From the Kitchen of Lynn Salmon-Easter, Reiki Master

This is my family’s favorite way to eat apples in the fall and winter months. It's simple...but somehow still so special! 

Makes about 2 - 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 4 small apples or 2 large apples
• 1/2 cup water 
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Rinse apples and cut them into chunks. It is optional to leave the skins on the apples or peel the skins off. 
2. Place cut apple into a heavy bottomed pan with water, butter and cinnamon.
3. Cover tightly with a lid and bring to a boil.
4. After the apples reach a boil, take the lid off the pan and turn down to a simmer.
5. Simmer apples until all the water is cooked off.
6. Allow apples to cool completely and store in a glass container with a tight fitting lid.

From the kitchen of Lynn Salmon-Easter, Reiki Master
Adapted from Deborah Madison’s recipe in ‘Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone’

This is a delicious way to eat cabbage in the fall and winter months. 

Click here for a printable version of this recipe. 


Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp of olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 Tbsp caraway seeds
• 1 medium red cabbage, about 2 pounds, quartered, cored, and finely sliced
• 2 Granny Smith apples quartered, cored, and diced or shredded
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Apple cider vinegar 

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet.
2. Add the onion and caraway, give them a stir, then cook for a few minutes over medium heat until the onion is translucent.
3. Add the cabbage and apples and season with 1 teaspoon salt.
4. Cover tightly and cook very slowly until the cabbage is meltingly tender, up to an hour.
5. Taste for salt, season with pepper, and toss with vinegar, to taste. 

From the Kitchen of Jen Myers -Jones, LAC

Boost your immune system with this healing dessert. In Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) pears can be healing to the lungs. Have you been suffering from a chronic cough? Catching every cold your children do?  Start down your healing path. Warm up your digestive Qi with ginger and cinnamon.

Ingredients:

1. 1 Bosc pear halved and carved
2. 1/2 cup quick rolled oats
3. 1/4 tsp powdered ginger
4. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
5. 2 tsp brown sugar
6. 3 tbsp melted butter
7. 1 tincture Black elderberry (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl warm the butter, add spices, mix well with a spoon. Add oats, mix well. Wash and cut pear in half and spoon out the seed areas. On a tray place the pears and surround with tin foil to prop them level.
2. Spread mixture evenly across pear surface. Baked at 420 degrees for 30 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before eating.

*This recipe serves 2 but can easily be doubled to serve more. It can also be altered to be dairy free and vegan by replacing the butter with coconut oil, add a flair with coconut flakes.

Click here for a printable PDF

From the kitchen of Amy Daws, CMT

This is one for my favorite fall recipes. Pumpkin soup is a treat, but pumpkin soup with ancho chilies is on a whole other level! Anchos are not super spicy and are often described as earthy, smoky and sweet. In this soup they add a rich deep flavor with just a little spice that makes it extra super special.
 
Ingredients:

1. 1  medium pumpkin, roasted
   
2. 3 dried ancho chilies
3. 2 celery stalks
4. 2 medium carrots
5. 1/2 onion
6. vegetable stock or water
7. 2-3 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
8. 2 tsp cinnamon
   
9. salt and pepper to taste
   

 
Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
2.  Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds.
3.  Lightly oil pumpkin halves and place on a baking sheet, cut side down.
4. Roast pumpkin for  30 minutes then flip and continue roasting until soft and caramelized, let cool.
5.  Start a small saucepan of water to boil.
6. Cut ancho chilies and remove seeds.
7. Toast Chiles. Start by preheating  a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. Add dry chilies and press with spatula until toasted, roughly 15-25 seconds for each side.
8. Add toasted chilies to boiling water and turn off heat. Let sit for 5-7 minutes in water, then drain. Discard water.
9. Rough chop onions, carrots and celery and saute in stock pot at medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes.
10. Scoop pumpkin from shell and reserve.
11. When vegetables are slightly caramelized, add in chilies, pumpkin and vegetable stock or water to cover. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat.
12. In small batches, transfer to food processor.  Puree until smooth.
13. Season with cinnamon, salt and pepper.

