Despite the weather being a bit all over the place lately, overall it’s feeling like fall. 🍂🍁🍂 That means soup season!
This BLACK BEAN TOMATILLO SOUP is amazing!
Poach & shred 4 chicken breasts, set aside. In a stock pot over medium heat fry diced yellow onion, 3 diced jalapeño peppers (seeds and membranes removed), 3 cloves of garlic and 1 tbsp cumin. Once the onions and peppers are softened, add 8 c chicken stock, 1 cup of prepared tomatillo salsa and 1 can black beans. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to make this soup nice an creamy. Stir in the shredded chicken. Add salt & pepper to taste.
Divide into 4 portions. Top each with a dollop of plain Greek yogourt, shredded cheddar cheese, diced avocado and a bit of cilantro. Enjoy! 😋
Make Ahead
Curried Turkey Salad
Let’s talk turkey! 🦃
I absolutely love turkey – and it’s a great source of protein! This past weekend I cooked a turkey and planned a much bigger bird than I needed just so I could eat leftovers all week!
Up first, curried turkey salad! In a small bowl, mix together 2 tbsp light mayo, 1/2 tsp curry powder, salt and pepper. In separate bowl, mix together 3/4 c diced turkey breast, 2 thinly sliced celery ribs, and 2 thinly sliced green onions. Mix the curry sauce into the turkey mixture. Voila! Curried turkey salad. Quick, simple and delicious! Eat on its own, over mixed greens, on a wrap, or in a sandwich. You could even try stirring some cooked wild rice into the turkey salad to give it a different twist.
Pumpkin Spice Oats
Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice! 🍁 🍂🍁
Pumpkin spice oatmeal is a tummy-warming way to start any fall day.
In a small pot over low-medium heat, add 1/3c oats, 1/3c almond milk, 1/4c pumpkin purée (not pie filling), 2 tbsp erythritol-based brown sugar sweetener and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice. Stir until thickened and enjoy. 😋
You can prep this ahead of time too. Just reheat in the microwave and add additional almond milk to loosen up the oatmeal as needed.
Chai Spiced Quinoa
Chai Spiced Quinoa
So, quinoa for breakfast? Heck yes! This is delicious and perfect for fall.
In a small pot, bring 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups of almond milk, 1 tsp chai spice, and 1 tbsp brown-sugar stevia sweetener to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until all of the almond milk is absorbed. (Keep an eye on your pot and try to avoid letting the almond milk bubble over.)
Divide into 4 portions and top each portion with chopped pecans, cinnamon, and additional almond milk. Enjoy! 😋
Poutine
Tag a friend who wants to eat healthy but also loves poutine! 😍
You’ve gotta spin this up yourself because it’s so simple and so good!
First, make your pulled pork in your crock pot ➡️ Pul 1 diced yellow onion, 1 can tomato paste, 1/4c stevia-based brown sugar sweetener, 1/4c apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp yellow mustard, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper into your crock pot. Add 2 c chicken stock and mix well. Add 2 pork tenderloins, and top with sufficient broth to cover the tenderloins fully (about 4-5 cups). Set your slow cooker on low for 8h. Once cooked, remove the pork tenderloins and shred both with two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker.
Next, make your fries ➡️ peel and fry cut russet potatoes, and cook in your air fryer (mine need about 35 minutes).
On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, lay out a pile of fries, top with pulled pork, and then with cheese curds. Put this under your broiler for just a few minutes to melt the cheese. Top with stevia-based BBQ sauce and enjoy! 😋😋😋
Freeze leftover pulled pork so that you can make this poutine quickly another night!
Squash, Chicken, Avocado & Farro Bowl
Sometimes a good bowl is where it’s at! This is the prefect lunch to prep on Sunday and then eat all week. Prep all the components and then just assemble as you eat each meal. A little meal prep ahead of time will keep you eating for your goals – and perfectly satisfied all week long!
This bowl is loaded with some of my most favourite things…a base of massaged kale, topped with oven roasted butternut squash, grilled chicken, chewy, nutty farro and smooth, creamy avocado.
If you haven’t used farro before give it a try. I love it!
