Golden Beet Salad, by Diane

 

I found this recipe from Violet Witchel on IG, she just makes super good salads. This was so fast and easy to whip up and I loved the flavors! I used the Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe here, and it worked great. These were awesome lunches this week!

Ingredients:

4 small golden beets, diced

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp EVOO

1 tsp each curry powder, turmeric, garlic powder, salt

cracked black pepper

10 brussels sprouts, thinly sliced

1 bunch rainbow chard, leaves thinly sliced

EVOO

Dried cranberries, nuts, goat cheese (I omitted the goat cheese)

Grilled chicken breast

Honey mustard dressing: 2 tbsp creamy dijon, 2 tbsp honey, pinch red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp champagne vinegar, 3 tbsp EVOO and blend until smooth

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 and roast beets, chickpeas, seasonings, EVOO on one sheet and cook for 30 min or until beets are tender. On the other tray, roast sprouts and chard with EVOO for 5-10 min until warmed and wilted slightly.

2. Combine beets/chickpeas and greens with chicken, cranberries, nuts, cheese and dressing. Enjoy!

Crispy Chard and Sausage Quiche with a Sweet Potato Crust, by Diane

This week I came across a recipe that I could use as a variation with my delicious new find, sweet potato crust (for original recipe, see here). This quiche was so good that I literally cursed when it hit my tongue, and the rest of it was devoured soon after. It is filling, warming, and did I mention SO GOOD??? The truffle oil in the crust absolutely knocked it out of the park, the spiciness of the sausage combined with the greens and sweet potato perfectly, and the amount of eggs was perfect (I initally got scared because it didn't cover the top of the ingredients). This dish is definitely a winner!!

I tweaked a couple things, but the recipe was inspired by: http://bydawnnicole.com/2014/07/crispy-kale-sausage-quiche-with-sweet-potato-crust-paleo-whole30-compliant.html

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded (I used a cuisinart to chop them finely)
2 tbsp truffle oil
5 links hot italian sausage, casings removed
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 bunch chard, leaves trimmed from stems and cut into bite-size pieces
10 eggs
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Grease a 9x13" glass pan with 1 tbsp of EVOO or cooking spray. Toss shredded sweet potatoes with 2 tbsp truffle oil. Press evenly into pan bottom and sides to form a crust. Bake for 20-30 minutes until cooked through and somewhat dried. Remove from oven. Reduce heat to 350.
3. While crusts cooks, brown the sausage in a large pan over medium high heat and remove with a slotted spoon. In the leftover liquid, brown the onions and garlic until translucent. Add in the chicken broth if necessary. Add in the chard until wilted and mix through.
4. Place a layer of sausage over the sweet potato crust. Top with chard mixture.
5. Combine eggs, salt, and pepper to taste and pour over chard.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees or until quiche is cooked through and top of chard is crispy. Check quiche around 25-30 minutes and cover loosely with foil if it's already beginning to brown.
7. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Root Soup, by Diane

This soup is my go-to when I am feeling under the weather because is extremely nutritious, healthy, and is like a wonder drug. It consists of several root vegetables that are first sauteed in olive oil and some seasonings, and then added to a pot with other nutritious veggies and broth. Root vegetables contain powerful nutrients and vitamins, and can not only provide good nutrition when you are sick and not eating too much but can also speed healing. The result= one of the most amazing soups I've ever eaten. I admit I was a little wary of the taste given that the main ingredients are roots, but not only did I crave this soup every night after I made it but so did my family and friends and everyone else who happened to try it. Not only that, but it made me feel SO much better within two days. I've since made this soup for other people who are sick with colds or the flu, and they have had the same results. I should warn that this soup is somewhat expensive, particularly if you don't have all of the seasonings on hand, and that it takes a serious amount of time because of all of the vegetables you need to cut up (unless you buy the pre-chopped ones like I do, because who wants to do more work when they're sick?). But it's completely worth it, and is incredibly comforting- especially if you are feeling bad in the wintertime! Bonus points if you use homemade bone broth for healing properties!

Ingredients:

Vegetables: *I try to use fresh, organic, or homegrown ones when I can*

1 large sweet onion

1 package celery (save the inside small pieces with the leaves attached for later)

1 package carrots
3 cloves garlic
1 package pre-cut butternut squash (you can buy a whole one but it's tough to cut and you've got enough to cut already!!)
1 large rutabaga
3 large turnips
1 package parsnips
2 sweet potatoes
2 cups of mushrooms (I like to use the mixed pre-cut package from Whole Foods of shitake, oyster, and baby bella- anything but button mushrooms is better)
5 leaves rainbow chard, chopped (spinach is a good sub here too)
2 cups of dried lentils, presoaked for at least an hour
1 inch ginger, sliced thinly

Seasonings/Herbs/Spices:

You can modify these according to your taste, these are the ones I use. The main seasonings (about 1/2 tablespoon of each) are curry, turmeric, thyme, and sage/poultry seasoning. Other seasonings (only a sprinkle of each) are dill, fresh pepper, and rosemary. Additionally add in 2 small or 1 large bay leaf. You will also need EVOO. Salt to taste only at the end, I usually find I don't need any.

Broth:

For the broth, use one large box of vegetable broth and two large boxes of chicken broth (low sodium preferable). Or, about 12 cups of homemade bone broth (chicken preferably).

Directions:

1. Chop up all vegetables.

2. In a large soup pot, heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom fully on medium.

3. Add in the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic.

4. Sautee for five minutes stirring often, then add in the seasonings.

5. Continue to sauté for five more minutes, making sure to stir so they cook evenly.

6. Add in the remaining ingredients (including the insides of the celery) and bring to a boil.

7. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings if necessary.

8. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally. The longer you cook this soup, the better it tastes- but you can start eating it in about an hour! If the soup is too thin, you can use an immersion blender on a portion of it, or leave it as is (I like it as is!).