Autumn Butternut Squash and Bacon Frittata

Halloween has come and past, and we recently went to the pumpkin patch and bought a variety of pumpkins and squashes. I am unsure which is my favorite between pumpkin and Butternut squash. Both, pumpkin and squash, are delicious, and reminds me of all the wonderful things, I love about fall. 

When I found this recipe, on the Whole Foods, FB page, I had to make it!  Of course, it has been adapted, and changed, to fit our diet. We added bacon, and exchanged almond milk in the place of milk. This dish would be a perfect Thanksgiving morning brunch treat, or the day after Thanksgiving breakfast! It is hearty, filling, and lite in calories!

A great Thanksgiving weekend treat! 

 

Nutrition:

This winter squash is actually a fruit not a vegetable, that has a rich sweet nutty taste. According to Livestrong.com , 1 cup of Butternut Squash has 60 calories, 16 g of carbohydrates and 3 g of fiber. It also supplies almost 300 percent of your daily value of vitamin A , 50 percent of vitamin C, 7 percent of calcium and 5 percent of iron.

Not bad for one cup of extremely filling and satisfying butternut squash.

Four cup of healthy Goodness.. 1200% of Vitamin A!

Ingredients

• 4 cups butternut squash cubes 
• 1/2 red onion, cut into thick slices 
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 
• 8 large eggs 
• 1/3 cup Almond milk no flavor
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• Fresh thyme
• 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese (optional)
• 4 slices of Bacon
• Parsley to garnish

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 
2. Slice Bacon and fry in a cast- iron skillet. Remove excess grease, and set aside. 
3. Add , dice onions, and squash in  a baking pan or in cast iron skillet,  toss with the oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. 
4. Roast in oven until the vegetables are browned and softened, about 25 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking. 
5. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, almond milk, spices and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together. Pour into the baking dish or skillet and return it to the oven.
6.  Continue cooking until eggs are just about set, 6 to 7 minutes. 
7. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cheese. Turn on the broiler; place the skillet under the broiler just until the cheese melts and the top of the frittata is browned, about 2 minutes. Cool for a few minutes, cut into wedges and serve.

Autumn Butternut Squash and Bacon Frittata, right out of the oven

Nom, Nom, Nom! Or Violet says Nommy, Nommy!

Sweet Potato Carrot Soup

Nothing reminds me more of autumn, than warm bowls of delicious stews and harvest soups. Now is a great season for carrots and Carrot soup is one of my favorite soups to make. It is a hearty soup that is sure to satisfy your taste buds, fill your belly up, on the first serving. Best of all it is a quick dish to make and fairly inexpensive. This dish made around 20 servings for my family, and we have eaten for lunch for several days now. I am unsure if it can be freeze due to the Yogurt? If anyone does know the answer to this feel free to leave a comment below.

• 2 1/2 pounds peeled or scrubbed, chopped carrots
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup of water
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, chopped (optional, for heartier soup)
• 3-4 tablespoons Kerrygold butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1-2 small cloves crushed garlic
• 1/3 cup Almond Flour
• dash of Kosher salt
• 1 cup of Greek Yogurt, plain
• 1 tbsp of Honey
• 1 tsp of nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mint (I bought mint tea at the grocery store, and cut open the bag)
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon
• and 1 tbsp of grated ginger (optional)

1. In your dutch oven melt butter and saute onion, and garlic for 6 minutes or until onion is clear. Add salt, and potatoes and carrots, and saute for five more minutes.
2. Add stock and water, and bring to a boil. Should take 15 to 20 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are tender. 
3. Mix soup in a blender, by transferring carefully, I would probably cool the soup if I were to use this method. Or you can carefully mix with a handheld mixer if you are in a hurry. Definitely wear an apron for this, and do not burn yourself!
4. Stir in Almond flour, Greek yogurt, honey, and all the rest of the dry ingredients. 

Serve and enjoy!

Quick facts about the health benefits to this soup..

