It’s finally feeling like fall here in the DC area

& I’m LOVING it!

Fall calls for comforting foods – but if you have a busy family and would rather be outside – you need something quick! A meal that can be thrown together in 20 min or so and left to slow cook while the flavors develop and it get’s yummier!

This Sweet Potato and Turkey Chili is the answer! It can be made in a pot from start to finish, or started in a pan then transferred to a slow cooker, or, my preference – start to finish in the Instant Pot.

This is a complete meal in a bowl and my hubby and kids loved it! Nutrition details: packed with protein, fiber and vitamins. Gluten and dairy free as is. Vegan if made with chick peas in place of turkey and veggie broth. Can be topped with shredded cheese or served over spinach for extra veggies!

Sweet Potato and Turkey Chili

• 16 oz ground turkey (or beans for vegan)
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• 3 crushed cloves of garlic
• 14 oz canned tomatoes in juice
• 16+ oz broth
• 1t Trader Joe’s Chili Lime seasoning or 1/2 t chili powder
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/4 t paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 t salt (or more to taste)
• 1 medium sweet potato cut into 1/2″ dice

1. Heat 1/2 T of the olive oil in a pan/pot or Instant Pot on Saute at medium heat. Add the ground turkey and break apart while cooking thoroughly.
2. Remove the cooked turkey from the pan/pot. Add the other 1/2 T oil and the onions. Cook until translucent. Add the garlic. Cook 1 more minute. Stir in the tomatoes, 16 oz broth and spices.
3. Transfer to crock pot if slow cooking or leave in the instant pot.
4. Stir in the sweet potato. Slow cook for 4-6 hr on high – or until potato cooked through. In Instant Pot bring to a boil on HIGH saute setting, then cover and turn to HIGH slow cook 2 hours or until potatoes cooked through.
5. This chili can cook all day and be even yummier. It can be made ahead, frozen and reheated. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
6. Optional toppings – grated cheddar or feta cheese. You can serve in a bowl or over greens for even more VEGGIES!

It’s almost summer and there is an abundance of fresh veggies so why settle for the traditional green romaine salad. We all eat with our eyes first and this Broccoli Salad is full of color and crunch! Great to serve with grilled fish as we did, or take as a side to a picnic.

I mixed in broccoli, red cabbage, carrots and a little onion, white because I didn’t have red onion on hand. Get creative with what you have on hand. You could add in bell pepper, green cabbage or cauliflower.

Then I mixed in Craisins and pumpkin seeds, but you could use raisins, sun flower seeds, chia seeds, slivered almonds, fresh chopped grapes – get creative!

For dressing I mixed my homemade mayo, honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. But you could also use a bottled slaw dressing.

Broccoli Salad

Feeds 6, generous servings. Prep < 10 min.

• 1 head (~2 lbs) chopped broccoli or prepared broccoli slaw
• 2 c red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 c carrots, julienned
• 1/2 c onion, fine dice
• Toppings: 1 c Craisins, 1 c toasted pumpkin seeds
• Dressing: 3/4 c homemade mayo, 2 T honey, 2 T apple cider vinegar, 1 t lemon juice, 1 T poppy seeds, salt and pepper to taste.

Toss everything together. Can be made a day in advance and refrigerated. Flavor will just get better! Refrigerate left overs up to 3 days.

I LOOOVE eggplant! I think part of the reason is that it absorbs the flavor of the olive oil I usually cook it with!

One of our favorites is this double-duty Eggplant Caponata – which can be served as is and/or pureed into Baba Ganoush! Dishes that can be served one way then turned into something else for a later meal save time and money.

Eggplant Caponata

• 2 large or 4 small eggplants, chopped into 1″ cubes
• 1 large onion
• 2 bell peppers, red/orange/yellow, seeded and chopped
• 2 c tomato, chopped (or 1 can of chopped tomato, drained)
• 3 T garlic, crushed
• 1 T dried parsley, or 2 T chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 T dried basil
• 1/2 T dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
•  2 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss all ingredients to evenly coat with olive oil and seasonings and spread in a roasting pan. Roast about 20 minutes or until edges are browned, stirring occasionally.

Serve warm as a side dish or chilled with crostini.

Baba Ganoush: you can toss the left over caponata into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. If you want a creamier consistency you can add tahini paste. Serve as a dip or spread with grilled meats or vegetables, flat bread or on a sandwich.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The baba ganoush may freeze.

Falafel is a chickpea based fritter that is traditionally fried. I tried that and burned them every time so I now bake them to perfection!

