Recipe: Chai Spiced Slow Cooker Applesauce
Post by Olivia Martino and Paula Jahn, Registered Dietitians and Co-Owners, Nourish Northwest
This past weekend, we spent a sunny fall day out in the Hood River Fruit Loop. We had a long list of criteria we needed to meet in order to get our total fall fix. We needed U-pick apples that were pesticide free, freshly cooked brats, apple cider donuts, baby farm animals and a clear view of Mt. Hood. We may have been a little greedy, but ask and you shall receive, for we found it all at Draper Girls Farm. Luckily, we got there in time to still pick apples but this was the last weekend of the season and most of the apples were high in the trees. They had a great deal on U-pick apples: 20 pounds for $20. We filled our bucket with Jonagold, Fuji, Red Delicious and Winter Banana and hauled them back to Portland while we brainstormed ideas on what we wanted to do with them. It turns out that twenty pounds of apples is a lot of apples, so we wanted to make something that would use up ton of them at once.
Chai Spiced Slow Cooker Applesauce
Adapted from ohmyveggies.com
Makes: 9 servings. 1/2 cup each
Ingredients
12 medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into large chunks
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Heat on low for 6 hours.
2. Remove cinnamon sticks from slow cooker. For a chunkier sauce, use a slotted spoon to remove half of the apple chunks. Use an immersion blender to puree the remaining fruit and then stir in reserved fruit chunks (alternately, you can cool the mixture and puree in a blender or food processor). For a thinner sauce, do not remove any fruit before pureeing.
Recipe: Dijon Braised Brussels Sprouts
Post by Olivia Martino, Registered Dietitian and Co-Owner of Nourish Northwest
We love our brussels sprouts any way you slice ’em….roasted, sauteed, braised and even raw. Many people have had a terrible childhood experience with mushy, bitter brussels and we vow to permanently change the way you feel about these delectable little veggies. We made a delicious saute yesterday in our Vegetable Prep 101 class, which we will be offering again on November 24th. The below recipe is also one of our faves!
Dijon Braised Brussels Sprouts
From smittenkitchen.com
Serves 4 as a side dish
Ingredients
1 pound brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
2 to 3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon smooth dijon mustard (or more to taste)
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)
Directions:
1. Trim sprouts and halve lengthwise. In a large, heavy 12-inch skillet heat butter and oil over moderate heat. Arrange halved sprouts in skillet, cut sides down, in one layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook sprouts, without turning until undersides are golden brown, about 5 minutes. [Updated to note: If your sprouts don’t fit in one layer, don’t fret! Brown them in batches, then add them all back to the pan, spreading them as flat as possible, before continuing with the shallots, wine, etc.]
2. Add the shallots, wine and stock and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low (for a gentle simmer), cover the pot with a lid (foil works too, if your skillet lacks a lid) and cook the sprouts until they are tender can be pierced easily with the tip of a paring knife, about 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Remove the lid, and scoop out brussels. Add cream and simmer for two to three minutes, until slightly thickened. Whisk in mustard. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as necessary with more salt, pepper or Dijon. Pour sauce over brussels, sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve immediately.
Recipe: Kale, Squash and Sausage Soup
Post by Olivia Martino, Registered Dietitian and Co-Owner, Nourish Northwest
The rain in Portland won’t let up and the best thing we can do is learn to embrace it. Many of our clients have been telling us that they have really enjoyed making soups lately, so here is one of my favorites. Wanna learn more? Sign up for our Soups and Stews cooking class on October 24th!
Kale, Squash and Sausage Soup
Adapted from EatingWell: September/October 2007
6 servings, about 1 2/3 cups each | Active Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 winter squash (I have used kaboucha and butternut), peeled, seeded and cubed
1 pound chicken sausage
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons paprika, preferably smoked
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste (optional)
1 cup white wine
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 bunch kale, ribs removed, chopped (about 8 cups lightly packed)
Preparation
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash and saute for 5 minutes.Add onion to the pot and cook, stirring often, until just beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, paprika and crushed red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and tomatoes, increase heat to high and stir to scrape up any browned bits.
4. Add kale and stir just until it wilts. Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is just tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the chicken sausage and serve.
New Discoveries
Post by Paula Jahn, Co-owner and Registered Dietitian, Nourish Northwest
I consider myself a fairly adventurous eater. I love to eat out, but since opening Nourish Northwest, Olivia and I cook too often to justify it. There are always delicious leftovers from cooking classes or recipe testing. Therefore, I am not privy to the current food trends; I’m just not exposed to the new hot ingredients. I remember the sense of wonderment I felt when I discovered purple potatoes, romanesco, and truffles. It’s been a long time since I’ve been introduced to something I’ve never heard of. That is, until Olivia and I took a Nourish field trip to Bob’s Red Mill last week.
