New Years Day Traditions: Potato Collard Cakes with Simple Rouille and Black Eyed Peas with Collards and Sweet Potatoes

Do you believe in the importance of traditions? How about folklore and superstition? Even if you don't I think it's fun to celebrate Holiday's and special occasions by making special memories and creating lasting traditions that will comfort and make your family and friends feel special.



This is actually a post I did last year but honestly, it was so good I just can't imagine making anything else to celebrate the New Year.


We all know that eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day is supposed to bring good luck and prosperity. 

Black-eyed peas are a common Southern dish, and the practice of eating them for luck is generally believed to have begun during the Civil War. When Union soldiers moved through Mississippi, they burned all the crops except the peas because it was believed that only farm animals ate them. When Southerners found that black-eyed peas were the only food left, they considered the legumes a sign of good fortune. 

Other legends say that the practice dates to ancient Egypt when it was believed that eating a meager food like black-eyed peas showed humility before the gods and you would receive blessings of prosperity in return. 



Whatever you believe this recipe is fancy enough to  celebrate with family or friends on New Years Day and simple and healthy to start your year off to a healthy new way of living.

Potato Collard Cakes with Simple Rouille and Black Eyed Peas with Collards and Sweet Potatoes.

click for recipe

Do you have any special traditions or foods you celebrate with on 

New Years Day?

Have a wonderful New Year!

Simply Healthy Family

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Golden Glittered Poinsettas ~ Home Made Gift Giving

Usually this time of year I'm completely stressed out, cranky and worn to bits. The endless 'To Do' list is insurmountable and catches me off guard every year. I decided to take a different approach this year and make things much simpler for myself and my family. While I can't say I've completely succeeded, I am definitely feeling happier and full of the Christmas spirit for the first time in a while.

Usually, in the weeks preceding Christmas I spend most of my time worrying about buying the perfect gifts and then end up forgetting what I've actually purchased and end up frantically running from store to store in the days before Christmas buying junk that will be tossed aside in the matter of minutes.

No more I say! No more. All of my friends said I wouldn't stick to my convictions, but not only have I managed to not buy oodles of things and masses of prettily packaged rubbish but I have found a way to keep things simple and personal with small, home made gifts from the heart.

People just want to feel loved and cared about. I know I do. Even if you don't have lots of money you can probably find a way to let the people you care about know it with a simple gift from the heart.

Do you bake? Drop by a neighbors home with a small batch of cookies and make their day.

Are you crafty? No? Me neither. Pick up a poinsettia and  spray a bit of Gold Glitter on the tips of the leaves  and watch it transform into a beautiful Holiday centerpiece.

This falls under the category  "SEAMO4CDI"!

{So Easy a Mom of 4 Can Do It}

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DIY~ Children's Tea Towel Aprons

I've been looking for cute, affordable aprons for Jack and Nolan, my 4 and 5 year olds, for some time. They love to help me in the kitchen almost as much as they love personalized gifts. I was in JoAnne's Fabric last week and saw what I thought were children's apron's. As I  unfolded one and looked closer I found that they were actually cute little tea-towels for the Holiday's. The bottom of each towel was trimmed with  gathered fabric making them look like aprons to me. Each towel had a different embroidered Christmas picture on it and so I grabbed the cutest ones and set off to sew my boys and
my nieces some aprons for their Holiday Cookie Baking!

This defiantly falls into the " If I can do it, Anyone can do it" category. Sewing is NOT my forte'! This took me all of an hour to make 4 aprons and that's with baby Mona 'helping' me........

So here is a little photo tutorial I put together to show you how simple it is,

and how cute my son's and nieces are! ;)

1. Find cute Holiday Tea-Towel's on sale for $1.99 at craft store.

2. Turn towel over, fold down top to create desired length.
Fold over sides to make a steep triangle.
Iron

3. Sew along very top edge.

4. Sew 1"-2"  from the side of apron, leaving enough room to slip in your ribbon.

5. Slip ribbon into slot (just an inch or two) and sew on securely.
Sew ribbon onto the sides of the apron.
I found it helpful to have my 4 year old nearby to measure the lengths for the ribbons.

