HEALTH COACH: Autumn Harvest Faire

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This is Autumn's country

We are riding through -

Stubble fields, pale golden;

Sky, wild-aster-blue.

Goldenrod and rose haws

By the dusty road;

Water trickling wanly

Where spring freshets flowed.

Smoke from hillside clearings,

Tantalizing hints

Of orchard spices - apple,

Nut and peach and quince.

Red leaves on the maples,

Purple-clustered vines -

This is Autumn's country;

These, its certain signs.

Hearty Recipes With Super Nutrients That Promote Immune System Health

Breakfast Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place potatoes onto a baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 1 hour, or until tender; let cool enough to handle.

Cut each potato in half horizontally, then carefully scoop out the center of the potato, reserving for another use, leaving about 1/2-inch of potato on the skin.

In a medium skillet, add sausage links and cook until browned, about 2-3 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.

Add eggs, crumbled sausage, cherry tomatoes and cheese to each potato skin. Place into oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately, topped with avocados.
Damn Delicious

Quinoa and Spinach Stuffed Tomatoes

8 medium ripe tomatoes
salt, to taste
2 c water
1 c quinoa
2 t olive oil
6 c fresh spinach
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 t chopped fresh parsley
salt, to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
parmesan cheese
shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 F

Slice off 1/2 inch of the stem end of the tomatoes and hollow out the inside. Slice just a small section off of the bottom of the tomatoes so that they will sit flat on a baking sheet. Sprinkle salt in the hollow portion of each tomato and place hollow side up on a baking sheet. Set aside. Place water and quinoa in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; lower to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Heat oil in a frying pan and add spinach. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until just wilted. Mix in the garlic and parsley, cook for a minute longer, and remove from stove. Add cooked quinoa to spinach; mix well. Taste for salt and pepper. Evenly divide the filling among the tomatoes. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle tops with parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Diethood

Sage Potato Chips

How To Thread A Potato Chip

After slicing the potatoes, use a paring knife to cut two parallel 3⁄4" slits in the center of a slice, one slit spaced about 1" from the other.

Next, simply pull a sage leaf up through the first slit and then down through the second until it's centered. Repeat with the remaining sage leaves and potato slices. The sage leaves become crisp when fried and lend the chips an herbaceous flavour. Saveur

Lemony Lentil Soup with Nova Scotia Oatcakes

olive oil

1 onion, chopped fine

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 t chili flakes
Old Bay seasoning

796 ml can of whole tomatoes

2 c broth

1-2 pulled chicken breasts

398 ml can of lentils

naturally-harvested salt, fresh-cracked pepper to taste

Garnish: fresh-squeezed lemon juice and parsley

Heat the oil and sweat the onions. Add carrots and garlic - sauté for 5-10 minutes. Add chilli flakes, Old Bay, broth, and tomatoes. Simmer medium low. Add lentils, chicken, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and seasonings.

Nova Scotia Oatcakes

2 c Oatmeal
1 c whole grain Flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 c Vegetable Oil or Butter
1/4 t Baking Soda
1/2 c Brown Sugar
1/4 c Boiling Water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Dissolve baking soda in boiling water (add a little more water if needed). Combine dry ingredients with butter, then add dissolved baking soda. Mold into a dough ball, then press it out onto a baking sheet. You can roll it out with a dough pin to make it thin as you want it to be about 1/4 inch thick. Cover and chill for 10-15 minutes to firm up the dough, then remove and score down the middle and across to make 8-10 squares (you’ll use these lines for clean cuts after it’s done baking).

Bake for 12-15 minutes until they are golden brown. They should be crisp and crunchy, not chewy. Separate the cakes along the score lines with a thin knife and then allow them to cool. The Travel Bite

Garden Market Vegetable and Quinoa Soup With Celery Pesto

3 T olive oil

2 onions, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped (plus celery leaves)

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large sweet potato, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

1 litre or 4 c of vegetable stock

1 small tin, plum tomatoes (14 ounces)

1/2 c quinoa

sea salt & pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add in the onions, celery, garlic, carrots and sweet potatoes and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often.

