Pumpkin Marinara

This is a unique and seasonal marinara. You can use it over pasta, spaghetti squash, or any meat and veggie dish.

Time: 15 minutes

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup organic half 'n half
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz.)
• 2 cups fresh basil, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 2 tsp. fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• salt

Heat the olive oil to medium in a skillet. Sauté the onion and garlic until translucent. Transfer to a blender of food processor, and then add all of the remaining ingredients. Blend well; adjust the salt to taste.

Pour the mixture back into the skillet and bring to a low simmer. When hot, it's ready to use as you would any other marinara sauce. You can even pour it into jars and refrigerate it for future use.

Nutritional info: 4 servings at 11g carb, 1g protein, 7g fat.


Quick Spinach

Time: 10 minutes

• 1 large bag of spinach
• 2 Tbsp. avocado oil
• 1/3rd cup craisins
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. turbinado sugar
• salt

Bring the oil to medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the spinach in batches; add more as it cooks down until it's all in the pot. (It’s always amazing to see how a big bunch of spinach cooks down to what seems like a few tablespoons!)

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Cook for one more minute. Drain off any remaining liquid, and then serve warm.

Nutritional info: 4 servings at g carb, 4.5g fat.




Frozen Beets

There are some foods that I try to eat weekly (roughly) for their special nutritional value. Beets are one of those foods. However, it can be a pain to buy and cook all of these foods every week! What I've found to work better is to cook a larger batch, then freeze portions to eat in the following weeks.

Active time: 7-10 minutes
Cooking time: varies, 20-30 minutes

• 1-2 bunches of beets (or more), stems cut off
• Ziploc freezer bags and a straw

Stem and wash the beets. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the beets. Reduce the heat so that the pot stays at a low boil. Boil until the beets are soft when pierced with a fork, 20 to 30 minutes. The larger your beets are, the longer they will take to cook.

Run cold water into the pot to cool the beets. After they have cooled enough to handle, cut the ends off, then the skin should rub off easily. Slice the beets into 1/4 inch thick slices, and then put your desired portion into bags for each week. Roll the bag up tight to get most of the air out, and then close the Ziploc bag, leaving just enough room to insert a straw. Suck out as much of the air as possible with the straw, then remove it quickly and finish the seal. Freeze for use later.

Nutritional info: 1 cup of cooked, sliced beets is about 12g carb.


Bright Broccoli Mix

Time: 25 minutes

• 1 bag broccoli florets with shredded stems (or similar veggie mix)
• 3 Tbsp. avocado oil
• 1/8 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 4 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced lengthwise
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• salt to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and shredded stems, and then blanch for 2 to 3 minutes until the vegetables turn bright. Pour the water and broccoli into a colander, then rinse under cold water for 30 seconds. Set aside to drain.

Heat a large skillet to medium hot, and then add the oil and chili powder. Stir, and then add the onion and garlic. Sauté for several minutes until they are softening, then add the red peppers. Sauté until they soften and begin to brown, then add the vinegar and stir well. Finally, add the broccoli and salt to taste. Mix well; serve hot.

Nutritional info: 4 servings at 13g carb, 10g fat.