We strive to eat a couple of meatless dinners each week. These can be served alone, in flat bread, over greens, as an appetizer, you name it! They’re a crowd-pleaser and easy to batch-bake and freeze – saving even more time!

You can serve them with a Greek yogurt based sauce like Tzatziki, but we love my  Homemade Mayo (recipe follows).

Falafel

• 2 cups chickpeas/garbanzo beans (or 1 can rinsed and drained)
• 1/2 c onion
• 1/4 c parsley, chopped
• 1 T garlic, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 t cumin
• 1/2 t corriander
• 1 t salt, dash of black pepper
• 1 t lemon juice
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 c flour of choice (wheat or oat or gluten free)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a food processor with the “S” blade, combine beans, onion, parsley and garlic. Add olive oil to get it moving. Pulse or process until desired consistency – we like them smooth, but some prefer some chunks of beans, you choose. Add remaining ingredients and pulse to combine.

I use a 2 T scoop to portion onto the pan but you can use a spoon. Space about 2″ apart for even browning. Wet fingers and gently press to flatten to 1/2-3/4 ” thickness.  Bake about 10 min until brown, then flip and bake about 8-10 min to brown the other side. Serve warm with tzatziki or homemade mayo. These also freeze up to 2 months.

MAYO!!!

I have always hated mayonnaise. I thought it was just a big blob of fat filled with junk I didn’t want to eat. With the start of the Paleo and Whole 30 trends I noticed more and more people making their own homemade mayonnaise. I was intrigued and a good friend talked me into trying it and gave me a great recipe!

As with anything homemade, the quality of the ingredients is key. So I used avocado oil, fresh lemon juice and free range eggs….and it blew my mind! My husband’s, too! He didn’t hate mayo the way I did, but knew it as the sweeter “dressing” variety and was still not a fan. He loves my homemade mayo and asks for it as a regular staple in our refrigerator. Our kids love it on fresh tomatoes, in coleslaw, chicken and tuna salad, deviled eggs – and of course to top the Falafel.

Mayo

• 1 fresh egg
• 1/2 t dry mustard powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 T lemon juice
• 1 c light oil (I use avocado)

In a high speed blender put the egg, mustard powder, salt and lemon juice. Slowly blend to combine and warm the ingredients slightly. SLOWLY, and I mean s.l.o.w.l.y stream in the oil while the blender is running. Gradually increase the speed as the mixture emulsifies and becomes white and creamy, until all the oil has been added. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks.

I was making breakfast-for-dinner for the fam last night and I’m on a use-up-what-we-have-on-hand kick so I tried out this new oat and berry bake and it’s amazing. Oats, nuts, coconut in the pantry. Berries in the freezer, milk and eggs in the fridge – check!

I was slammed yesterday and didn’t eat lunch until 3pm so I wasn’t hungry when I had to leave for a meeting at 6:30. Just wanted to have dinner ready for the fam. But when I came back at almost 9 I totally ate this for dinner!  Oops.

Oat & Berry Bake

(great out of  the oven or cold next day – can double for a 9×13 dish)

• 1c nuts, roasted and chopped (I used almonds)
• 2 c oats
• 1 1/4 c unsweetened flaked coconut
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1 t baking powder
• ¾ t salt
• ¼ t nutmeg

• 1 ¾ c milk
• 1/3 c maple syrup
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 T melted butter

• 2 ½ c fruit (can be fresh or frozen, blueberries or mixed berries – I tossed in frozen berry blend and it was fine)
• Topping: coconut, berries, nuts

1. Preheat oven to 375, grease 9×9 square pan, toast nuts.
2. Combine dry ingredients (nuts, oats, coconut, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg) in a medium bowl.
3. Combine wet ingredients (milk, maple syrup, eggs and butter) in a medium bowl.
4. Reserve ½ c fruit and ¼ c nuts and ¼ c coconut for topping.
5. Place berries in bottom of dish. Top with dry ingredients. Slowly pour wet ingredients over top and press down so all oats are covered.
6. Top with berries, coconut and nuts.
7. Bake 40- 45 minutes or until hot through and bubbling.

You can serve as is or with Greek yogurt.

I was in too much of a rush to snap a pic before I left. This is what it looked like after I got a hold of it!

First, I LOVE to cook.

I do.

I love to shop for food, picking out fresh produce and looking for deals. I love to use the veggies we grow in the garden and get in the Great Country Farms CSA bins. I love finding ways to make a meal from what we have on hand in refrigerator, freezer and pantry.

