Ahhh, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and feel the crisp fresh air of fall.  With fall’s arrival comes a lot of warm, fond memories for many families – attending a fall festival, watching football, redecorating the house, picking apples at a local orchard, or taking a hayride out to the pumpkin patch.

Check out some of these fall-inspired, wholesome, nutritious recipes!

Slow Cooker Applesauce (No sugar added)

Makes about 40 ounces

Ingredients

3 lbs apples (Fuji, McIntosh, Jonathan, etc.)

½ cup water

 

Directions

1.) Prepare the apples by slicing and coring them – no need to peel, unless you want to.

2.) Place the sliced apples and water in the bowl of your slow cooker, then cover and set to cook on low for 6 hours, until the apples are very soft.

3.) Use an immersion blender to puree the applesauce, or transfer the apples in batches to a blender and (carefully!) blend using a dishtowel to cover the vent at the top.  If you’re using a Vitamix, or another high-speed blender, be careful not to over-blend this sauce – it can become too smooth very quickly.  Store the applesauce in the fridge for a week, or freeze this for up to 6 months.

 

Notes: You can spice up this applesauce by adding 1 tsp of ground cinnamon (More or less, to taste).

Source: https://detoxinista.com/slow-cooker-applesauce-no-added-sugar/

 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

 

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp fresh ground black pepper

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or more as needed to reach desired consistency

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz) can corn, drained or 1 ½ cups frozen corn

1 (7 oz) can diced green chilies

2 ½ cups shredded rotisserie chicken or shredded chicken breast

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

 

Optional Toppings: crushed tortilla chips, sliced olives, sliced green onions, diced fresh tomatoes, diced avocado, shredded cheese, cilantro

 

Directions

1.) Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add the diced onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.  Stir in the minced garlic and continue sautéing for 1 minute.  Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper, and cook for another 2 minutes.

2.) Add the chicken broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

3.) Add the beans, corn, green chiles, chicken, and cilantro.  Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

4.) Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a handful of crushed tortilla chips and any of the optional toppings.

 

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

 

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats

Scant ½ tsp salt

Scant ½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp pumpkin pie spice OR additional cinnamon

1/8 tsp uncut stevia OR 1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1 1/3 cup pureed pumpkin

2/3 cup milk of choice (scale back to 1/3 cup if using maple syrup)

¼ cup almond butter, or 2 tbsp oil or milk of choice

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Optional 1/3 cup chocolate chips, plus more for the top if desired

 

Directions

1.) Grease an 8×8 square pan.  Set aside.  Preheat oven to 380 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients, then add all remaining ingredients.  Smooth evenly into the prepared pan, sprinkle chips on top if desired, and press down with a spoon.

2.) Bake 24 minutes, then let sit in a closed oven 20 minutes with the heat turned off.  Top with syrup, or coconut butter, or a healthy cream cheese frosting.  Or you can eat it plain.  Can top with almond butter as well if not included in the ingredients above.

 

Source: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2014/11/13/pumpkin-baked-oatmeal/

 

For more information on nutrition, please reach out to Michelle Graves, RD at 317-335-6986 or mgraves@hancockregional.org