Fall is in the air here in Western Pennsylvania. Local farmer’s markets are abundant with squash and pumpkins. And, if you’re concerned about saving money, as I am, this is the time to hit up your local farmer’s market for all things squash. I’m talking acorn, butternut, buttercup and spaghetti squash. These marvelous little gems will last for months if stored in a cool dry place, and your wallet will be thanking you later that you stocked up now.
The other great reason to buy local is it gives you an opportunity to ask how the produce you’re purchasing was grown. Small little farms will likely be using less chemicals on their crops. You might even find some local farms that are pesticide and Round Up free.
So, with fall in mind, I’ve included a couple of “fall” recipes that I hope you will enjoy this week.
Sunday
Brunch -Grace’s Omlette
Dinner – Stuffed Acorn Squash
Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Breakfast – Paleo Pumpkin Waffles
Lunch – Chicken Taco Lettuce Wraps
Dinner – Greek Salad with Baked White Fish
Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday
Breakfast – Berries and Cream Smoothie
Lunch – Sweet Potato with Fried Runny Eggs
Dinner – Spinach Salad with Baked Salmon
Grace’s Omlette – Ingredients: 3-4 large eggs, 1 cup dairy free cheddar cheese “Daiya Brand,” (or skip cheese altogether), 1/3 cup chopped steak or cooked sausage, 1/4 cup diced roma tomatoes, 1/4 cup finely diced onion, 1/4 cup red pepper finely diced, 2 Tbsp butter.
Directions: 1. Heat butter in an 8 inch non-stick fry pan on medium low heat. 2. Meanwhile whisk eggs in a bowl until it looks like orange juice. 3. Add 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese and mix. 4. Pour egg mixture into heated pan. As eggs set around the edge of the skillet, use a spatula to gently push cooked portions toward center of skillet. Tilt and rotate skillet to allow uncooked egg to flow into empty spaces. 5. When eggs are almost set on the surface but still look moist, sprinkle the rest of the ingredients on one half of the omlette. 6. Once the remainder of the ingredients are in the omlette, carefully fold the omlette in half and allow to cook thoroughly. 7. Once one side is cooked, flip and cook the other side. (Calories /@ 500)
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage, Apples and Cranberries (from@paleorunningmomma.com)
Ingredients – 2 small/medium acorn squash, 1 tsp organic coconut oil or ghee, plus salt for roasting, 1 Tbsp organic coconut oil or ghee plus more, if needed, 1 lb pork sausage bulk, sugar-free, 1 small onion diced, 2 celery stalks diced, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 small apple diced, 1 Tbsp fresh sage leaves minced, 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves minced, 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves minced, 1/3 cup dried cranberries, low sugar or no sugar, 1/3 cup raw pecans chopped, sea salt an pepper to taste, fresh parsley for garnish if desired.
Instructions – 1. First, roast the squash. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. 2. Cut each squash open, lengthwise, then scoop out the seeds with a spoon, leaving a “bowl” in the center. 3. Brush the top of each squash half with melted coconut oil (or ghee) and sprinkle lightly with sea salt, then place face down on prepared baking sheet, and roast for 25-30 minutes, or until top of the squash feels soft when you press on it. 4. Roasting time will vary depending on the size of your squash. You can remove, check for doneness and return to the oven for a few more minutes if necessary. 5. While the squash roasts, prepare the stuffing. Heat a med/large skillet over med-hi heat and add a Tbsp coconut oil or ghee to melt. Add your sausage, breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon to evenly brown. Once browned, remove from heat and transfer to a plate, leaving fat in the skillet. 6. Return skillet to medium heat and add the onions and celery, stirring while cooking to soften about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute, stirring to avoid browning. 7. Add the diced apples, fresh herbs and salt and pepper to taste, stir to combine. Cook for another 1-2 minutes to allow apples to soften. 8. Then add the cranberries, pecans, plus browned sausage back to the skillet, lower heat to med/low and continue to cook another 2 minutes to blend flavors. 9. Once ready to stuff the squash, preheat your broiler and arrange the 4 squash halves face-up on the baking sheet. Scoop the stuffing mixture into each one, adding as much as you want to each. You might have leftover stuffing depending on how large your squash are and how much you want to fill them. 10. Once filled, place the baking sheet under the broiler and broil until tops of stuffing and squash are nicely browned, 5 minutes or so. Garnish with fresh minced parsley, serve and enjoy.
