So I am going to Culinary Nutrition School and we had to make a recipe from scratch that was anti-inflammatory, hence this pumpkin soup. This is a great fall recipe!
Ingredients:
1 small pie pumpkin, cut in half (3 cups of pumpkin)
1 T extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 organic pears, cored, seeded and cut in half
2 T Ghee or Coconut Oil
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced sweet yellow onion
3 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
4 cups organic vegetable or chicken broth
1 T fresh grated ginger
1 t ground cinnamon
1 dash ground nutmeg
1 dash ground cardamom
1/4 t ground turmeric
1/4 t sea salt
1/4 t ground pepper
4 fresh sage leaves
1 cup dry northern beans, soaked 8 hours or overnight
1-2 T pure maple syrup (to your taste, depending on how sweet you like it)
1 cup dairy free milk
Topping: Roasted pumpkin seeds and cinnamon
Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
1. Cut pumpkin in half and take out seeds (setting the seeds aside). Rub inside of pumpkin with olive oil and place upside down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, core two pears and slice them in half. Rub inside of pears with EVOO and set aside. Remove cookie sheet after first 20 minutes. Place pears upside down on cookie sheet beside the pumpkin halves. Return to oven and bake for another 35 minutes or until bottom sides of pumpkin and pears just start to turn brown. Remove from oven and let cool. (When pumpkins and pears are cooled, use a spoon to scrape inside of pumpkin and throw the shell away. Cut up pears into chunks.)
3. Spread pumpkin seeds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 300 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle seeds with olive oil and sea salt and cinnamon. Stir and put back in oven for an additional 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Set aside to use later as a topping.
4. Rinse soaked beans and place in a saucepan, covering them with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes uncovered. Remove from heat and rinse beans in warm water. Set aside.
5. In a dutch oven or large pan, melt 2 T ghee or coconut oil.
6. Add celery and onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring so they don’t burn. Add garlic and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add chicken or vegetable broth. Add ginger and other seasonings. Add pumpkin, pears and beans. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Doing half at a time, blend soup ingredients until smooth in a high speed blender (make sure you let ingredients cool first if you don’t have a vented blender).
9. Return soup to pan and add 1 cup of non-dairy milk. Stir and heat through. Do not boil.
10. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon and roasted pumpkin seeds on top.
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa (rinsed in cold water)
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 (15 ounce) BPA free can of organic black beans, drained and rinsed
4-5 green onions, diced
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 t ground cumin
1 t sea salt
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Put 2 cups of water in a saucepan on stove on medium heat. Rinse quinoa in a sieve with cold water. Add quinoa to saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, leaving the lid on and simmer 10-15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed the water and split open.
Click here for detailed directions on cooking quinoa.
Meanwhile, juice limes, chop cilantro and onions and slice tomatoes. Set aside. In a small bowl add lime juice, olive oil, salt, cumin and pepper flakes. Whisk.
Combine quinoa, tomatoes, black beans, and green onions together in a bowl. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture; toss to coat. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator.
Makes a great lunch or a side dish with tacos for dinner. You could always cut up some grilled chicken and add to your salad.
I had an abundance of tomatoes in my garden last week and made Meghan Telpner's amazing salsa! I usually like a fresh salsa, but this tasted great! It only lasted a day at my house.
So next week I start the Academy of Culinary Nutrition. I can't wait to learn more about creating recipes and the effects that foods have on our bodies. This recipe is from MeghanTelpner's Blog. It is amazing! Check it out to see all of the amazing health benefits it has!
Ingredients:
¼ cup hemp seeds
⅓ cup raw cacao
¼ cup ghee or coconut oil
2 T honey
a small pinch of sea salt (optional)
Directions:
Process all ingredients together until smooth in a food processor.
Can add more sweetener as desired to taste.
*Refrigerate any leftovers. Will harden when it gets cold. Take out and let soften before using.
Ingredients:
2 medium ripe avocados
2 T fresh lime juice
1 dash sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
1 dash ground black pepper
8 oz low-fat plain Greek yogurt or plain coconut yogurt for non-dairy
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1 1/2 cups refried beans
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
lettuce, chopped
3 green onions, ends trimmed, sliced thin *optional
2 T shredded cheddar (or pepper jack) cheese (½ oz) *optional
Directions:
1. Mash avocados in a medium bowl.
2. Add lime juice, salt, and pepper; mix well. Set aside.
3. Combine yogurt, cumin and chili powder in a medium bowl; mix well. Set aside.
4. In a dish layer ingredients: start with beans, then add avocado mixture, yogurt mixture, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, green onions, and cheese (if using).
