sliced

1 medium or 1/2 of a large red onion

1 Tblsp fresh ginger, grated

1 Tblsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ancho chili pepper

1 cup turkey or chicken broth

1 15oz can of fire roasted tomatoes

2 medium fresh tomatoes cubed

1 1/2 cups fresh coconut milk ( So Delicious is one brand)

Heat oil in large soup pot. Add onion and saute’ until it begins to brown, then add ginger and spices toasting them until they become fragrant, under 1 minute. Add Turkey broth and scrape up browned bits on bottom of pot. Then add squash, apples and tomatoes. Simmer until squash and apples are soft. Stir in coconut milk and make sure soup is warmed through. Remove from heat and puree preferably with a blender stick or wait until it cools slightly to blend in conventional blender. Return soup to the pot and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

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Habit #4 Prep ahead.

This habit helps with two challenges. This first being what to cook especially on nights when you are tired. The second is produce that can be pricey, dying in your refrigerator before you get a chance to eat it. The answer is planning your menus and prepping your food right after you bring it home.

When I had to feed four children on a budget I used to plan out my menu for about 2 weeks, shop for food every two weeks, buy in bulk as much as I could and then I would do a marathon cooking day, prepping the ingredients and freezing or storing them in the refrigerator. It was a grueling day but it saved me lots of time and money. Plus we ate healthier meals.

I took the same approach with my new healthier eating plan. I plan out two weeks worth of menus then make a list with the needed ingredients. I take my list to the grocery store every two weeks and yes stick to a budget. Then every other Saturday afternoon I spend about 2 hours prepping the fresh produce. One big help is dividing romaine lettuce into leaves, washing and drying them then placing them in a large baggie or container for salads. A second head of romaine is torn and washed and spun dry then put in a second container. I am more likely to make a salad if the greens are washed and ready.

I also travel to my favorite farmers market and pick up produce in season. Here are some ideas on how to prep and preserve it from spoiling. Corn can be shucked and placed in a large baggie. Do not wash it ahead of time. I chop the tops off of beets and cook them until they are fork tender then slice and store in the refrigerator for salads. Tomatoes should sit on a window sill until you are ready to use them. Cucumbers can be peeled, sliced and refrigerated. Carrots, celery, scallions, peppers and radishes are cleaned and cut into dipping sizes. I usually make some hummus and black bean dip to accompany them. Chopping and slicing red onions and garlic are really helpful for quick dinners when I’m tired. Lately I’ve been cutting up a small watermelon and refrigerating it. It makes a great dessert on hot nights.

Finally I make sure I have a healthy sweet snack available. Fresh blueberries and a cut up pineapple are satisfying. Also, I portion almonds and raisins, 1 ounce each combined in a baggie for snacks when I want something sweet. Remember a craving only lasts for about 15 minutes so if you have something healthy prepared you are less likely to run out for ice cream.

The time is well spent because when I need ingredients for a shake they are ready. When I’m craving something sweet I have cut up fruit or an almond raisin snack. Salads are easy. This prep has really helped with sticking to my eating plan.

Try it and share your recipes and prepping techniques. I would love to hear from you.

Tasty Whole Food Recipes

New Favorite Recipes. Rocco takes the Whole Foods Plant based diet and makes it easy to plan and cook. Healthy can be delicious!

90 Day Vegetarian Adventure – Day 90 Return to the Beginning

The last day of the adventure and I find myself returning to the Juice Reboot.  Halloween with its mini-candy bars just about did me in.  I am now craving sugar and chocolate again.  So, the remedy is to Reboot.  At the end of the 90 day adventure I’m dusting off the juicer and enjoying at least one day of fasting to break the addictions and get back on track to healthy eating.

Fall fruit and vegetables make delicious juices.  The fresh kale is still growing in the garden and apples are available from the orchard.  Plus carrots have been recently harvested.  The two recipes using these seasonal ingredients are as follows:

Breakfast:  1 stick celery, 1 organic carrot, 2 Golden Delicious apples.

Lunch:  1 stick celery, 1 organic carrot, 1 Golden Delicious apple, handful fresh kale.

Enjoy!  Send me some of your favorite juices.  I welcome your comments.

 

90 Day Vegetarian Adventure – Cooking for Carnivores

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The baby boy is home from college and he is building muscle for wrestling season.  My daughters and husband are looking at me with big puppy dog eyes when I mention cooking a meal with meat while he is home.  The truth is, they enjoy the vegetarian cooking but they never signed on to the lifestyle.  So, tomorrow I’m making Carolina BBQ for them.  The dilemma is, what do I cook for me?  Do I cave and go back to old ways of eating for one day? Or do I sit righteously at the end of the table with my cup of tea and pretend I’m not hungry?  Actually, I decided to make mushroom sliders with slices of onion and a homemade tomato based BBQ sauce.  The sides will be of course coleslaw with low-fat dressing and baked potato skins.  Pear sauce and nonfat molasses cookies for dessert.   The key to cooking for carnivores is to make my own preferences for vegetables just as important as their preference for meat.

Any of you have similar dilemmas?  Send me a comment or questions and we will talk.

The 90 Day Vegetarian Adventure – Day 40 The Great Frederick Fair

Normally, I love this time of year and one of the highlights of September is attending the Great Frederick Fair.  This is a county agricultural fair with something for everyone.  In past years I have entered baked goods, canned goods, artwork and photos for competition and a prize.  It’s good to know that I can bake prize-winning bread, brownies and pickle superior green beans.