Peanut Chicken Stew
Peanut Chicken Stew 🥣
So, I’m totally against giving up the foods I love in order to meet my fitness goals. BUT sometimes compromises have to be made. This stew is a great example. Traditionally this dish has more sweet potato and peanut butter, and often is served vegetarian over rice. In my take, I’ve lowered both the carbs and the fat, and added (more) chicken. It’s still 💯 amazing. No missing out on favourite foods here!
To make 4 servings: Dice 1 large red onion and 3 cloves garlic. Sauté in a stock pot sprayed with avocado oil. Once softened, add 1/4c tomato paste, 1/4c PB2, 1/4c crunchy peanut butter, 2c cooked, cubed sweet potato and 4 c chicken stock, and hot sauce to taste (I used about 1 tsp). Simmer for about 40 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to purée the stew. If you don’t have one, carefully purée in batches using a traditional blender. Once blended return to heat and add 1 bunch of collard greens (washed, ribs removed and cut into bite sized pieces). Stir through to wilt well. Add 6 cooked diced chicken thighs and you’re ready to go! Add salt & pepper to taste.
This would also work well with shredded chicken breast in place of the chicken thighs. Feel free to adjust the amount of chicken stock you use to get the thickness you like best! 😁
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
🎃 Pumpkin Spice Muffins 🎃
Thanksgiving is finally here! All the pumpkin things are happening this week! A few days ago I did pumpkin spice baked oatmeal. But if you’re looking for a traditional muffin, try these. I can’t get enough right now!
🥄 2 c oats, ground (use your food processor to process rolled oats as finely as possible)
🥄 2 tsp baking soda
🥄 2 tsp baking powder
🥄 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
🥄 1 tsp ground ginger, optional
🥄 1 c brown sugar zero-cal sugar replacement
🥄 4 large eggs
🥄 1 c pumpkin purée
🥄 2 tsp vanilla
Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl.
Mix wet ingredients in another.
Mix wet ingredients into dry. If mixture looks too dry, add a little more pumpkin purée. You’re going for a thick consistency, but the mixture should not look dry.
Scoop into 12 muffin cups. Bake for 25 min at 350, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
Drizzle: Add 1 tbsp almond milk to 1/3 c zero-cal icing sugar replacer (I like @swervesweetie). Stir thoroughly and adjust the milk quantity to get the consistency you like. Drizzle over fully cooled muffins.
Turkey & Wild Rice Soup
I’ve promised you ideas of how to use up your leftover turkey…so let’s start with what’s quick and easy – turkey and wild rice soup! This is one of my favourite leftover spins, especially if I’ve taken the time to make the broth myself. If you don’t have the time or inclination to make turkey broth just use prepared chicken stock. 😁
In a heavy bottomed stock pot sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, sauté 2 diced carrots, 1 diced yellow onion and 4 diced celery ribs until softened. Add 8 c turkey (or chicken) stock, and 1 c wild rice. Simmer until rice is cooked through. Before serving add cubed leftover turkey and diced fresh herbs (thyme and rosemary are perfect).
For the stock, use either homemade turkey stock to purchased chicken stock. To make turkey broth, simmer your turkey carcass with lots of water and a few roughly chopped carrots, onion, celery ribs and garlic cloves on low heat for 5h. Strain and use the clear broth.
Breakfast Cookie
Happy Saturday Friends! It’s chilly out this morning! These healthy – husband approved – breakfast cookies will keep the chill out of kitchen – and your tummy! Enjoy!
🥄 2 large bananas (the riper the better!)
🥄 3/4 c rolled oats
🥄 3/4 quick oats
🥄 1 egg
🥄 1/4 c peanut butter
🥄 1/2 tsp vanilla
🥄 1/4 tsp salt
Mash the bananas well in a medium sized bowl. Once the bananas are mashed, add all remaining ingredients and stir well. Scoop the batter onto a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet, about 1/3c at a time to create 8 cookies. They will be large! Shape the cookies up as needed, because these cookies will not spread very much, nor will they rise. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.
To make these like a jam thumbprint cookie, just before you put the cookies in the oven spray the back of a 1/2 tsp measure with non-stick spray, and create a depression in the centre of each cookie. Fill the depression with 1/2 tsp of your favourite jam.