It’s fun to me – and yes, I’m aware that I may seem crazy to you. But I’ve learned we all have our things that we enjoy and are good at, so please don’t ask me to decorate or do your hair.

It’s because of this last fact that I know many friends and clients are looking for help when dinner time rolls around. You want to make a tasty, home cooked meal, that doesn’t require searching for recipes, organized shopping lists and hours in the kitchen.  There are a TON of these meal prep services to choose from so I tried a few out to see which, if any I would recommend to clients or friends.

I tried Blue Apron – clif notes: WAY TOO MUCH WORK. Even for me. 100 tiny packaged ingredients and 20 steps to every recipe. When I saw I had to “bloom the saffron” that was the deal breaker for me. Yes, I LOVE to cook, but I also don’t have 2 hours a night to get dinner from fridge-to-table. Conclusion: Blue Apron is meant for people that love to cook and appreciate gourmet dishes, aren’t feeding kids and can eat at 10pm, or start cooking at 3pm. Not that the food wasn’t enjoyed by my kids, but the processes didn’t work for our family schedule.

Hello Fresh sent me multiple different discount mailers before I finally decided to give it a whirl. The offer was $40 off my first 2 orders and free delivery. The $40 splits to $20 off each. There is a Classic, Family and Veggie menu option and you can choose how many you’re serving and how many / week. They offer different meals each week and have a pre-selected set.  The ingredients aren’t guaranteed Organic, but many are Organic or Non-GMO. You can log in before your scheduled delivery ships (***IMPORTANT ***) and change your meals or cancel for the week. It is a recurring subscription service and unless weeks are canceled individually, or you cancel your membership, they keep coming. BUT once you miss that delivery day you can’t change a thing. Even if you won’t be home and it’s going to be 100 degrees outside and the food will rot on your doorstep. Nope, they can’t cancel an order “shipped” an hour ago. This is the reason many decide to not continue past their first order or 2. I was able to negotiate my way into an extended $20 discount so we tried 3 deliveries. 9 meals total- see the meal cards.

What do you get?

The insulated box contains each meal ingredients packed in a paper bag with a thick ice pack and the meats are at the bottom. They’re cold and fresh on arrival. Use with in the week as the produce is fresh. Check out the site for specifics, but the meals were great. Most (we did the Classic option) contain a meat protein, starch (rice, potato or bread) and -A- veggie. Daughter (8 years old…about) helped me make most of them. Simple preparation ready in <30 min. Hubby really enjoyed the variety and was happy we had the detailed recipe cards so we could re-create the recipes.

Now- we ordered meals to feed 2 people. We’re a family of 4. And, if you know me, you know dinner usually has 2-3 veggie servings.

Current guidelines for adults are 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Do you eat that? 

The Stre—-tch!

To stretch the meals to feed 4, my preference is to add to the veggies in the meal.

• More of the same like additional roasted carrot sticks, more cabbage to the pork tacos, kale to the salad or peppers to the stir-fry.
• Or totally up the veggie servings by making a separate simple veggie side dish using what you have on hand. Like a side salad, steamed broccoli or roasted squash.
• “Beef Up” the turkey or pork burgers with grated zucchini or yellow squash. Turkey and pork burgers can be dry and the grated squash prevents that.

Multiply the meat – this is where it pays to know what you have in the freezer and chose meals that make use of what you have.

• More of the same for ground meat like tacos, chili or burgers or mix it up with a different variety. Throw in an additional chicken breast or pork chop.
• Slice pork tenderloin, chicken breasts or steak into smaller pieces so it goes farther and cooks faster – so modify cooking time to avoid over-cooking.
• Hello Fresh provides 10oz of ground meat for 2 burgers – which is a lot! So make smaller burgers and get more out of it. Especially when feeding kids. Smaller burger and more veg.

Supplement Starch – again, if you have extra potatoes, rice or tortillas, this is a good filler.

• More of the same using ingredients from your pantry.
• Switch it up to boost nutrition by supplementing with whole grain or brown rice, whole wheat tortilla or sweet instead of white potato.
• Cut it down – the buns are huge…have you heard that before? hehee. So, cut them in half for kids, I always skip the bread anyway.

All of the meals we’ve had come with more than enough seasonings and sauces so it’s easy to stretch the spice too!

Final verdict, Hello Fresh get’s a thumbs up! Once you learn the process and can choose the meals to your taste and stretch-ability it’s economical and fun and a time-saver on busy weeknights!