Click here for a printable PDF

From the kitchen of Dr. Lori Hulsing

After the birth of my second child my cooking strategy shifted to the following:

1.  Keep it simple.
2. Grab whatever is in the fridge and put it into a soup or stew before it goes bad.
3. Put in as many vegetables as possible.

 
For this recipe I focused on autumn seasonal vegetables and also what I found in my fridge! You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand but just follow the base of the recipe. This hearty stew was perfect to warm up the whole family on this beautiful chilly fall day.
 
Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1-2 tsp of thyme
• 5 gloves of garlic, crushed and minced
• 3 med. sweet potatoes, diced
• 3 large carrots, diced
• 1-2 zucchini squash, diced
• 1 (32 oz) container of chicken or vegetable broth or homemade stock
• Optional: 2 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
• Optional to add 1-2 cups of kale, chopped, if you found it in your fridge and it’s about to go bad. Hypothetically speaking.
• salt and pepper to taste

 
Directions
 
    1.     Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a large, heavy stock pot over medium heat. 
    2.     Add 1 diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. 
    3.     Add garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Enjoy that smell!
    4.     Add Thyme—crush between your fingers as you add it to the pot. 
    5.     Add pieces of chicken or leave it out if you are making a vegetarian dish and sauté for 3          minutes.
    6.     Add the vegetables (sweet potato, zucchini, kale, carrots) and sauté for 5 more minutes. 
    8.     Add 32 ounces of chicken or vegetable broth and simmer for 25 minutes or until veggies are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste if you wish.
Click here for a printable copy

From the kitchen of Dr. Barrett
 
I discovered this recipe courtesy of Lakewinds Food Co-op. They were sampling this recipe during one of my frequent trips to their store and I fell in love. I am dairy-free and have been missing creamy noodles! 

Printable PDF
Ingredients:

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion diced
• 1 cup mushrooms thinly sliced (optional)
• 2 zucchini, about 1 ½ cups diced
• ½ red bell pepper diced
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ lb brown rice noodles (shells work well)
• 3-4 cups butternut squash soup

 
Directions:

1. In a large sauce pan, sauté the garlic, onion, mushrooms, zucchini and red bell pepper in the olive oil. Cook until tender about 5-7 minutes.
2. At the same time cook the noodles until about halfway done.
3. Add soup, vinegar, half cooked noodles, salt and pepper to the vegetable mixture and bring to a boil. Stirring until shells are cooked.

 
Serves 3-4
 
Variations: I find that adding a spicy meat such as hot turkey or pork sausage really adds to the meal.  I add the meat to the onions and garlic until fully cooked then add the vegetables and continue with the recipe as written.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
2. Prepare your grains according to package directions. I used a combination of brown rice, forbidden black rice, and red quinoa for lots of color and texture. The rice I chose took about 40min to cook so I got it started first and added the quinoa in with 10min left in the cooking time. If you have bone broth on hand use it instead of water to cook the grains and get all the additional health benefits.
   
3. Wash and dry your sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes.
4. Mix 2 Tbsp each coconut oil and coconut milk and coat the sweet potato cubes with the mixture.
5. Lay sweet potatoes out on a cookie sheet (I cover mine with foil for easy clean up) and bake for about 50 minutes or until they can be easily pierced with a fork and are browning on the edges.
6. While your grains and potatoes are cooking, prepare the white miso sesame sauce by combining ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and olive oil in a food processor and blending well. After the ginger and garlic are well incorporated into the liquid add the thicker elements of honey, tahini, and white miso and blend until smooth.
7. When your potatoes and rice are close to done, steam the spinach or other leafy greens and toast enough black and white sesame seeds to sprinkle over each bowl. I had a mesh colander that fit right over my rice pot and was able to steam the spinach easily right on top. You'll know the sesame seeds are done as they start to release a lovely toasty scent.
8. The last step is layering everything in your bowl with a little miso sauce and then cooking up an egg however you like and finishing off with toasted sesame seeds and a pinch of salt.