6. Embroider names on chest of apron. You could also use iron-on letters.

Voila! Aren't they cute?

I sent them to my adorable nieces in New York just in time for Holiday Cookie Baking!

My boys couldn't wait to put on their Christmas Baking Aprons and make Peppermint Chocolate Cookies!

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Pumpkin Egg Nog Custard {Using Monk Fruit in the Raw}

“I received free samples from Cumberland Packing Corp., maker of Monk Fruit In The Raw. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsoredby Cumberland Packing Corp. and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”

My sweet tooth is very snobby.  Any plain ol' cookie or cake just doesn't cut it. In fact, believe it or not, I could live quite happily without said cookies or cakes in my life, well, mostly. Which is why every single Christmas I go through a very serious internal battle with myself over the whole Holiday baking thing. Not only do I have a slightly snobby sweet tooth but I've never really liked to bake cookies, cakes or anything involving flour, measuring and decorating. There I said it. Please don't hate me. 

Really, I think that it is mostly because, IMHO baking goodies involves a lot of precision and dedication to the written recipe and I don't do well with exact measurements…... or following directions. Rather, I like to think of my kitchen as a laboratory where I can change up any recipe to my own liking, an experiment if you will. 

Creating a delicious dish that never existed before, all on your own is my idea of pure satisfaction.

This months Recipe Redux Challenge was to replace table sugar in a baked goodie with Monk Fruit in the Raw. Since cookies and cakes weren't in the cards for me I really had to think on this one. Finishing off a once a year Holiday meal with an individual serving of custard sounds about right to me. The pumpkin is not overwhelming in this custard nor is it too sweet thanks to the sugar replacement.


The flavors are all mild yet decadent and the thick, creamy bourbony custard sets on your tongue just long enough for you to relax and enjoy the moment.

Replacing Monk Fruit in the Raw for table sugar cuts the calories significantly. It's the best sugar substitute I've come across and has zero calories.

As I mentioned above, patience is not exactly one of my virtues. This part takes patience. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the cheesecloth lined sieve and strain over a deep bowl. The mixture is thick so it very slowly drains. I used a spatula to coax the mixture through. Don't smash the mixture though, that will defeat the purpose of straining it. You want the liquids to strain through, not the bulk. 

So, what is Monk Fruit in the Raw?  

It's an all natural sweetener made from vine-ripened monk fruit, also called luo han guo, it has zero-calories and tastes just like sugar. Originally harvested in the 13th century, it’s been making life more delicious for years now. You substitute Monk Fruit in the Raw equally for table sugar.

Where can you find it? It's a very new product so unless you live on the East coast you will probably have to order it on line. If you do, please help support Simply Healthy Family by ordering it from our Amazon store here.






The flavors of egg nog where used in this custard, not actual egg nog since custards are already egg based. I used a bourbon, vanilla extract which I highly suggest you get your hands on some and thick and creamy condensed milk. Nutmeg and cinnamon make this custard a delicious Holiday treat.

• 
  
• PREP TIME    20 MINUTES      BAKE TIME    50-70 MINUTES      YIELDS    4
• 
  

• You will need:

• 
  

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/3 cup Monk Fruit in the Raw

1 tablespoon butter, melted 

1 1/2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract

4 large egg yolks 

1 large egg 

1 cup half-and-half 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 (12-ounce) can fat-free evaporated milk 

Crushed ginger snap cookies for topping (which I of course forgot to picture.)

1. Preheat oven to 325°. 

2. In the bowl of a mixer, place pumpkin, 1/3 cup Monk Fruit in the Raw and next 4 ingredients (through whole egg) On medium speed, beat until well blended.  

3. Place half-and-half and next 4 ingredients (through milk) in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge, stirring occasionally. Add milk mixture to pumpkin mixture. Beat at low speed 1 minute. Strain mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a bowl. Discard solids. 

Divide mixture evenly among 4 (4-ounce) ramekins. Place ramekins in a large roasting pan. Add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch; bake at 325° for 50-70 minutes or until center barely moves when pan is touched. 

