Southwest Pumpkin Soup
This soup is full of beta carotene, iron and fiber from the pumpkin and black beans. It’s a great meat-free comfort food, but shredded chicken would also be a delicious addition.
1 Tbsp Olive Oil for sautéing
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 small Onion, chopped
1 Shallot, chopped
1 Celery Stalk, chopped
1/2 cup Carrots, peeled and chopped
1 Jalapeno Pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
½ cup Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
2 tsp. Cumin
¼ tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
4 cups Chicken Broth (low sodium if using store bought)
1 15oz. Can Pumpkin Puree
½ cup Reduced Fat Milk (2% fresh or evaporated)
1 cup Corn
1 15oz. Can Black Beans (reduced sodium), rinsed
¼ cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Salt to taste
Directions
Heat oil in a large saucepan and sauté chopped vegetables until softened. Stir in spices and cook 2-3 minutes to toast spices. Stir often so they don’t burn. Stir in brown sugar. Add broth and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Whisk in pumpkin puree and simmer for 15-20 minutes more. Add pinch of salt.
Using a standard or immersion blender, blend the soup (in batches if necessary) until smooth. If using a standard blender be sure to allow proper lid ventilation for blending hot liquids. You can also skip the blending for a more broth like soup. Add milk after blending. Add more broth if soup needs thinning. Pour soup back into pan and add black beans and corn. Heat through on medium heat. Stir in cilantro. Adjust seasoning to taste.
6 Servings: 2 cups
Tips
Freshly cut corn off the cob is best. Opt for thawed frozen corn if fresh is not in season. This recipe seems to require a lot of chopping, but if you’re going to blend the soup, just give veggies a fast, rough chop.
Use vegetable broth or water to make a vegetarian soup. Use chicken or vegetable base or bouillon mixed with appropriate amount of water for a quick broth (depending on ratio, this may increase sodium content). If you want more heat, leave the seeds in the jalapeno pepper or add a ¼ tsp. (or more) of cayenne pepper.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 189 calories, 4.7g total fat, 1.7mg cholesterol, 245mg sodium, 838.2mg potassium, 33.4g carbohydrates, 6.3g fiber, 8.9g protein.
Source: Candis Johnson, Taste Love Live
Roasted Squash Pasta Sauce
This silky sauce is a creative way to get more squash into your family’s diet. The roasting process takes a little patience but the rich flavor it lends the sauce is worth the wait.
3 Tbs. Olive Oil
2 lbs. Butternut Squash, peeled and cubed
4 Garlic Cloves, peeled
1 Medium Onion, coarsely chopped
½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Black Pepper
1-1½ cups Chicken Broth (reduced sodium if using store bought)
¾ cup Reduced Fat Milk (2% fresh or evaporated)
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
1 lb. Pasta, cooked according to directions
Directions
Roast Squash: Pre-heat oven to 375-400 degrees (depending on your oven). Add cubed squash, onions and garlic to shallow baking dish. Drizzle with 2-3 Tbs. of olive oil (enough to coat all the vegetables). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes or until vegetables are soft and browned on the edges. Be sure to stir/toss vegetables periodically to prevent from burning during the roasting process. The onions and garlic will get very brown, but consistent stirring should prevent burning.
Make Sauce: Add broth and roasted squash mixture to blender or food processor (blender will yield smoother sauce, food processor will yield sauce with more texture). Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add ¼ cup of milk at a time until desired consistency is reached. Transfer sauce to a large saucepan and heat through on low heat. Add cooked pasta and toss with sauce. When heated through, remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan cheese or sprinkle on top.
Servings: 8
Yield: 1 cup
Tips
Butternut squash can be a chore to cut up since it is such a hard vegetable. You can save time and effort by purchasing pre-cut, pre-packaged squash in the produce section. If you want to go old school, just peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler, cut squash in half by cutting off the ‘neck’ of the squash. Cut the two pieces lengthwise. Remove seeds from the bottom halves then cut squash into even-sized pieces. They don’t have to be ‘cubes’ just similar sized pieces so they cook evenly.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition per serving: 338 calories, 8.5g total fat, 4.6mg cholesterol, 417.5mg sodium, 712.8mg potassium, 54.6g carbohydrates, 3.7g fiber, 13.4g protein.