However, this year is different.  With all of the changes in my schedule, I haven’t had the time or energy to make any entries.  Also, the Vegetarian Adventure has given me a different gastronomic perspective because most of the food sold at the fair is animal-based.  So, all of the lovely ham sandwiches, crab soup, full fat ice cream and gyros don’t call my name anymore.  In fact, I’m not even tempted to go back to the meat-eating orgy that the Fair used to be for me.

So, what am I going to do at the Fair this year?  Attend the Horse Pull on Friday night and eat a delicious bag of kettle popcorn.  Browse through the Farm & Garden building that is full of beautiful fruits and vegetables grown in the county this summer and pick up a free apple.  In this same building there is delicious local honey for sale.  I always buy honey sticks for the grown 20-somethings.

If I’m upping my fat intake for the day there are fantastic apple dumplings made by the best cooks in the world, Methodist Church Ladies.  And, sweet potato fries are always tasty and filling.  But, I guess that’s about it as far as the food will take me.

I love to look at the healthy, well-cared for, livestock.  It’s fun to watch the 4-H kids show their animals and to realize that each sheep, goat, cow and pig represent a lot of hard work to get them to this event.  The auctions are bittersweet.  I’m happy for the kids who get a good price for their animals but sad that the beautiful critters will end up in the freezer.

Then, there is the Household Building, where in past years I competed with the best of them.  This year I’m not even interested because none of my stuff is there.  That’s pretty childish, but it’s how I feel.

The free yardsticks, frisbees, key chains, erasers that look like cows, pencils, pads of paper and jar openers are all there for the picking.  The kids used to love getting Fair bags full of the stuff.  Only one college kid this year has requested freebies from the Fair, so I’ll wander around with my plastic bag advertising the local newspaper and collect for him.

This whole vegetarian lifestyle change has definitely changed the source of excitement caused by the Fair.  It has made me realize that I did go mostly for the food and now that fried meat doesn’t look or taste good anymore and full-fat dairy is not on the menu what’s left?  Just a different experience that’s all.  Still fun and satisfying, with a new, healthier perspective.

90 Day Vegetarian Adventure – Day 36 Help with the Reboot

For those of you who are rebooting your system with a juice fast.  Visit www.fatsickandnearlydead.com site for explicit instructions.  The 15 day fast is doable with a normal schedule, just remember that the first 2 days are uncomfortable.  If you feel really hungry and tired, eat raw or steamed vegetables.  Bake a potato, steam some kale, raw carrots, a fresh tomato, etc.  It helps if you can get your vegetables and fruit in season close to where they are grown.  A Farmer’s Market and local orchards are great sources.  Everything will taste better.  Also, if you want more juice recipes, just write a comment.  Send me a line, I’m listening.

90 Day Vegetarian Adventure Day 25 The Reasons

In reading and commenting on other Vegan and Vegetarian blogs I’ve noticed that a lot of vegetarians are what I would call aggressively mellow.  They have chosen to eat a certain way and love the results but seem to always have their armor on, defending their choices.  If my reasons are strong enough for me and I’m not offending God, who cares what others think or eat?   I don’t view eating well as a crusade, rather it is a personal choice based on past experience and study.

The past experiences have to do with always planting a vegetable garden in the spring and eating from it the rest of the year.  Fresh food from the garden to table has a flavor that cannot be duplicated in the 2 to 3 weeks that it takes to ship the food from somewhere else.  Plus, after 2 weeks at least half of the vitamin C is gone.

The study has to do with the book of Genesis in the Bible.  I’ve always been fascinated with our Creator and His methods.  The original design places us in a garden, tending it , living in it and eating the produce from it.  Nutritionists are finding that our bodies are designed to heal themselves when the right nutrients are in place.

So, your reasons for being a vegetarian are yours alone.  Relax, and take off your armor.  Enjoy your gardens and farmer’s markets.  In my view vegetables and fruits are a major miracle.  You don’t have to defend yourself or insist that others agree with you.  And you certainly don’t have to worry about what other people think.

90 Day Vegetarian Adventure Day 13 – Passing the test

Yesterday was a major test of the vegan eating plan.  My extended family met at the Utica Picnic and had a family style fried chicken and ham dinner.  The Utica Picnic is a yearly fundraiser for the local church.  It takes place in a wooded area that has hosted this picnic for decades.  The locals come out in droves and the church members serve lots of home cooking, family style and al a carte.  From hot beef sandwiches and full fat ice cream to fresh garden vegetables and country ham it is a major test of willpower.

This year I made it about spending time with family, and not about the food.  Avoiding the meats, rolls, and cake left lots of room for fresh garden tomatoes, potato salad, pepper slaw, peaches, apple sauce, green beans, homemade beet and cucumber pickles.  The food was delicious but not necessary for a great time.

So, I passed the test and really enjoyed seeing my family.  No one asked why I wasn’t eating meat or gave me a hard time, though my brother did offer me a piece of vanilla cake with peanut butter frosting.  I wasn’t even tempted.

90 Day Vegetarian Adventure Day 10 Retro-Eating

When planning the evening meal I think about what my grandparents ate during the summer.  They raised families during the depression and lived on small farms with chickens, pigs, vegetable gardens, and a variety of fruit trees.  New potatoes cooked in their jackets, freshly picked corn on the cob and ripe tomatoes were standard fare this time of year.  This evening we had black-eyed peas, corn and collard greens from the garden.  The flavors are complementary and I feel deeply satisfied when I’m finished.  This is retro-eating at it’s finest.