Remove ramekins from pan; cool on a wire rack. 

Cover and chill 4 hours.Sprinkle crushed ginger snaps over top and dollop with whipped cream if desired.

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Reliving Old Holiday Traditions and Starting a Few New Ones: Peppermint Hot Cocoa

Traditions are what makes the Holidays so special and coming up with new traditions to celebrate with your family is even better. Every year when we were little we would have a cup of  hot  warm  cocoa with mini marsh mellows while we decorated the tree. I remember feeling so special while holding that cup of creamy sweet chocolate and watching with my brother and sisters as the tree slowly came to life. We were always in our footsy jamies, the red "Annie" ones were my favorite and we always put out a small plate of cookies for Santa by our fire place, a rarity in Phoenix to be enjoyed only once a year on Christmas Eve.






The expectations and anticipations of Christmas come flooding back to me now that I have 4 children of my own. I relish in living vicariously through their utter thrill of all of the magic of the Holidays. Keeping up with most of the traditions that mine and my husbands families enjoyed so much and cherishing the new ones our own little family have started.

Going to Cost Plus World Market every year and letting all of the kids and ourselves pick out one special ornament to hang on the tree is a tradition that we started many years ago with our children. This has proven to be such a treat as the kids bounce out of their slippers every year as we drag out the Christmas boxes and let them rifle through the ornaments finding the ones with their initials and the year marked on them that they chose them and then hanging them perfectly on the tree. I know that we will cherish those ornaments forever and ever.



Making the hot cocoa that literally defines Christmas in my humble opinion is another tradition we have stuck with. I however prefer to make it with a good quality cocoa powder and sucanat or turbinado (organic) sugar  instead of the boxed/packaged/overly processed variety and then adding a bit of pure peppermint extract and using a peppermint candy stick to stir up the chocolate that settles at the bottom of the cup. Mini marsh mellow are of course Absolutely, Positively  still  Required. After all a little bit of marsh mellowy goodness never hurt anybody.

Now, if you'll excuse me I'm going to start a very recent tradition and go sit out in our new bubbly hot jacuzzi. I love living here in the Arizona desert, 58F is the perfect temperature.

What are your Holiday traditions?

Peace, love and peppermint wishes from Simply Healthy Family.

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Spinach and Turkey Salad with Cranberry-Orange Dressing

Sugar free, Guilt free, Delicious-ness  ;)

I realize I'm a bit late in posting leftover T-Day turkey recipes. I'm sure most people have either ate up all of their turkey or are sick of the thought of turkey all together. Next year I will make a turkey early so as to get these delicious, healthy 'left over' turkey recipes out to you all sooner.

* disclaimer of the day ;-)

I'm still new to this whole blogging thing and how to be helpful and actually get people to try healthy foods. Also, I made my turkey a few days after T-Day since we ate the official meal at our parents homes this year. The only reason I made our turkey was for a few spectacular recipes I want to share.

 This salad was actually yet another last minute, 'What the heck are we going to have for dinner' recipe. Salad is a simple, healthy and perfect dinner especially following the Big T-Day stuffing of ones-self. 

The Cranberry-Orange dressing was spectacular! For those of you who still buy canned cranberry 'sauce' shame on you! Fresh cranberries are cheap, better for you and take less than 10 whole minutes to cook up! As I like to say, 'So simple even I can do it!' I was out shopping and running errands all day today and came home exhausted and was able to throw this together, cooking the cranberries and all, in 10 minutes flat. Fresh cranberries are so tart and delicious I buy several bags and freeze them for throughout the year.

I was so disappointed when browsing the Internet and blogs recently and saw that every cranberry sauce recipe ( that I came across) was literally loaded with sugar. I'm talking 1 1/2 - 2 CUPS of sugar per 12 oz. bag of cranberries!  Yikes!  That's more sugar than cranberries people! The upsetting part for me was that people were actually commenting things like " Wow, looks great!" and "Yum, wonderful recipe!"  I don't get it. Either people are totally addicted to sugar or don't actually read or care about the recipes and only want to put their face on popular sites or both. What's so wonderful about turning something so good for you into something so bad for you? Cranberries are supposed to be tart, their special that way. They get their feelings hurt when you smother them with sugar! I used a bit of Agave Nectar to balance them out along with fresh orange juice and zest. Perfect!
My kids ate them all up..... and without all of the added sugar!   * applause, cheer!!

