Raspberry Beet Salad

Salads are great any time of year. They're especially wonderful during the holiday season to lighten up heavier meals. This colorful salad is a great way to stay on track and is definitely a crowd pleaser. Double or triple ingredients as needed and enjoy this healthy salad with your holiday meal.

This salad can be thrown together last minute. Adding on the dressing right before serving keeps the flavor light and fresh. Start by roasting some fresh beets. Next, just peel and cut the beets into bite sized pieces. Mix in with your choice of greens, like a spring mix. Toss in your shredded cabbage, raspberries, and slivered almonds. Now, just toss in a light raspberry vinaigrette, serve, and enjoy!

Healthy holidays!

Makes 4 Servings

Recipe:
4 Cups Mixed Greens (I used spring mix)

4 Small Beets (or 2 medium)
1 Cup Shredded Purple Cabbage
1/2 Cup Raspberries
1/4 Cup Slivered Almonds
Raspberry Vinaigrette as Needed (I used Ken's Light Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette)

Pumpkin Challah

Challah was always a staple food in my household growing up. It's sweet, light, and fluffy... what could be better? You can use challah bread for french toast, sandwiches, and even bread pudding. Although it's not necessarily healthy, it is okay to indulge every once in a while (especially around the holidays). Just remember, everything in moderation!

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. First, combine the water with active dry yeast, letting it stand for 10 minutes. Next, add in the pumpkin puree, 3 eggs, sugar, butter, and salt. Mix in the pumpkin pie spice with your flour and stir into the yeast mixture, one cup at a time (adding more flour if necessary). Once you've made your dough, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes.

Put your dough in a Pam sprayed bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand until doubled in size (about 2 hours). Take the dough out and place it on a lightly floured surface. Gently press out any air bubbles, divide the dough into 6 equal sized pieces, and make loose rounds by tucking the edges underneath. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for about 10 minutes (this allows for easier shaping and braiding).

Roll each piece into 14 inch-long ropes. Combine 3 ropes together and do the same with the other three (makes 2 challah's).

Braid each challah and pinch the dough at the ends to keep it from falling apart.

Put each challah on a parchmented baking sheet, cover with a large plastic bag, and let them rise for 30 minutes. Next, brush each challah with the beaten egg, re-cover, and let them rise for another 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool for about 2 hours. Serve any way you like and enjoy!

Makes 2 Medium Sized Loaves

Recipe:

1.5 Packages Active Dry Yeast

1/2 Cup Lukewarm Water

1 Cup Pumpkin Puree

3 Eggs, Plus 1 Beaten

6 Tbsp Butter, melted then cooled

1/3 Cup Sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 Tbsp Salt

5 Cups All Purpose Flour (Can substitute 1.5 cups with whole wheat flour)

1 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

Pam Spray

*Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (Or until golden brown)

Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding

Chia seeds should be part of everyone's diet. They're rich in fiber, protein, Omega-3s, and antioxidants. You can add them into smoothies, sprinkle on salads, and even make pudding. Make this simple Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding before you go to bed to wake up to a deliciously nutritious breakfast (that tastes like dessert!)

In a jar, mix your chia seeds with almond milk. Shake or stir and keep in the fridge overnight for the chia seeds to expand. In the morning, stir in some pumpkin puree and sweeten with stevia and pumpkin pie spice. Garnish with some pumpkin seeds and enjoy!

Makes 1 Serving

Recipe:
1 Cup Almond Milk, Unsweetened
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
2 Tbsp Pumpkin Puree
1/8 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
Stevia or sweetener to taste

Pumpkin Seeds for Garnish

*Refrigerate overnight

Tomato Basil Salad

I love Italian food... but who doesn't? Unfortunately, Italian cuisine is generally made up of pasta and pizza. For a unique twist on classic Italian flavors, this salad comes together to create a refreshingly light dish. By using power ingredients, like spinach and pumpkin seeds, you'll get tons of nutrients and none of the guilt. Try this as a meal or as a side dish with some spaghetti squash and meatballs.

  

This salad is extremely simple and quick to make. Start by chopping your tomato, celery, and beets into small pieces. In a bowl, combine your chopped veggies with spinach and shredded cabbage. Now, finely chop some basil and toss into the bowl. Sprinkle in your pumpkin seeds and toss together. Finally, squeeze in some fresh lemon juice and season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Toss one last time, refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, serve, and enjoy!

