Healthy Start Team’s Favorite Fall Recipes

Harvest season is here! In honour of this wonderful season, the Healthy Start team has put together a list of some of their favourite fall recipes to help you make the most of the colder and shorter days!

Roasted Autumn Harvest Salad (Holly’s Favorite)

Ingredients :

For Roasted Vegetables

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 baby red or golden beets, or 4 medium beets, scrubbed and trimmed
• 8 shallots, peeled and cut in half if large
• 4 medium parsnips (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths (halve the thicker end pieces lengthwise)
• 6 long carrots, scrubbed well or peeled, halved lengthwise
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves (from 2 sprigs)

For Salad

• 6 cups of salad greens, washed (e.g. spinach, arugula, etc.)

Shallot Vinaigrette (you’ll have some leftovers)

• 3 tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. minced shallot
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Roast beets: Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place beets on a parchment-lined piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Wrap in foil and bake until beets are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 30 to 45 minutes for baby beets and up to 1 1/4 hour for larger beets. Let stand until cool enough to handle, then rub off skins with paper towels. Cut beets in half (or into quarters or sixths if large).
2. Meanwhile, roast shallots, parsnips, and carrots: Toss shallots, parsnips, and carrots in a large bowl with remaining 3 tbsp. oil, then season with salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with rosemary, tossing to coat. Roast until tender and golden, turning vegetables over once, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Mix ingredients for vinaigrette together in a medium bowl. Toss parsnips, carrots, and shallots with 2 tbsp. vinaigrette in a separate bowl. Toss beets with 1 tbsp. vinaigrette in another bowl (to prevent their color from bleeding).
4. Compose salad and serve: Line a serving platter with greens, lightly drizzle 1 tbsp. on top of greens and arrange vegetables on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve salad immediately.

Adapted from: http://www.marthastewart.com/334909/roasted-autumn-harvest-salad

 

Kutia (Stephanie’s Favourite)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups wheat
• 3 qts. water
• 1 cup poppy seed
• 1/3 cup honey, dissolved in ¼ cup of hot water
• ½ cup of chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans

Instructions:

1. Dry wheat in 250 degrees oven for 1 hour, stir occasionally.
2. Wash and soak in cold water overnight.
3. Next morning, bring wheat to a boiling point and simmer for 3-4 hours, until kernels burst open.
4. Scald poppy seed, simmer for 3-5 minutes.
5. Drain, grind twice using the finest blade of food chopper. Set aside.
6. Combine honey in hot water. Set aside.
7. Before serving, add sweetened mixture, poppy seed and nuts to cooled, boiled wheat.

 

Molasses Cookies (Marie-Lynne’s Favorite)

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. ground flax
• 1 egg white
• 1 banana
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup oats (not instant)
• 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. baking soda

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flax and egg white in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Using a fork mash banana in a bowl.
4. Add flour and oats. Mix well. Add flax mixture and molasses, mixing until everything is combined.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients, stirring well.
6. Scoop out rounded spoonfuls of batter onto a baking sheet.
7. Bake for 25 minutes.

Makes 20 cookies

Adapted from: http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes/10-healthy-cookie-recipes-fall

 

Meatless Borsch (Stephanie’s Favourite)

Ingredients:

• 3 beets (size of an orange), cut into thin strips
• 1 carrot, diced
• 8 cups of water
• 1 medium potato, diced
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• ½ cup string beans, green peas, or white beans
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1 ½ cup cabbage, shredded
• 1 cup tomato juice or tomato soup
• ½ cup water, cold
• 2 tbsp. dill, chopped

Instructions:

1. Cook beets and carrot in water for 20 minutes.
2. Add potatoes, simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. Add lemon juice (keeps red colour in beets).
4. Add beans or peas.
5. Simmer until tender.
6. Sauté onion in butter until soft.
7. Add cabbage to onions with ¼ cup of water, simmer until cabbage is tender.
8. Stir into the beets.
9. Add tomato juice or soup.
10. Add dill for added flavour. Bring to a boil.

Serves 15.

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gabrielle’s Favorite)

Ingredients:

• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup mashed pumpkin
• ½ cup margarine or canola oil
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips, almonds and/or raisins

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix pumpkin, vanilla and margarine or oil.
3. In a different bowl, mix dry ingredients (including chocolate chips/almonds/raisins).
4. Mix dry ingredients with pumpkin mix.
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes until light brown and let cool.

 

Chickpeas and Cauliflower Curry (Allysha’s Favorite)

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. paprika
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 can (19 oz.) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 small cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• ¾ cup low sodium vegetable broth
• ¾ cup coconut milk
• 10 spring cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, heat canola oil. Add onion and garlic and sauté until they start to brown. Stir in curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, ginger, sugar, and salt. Stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
2. Add chickpeas, cauliflower, and peas. Stir in broth and coconut milk. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender. Remove from heat.
3. Remove bay leaf. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Adapted from: http://www.pulsecanada.com/food-health/recipes/recipes?mode=details&recipe=111

 

Meatball and Spaghetti Squash Soup (Melissa’s Favorite)

Ingredients:

For Meatballs

• 1 slice of whole grain bread, crusts removed and torn into pieces
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 lbs (1 kg) ground veal, pork or chicken
• 2 tsp. dry parsley
• 2 eggs
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed with a garlic press or ¼ tsp. dry garlic
• 2 tsp. paprika
• Salt and pepper

For Soup

• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or ½ tsp. dry garlic
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 24 veal meatballs, fresh or frozen
• 2 cups spaghetti squash cooked and shredded with a fork (about 1/2 squash)
• 2 cups lightly packed spinach
• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven at 375 degrees. Line one baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. With the rack in the highest position, preheat the oven’s broiler. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.
3. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on its size, or until tender. Let cool. Shred the flesh with a fork. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, mix the bread with the milk and let soak for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients from the meatballs section and mix well with your hands. Season with salt and pepper.
5. With a small ice cream scoop or with lightly oiled hands, shape each meatball with about 1 tbsp. of the meat mixture. Place on the baking sheet.
6. Grill the meatballs in the oven, one sheet at a time, for about 10 minutes or until cooked and golden brown, stirring halfway through cooking. Set aside.
7. In a large saucepan, brown the onions in the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.
8. Add the broth and meatballs and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the squash and spinach. Bring to a boil and serve.

Note:

To freeze the remaining meatballs, place them (cooked) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and freeze for about 4 hours or until the meatballs are frozen. Then place the meatballs in sealable freezer plastic bags.

Adapted from: http://www.ricardocuisine.com/recipes/5546-meatball-and-spaghetti-squash-soup