For the salad: 

6 cups fresh baby spinach

2 cups cooked turkey, diced

1-12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries

1/4 of a small red onion, thinly sliced

1 juicy orange, juiced ;)

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon orange zest

3/4 cup Agave Nectar

Raw Almonds, slivered or sliced

 In a sauce pot place cranberries, water, juice and zest. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool in refrigerator for a few minutes.
Place all other ingredients into a large salad bowl. Drizzle some of the cranberry dressing over salad and toss to coat. Top with more of the in tact cranberries.

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Simple and Sweet Holliday Corn Pudding {Cook the Books}

It's T-Minus errr a few days until Thanksgiving Day. I'm in charge of bringing a side dish to my family's dinner table. Parents, sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews, we have a blessedly large family. What to bring?

Quite honestly, I could bring a bowl of buttered mashed potatoes or a green bean casserole and everyone would be happy as a clam, except for me of course. I'm not sure when, where or how I became so obsessed  captivated and bewitched with cooking in general and then, true to follow, somewhere along the lines it became expected that I bring something interesting,  different  and amazing all at the same time to the table (I'm sure it's all in my head). On the flip side, I have been known to overcompensate and make a concoction  mélange  of flavors and spices that have received a raised eyebrow or two from less adventurous folk. The poor, unadventurous souls. 

I stick to my principals. Over spiced at times however they may be.  (T-Day 2009 had obviously left some scars on my ego.)   eghhemm  moving on shall we?

So.  I shall bring them……….

Holiday Corn Pudding!!!

(I'm hearing the theme from "The Croods")   

"Da da daaaaaaa"  

Someone please tell me what movie this came from!!! Planet of the Apes? Star Trek?  Gahh!

Moving on.


Super simple and naturally sweet with a deliciously creamy and cheesy center. That's what I'll bring to the table this year. Sweet is my middle name just so you know.

It could happen.



Anyhoo,  My talented and ambitious friend, Heather from GirliChef  hosts a fun book club every month called "Cook the Books" I've been a fan for years actually but this is my very first time contributing.  (Book Clubs scare me.)

However, when I found out that

a.) This months featured book was from one of my long time favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver

and

b.) All I had to do was make/bake/create a recipe from her book "Animal Vegetable Mineral" I dove in head first!

In her first non-fiction book, Kingsolver writes of her family's move from Tuscon, Az. (I'm a native Zonie) to her husband's inherited farm in the rural Appalachian Mountains. While this book received some criticism for not being a "realistic" alternative for most lazy Americans, I found it interesting and took it for what it was intended for, A woman's journey and struggles to find a way to live life simply and gratefully. I will not go into the critical masses remarks about how this book is so far fetched because her children didn't rebel due to the lack of Orios and processed foods and how they should have been "embarrassed" to bring their friends over to their home due to the lack of Coke in the fridge.

Furthermore, I wasn't offended as some readers seem to have been with this book but instead took what I could from it and found it intriguing how each of us handles change differently, views the importance of food and fortune differently and accepts those differences with either grace or with malice and fear.

The fun part! Picking a recipe from the book "Animal Vegetable Mineral" 

I went with a seasonal recipe, true to the book and made Kingsolver's "Holiday Corn Pudding"

According to her, "It's so simple a 9 year old can do it."  It was. In fact, my 4 year old did most of the work which was primarily dumping the small list of ingredients into a bowl and mixing. 

As you can see above, I chose to pour my corn pudding into small, individual ramekins for a fun presentation and a creamier pudding. If you do this, you will need to place them into a baking dish with water filled to about 1/2 way up the ramekins. This will prevent them from drying out before they are cooked through. I suggest putting the filled ramekins into the baking dish and then pouring water into the dish so as not to over fill.

Trial and error my friends.

