Category Archives: Food

Autumn Salad with Pumpkin Vinaigrette

You know those fall days when you whisk yourself outside to do something active that lets all that crisp, cold air into your lungs where it can rejuvenate and energize you? And then you come inside with red cheeks and cold hands and smell something delicious simmering on the stove that’s ready to warm you from the inside?

Well, this autumn salad is the perfect combination of crisp, sweet, & tart to serve with whatever THAT is. (Need an idea? Try this Irish Potato Soup and a slice of hearty whole grain bread…) I love that this dressing uses pumpkin puree – it’s unique and perfectly seasonal. And if you’re anything like me, you end up with an extra can or two of pumpkin puree laying around in November because you never got around to making that last batch of pumpkin goodies…

Let me know what you think!

 

Autumn Salad with Pumpkin Vinaigrette

 

serves 4-6

 

Ingredients for salad:

1 large head of romaine lettuce, washed , dried, and torn

2 large carrots, peeled, cut in half and sliced

1 small green apple, thinly sliced

1 small yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup dried cranberries

 

Ingredients for dressing:

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 fresh sage leaves, finely minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

 

Directions:

1. Combine all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a small blender (perfect for the Magic Bullet or something similar). If you don’t have one, you can just whisk together!

2. Toss salad ingredients in a large bowl and drizzle with just enough dressing to coat. Toss and serve.

 

PS – This salad is adapted from a recipe shared by the Institute For Integrative Nutrition, where our Nourish health coaches earned their certification (myself included!).

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It’s just chocolate

I’ve been thinking about this Halloween post for a few days, but it all came together in my yoga class this morning. At the very end of class during savasana, our instructor delivered a little admonition about chocolate. It wasn’t what you might think.

Instead of cautioning us that eating too much candy would expand our waistline or disrupt our energy, she asked us instead to remember what a pleasure trick-or-treating was as a child. She reminded us of how exhilarating it was to be holding all that chocolate in our plastic pumpkin. It was like winning the lottery. She asked us to rekindle that feeling tonight. To let chocolate be chocolate in all it’s, well, chocolateyness I guess.

For many of us, Halloween isn’t fun anymore. It’s a month-long-guilt-ridden torment because we have unprecedented access to treats and little willpower to resist. We indulge, we feel guilty, we repent, we repeat.

What if just for tonight, instead of loading up that candy wrapper with the added heavy burden of negative self-talk and shame, we just let chocolate be chocolate and enjoyed it? Don’t count the calories or the carbs or the miles you’ll run as penance…just have a little chocolate and move on to November with grace.

It’ll be okay. I promise.

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Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

I like to make Halloween weekend a little extra special with a pumpkin treat. In years gone by, I’ve shared Pumpkin Biscuits and Pumpkin Pancakes with you on the blog, and now I’m throwing caution to the wind with pumpkin cupcakes! Bonus points if you track down cute Halloween cupcake wrappers and toppers. Double bonus points if you make your own toppers. (On second thought, maybe I should take points away if you do that! Simplify folks, simplify.)

In my experience, kids love ANYTHING that comes in a cupcake wrapper so you’re in very safe territory here. And I’m telling you, everyone deserves a pumpkin treat this weekend. Even you. Enjoy!

 

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

makes 1 dozen

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

pinch of ground nutmeg

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 – 15 oz. can pumpkin

1 egg

2 tablespoons molasses

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

Icing:

2-3 cups powdered sugar, as needed

1/2 cup whipped cream cheese

2-4 tablespoons maple syrup (the real stuff), as needed

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray your muffin pan with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl combine your flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground cloves, and nutmeg.

3. In a large bowl combine canola oil, egg, pumpkin, molasses, vanilla, and brown sugar. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Stir to combine.

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until light and springy. Let cool completely before icing.

Cream Cheese Maple Frosting:

1. Place the powdered sugar and whipped cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer to combine. Gradually add maple syrup as needed. Add additional powdered sugar and maple syrup as needed until the frosting is soft and smooth.

2. Beat at medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes, until frosting is glossy, fluffy and smooth. Refrigerate while cupcakes cool.

3. Frost with a knife or a pastry bag and store in the refrigerator until serving.

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