Add the vegetable stock, quinoa and tomatoes with juice and bay leaves and increase heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cover, cooking until the vegetables are tender and the quinoa has expanded, about 30 minutes.

Pour half of the soup into a food processor and puree until smooth. Return to the pot. Season with salt & pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and top with a spoonful of celery pesto.

Celery Pesto

2 celery ribs, chopped

1/2 c celery leaves, chopped
1/4 c parsley, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/3 c pistachios
1/4 c Extra-Virgin olive oil
1/4 c Parmesan
salt & pepper

Using a blender or food processor, combine the celery ribs & leaves, parsley, garlic, pistachios, olive oil and Parmesan. Process until smooth and season with salt & pepper.

Zucchini Green Chili Cornbread

1 c milk (I used goat’s milk)

1 c grated zucchini

2 eggs

1/2 large onion, finely chopped

1/4 c olive oil

2 green chillis, finely chopped

1 + 1/4 c cornflour (arepa flour) or polenta /cornmeal

1 + 1/4 c whole grain flour

1 T sugar

4 t baking powder

1 t salt

1/2 t dried chilli flakes

1/2 t turmeric (for colour) not necessary if you are using polenta/cornmeal

A few sprigs of fresh thyme leaves

1 c grated Asiago and cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping

Preheat oven to 350 F. Put all the wet ingredients in one bowl and whisk together well. Sieve the 2 flours into another bowl and add the rest of the dry ingredients to that bowl, mix well.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined, do not over mix or it will be tough.

Oil and flour a loaf tin or baking dish (or line with baking paper). Tip the batter into the loaf tin/baking dish and even out the top.

Bake for 30 minutes then remove from the oven and sprinkle over a thin layer of grated cheese. Return to the oven for 5 minutes or until a cocktail stick stuck in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin. Cook Eat Live Vegetarian

Roasted Pumpkin, Feta and Quinoa Salad

2 c quinoa

1kg Jap pumpkin, cut into wedges

2 T olive oil

1 red onion, cut into wedges

¼ c unpasteurized apple cider vinegar

2 t honey

⅓ c chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves

1 - 400g can chickpeas, drained and thoroughly rinsed

Feta cheese, crumbled

Soak the quinoa in a saucepan with 3 cups of water for 15 minutes. Place the saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Set aside. Preheat oven to 425 F. Place the pumpkin and half the oil on a baking tray and toss to coat. Roast for 10 minutes. Add the onion and roast for a further 10–15 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Mix to combine the vinegar, sugar, coriander, chickpeas and quinoa. Top with pumpkin, onion and feta to serve. Serves 4.
Donna Hay

Leek, Squash, and Broccoli Pie

4 c butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 c whole cooked chestnuts, chopped
3/4 c garlic and herb cream cheese
1/4 c pearl barley
1/4 c white wine
1/4 c dried tomatoes, shredded
1/4 c pine nuts
6 T olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 leeks, shredded
4 c vegetable stock
1/3 c broccoli florets
2 T chopped fresh thyme
1/4 c wholemeal breadcrumbs

Pastry:
4 T water
1 free-range egg, beaten
4 T unsalted butter
1+1/2 c plain flour, sifted

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the squash in a large roasting tin with half the oil. Turn to coat and bake for 40 minutes, until softened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a separate large frying pan and sauté the onion, chestnuts and 2 cloves of the garlic for 8 minutes, until softened. Remove from the heat, stir in the garlic and herb cream cheese and allow to cool. Stir into the squash and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a pan and sauté the leeks for 5 minutes, until softened. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the leeks to a plate and set aside.

Add the pearl barley, stock and white wine to the pan. Bring to the boil, then continue to boil rapidly until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Add the broccoli and leeks, then bring back to the boil and cook rapidly once again until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and stir in the sunblush tomatoes, thyme, pine nuts and breadcrumbs. Allow to cool.

