Take a trip with your skillet to your stovetop for some global, Thai-inspired soup. The only ingredients requiring prep are the onions and garlic - some fast chopping. Other than that, this savory fruit soup - that's right, pumpkin is a fruit - needs only dumping from cans, jars and containers. My kind of soup-making. But how's this for an added perk? Filled with immune-boosting ingredients to keep you healthy and hopefully keep colds and flu at bay. Lentils offer lean protein for muscle ...
Zesty Turkey Pumpkin Chili
Canned pumpkin...accessible and versatile any time of year. Works in more than just desserts. So be adventurous and add canned pumpkin to your favorite chili. Chili?! Yes, it's easy and adds richness and even MORE nutrients. Chili is already filled with good nutrition because of the onions, garlic and canned tomatoes and beans: immune-boosting, heart-healthy and disease-fighting phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals. Canned pumpkin adds even more of those nutrients, especially vitamins A, C ...
Fall & Football Favorites
Touchdown! All these fall favorites - apples, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, chili, cornbread - score big time at your next celebration or tailgate party. Intercept ho-hum tailgate sides with a batch of Maple Apple Baked Beans. Pass the apple and pear slices for my Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip. Huddle for more whole grains with my Skillet Cornbread. And tackle that bag of apples you bought by turning them into Homemade Chunky Applesauce. Forward pass to my Recipe page for all four recipes and get in ...
Kid Friendly Treats & Desserts
I'm headed to the Indiana State Fair for the first of five cooking demonstrations. Today's topic: The Dietitian Does Dessert and Kid-Friendly Treats. I'll be showcasing four of my favorites. Several of these, like the clusters, trail mix and dip, are super easy and the kids can make themselves or help you. Get them involved....and they'll be more inclined to enjoy these nutrient-rich treats! Decadent Chocolate Fruit & Nut Clusters 1 bag (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips 1½ cups dried ...
Thanksgiving Favorites
I’m not one to tamper with tradition too much when it comes to holiday foods. Stuffing still needs to be made with white bread/stuffing mix, mashed potatoes still need butter and maybe even cream cheese and sour cream, and pumpkin pie needs a pastry crust. But with just a few minor tweaks, I’m able to keep all the traditional taste and save a few calories and fat grams. Simple substitutions. Great flavor. Comparisons: Stuffing: 75% less fat and 65 fewer calories Smashed Potatoes: 50% less fat ...
Perfect Halloween Menu for Procrastinators
Beef & Black Bean Chili. Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip with Pears & Apples. Ghosts in the Graveyard Pudding Dessert. No tricks – only treats with this fun, tasty and nutrient-rich Halloween menu. I’m reposting these recipes, because I realize many of you have waited until the very last minute to decide what to serve for your Halloween party. Plus, this also works for a quick dinner before the kids head out for Trick or Treating. Or for busy weeknights. Get the kids involved with the ...
Tasty Treats Boost Your Spirits
Never underestimate the power of a tasty treat to lift your spirits. Recent example: I often send my test recipe creations to Jeff’s team at work so they can provide opinions and useful feedback. It’s definitely a win-win situation: they all get to indulge in decadent treats that surprisingly contain numerous health benefits, and I get honest critiques for tweaking and improving the recipe. Yesterday I made these Pumpkin Bars and my favorite comment was from Jamie. He loved the bars, saying ...
A Pumpkin Treat for Non-Pumpkin Eaters
Warning: even Pumpkin Haters may like this treat! It's a quick and easy way to combine all three fall favorites - apples, pears and pumpkin. Mix up a batch of this simple and healthy dip by adding an entire 15 ounce can of pumpkin to 1/3-less fat cream cheese. Season with cinnamon and some brown sugar and you instantly have an antioxidant-rich dip (beta-carotene from the pumpkin) to serve with fresh apple and pear slices. Any apple variety works, but my favorites are Jonagold and Honeycrisp ...