• Carrots are rich in antioxidant nutrient beta-carotene, and polyacetylenes as phytonutrients that can help inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells, provides cardioprotective benefits, vision health, Anti-Cancer Benefits,
•  Sweet Potatoes have Anti-Inflammatory Nutrients. They can also regulates blood sugars, and has beta-carotene, an antioxidant that converts to vitamin A in your body and switches on DNA that's in charge of producing new skin cells and shedding old ones.
• Garlic, acts as an natural antibiotic, which has allicin and dilly sulfides. Again garlic is a powerful antioxidant.
• Greek Yogurt has twice as much protein as regular, packed with calcium and live bacterial cultures.
• Almonds are high in monounsaturated Lower LDL-Cholesterol and Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease, full of vitamin E. Almonds Provide Double-Barreled Protection against Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
• Eating Nuts Lowers Risk of Weight Gain
• Manganese, Copper & Riboflavinâ Provides more assistance with energy production
• Daily consumption of almonds help you eat a healthier diet
• Almonds Help Prevent Gallstones

Hearty Healthy Chicken Soup

A Chicken soup to savor!

When it is chilly outside, and you have a cold,  there is nothing more soothing than a nice warm bowl of Chicken Soup. For generations chicken soup has been said to assist the body in the healing process. For years I wondered if this was a myth told by my grandmother or a fact. Does chicken soup heal the body and soul?

According to a study done by University of Nebraska Medical Center, it does heal the body. Chicken noodle soup has anti-inflammatory properties, Neutrophil, that when activated may sooth that sore throat and assist in taking away some of the common miseries that are associated with cold and flu symptoms. 

The vegetables are an amazing source of vitamins and antioxidants! This soup has added sweet potato to replace the noodles, which adds vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium to this dish. Carrots and zucchini, which again gives the body a boost of vitamin A , and also provides cardio-protective benefits. All beneficial when you are feeling ill. 

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini 
• 8 medium carrots 
• 2 chicken breast (vegetarians leave out!)
• 2 (32oz) of low sodium Chicken broth (vegetable broth, or water)
• 1 cup of onion
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 16 small vine tomato
• Organic All Spice
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt and pepper
• 16 ounces of water

Step One.

Rinse and pat chicken, slice thinly and season with salt and pepper. Slice tomatoes, thinly, line the bottom of a baking dish with tomatoes and olive oil, layer chicken on top, and top with remainder of tomatoes.  Top with a tablespoon of olive oil. Bake at 275 for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Slow roasted chicken and tomatoes for the soup

Step Two.

Pour broth and water into a stock pot. Add sliced vegetables, chicken, tomatoes, and spices. Bring to a slow boil over medium high for 15 minutes, and then simmer until vegetables are tender. 

Antioxidants! 

Serve and enjoy!

Soul food Sweet Potato French Fries

Last night I made some delicious sweet potato fries to accompany my Salmon Burger. Now even tho, Sweet Potatoes are not found on the Paleo diet, there are a lot of nutrients in them. Research has found that sweet potatoes are healthier for you when you peel the skin off.   Sweet Potatoes have a high source of dietary fiber, beta carotene, Vitamins C, and B6. When picking out a sweet potato, always go with the orange colored potatoes over the flesh. It is important to know that sweet potatoes are different from other potatoes, in that they lake saponins and lectins, which are known to increase you intestinal permeability. It is important to be cautious if you are watching your glycemic index and weight not to eat too much.


My family of four split on huge sweet potato, and we were all content and full afterward!


Soul food Sweet Potato French Fries

1 tablespoon of Brown Sugar or agave
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 sweet potato


Peel and slice your sweet potato.


Mix all of the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.


Take a baking sheet and line with foil. Add about 1 teaspoon of Olive oil to sheet to grease. Place sweet potatoes in a large bowl with mixture and toss. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 45 minutes. Until soft, and that will all depend on how thinly the potatoes are sliced.

Serve and enjoy!!!!!