Place the butter and water in a pan and bring the water to the boil, stirring until the butter has melted. Quickly tip in the flour and beat until the mixture forms a ball. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Cut off a third, place in a plastic bag, cover and keep warm. Working quickly, roll out the pastry and use to line a 4 cup loaf tin, working with your fingertips to make sure there are no holes or gaps. Allow to cool and chill for 10 minutes.

Spread the base with the leek mixture and then top with the squash mixture.

Roll out the remaining pastry large enough for a lid. Brush the edges of the pastry with water and place the lid on top, pinching the edges together to seal. Re-roll any trimmings and use to decorate the pie. Make a hole in the centre, brush with beaten egg and bake for 30 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and bake for a further 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the pie from the tin and place on a baking sheet. Brush the pastry sides with egg and bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, leave to stand for 10 minutes and serve cut into thick slices. Vegetarian Living

Smoked Salmon Potato Tartine

Potato Tartine:
1 large russet potato, peeled and grated lengthwise

2 T olive oil
salt
pepper

Topping:
4 ounces soft goat cheese, at room temperature
1+1/2 T finely minced chives
1/2 garlic clove, finely minced
zest of half a lemon
thinly sliced smoked salmon
2 T drained capers
2 T finely chopped red onion
1/2 hard boiled egg, finely chopped

finely minced chives (for garnish)

Combine goat cheese, lemon zest, and garlic in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in fresh chives. Set aside. Season the chopped red onion and hard-boiled egg with salt.

Prepare the Potato Cake:

Working quickly (as the potato will quickly begin to oxidize), grate the potato (lengthwise) into a large using the large holes of a grater. Squeeze the potatoes over the sink to remove any excess liquid. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss.

Heat the oil in a 8-10 inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the grated potato and shape roughly, using a spatula, into a large circle.

Press on the mixture with the back of a spoon to compact it, cover and cook gently for 8-10 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown.

Flip carefully to other side and cook for another 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Remove to cooling rack and allow to cool until barely lukewarm or room temperature.

Assemble the Tartine: Once potato cake has cooled, spread the goat cheese mixture on the top. Layer the smoked salmon directly over this and sprinkle with the red onion, hard-boiled egg, and capers. Garnish with freshly chopped chives. Cut into wedges and serve immediately. A Beautiful Plate

Honey Mustard, Broccoli, and Apple Salad

2 bunches (about 1 pound total) broccoli with stem

1/2 c roasted and salted sunflower seeds (seeds not seeds in shells)

1 Fuji apple, cored and sliced thin

heaping 1/4 c arugula leaves (or you can use finely chopped parsley instead)

Dressing:

3 T whole grain mustard

2 T honey

2 T olive oil

2 T unpasteurized apple cider vinegar

salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Place a large pot with about 1 inch of water over a medium-high heat. Insert a steamer into the pot and bring the water to a low boil.

Cut broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice broccoli stems and add both the florets and the stems to the steamer. Cover and allow to steam for about 2 minutes, or until the hard raw crunch is cooked from the broccoli. Remove from the steamer and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Dressing:

In a large bowl, combine mustard, honey, olive oil, vinegar, and a few pinches of salt and better. Whisk vigorously until thoroughly combined. Add broccoli, sunflower seeds, sliced apple, and arugula to the bowl. Toss until every piece is coated in dressing.

Chill for about 30 minutes. Serve cold. This salad is best served the day it is made. Joy The Baker

Sweet Potato Gnocchi With Apples, Bacon and Balsamic

sweet potato gnocchi
3 slices good quality bacon
1 small apple, thinly sliced
1 t dried thyme
1/2 tsp fennel seed
2 T aged balsamic
salt and pepper
fresh sage

Sweet Potato Gnocchi
1 large sweet potato, baked and cooled
1 egg
3/4 c whole grain flour
1 t sea salt
makes 60 dumplings

Gnocchi:

In a large bowl, mash sweet potato. Add egg and beat until well combined. Add salt. Gradually add flour, stirring after every 1/4 cup, until mixture begins to come together into a sticky dough. Turn out onto floured surface.