Source: Candis Johnson, Taste Love Live
Mixed Greens Chopped Salad
This is less of a recipe and more of a suggestion on how to make a nutrition-packed chopped salad. This salad has endless combinations depending on your tastes. The one “rule” would be to mix at least one hearty green (kale, collard, swiss chard, or finely chopped cabbage) with your lettuce. These heartier greens have a ton of nutritional value – so much more than lettuce, and will boosts the nutrient content of your salad. Just place everything in a big salad bowl or individual bowls and start chopping with kitchen shears until the vegetables are chopped down to your liking. Add your favorite vinaigrette (maybe a little chicken breast, black beans or chickpeas) and enjoy.
Choice of Lettuce (feel free to pick more than one)
Romaine
Leaf Lettuce
Spring Mix
*Avoid iceberg, it has virtually no nutritional value. The greener the lettuce, the more nutritious.
Choice of Hearty Greens (definitely feel free to pick more than one)
Kale (if not using baby kale, chop very finely)
Swiss Chard (Rainbow or Red)
Collard Greens (chop very finely)
Bok Choy, Napa or Savoy Cabbage (can use regular green cabbage but it’s not as tender)
Arugula
Choice of Added Veggies/Fruits
Tomato
Carrots
Cucumber
Red Bell Pepper
Grated Zucchini or Yellow Squash
Chopped Scallion
Red Onion
Fresh Blueberries
Apples
Fresh Strawberries
Vinaigrette
A basic vinaigrette is:
• 1 part of your favorite acid: Lemon Juice, Lime Juice, Rice Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Wine Vinegar, etc.
• 2-3 parts of your favorite oil: Olive Oil, Walnut Oil, Almond Oil, Canola Oil, etc.
• 1 Tbsp of ‘sweet’: Agave, Maple Syrup, Honey, Sugar.
• Pinch of Kosher or Sea Salt
Whisk well together in bowl. Can also put all of these ingredients in a jar, secure lid and shake vigorously to blend.
To make it interesting, you can add:
• 1-2 Tbsp of Dijon mustard.
• Fresh or dried chopped herbs: basil, parsley, thyme, cilantro, chives.
• Other spices: chili powder, cumin, spice blends, garlic powder.
• If using an electric blender, add any of the following for something different: Fresh garlic cloves, onion, shallot, avocado, fresh fruit and blend into basic vinaigrette until smooth.
Source: Candis Johnson, Taste Love Live
Pumpkin Pudding
This super creamy pudding tastes very rich without the use of heavy cream or butter. Warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger make it a perfect autumn or holiday treat.
¾ cup Brown Sugar
¼ cup Corn Starch
1 cup Low Fat Milk (2% fresh or evaporated)
1 large Egg
1 cup Can Pumpkin Puree (unsweetened, not canned pie filling)
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
¼ tsp. Salt
Directions
Pour milk into blender then add sugar, egg, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt. Blend mixture just to incorporate ingredients then add pumpkin and blend until very smooth. Stop and scrape sides of blender in between blending if necessary.
Once well blended, add pudding mixture to medium saucepan over med/low heat. Whisking constantly, cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture significantly thickens. Spoon into serving dish or individual heatproof dessert dishes. Place plastic wrap on the surface of pudding to prevent skin from forming. Chill in refrigerator.
8 Servings: ½ cup
Tips
Lightly sweeten a cup of non-fat Greek yogurt with a tablespoon of maple syrup or agave. Add a dollop of yogurt to each serving. The tart yogurt creates a nice balance to the sweetness of the pudding.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 119 calories, 1.6g total fat, 25,8mg cholesterol, 226.4mg sodium, 785.6mg potassium, 25.5g carbohydrates, 3.1g fiber, 3g protein.
Source: Candis Johnson, Taste Love Live