5. Serve with tortilla chips of your choice.
*I saw a similar recipe posted from BeachBody and revised it.
Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1/4 c chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 c chopped celery
4 c chopped broccoli, stems and florets (peel stems before chopping)
4 c chicken broth or vegetable broth
dash of nutmeg
Directions:
Peel broccoli stems and chop. Set aside. Chop florets and set aside, separately from stem pieces.
In a large pot, heat 2 T olive oil. Add onion and stir until brown, but not burnt. Add 1/2 t salt and 2 cloves garlic minced, 1/4 t pepper and 1/4 c water. Saute for 5 minutes.
Add 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth and chopped broccoli stems. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Add broccoli florets and cook 5 more minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat 2 T olive oil. Add 2 T garbanzo bean flour and cook on low for a few minutes. Continually stir or it will burn. After it turns brown, add 1 cup of coconut milk and whisk. Cook for 10 minutes, whisking so to not let it stick or burn. Mixture should be thick.
Transfer the broth and broccoli in the pot to a blender and puree. If you don't have a Blendtech blender, be sure to leave the top of your blender open a little to let steam escape. Place back in large pot. Add milk mixture and stir well. Add 1/4 c nutritional yeast and whisk together. Cook for 5 more minutes and then remove from heat.
Add salt and pepper to taste, and a sprinkle of nutmeg (optional).
I used to make this pie a long time ago. It is really easy and tastes delicious. My family loves this one.
Ingredients:
2 baked pie crusts
1 cup sugar or 1/2 cup honey
5 T cornstarch
12 oz of a lemon-lime soda or sparkling water
1 box peach jello
5 large peaches
4 t lemon juice
Directions:
Peel peaches and place in a bowl. Add lemon juice and stir into peaches.
In a saucepan, cook sparkling water or soda, sugar or honey, and cornstarch until thick and clear. Stir in jello. Remove from heat and stir in peaches. Pour into a baked crust and refrigerate until cold.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened orange juice (freshly squeezed is best)
2 oz tequila
2 T honey
1 cup fresh peaches
2 cups ice
Directions:
Place ingredients in blender in order listed above. Blend for 20 seconds or until slushy.
If you want it to be stronger, use 1/2 c orange juice and 2 oz of Triple Sec.
If your peaches are frozen, let them thaw slightly and only use 1 cup of ice.
I love it when the Peach Truck comes to town. My favorite pie is Peach Pie. I found this recipe at foodlamor.com and altered it slightly.
Pecan Crust Ingredients:
1 cup pecans ground into pecan meal (a coarse flour)
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 T ground flax seed
1/4 t sea salt
1/4 t honey or pure maple syrup
1 T water
1 T coconut oil
Pecan Crust Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Combine all the dry ingredients together then add in the wet and stir with a fork until it’s all incorporated. Press the mixture into a pie pan, working it up the sides until it’s even. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges and center begin to brown.
Pie Filling Ingredients:
5 cups sliced peeled peaches
3 T arrowroot starch or GF cornstarch
1 T water
1/2 T lemon juice
3/4 cup wild honey
dash cinnamon
Pie Filling Directions:
Take 1 1/2 cups of peaches and puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. In a separate bowl whisk together the water, lemon juice, and starch. Combine the pureed peaches with the honey and the starch mixture in a small sauce pan. Stir in the cinnamon and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Stir for about 5 minutes while it bubbles. Stir constantly or it will stick. Then turn off the heat and allow it to cool.
Let crust cool to a warm temperature, not hot. Stir the other 3 1/2 cups of peaches together with the thickened pureed peach mixture. Pour it all into the crust and set in the fridge to cool completely and to finish setting up. Serve cold with some whipped coconut cream or just as is.
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked pasta (I used 1- 12oz bag of Uddo's Red Lentil Penne)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium to large lemon, juice and zest
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 c loosely packed basil
Directions:
Bring a pan of water to a boil and then add pasta. Cook 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Drain.
Meanwhile in a skillet, heat olive oil. Add minced or chopped garlic and saute 2-3 minutes. Add juice and zest of 1 medium to large lemon, stirring as you add. Add salt and pepper and stir. Turn off heat and add cooked & drained pasta and chopped basil. Stir well. Serve immediately or cover with a lid to keep warm until ready to eat.
This is a delicious side dish to go with grilled chicken or burgers, or a great lunch by itself. You can always use regular pasta instead of gluten free.