With floured hands, pat mixture into a ball and cut into quarters with a floured knife or pastry cutter. Form one quarter into a short log, then roll into a rope about 1/2″ thick. Cut rope into 12-15 pillow shaped dumplings. Using a floured gnocchi board (or the back of a fork), drag each dumpling along the ridges to form grooves. Set gnocchi aside in a single layer on a floured cookie sheet. Repeat with all 4 quarters of dough to create about 60 gnocchi dumplings.

Assemble the Dish:

Add bacon to a cold skillet or high-sided fry pan and turn heat to med-high. When fat begins to render, add thyme and fennel seed. Cook bacon with spices until just starting to crisp, about 3-5 minutes. Add apple and saute until crisp-tender, 2 mins. Add balsamic and salt and pepper and reduce heat to low.

Add cooked gnocchi, stir to combine and taste for salt. Serve in shallow bowls topped with fresh herbs and more black pepper. The Pig and Quill

Spiced Apple Zucchini Almond Cake
with Honey Butterscotch Glaze

3 large eggs
2 c Demerara brown sugar
1 c extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 t freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3 c flour: 1 oat flour + 1/2 c whole grain flour + 1/2 ground flax + 1 c all-purpose flour
4 c shredded zucchini, gently drained
2 small Macintosh apples, peeled, cored and small dice
1 1/2 c rough chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 350F - lightly butter and flour the pan, tapping off any excess flour.

In a very large bowl whisk the eggs, sugar, and oil together. Blend in the spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the flour, then zucchini, apple, and nuts. Turn into the bundt pan and smooth out if necessary.

Bake for 60 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it (moist crumbs are fine).

Let cool, then invert onto a platter or cooling rack. Let cool completely before glazing.

Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and top with a dusting of crushed nuts.

Honey Butterscotch Glaze
1/2 c Demerara brown sugar
1/4 c unpasteurized honey
1/2 c cream
1 T butter
pinch of naturally-harvested salt

Combine sugar and honey in a medium pan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and you have a liquid. Continue to cook without stirring, swirling pan occasionally. Mixture will bubble and start to darken in colour.

Once mixture is butterscotch brown, stir using a wooden spoon and remove from heat. Carefully pour in the cream and stir until combined. Add butter and stir until smooth. Add salt and stir once more.

Let sauce cool completely before using on the cake! This can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Allow glaze to come to room temperature before using so that it pours easily.

garnish
fresh-roasted, chopped whole almonds (with skin on)

Apple Dumplings With Cider Sauce

Pastry:

2 1/2 c organic all-purpose flour

3 T brown sugar

2 t baking powder

3/4 t salt

10 T unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled

5 T vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled

3/4 c cold buttermilk

Cider sauce:

1 c apple cider

1 c water

1 c brown sugar

1/2 t ground cinnamon

2 T unsalted butter

1 T lemon juice

Apple dumplings:

6 tablespoons (2 2/3 ounces) sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons golden raisins, chopped

4 Golden Delicious apples

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

For the pastry: Process flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor until combined, about 15 seconds. Scatter butter and shortening over flour mixture, and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand, about 10 pulses; transfer to bowl. Stir in buttermilk until dough forms. Turn out onto lightly floured work surface and knead briefly until dough is cohesive. Press dough into an 8-by-4‐inch rectangle. Cut in half, wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

For the cider sauce: Bring cider, water, sugar, and cinnamon to simmer in small saucepan, and cook over medium‐high heat until thickened and reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and lemon juice.

For the apple dumplings: Adjust oven rack to middle position, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. In second bowl, combine butter, raisins, and 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar mixture. Peel apples, and halve through equator. Remove core, and pack butter mixture into each apple half.

On lightly floured counter, roll each dough half into 12‐inch square. Cut each 12‐inch square into four 6‐inch squares. Working with one at a time, lightly brush edges of dough square with egg white and place apple, cut side up, in center of each square. Gather dough one corner at a time on top of apple, crimping edges to seal. Using paring knife, cut vent hole in top of each dumpling.

Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange dumplings on prepared baking sheet, brush tops with egg white, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake until dough is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 20-25 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Drizzle with the cider sauce and serve. Pop Sugar

Chill can of coconut milk overnight. Whip until light and frothy.

With high concentrations of easily-assimilated, medium-chain triglycerides and a full spectrum of minerals, vitamins and especially manganese which helps maintain nerve, thyroid and bone health, coconut milk can help metabolism and assimilation of key nutrients, cholesterol and glucose to stabilize blood sugar levels.

Healthy fats are an essential part of a natural, whole food diet. It is the type of fat you eat and the amount consumed that matters. Fats are necessary to the building and health of all cells. Healthy fat aids the function of the brain, metabolism, hormones, lungs, and eyes.

Saturated fat raises LDL cholesterol (low density lipoprotein) also referred to as Bad Cholesterol. It is not necessary to consume any of these fats because the body can make the saturated fat that it needs from healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Polyunsaturated fats have low amounts of triglycerides and help to ease inflammation and protect against cardiovascular disease.

The fat in coconut milk is a saturated fat, composed of medium chain triglycerides, with health benefits; dairy products contain saturated fats composed of long chain triglycerides with health risks.

For a daily 2000 calorie diet the total amount of fat intake should not exceed 20 - 35% of calorie intake. Limit saturated fat to a maximum of 10% of calories, trans fats to 1% and limit cholesterol intake to a maximum of 300 mg/ day. When reading meat, dairy, and prepared food labels, look for less than 6g of fat.

please visit

HEALTH COACH Healthy Fats and Oils

For more helpful information

The Super Nutrients That Promote Immune System Health

Antioxidants are anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging phytochemicals in plant foods that give fruits and vegetables their brilliant variety of colours. Antioxidants protect all cells against oxygen free radicals that can cause DNA damage and inflammatory disease. Beans and legumes are rich in disease-fighting antioxidants.

Lycopene is a carotenoid antioxidant that gives watermelon and tomatoes their red colour; the lycopene is more potent when the tomatoes are cooked.

Lutein is found in vegetables and fruit, egg yolks and dark leafy greens and herbs.

Zeaxanthin is a carotenoid which gives vegetables and fruits their yellow and orange colour such as carrots, peppers and squash.

Astaxanthin is the superstar of the carotenoids pigments that give flamingoes their brilliant colour as a result of eating shrimp and krill. This disease preventative antioxidant multiplies the benefits of Vitamin C and E, lowers LDL cholesterol, and is a powerful scavenger of oxygen free radicals that are created by ultra violet radiation (UVB). Astaxathin is derived from chlorella and spirulina algaes, krill, shrimp and wild salmon. Synthetic astaxathin is given to farm fish and is made from petrochemicals.

Beta Carotene converts to Vitamin A and is available in leafy greens, sweet potatoes, herbs, and carrots.

Selenium is a trace mineral that increases the potency of Vitamins C and E and is found in high amounts in brazil nuts. RDA 55 micrograms.

Polyphenols are botanical antioxidants found in black and green tea, herbs, leafy greens, cocoa, dark chocolate and wine.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that boosts the health and function of the immune system, aids collagen production and health (the protein structure of skin) and is found in vegetables, especially broccoli and brussel sprouts, citrus fruits, papaya and strawberries.

Vitamin D3: Please visit HEALTH COACH :: Basic Health Habit No. 8 :: Sunlight and D- Mystifying Vitamin D for more information

Vitamin E promotes immune system and heart health, protects against oxygen free radicals, helps to heal the skin, and is anti-inflammatory. It is found in cold-pressed oils especially wheat germ oil, seeds, nuts and oily fish.

Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids are essential nutrients that must be obtained from our food and are anti-inflammatory. They inhibit the development of cancer including melanoma, protect the cardiovascular system and the brain, elevate mood, and protect against oxygen free radicals. They are found in cold water, fatty fish, fish oils, chia and flax seeds and algae. Recommended supplements: Barlean's Omega Swirl and Rainbow Light Omega with Astaxanthin.

LINK: Please visit HEALTH COACH: Essential Fatty Acids for more information

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