PREP TIME    10 MINUTES
BAKE TIME   45-60 MINUTES
SERVES          6


Ingredients:

2 cans sweet corn
1 cup milk
1 cup grated Gouda cheese (or similar variety)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon marjoram (thyme or tarragon would work as well)
2 tablespoons dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
{I added a big pinch of cayenne for a bit of heat}
butter to grease baking dish



Preheat oven to 350F  

Coat a baking dish or ramekins with real butter
Beat eggs. Add milk, beat to combine. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.  

Pour into prepared dish.

If using ramekins, bake for about 60 minutes in a bath of water as described above until puffed at top and lightly browned.
If baking in a casserole dish, bake for 45 minutes or until puffed at top and lightly browned.

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Pumpkin-Cranberry Streusel Muffins

I've officially discovered the world's best muffin. Don't be jealous, I'm posting the recipe right here for you to try. ;) I took a basic recipe for pumpkin muffins and cut out most of the fat and a lot of the sugar and then  added delicious, All Natural flavors and Whole Grains. Oh if only you could smell my house right now!

Don't forget to stop by my previous post for Stuffed Acorn Squash and leave your favorite healthy Fall recipe! I'ts quick and easy and a great way to share all of the healthy recipes out there with others!

You Will Need:

1 cup *Whole Grain Flour    (see below for options)

1 cup Oat flour

2 tablespoons flax meal mixed in 1/4 cup tepid water

1/4 cup Wheat Germ 

1 cup light brown sugar + 2 tablespoons for topping

1 cup *pumpkin puree

1 cup fresh cranberries + 1/4 cup chopped for topping

1 cup walnuts chopped + 1/4 cup for topping

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup applesauce

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice OR 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/4 t ground ginger, 1/8 t allspice, 1/8 t nutmeg




Putting it all Together:

Pre-heat oven to 400F. Prepare muffin pan by lightly rubbing Crisco on the inside of the tins and then lightly dusting flour over the inside of tins. * Crisco doesn't absorb into the batter like butter, oil or baking spray's.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat oil, applesauce and sugar. Add egg, beat until well combined. Add pumpkin beat 2 more minutes. Add dry ingredients half at a time. Mix to combine. Fold in cranberries and nuts, don't over mix.

Spoon batter into muffin tins almost to top. In a small bowl combine chopped cranberries, chopped walnuts and brown sugar. Sprinkle onto top of muffins. Bake at 400F for 20-23 minutes until toothpick comes out dry. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

 * Important Health Note on Whole Grains

Whole grains are cereal grains that contain germ, endosperm, and bran, in contrast to refined grains, which retain only the endosperm. Whole grains can generally be sprouted while refined grains generally will not sprout. Wholemeal products are made by grinding whole grains in order to make wholegrain flour. Whole grains are a natural source of protein as well as a source of carbohydrates and are made into many different kinds of foods.

Wholegrain products can be identified by the ingredients list. Typically, if the ingredient lists "wholewheat," "wholemeal," or "whole corn" as the first ingredient, the product is a wholegrain food item. On the other hand, terms such as "enriched" and "bromated," among others, could indicate that the food lacks wholegrain. Whole grains are healthier than their enriched counterparts.[citation needed]



*** "Wheat flour" (as opposed to "wholegrain wheat flour" or "wholewheat flour") as the first ingredient is not a clear indicator of the product's wholegrain content. If two ingredients are listed as grain products but only the second is listed as wholegrain, the entire product may contain between 1% and 49% whole grain.[1] Many breads are colored brown (often with molasses) and made to look like wholegrain, but are not. In addition, some food manufacturers make foods with whole-grain ingredients, but, because whole-grain ingredients are not the dominant ingredient, they are not wholegrain products. Contrary to popular belief, fiber is not indicative of whole grains. The amount of fiber varies from grain to grain, and some products may have things like bran, peas, or other foods added to boost the fiber content

* Common whole grains include:

Wheat

Oat

Barley - Hulled and Dehulled (not Pearl)

Maize

Brown rice

Farro

Emmer

Einkorn

Rye

Spelt

Millet

Quinoa

Amaranth

Triticale

Teff

Sprouted Grains

 
 
 

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Seasonal Stuffed Acorn Squash with Cranberries and Pecans

I love the holidays as much as the next person but I learned early on that while the Winter holidays can be a time for fun and family they can easily turn into a time of stress and chaos. I choose fun!
In fact, I've actually put my foot down on all of the over-spending, over-indulging and over-eating madness. It's easy to get caught up in all the holiday rush and fluff what with every single store that you go into decked out in holiday propaganda starting the day after Halloween! * Boooo!  I've found that the more you think you need, the more unhappy and stressed you are.

