Butternut Squash Soup

Yield: 6 (1-cup) servings
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 medium canned plum tomatoes
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, halved, seeded, and
diced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, safe, 1 teaspoon of the sale and season with pepper to taste. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Raise heat to medium high, add the tomatoes and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon until the tomatoes break up and the onions brown slightly, about 7 minutes. Add the squash and the remaining teaspoon salt and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the squash is tender, about 12 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a simmer and cook uncovered until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender. Return the soup to the pot and reheat over medium heat. Stir in the vinegar.
Serve the soup in warm bowls with a touch of parmesan cheese if desired.

Nutrition Information

Nutritional Analysis per serving
Calories 155
Fat 9 grams
Saturated Fat 1 gram
Carbohydrates 19 grams
Fiber 1 gram
Protein 5 grams

Mashed Cauliflower

 
Mashed cauliflower tastes similar to mashed potatoes but reduces the carbohydrates. This simple recipe produces a smooth and creamy dish, and you can add a bit of cream, if desired. Serves 4.
•  1 medium head organic cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 6-7 cups)
•  2–3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•  2–4 tablespoons water
•  sea salt to taste

Boil the cauliflower in water until very tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and place in a blender or food processor. Add olive oil and water, one tablespoon at a time until a smooth consistency, similar to mashed potatoes, is reached. Season with salt and serve immediately.

Nutrition Info
Per serving (About 11/2 cups/155g-wt.): 110 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 3g protein, 7g total carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 190mg sodium

Pomegranate Sauce *Great with Roasted turkey*

(To juice a pomegranate, roll the pomegranates over a countertop in every direction to loosen up the juice, make a small hole in the skin and squeeze the fruit over a bowl. From six nice-sized pomegranates, you can expect to get about three cups of juice.)

250 ml. pomegranate juice (1.05 Cup)
1 T. mild honey
1/2 t. minced fresh rosemary
1/2 sm. garlic clove
1 T. sherry vinegar
1 t. cornstarch
herb salt

Remove the garlic, add the vinegar and a pinch of herb salt.
Make a paste of the cornstarch with a little water, stir into the sauce and allow to thicken.
Add the rosemary to the juice and simmer to reduce to about 1/2 cup, give or take (less than half to half - depends on flavour intensity of juice) add the honey and garlic and gently simmer for a few minutes.

Spokane Farmers markets are all over the place for another month and a half to two months, and Fall Fruits and vegetables are about to start being harvested. We all love to indulge in these wonderful Spokane seasonal treats, and they are just as good for you as they taste!

• -         Figs are a sweet, juicy, high fiber fruit. We can eat them dried year round, but fresh Fall figs are a great treat.! They also contain small percentages of Vitamins A, C, E, K, B6 and B12, as well as folate which is great for pregnant women (folic acid).
• -         Pomegranates are not only beautiful, but also long lasting and versatile. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three months, and the seeds can be used fresh on salad to add sweetness or used to make a sauce. Poms provide vitamins A, E, and K, in small amounts and 10% of your daily Vitamin C (based on a 2000 calorie diet), B6, B12, and folate.
• -         Grapes are taken for granted because we can eat them year round, but they are harvested in the Fall. You will find a greater variety of grapes in the Fall, such as seedless, red globe, and Concord. A full cup of grapes has only 100 calories and 2 grams of fiber, which is just enough to make you feel full. Most grapes are high in vitamin C and are a great source of antioxidants that several studies have touted as being able to reduce the risk of developing heart disease and cancer.
• -         Apples! Who doesn’t love apples in some form? Home made apple sauce, raw apples, apple pie … just about anything you can think of. Fall is the best time for apples, and there are so many varieties to choose from. If you are looking for a way to make that one “cheat meal” a week a little more healthy, try making a fresh apple compote and using it on your pancakes in stead of syrup. Apples and fresh apple juice have just as much vitamin C as oranges and orange juice. And one apple in the morning can wake you up more than a cup of coffee! And it is a healthier choice, too.
• -         Pears come in as many varieties as apples and are just as versatile. They are super high in fiber at 18% of your daily value of fiber, based on a 2000 calorie diet, and have 8% of your daily value of vitamin K, and have trace amounts of minerals like Iron, Calcium, Zinc, and 5% of your DV of potassium. They are also a better source of folate that the previous Fruits.
• -         Squash comes in many forms. Butternut Squash, acorn squash, pumpkins and more! Butternut squash have 298% of Vitamin A,  49% of your Daily value of vitamin C and 11% of B6. They also provide iron, calcium, potassium and even more vitamins and minerals. Butternut squash makes a tasty, filling warm Fall soup as well as many other great recipes.
• -     Cauliflower is in abundance during the Fall. Besides eating it raw, boiling in water, or steaming, you can also turn it into a healthy vegetable dish similar to mashed potatoes.There are two main ingredients in cauliflower, and all of the cruciferous family, that are the main disease fighters. These are indole-3-carbinol, or 13C, and the photonutrient sulforaphane.Sulforaphane lowered the occurence of breast tumors in lab animals at John Hopkins University in Baltimore by almost 40%. 13C works in concert with the sulforaphane by acting as an anti-estrogen. (Estrogen in high levels is known to foster tumor growth, especially in the breasts and the prostate glands. 13c helps to lower the estrogen count, thus lowering the chances of tumor growth.)

This is just a sampling of the many Spokane Fall fruits and veggies available here at our local Spokane Farmers Markets and Spokane grocery stores. Make sure to take full advantage of the Fall Season and get in your fruits and veggies in as many creative ways as you can. The sky is the limit!