Fast Fall Fare!

If you are like most of the people that I know, fall is the busiest season of the year.  Between kids sports, NFL football, the world series, early Christmas shopping, and preparing for the inevitably crampacked November & December months, we are all begging for more time!   That being said, my tips this month are going to be recipes for quick, delicous, and nutritious meals that will make great leftovers!  You will notice that I have listed organic ingredients specifically, as well as almond milk and vegan sour cream.  These are not exotic ingredients, you can get these at any grocery store in place of your conventional ingredients.  This is about the time that you may be asking, "Well what will I do with the remaining almond milk?"  Almond milk can be used in place of dairy milk in most, if not all of your recipes.  I use it to cook oatmeal, on cereal, in pancakes, cookies, cakes, soups, homemade ice cream, you name it!  It has 50% MORE calcium than regular cow's milk and lacks casein, the protein found in cow's milk that has been found to be carcinogenic.  Use vegan sour cream in place of conventional sour cream, but bear in mind that it tastes closer to real sour cream when mixed with something, not so much by itself.  What about the meat alternative?  My husband is the king of "How close it it?"  He actually likes the alternative ground/tvp and even my kids' friends can't tell the difference on the ground products, thus making these products tasty and healthy without the cholesterol that real meat contains.  I hope that you enjoy these recipes!  Happy Fall!

Slow Cooker Chili:

2-3 cloves of organic garlic crushed
1 organic onion sliced
1 can organic kidney beans
1 can organic cannelini beans
1 can organic crushed tomatoes (or 3 or 4 fresh organic tomatoes blanched)
2 tsp Emeralds Southwest Seasoning
1 cup TVP or 1 pkg meat alternative ground such as Smart Ground (found in the vegetarian refrigerated section at the store)
1 fresh organic jalepeno
salt/pepper to taste

Prep Time:  About 5-10 minutes

Place first 6 ingredients in the crockpot first thing in the morning.  Set temperature to low and let it cook all day.  About an hour before you plan to serve, put the TVP + 3/4 cup of water or the pkg of meat alternative into the crockpot and give it a stir.  If you are a fan of heat add the jalapeno (sliced) now.  Serve in one hour.  I hate leftovers, even I love this one a second time around! 

Veggie Tacos:

Prep Time:  About 15 minutes

2 tsp organic vegetable or olive oil
1-2 cloves organic garlic minced
1 organic zuchini sliced then quatered
1 organic squash sliced then quartered
1/2 organic onion sliced into small pieces
1 organic tomato diced
1 organic avocado
1 bunch organic cilantro
1 container vegan sour cream
1 pkg orgnanic tortillas (or if you prefer homemade email me for an easy recipe)

In a large skillet heat the oil and then add the onions.  Cook for about 10 minutes until brown.  Then add minced garlic, zuchini, & squash.   Cook until tender but not mushy.  Place a spoonfull on tortillas & garnish with a slice of avocado, diced tomatoes, a couple of stems of cilantro, and vegan sour cream.  For extra flavor add some garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt to a cup of the vegan sour cream and mix thoroughly before placing on tacos.

Pumpkin Soup:

Prep Time:  About 20 minutes

2 tsp organic veggie oil
1 small organic onion sliced into small pieces
3 cloves organic garlic, minced
1 can organic pumpkin
1/4 cup vegan sour cream
1 cup organic veggie broth (low sodium)
1 cup organic almond milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (to your taste)
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

I saved my favorite for last!  This soup is a thick, hardy, and nutritious soup.  This recipe makes 4 servings.  You may want to double it if you would like to have leftovers or seconds!  I would serve this with cornbread.

In a large skillet heat the oil and then add the onions. Cook for about 10 minutes until brown. Then add minced garlic and cook another minute or two.  Next add pumpkin, almond milk, & seasonings.  Give it a good stir then slowly add the veggie broth.  If you like it a little thinner then add more broth.  Stir everything together then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.  Garnish with some extra sour cream if you wish.  Yummy!