So, I decided to do what I can, when I have time and only if it is something we love doing. I happen to love cooking, more specifically I love cooking foods that are good for you that are still delicious. Fall foods happen to be one of the most flavorful with the least amount of effort and additions IMO.  Rather than cooking one BIG, unnecessary holiday meal this year with four attention-hogging, albeit beautiful children running amuck,  I decided to cook all of our favorite Thanksgiving dishes separately and as complete meals over the couple of weeks before T-Day. 

Squashes, potatoes, yams, cranberries, leafy greens and oh-yes... Turkey.  Taking the time to actually ENJOY each one rather than stuffing ourselves into a food induced coma. Tonight was squash night, and oh what a night it was! A complete  meal that was so so so simple, beautiful and flavourful my whole family Oooo'd and Awwww'd at the goodness of it. Goodness is too a word, look it up ;).

TIME   30-45 MINUTES       SERVES 4-6  You Will Need:
2 acorn squash
1 cup cooked wild rice ( I use leftover rice)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 Vidallia onion, chopped
3/4 cup diced celery
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

Optional additions:
1/2 cup dried apricots, diced  OR 1/2 cup diced fresh apples
Ground Turkey, cooked
*Calorie Saver:  Skip the cheese and bread, these are so seasonally delicious and savory with fresh ingredients you really don't want to cover it up with cheese!


Putting it all together:
Cut the acorn squash in half  to make a bowl. Scoop out seeds and membranes with a spoon, discard. I microwaved them in a large, deep plate for 15 minutes. You can bake them if you'd rather at 400F for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a cast iron skillet oil over medium-high heat, add onion and celery, saute 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add cooked rice, nuts, fruits and spices. Stir to combine. Scoop filling into partially cooked acorn bowls. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 400F for 20 minutes.

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Roasted Delicata Squash and Apples {12 weeks of Winter Squash}

Are you in charge of bringing a side dish to a Thanksgiving dinner this year? I usually am known as the one who will bring a healthy and "amazing" dish. My sister-in-laws always seem so impressed and amazed at the "unique/interesting/lovely" appetizers I bring to the collection of mashed potatoes, green bean casseroles and Holiday ham.  I'll let you in a little secret though if you promise not to tell………

I usually spend a total of about 30 minutes on most of  the side dishes and appetizers I bring to just about any party but most especially Holiday dinners. 

Shhhhhhh, our little secret!

It doesn't have to look or taste like you threw something together though and it most CERTAINLY doesn't need to come out of a box or a can! Fresh fruits and veggies always have a way of shining all on their own with very little need of help in the way of additives, sauces or a ton of spices.

This side dish is sweetened with a touch of honey, which you can't really tell is in there but compliments the earthy flavors of the squash and apples and will help the kiddos eat their healthy veggies happily. {o.k. I had 1 out of 4 kids who didn't like it but hey, those aren't bad odds!)

I adore squash in all of it's varieties but this is the first time (I made this dish at least twice before posting as usual) that I've had delicate squash. I am now in love. Love at first taste actually. This is hands down the easiest of ALL squash to prepare. Simply cut the ends off, slice in half lengthwise with ease thanks to the very light skin, scoop out the small bit off seeds and roast. 

Bam!

This side dish will go alongside some other fabulous squash dishes my fellow squash loving bloggers have made for week 3 of 12 weeks of winter squash. Only 12?!!! 