What I love about this recipe is the how much you can experiment with variations. The original version had broccoli instead of spinach and I just swapped in a different nutrient-dense veggie that was easier for me to digest. Add as many veggies as you can! It is easy to just add something else to the roasting pan with the potatoes and not even dirty another dish. Comment below if you think of a particularly delicious addition or variation!

From the Kitchen of Dr. Barrett

This recipe comes from Birchwood Cafe's newly published cookbook and is already a favorite. I went to Birchwood recently and fell in love with this soup. Lucky me, it's in their new cookbook! I am always looking for new ways to prepare delicious whole foods-based meals and this cookbook is a gem. 

Click here for a printable PDF

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp rice bran oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup apple cider
• 2 cups vegetable stock or water
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• microgreens
• toasted pepitas

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over low heat, and saute the onion, stirring, until it's tender but not browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the squash, apple cider, and stock. Simmer until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and the maple syrup. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Return the soup to the pot, adding more liquid as desired, season with salt and pepper, and heat through. Serve garnished with microgreens and pepitas (optional).

From the Kitchen of Dr. Pharis

Here is a healthy Thanksgiving recipe that will help you get your veggies in this holiday. This salad tastes best when prepped ahead and allowed to marinade for at least 30 minutes before serving. May be served warm, room temp or cold.

Click here for a printable PDF
Ingredients:

• 1 bunch curly kale; thick center ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced
• 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts; trimmed, thinly sliced
• 1 green apple; julienned (matchstick size)
• 3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts (toasted with skins removed - directions below)
• 3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano Sheep cheese
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Dash of honey to desired sweetness

Directions:

1. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and honey (if using). Set aside
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place hazelnuts on baking pan in single layer and toast in oven for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly colored and skins are blistered.
3. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and let steam for 1 minute. Rub the nuts in the towel to remove loose skins (don't worry about any skins that don't come off). Then, coarsely chop them.
4. In large bowl mix together the thinly sliced curly kale, Brussels sprouts, and green apple.
5. Stir in dressing to lightly coat the mixture.
6. Gently stir in cheese and the most of the chopped hazelnuts
7. Place in serving dish and sprinkle remaining hazelnuts on top for a beautiful presentation.
8. Drizzle any additional dressing if the salad looks dry.

From the kitchen of Jesse Haas, CNS, LN

Last week we posted an article about the anti-inflammatory benefits of curcumin. Curcumin is the active compound in the vibrant yellow spice, turmeric commonly used in Indian cooking and credited with their low incidence of chronic disease. 

Turmeric is used in a lot of all-American foods (mustard and chicken noodle soup get their yellow tone from turmeric) but we don't often use it intentionally. 

As the evidence mounts on the healing potential of turmeric, it's time to dust off your spice cupboard and put it in the pot! Here's a simple and versatile bean recipe with Indian spices. 

Basic Dahl
Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp coconut oil, ghee, or sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup red lentils, green lentils, split peas, or mung beans, rinsed
• 1 can coconut milk
• 3 cups water, divided
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh is best)
• 1/4 cup cilantro chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add your cooking fat and heat until melted (if using coconut oil or ghee). Add spices, cooking until fragrant about 1-2 minutes.
2. Add onion and cook until the onion starts to brown on the edges. 
3. Add legumes and sauté for 1 minute longer.
4. Add liquid and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat to low. Simmer until the beans are cooked, about 30 minutes.
5. Add lemon juice and serve over cooked brown rice or quinoa with cilantro, if using.

Variations:

• Add vegetables! Cut sweet potato, carrots, cauliflower and/or other vegetables into small, bite-sized pieces and add them to the sauté before the beans. Add chopped greens, like kale, Swiss chard, and/or spinach at the end with the lemon juice.

• Turn up the heat with a dash (or more) of cayenne, jalapeño or serrano pepper.