Wonderful Winter Squash

Winter squash is one of the things I love about the fall. There are lots of varieties (pumpkin, butternut, delicata, acorn, spaghetti--great to use instead of pasta!) and adding them in this time of year helps keep sugar cravings from overtaking afternoon thoughts.

This recipe is super easy to throw together with leftover, cooked winter squash (whatever you've got on hand--even sweet potatoes would work) and contains a healthy dose of protein and high quality fat. Serve it with apples, and mark a fruit serving or two off your list for the day. Seems like it's perfect for an after nap/school snack or the favored munchy at Thanksgiving.

Ingredients
1/2 cup cooked winter squash
1 can (15 oz) canellini (white kidney) beans--or 2 cups fresh
1/4 cup flax seeds, ground (I use a coffee grinder)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
1.5 Tablespoons coconut oil
1.5 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Put everything in the bowl of a food processor and whirl away. 
2. It it's too thick, add a little water. 
3. Taste and adjust seasonings.
4. Serve at your next fall gathering and impress everyone there OR
5. Serve to some munchkins and let them guess what's included in the ingredient list.

Beet, Butternut, and Turnip Soup

We got a couple of beets with their greens and some tiny turnips with massive greens and butternut squash in our CSA box this week. Truthfully, I don't particularly like turnip greens, but I don't like to throw good, fresh, local, organic food away either, so I got busy trying to figure out what to do with them. What started as an experiment turned into a nice dinner. AND it is full of great nutrients like calcium, vitamins A & E, iron, and potassium, not to mention the grounding energy the beet and turnip roots give it in addition to the sweet flavor of the butternut squash.

Ingredients
1 T coconut oil
2 onions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 small beets, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
some really small turnips (just washed and trimmed them)
1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
6 cups water
salt to taste (FYI: I used quite a bit)
1 bunch beet greens, washed and chopped into bite size pieces
1 bunch turnip greens, washed and chopped into bite size pieces
leftover cooked quinoa--maybe a cup or 2 (use any whole grain)
1 can garbanzo beans

Directions

1. In a large stock pot, melt the coconut oil on medium-high heat and add the onions. Saute about 10 minutes, add the garlic and keep sauteing about 5 more minutes.
2. Add the beets, turnips, butternut squash, water, and salt. 
3. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes (don't let things get too mushy).
4. Add the greens, leftover quinoa, and beans and continue cooking for about 10 minutes (try to keep the greens green!).
5. Adjust salt to taste and serve hot.
6. Enjoy!

Mung Mash

OK, I have to admit upfront that this recipe is not the prettiest dish I've ever made, but on the flip side, it might be one of the easiest, and it's really tasty. It's actually a variation on this recipe.

Mung beans are relatively new to me, but not the health store where I shop--they have them in the bulk section, which rocks my world, because that means it's a cheap meal. I have since discovered that mung beans contain high levels of protein, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and B vitamins (which help boost your mood during this gray time of year). The best part, especially after the holidays, is that they have only 30 calories for a whole cup.

Here's what you need:

• Crock pot
• 4 cups water
  
• 2 cups Mung Beans washed and picked over
• 1 medium sized sweet onion, chopped finely
• 2-3 medium sized carrots, chopped into small pieces(optional)
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (optional)
  
• 1-2 hand fulls of fresh, raw spinach (or other green)
  
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tablespoon Coconut oil or butter (optional)
  

Here's what to do:

• Wash and pick through the beans to remove anything that doesn't look like a bean.
  
• Chop the onion and set it aside while you...
  
• Put the beans in the crock pot with 4 cups of fresh water.
• Turn on the pot to cook at least 2 hours on high or 4 hours on low (actual cooking time will depend on your pot, of course. I cooked on high for 3 hours, then turned them off for an additional hour).
• Throw in the onion.
• Walk away.
• When beans are getting to the soft stage, add salt and pepper to taste and the oil. This is when I also added the carrots and turned off the pot ( I don't like my carrots too mushy!).
• Chop up some fresh spinach while warming up brown rice.
• Serve as a stacker...
• Brown Rice on bottom
• Chopped spinach in the middle
• Mung Mash on top
  
• Option: top it all off with a little sour cream or grated cheese.
• Enjoy with 4 or 5 of your favorite people!
  

Leftover love--throw some of the mash straight out of the fridge into a wrap with some fresh spinach leaves and Voila! You have an easy lunch for home or on the go.