SERVES    6           TIME    30 MINUTES        

Ingredients

1. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted 
2. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3. 1 tablespoon honey
4. 3 garlic cloves, sliced
5. 2 small delicata squashes, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
6. 2 fugi (or similar) apples cut in half lengthwise, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, any seeds removed
7. 1 small red onion, cut into 12 wedges
8. 1/2 teaspoon salt
9. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10. 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add squash and onion; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Carefully remove preheated pan from oven; coat pan with cooking spray. Spread vegetable mixture evenly on baking sheet. Bake at 475° for 20 minutes or until tender, turning once. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.

If not serving immediately, cover with foil. 

Other Thanks Giving Day Sides and Appetizers from Simply Healthy Family

Stuffed Acorn Squash with fresh Cranberries and Pecans

Spiced Cranberry Chutney with Apricots, Cherries and Pecans

Pepita Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms

Do you share my love for winter squash? Join the party and link up and share a yummy squash recipe you made this week! Don't got squash? No bigs. Just link up next week!

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Spiced Cranberry Chutney with Apricots, Cherries and Pecans

When did we as Americans (just my observation) start filling our tables and bellies with an assortment of fatty and sugary food for Thanksgiving?  Do we use the holiday as an excuse to over indulge? I do believe that all most things in moderation are fine but I would really like to see more real, whole foods on the holiday table. I love veggies but even if your not as excited about them as I am, there are so many delicious and new ways to try them that there's really no reason to load your plate with 3 different kinds of potatoes, stuffing and bread.





Fall produce is one of the healthiest and tastiest in my opinion and needs very little or no sugar or additives to make them a perfect holiday dinner addition. Take cranberries for example. Besides being gorgeous, they are a super power food for your health and yet most people buy the canned stuff and then pour sugar into them. Whole, fresh cranberries can be simply prepared or added to stuffing, squash, a salad or as a chutney.


Try making this cranberry, apricot and cherry chutney this year, it goes perfect with turkey and you can add it to your left over turkey sandwiches for a tangy twist! You can add diced apples too if you'd like. No sugar is needed but if you find it too tart, which I happen to love, add a teaspoon of  honey or turbinado/raw sugar to the cranberries as they cook.

Check back in the next day or two, I will be posting a simple and savory variation of green bean casserole.

Cranberry Chutney

1/2 cup apple cider

1/4 cup pomegranate juice

1-12 oz bag fresh or frozen cranberries

1/2 cup dried cherries or fresh chopped apples

1/2 cup dried apricots chopped

1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

2 tsps. orange zest

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp each ground fennel and ground cardamom

1/8 tsp each ground cloves and ground ginger

pinch of cayenne pepper!

Mix spices; bring cider, pom juice and spice blend to a gentle boil in a large saucepan. Add cranberries and return to a gentle boil. Cook until some of the cranberries just start to pop, 2-4 minutes. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, mix dried cherries, apples if using, apricots, pecans and orange zest in a bowl. Add cooked cranberries and toss gently to coat. Cool and refrigerate until ready to use. Can be covered and refrigerated for a week.

A note on spices used in this recipe.

Fennel

Fennel Seed is a common herb used to promote good digestion and ease gas and bloating. This Mediterranean herb can also be found in many medicinal formulas designed to help ease women through monthly fluctuations. Fennel is also thought to help produce milk for nursing mothers.  Fennel is said to cure earache, toothache, asthma and rheumatism. It is meant to help stop hiccups and coughs, and improve eyesight. It has even been thought of as a good slimming agent. Fennel oil is used in cough medicine, liquorice sweets, perfumes and soaps.

Cardamom

 Cardamom is a very intense and wonderful spice. If you haven't ever tried it I suggest you add it to your spice collection soon. Use it in this cranberry recipe, stuffing's, Indian and Mediterranean foods, give your Holiday cookies and cakes a wonderful exotic flavor, pairs well with orange flavor.

Cardamom is know for oral/gum health and a powerful antioxidant, especially when concerning the brain.
I thought this piece of information was very interesting and fun however.

Cardamom is also widely known as an aphrodisiac in the more mystic and esoteric circles of society. Love spells, love potions and general chemical concoctions having to do with romance, lust and attraction usually have cardamom as a component. 

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