There really are great winter season recipes that are nutritious and delicious!

There is nothing like starting your day with a warm bowl of oatmeal in your belly. We’ve all heard about the heart healthy benefits of oatmeal and when you add in cinnamon, almonds, sunflower seeds and the rest of the ingredients below, this ends turns out to be a powerhouse of health benefits to start your day.

Did you know that one cup of winter squash may provide up to 146% of your daily value of vitamin A since it is rich in beta carotene, the pre-cursor to vitamin A? Beta-carotene is one of the carotenoids found in winter squash that provides it with its deep orange color and has been shown to have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Yay orange colored foods!

Swiss Breakfast Oatmeal

Breakfast is our most important meal and this Swiss Breakfast recipe is a nutritious and tasty way to start the day. It has a unique combination of sweetness and tartness and can be served hot or cold so it’s a great breakfast dish to include as part of your Healthiest Way of Eating year-round.

Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 TBS cup raisins
• 2 TBS sliced almonds
• 2 TBS dried apricots, chopped
• 2 TBS sunflower seeds
• 1 dates, chopped
• 1 TBS dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Bring 2 cups water to a boil.
3. Add mixed ingredients. Turn heat to low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until water is absorbed, about 7 minutes.
4. Cover, and set for about 2 minutes before serving.
5. Serve with low-fat milk or dairy-free milk.

Serves 8

Healthy Cooking Tips:

You can make a larger batch of this breakfast cereal to have on hand.

Nutrition:

per serving: calories 325.56, protein 10.98, dietary fiber 7.42g

Recipe courtesy of  George Mateljan www.whfoods.org

Southwestern Stuffed Acorn Squash

6 servings

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 1/2 hours

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

• 3 acorn squash, (3/4-1 pound each)
• 5 ounces bulk turkey sausage
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper,chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed (see Tip)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Several dashes hot red pepper sauce, to taste
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Cut squash in half horizontally. Scoop out and discard seeds. Place the squash cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder and cumin; cook for 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, beans, salt and hot sauce, scraping up any browned bits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the tomatoes are broken down, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. When the squash are tender, reduce oven temperature to 325°. Fill the squash halves with the turkey mixture. Top with cheese. Place on the baking sheet and bake until the filling is heated through and the cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes.

Tips & Notes

• Tip: While we love the convenience of canned beans, they tend to be high in sodium. Give them a good rinse before adding to a recipe to rid them of some of their sodium (up to 35 percent) or opt for low-sodium or no-salt-added varieties. (Our recipes are analyzed with rinsed, regular canned beans.) Or, if you have the time, cook your own beans from scratch.

Nutrition

Per serving: 259 calories; 7 g fat (4 g sat, 1 g mono); 29 mg cholesterol; 38 g carbohydrates; 15 g protein; 7 g fiber; 482 mg sodium; 884 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (80% daily value), Vitamin A (45% dv), Calcium (20% dv), Iron (15% dv)

Recipe courtesy of  www.eatingwell.com

Hope you enjoy this week’s recipes, please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Be Well and Happy,

Dianne

If you are anything like me, you struggle with what to eat, day in and day out. You may get stuck in a rut eating the same thing week after week. Perhaps you’re bored and perhaps your family is bored. Variety is the spice of life, right.

Having a plan and being prepared will be critical, or you will end up eating the same old thing. You may also end up eating prepared, packaged foods, or fast food, which, needless to say, is not a healthy way to go.

What I have decided to do is to supply you with a new recipe for breakfast, lunch and dinner once a week, so that you can start adding some new, exciting, and delicious recipes to your weekly menu! I am also going to include as much of the nutritional value of the recipe as possible.

Please feel free to leave comments about the recipes, if they sound good, if you’ve tried them, and/or any variations you may have come up with.

For now, enjoy, and bon appétit!

Breakfast

Cranberry Granola

Ingredients

2/3 cup frozen unsweetened apple juice concentrate, thawed

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup almond oil, or canola oil

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

5 cups rolled oats, (not quick-cooking)

1 cup toasted wheat germ

1 cup whole almonds, coarsely chopped (4 1/2 ounces)

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, (2 ounces)

1 cup dried cranberries, divided

Preparation

Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven; preheat to 325°F. Coat 2 large baking sheets with sides with cooking spray.

Whisk apple juice concentrate, maple syrup, oil and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cinnamon and salt.

Mix oats, wheat germ, almonds and sunflower seeds in a large bowl. Stir in the juice mixture; toss to coat. Spread the granola evenly on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the granola for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Reverse sheets top to bottom and back to front. Continue baking until lightly browned and aromatic, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes more. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks; stir 1/2 cup dried cranberries into the granola on each sheet. Let cool completely.

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store granola in airtight containers for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Per serving: 262 calories; 11 g fat (1 g sat, 6 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 37 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 5 g fiber; 67 mg sodium; 229 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Magnesium & Fiber (20% daily value).