Paleo Pumpkin Waffles (from @paleorunningmomma.com)
Ingredients – 3 large eggs, 3/4 cup pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup almond milk, 3 Tbsp coconut oil, (melted and cooled to room temp), 1/3 cup monk fruit sweetener (add more if desired), 2 tsp pure vanilla extract, 1 3/4 cup blanched almond flour, 1/2 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ginger.
Instructions – 1. Preheat your waffle iron and spray well with cooking spray to avoid sticking. 2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, almond milk, coconut oil, sweetener and vanilla. 3. In a separate large bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca, baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. 4. Stir the dry mixture into the wet until a thick batter forms. Following the directions for your waffle iron, pour the batter, in batches, into the iron. 5. Close the waffle iron and cook to desired doneness (crisp outside), then remove and repeat for the second batch. 6. Serve right away with desired toppings, or allow them to cool completely, then freeze to serve later. 7. To cook from frozen, you can put them in a toaster oven or pop toaster the same way you would cook a store bought frozen waffle. (Calories 248) for syrup use a monk fruit sweetened organic syrup or maple syrup – both would add additional calories
Chicken Taco Lettuce Wraps (from @gimmedelicious.com)
Ingredients – Grilled Taco Chicken – 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, 2 Tbsp taco seasoning, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 Tbsp olive oil. To Assemble – 8 leaves Romaine Lettuce rinsed, 1 avocado diced, 1 tomato diced, 1/4 cup onion diced. Cilantro Sauce – 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro, 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 jalepeno optional, 1 clove garlic minced, juice of 1/2 lime, pinch of salt.
Instructions – To Cook Chicken 1. Add the chicken, garlic, olive oil, and spices in a large bowl or zip-seal bag. Place in fridge and let marinate for at least 15-30 minutes or up to 24 hours. Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Place chicken on a grill or pan heated to medium-high heat. Let chicken cook until it is no longer pink on the inside, about 9-10 minutes per side (or until it has reached an internal temp of 165 degrees F) To Make Cilantro Sauce 1. Place all the ingredients in the food processor and blend for 1 minute or until creamy. To Assemble 1. Layer lettuce wraps with chicken, tomatoes, onion, and avocado. Drizzle with cilantro sauce or your favorite taco sauce. (Calories 161/1 taco)
Best Greek Salad (from http://www.delish.com)
Ingredients – 1 cucumber, thinly sliced into half-moons, 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced, 1 pt grape cherry tomatoes halved, 1 cup halved kalamata olives, 6 oz feta, cut into 1/2″ cubes, 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 tsp dried oregano, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil.
Instructions – Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix gently. Add 4-6 oz of baked fish for some extra protein.
Berry and Cream Smoothie (from @drhyman.com)
Ingredients – 1 cup of spinach, 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk, 1 Tbsp almond butter, 1 tsp ground flax seed, dash of cinnamon.
Instructions – Add all the ingredients to blender. Blend, serve and enjoy. (Calories 225/per 1 serving)
Sweet Potato and Fried Runny Eggs
Ingredients – 1 sweet potato and two eggs. Add additional sweet potatoes and eggs to make more servings.
Instructions – Bake sweet potato in oven until it starts to caramelize. Once potato is finished, remove it from the oven and begin to fry two eggs in pan. Leave the eggs just a bit runny. Slice the sweet potato down the middle, and place the eggs on top. Enjoy. (Calories 425/ per 1 serving)
Spinach Salad with Baked Salmon
Ingredients – 4 large handfuls of spinach, 1 cup chopped purple cabbage, 1/2 cup sliced red cherry tomatoes, 1 piece of bacon, 1 Tbsp olive oil, and 4-6 oz of salmon.
Instructions – Bake the salmon in the oven (season to taste…I use salt and pepper) Meanwhile prepare your salad. Cook the bacon and chop. Sprinkle on the salad. Once the salmon is cooked, remove from the oven and place atop your prepared salad. Drizzle olive oil if desired.) (Calories 400/per serving)
Deep Roots Wellness 