Makes 2 Servings

Recipe:
2 Cups Spinach
1/4 Cup Basil, Chopped
1 Plum Tomato, Chopped
1 Medium Beet, Chopped
1 Celery Stalk, Chopped
1/2 Cup Shredded Purple Cabbage
1 Tbsp Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 Tbsp Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
Season with Salt, Pepper, and Crushed Red Pepper

Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs

Turkey is a great lean substitute for beef. You can make burgers, sloppy joes, and of course meatballs. Using a slow cooker really allows all of the flavors to be absorbed and keeps the meat moist. The best thing about a slow cooker is that you can leave it on for hours, even if you need to leave for work or run errands. This makes a very easy guilt free weeknight meal!

 

Take your ground turkey meat and roll it into 12 small meatballs. You can add in some chopped onion and garlic into the ground turkey for even more flavor in every bite! Place the turkey meatballs in your slow cooker and pour in the 2 cans of tomatoes. I used diced tomatoes and stewed tomatoes with onion, celery, and green pepper but you can use any canned mix you prefer. Chop up some onion and fresh garlic and stir it into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Serve over spaghetti squash, or your favorite low carb pasta, and enjoy!

 

Makes 2-4 Servings

Recipe:
4 Oz Ground Turkey Meat
1 14.5 Oz Can Diced Tomatoes
1 14.5 Oz Can Stewed Tomato (Your favorite mix)
2 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
1/4 Small Red Onion, Chopped

Pumpkin Ravioli

Pumpkin ravioli seems to be a favorite seasonal dish for restaurants in the fall. Why bother spending $20 on a dish that you can make at home? My version is both dairy free and guilt free. This is extremely easy to make and your taste buds and wallet will thank you!

 

If you're using fresh roasted pumpkin, make sure to puree until smooth. For a simpler version, use canned pumpkin puree. Scoop the pumpkin puree into a bowl and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper (optional). Feel free to use your choice of seasonings or make sweet pumpkin ravioli by using cinnamon and stevia. Once the seasonings are mixed in with the pumpkin puree, place a tablespoon of the filling onto the corner of each wonton wrapper. Wet the edges of the wonton with water and fold over. Cook on a gentle boil for 5-7 minutes. Serve with your choice of sauce, like marinara or penne alla vodka, and enjoy!

 

Makes 6-8 Servings

Recipe:
1 15 Oz Can Pumpkin Puree
40 Wonton Wrappers
Season to taste with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper (optional)

*Boil for 5-7 minutes.

Healthy Mini Pot Pies

Chicken pot pie is without a doubt the most amazing comfort food out there. The flaky crust, warm chicken, hearty vegetables, and thick sauce makes for a perfect combination. I replaced the crust with wonton wrappers, still allowing for a bit of flakiness, without all the guilt! I also replaced the typical peas and corn with green and yellow peppers for less starch and more Vitamin C. These adorable bite sized pies are great for portion control. Make as horderves or as a meal that everyone will love!

  

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray each wonton wrapper with cooking spray and place in a muffin tin. Season two chicken breasts with salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika. Cover and roast for about 25 minutes. While the chicken is in the oven, start to cook the vegetables. In a skillet, heat up your chopped carrots and onion with Pam Spray. After about 5 minutes, stir in your minced garlic and roasted yellow and green peppers. Season with paprika, turmeric, curry, salt, pepper, and onion powder. In a separate bowl, mix together the chicken broth and cornstarch.

  

Once the chicken is cooked, let it cool and then shred. Lower the oven temperature to 350 and add the shredded chicken into the pan with the veggies. Next, stir in the chicken broth and corn starch mixture. Stir for about 2-3 minutes, until thickened. Fill each wonton wrapper with the mixture and place in the oven for 12 minutes, until wonton wrappers are golden brown. Make sure to freeze the leftovers, if there are any of course. Serve warm and enjoy!

  

Makes 12

Recipe:

2 Muffin Tins
12 Wonton Wrappers
2 Chicken Breasts, Roasted and Shredded
1 Large Carrot, Diced
1/2 Small Red Onion, Chopped
1/2 Yellow Pepper, Roasted and Diced
1/2 Green Pepper, Roasted and Diced
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Cup Chicken Broth
4 Tsp Cornstarch
1/8 Tsp Turmeric and Curry
1/4 Tsp Paprika
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and onion powder

*Roast chicken at 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Lower heat to 350 and cook mixture in wonton wrappers for 12 minutes.