Recipe courtesy of: EatingWell.com

Lunch

Red Kidney Bean Soup with Lime Yogurt

This hearty, spicy bean soup provides 137% of the Daily Value for vitamin A and a rich concentration of 16 additional health-promoting nutrients! It’s a perfect addition to your Healthiest Way of Eating for a cold winter’s day.

Prep and Cook Time: Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces

1 stalk celery, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces

4 medium cloves garlic, chopped

3 cups + 1 TBS chicken or vegetable broth

3 TBS tomato paste

1 TBS ground cumin

2 TBS red chili powder

1 TBS dried oregano

1 15 oz can organic red kidney beans, drained

salt and pepper to taste

Lime yogurt

½ cup plain yogurt

1 TBS lime juice

1 TBS chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Chop onions and garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their hidden health benefits.

Chop carrots and celery.

Heat 1 TBS broth in medium-sized soup pot. Healthy Sauté onion in broth over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add garlic, carrots, celery, and continue to sauté for another minute.

Add broth, tomato paste, kidney beans, and spices. Bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for another 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Let cool for a few minutes while making lime yogurt.

Make lime yogurt by combining yogurt, lime juice, and cilantro in separate small bowl.

Blend soup. Be careful to start blender on low speed so hot soup does not erupt and burn you. And make sure you don’t fill blender more than half full.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reheat, and pour into serving bowls, top with a spoonful of lime yogurt, and serve. Serves 4 Serving Suggestions:

Nutrition:

calories140.73 calories from fat17.44 calories from saturated fat4.34 protein7.82 g carbohydrates25.45 g dietary fiber6.84 g 27.36 soluble fiber1.23 g insoluble fiber3.22 g sugar – total6.68 g monosaccharides2.37 g disaccharides2.48 g other carbs10.84 g fat – total1.94 g saturated fat0.48 g mono fat0.31 g poly fat0.51 g trans fatty acids0.01 g cholesterol1.87 mg water156.56 g ash2.93 g Vitamins nutrientamount%DV vitamin A IU6870.42 IU 137.41

Recipe Courtesy of: George Mateljan www.whfoods.org

Dinner

Mediterranean Cod

Enjoy this low-fat meal with cod as part of your Healthiest Way of Eating this week. It not only tastes delicious but one serving provides 80% of the Daily Value (DV) for health-promoting selenium and 66% DV for vitamin B-12 and much more.

Prep and Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 medium onions, sliced medium thick

• 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped

• ½ cup + 1 TBS chicken or vegetable broth

• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

• 2 TBS fresh lemon juice

• *¼ cup chopped black olives

• *1 TBS capers

• ½ cup chopped fresh basil

• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

• 1 lb cod fillets, cut into 2-inch pieces

• salt and cracked black pepper to taste

• red chili flakes to taste

Directions:

Slice onions and chop garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their hidden health benefits.

Heat 1 TBS broth in a 10-12 inch stainless steel pan or skillet. Healthy Sauté onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes in broth, until translucent. Add garlic and continue to sauté for another minute.

Add rest of broth, diced tomatoes, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer on high heat. Once it starts to simmer reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add herbs, olives, capers, and cod fillets; cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, depending on how thick the fish is. This is our Stovetop Braising cooking method. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve cod mixed with tomato herb sauce. Serves 4 Serving Suggestions: Serve with

o Brown Rice and avocado salad, recipe to follow

Healthy Cooking Tips:

This dish is great served over rice to soak up the sauce. The key to its success is to choose fresh cod that is at least 1 inch thick. Thinner cuts of cod fall apart when cooked. Because temperatures vary in stoves, check the cod for doneness. Insert the tip of a knife into the fish. It should flake, but still be moist when done. Remove from heat right before it is done, as it will continue to cook. Also, make sure you use fresh herbs. The flavor will not be nearly as good with dried herbs.

Nutrition

Calorie 196.20 calories from fat 19.37 calories from saturated fat 4.04 protein 31.87 carbohydrates 10.40 g dietary fiber 2.45 g soluble fiber 0.41 insoluble fiber 0.61 g

sugar – total 6.30 g

Recipe Courtesy of: George Mateljan www.whfoods.org

Romaine & Avocado Salad

This salad is a good healthy start for any meal. It is a quick-and-easy way to add flavor and nutrition to your meal all year round. And romaine lettuce is one of the few food sources for chromium with one serving providing 12% of your daily value for this hard-to-find mineral. Enjoy!

Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 large head romaine lettuce, outside leaves discarded

1 large tomato, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, julienned into 1 inch long pieces

1/2 small avocado, cut into chunks

2 TBS coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Dressing

2 TBS lemon juice

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Directions:

Remove outer leaves of lettuce heads and discard. Cut off tops of leaves and discard, as they are bitter.

Chop remaining inner leaves. Rinse in cold water, and if you have a salad spinner, spin lettuce to dry. If you don’t have one, remove as much water as possible in a colander and then dry with paper towels. This will keep the flavor of the salad from getting diluted.

Whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl and toss with salad greens. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts if desired. Serves 4

Recipe Courtesy of: George Mateljan www.whfoods.org