Expecting to stock up on both glutinous and gluten-free grains, I was surprised by the aisles of dried beans. It’s a giant bulk foods warehouse!
So, in the spirit of trying something new, we bought cranberry beans and these little beans that look like green Good & Plentys.
I looked them up: flageolet (pronounced fla-zhoh-LAY) beans, or the “caviar” of beans, are a common staple in French country cooking. They are young kidney beans that are harvested just as they mature. They are tender and sweet with a delicate, slightly buttery flavor.
It’s no secret that I love beans and that my favorite way to cook them is under pressure. It made me sad that I literally had to dust off my pressure cooker after a summer of eating mostly raw or grilled food. Now that fall is here, I can embrace hearty, slow-cooked meals of beans, grains and winter squash.
Today, I put the flageolets in the pressure cooker for about 20 minutes, tossed them with butter, toasted garlic and fresh chopped parsley. So simple and so satisfying.
The moral of the story is that I need to seek out new food adventures. It’s not necessary to go to a fancy restaurant to make discoveries in food. The farmer’s market, the bulk section, or a friend’s garden will do to snap me out of my rut.
The Importance of Routine
Post by Olivia Martino, Registered Dietitian and Co-Owner, Nourish Northwest
I have enjoyed every bit of sunshine that we got this beautiful, long-lasting summer but I have to admit that I am seriously ready for fall. I’m not ready for the cold, the rain and the darker evenings but I am really craving the routine that comes along with this season. I had some wonderful times this summer camping, partying, barbecuing, river floating and laying in the sun but am emerging from the season feeling a little less healthy and a little more out of shape.
I’m a Capricorn, Type A personality and a dietitian. Collectively, these aspects of my personality mean that I’m organized, slightly rigid and “obsessed with time management.” While I used to try and run from these traits, afraid that I was becoming too uptight, I’m now learning to embrace who I really am and finding the benefit in the aspects of myself that I used to think of as undesirable.
Developing a healthy routine is something I often talk to my clients about. I truly believe scheduling exercise, meal planning and preparation and even relaxation time are essential to good health. Most people feel that their schedules are too busy to fit in exercise and cooking. We are all busy and it is a challenge to fit these things in, but it can be done. It may just mean reorganizing and re-prioritizing and therefore the first step is really wanting to be healthy. If you don’t see exercise and nutrition as important, then your other daily tasks will always take precedent. Unfortunately, the one thing I can’t do as a dietitian is make you want it. You have to find that within. So, if you are already there and really want to make some healthy changes, follow these tips to start and develop a plan.
Examine your daily or weekly routine
Take one weekday and one weekend day as an example and write down how you typically spend each hour of those days. This should probably give you a good idea right away of where you have extra time. If it’s not so apparent, think a little bit more about things you do that take up several minutes throughout the day. Are you spending a lot of time on your phone or the computer? Watching tv? What about your sleep patterns? Are you going to bed really late and sleeping right up until you have to rush out of bed to get ready for work? If you went to bed just a little bit earlier, could you squeeze in a half hour workout in the morning? What about breaks at work and lunchtime?
Schedule in your healthy activities
Throughout your week, find some time slots for meal planing, grocery shopping, meal prep, exercise and relaxation. It seems crazy to have to schedule in relaxation, but sometimes it’s the only way to make sure it happens. For meal planning, you only need about 15 minutes. This is a good thing to do on a weekend, shortly before your grocery shopping trip. Gather your recipes, talk to your family and decide on a few meals you want to eat that week. Keep them simple and don’t be afraid to eat the same thing more than once. From the meal plan, make a grocery list. Then set aside time for your shopping.
For meal preparation, I recommend setting aside a couple of hours on a Sunday to prepare large amounts of a few recipes to get you through most of the week. That way you only have to cook again one or two more times, mid week. This frees up more time in the evening for that exercise you were having trouble fitting in.
For exercise, I recommend scheduling in at least 3 days of organized activity. Mornings can be tough for many but exercising first thing assures that you get it done. I know it’s hard, but can you get up just a little bit earlier? Another benefit of morning exercise is that it sets you up for success the rest of the day. Your brain is awake and alert, making you more productive at work. You feel good and want to make healthy food choices and you are getting your metabolism up and running early on.
If the morning time is not going to work for you, if possible get it done right after work. Make sure you have packed your workout clothes with you, eat a small snack and get straight to the gym. If you walk in the house before getting your exercise in, you will immediately realize that the kitchen needs to be cleaned, the laundry needs to be folded and you have to pay the bills. Then you’ll get hungry and it will be dinner time. Before you know it, the workout hasn’t happened.
Write down your schedule
Make yourself a calendar that includes the above activities and stick it somewhere you will see it. Whether this be the fridge, the mirror or your phone, put it somewhere you can see it and easily access it.
Stick to your schedule
This is the hardest one. Things may come up that sound a little more tempting than exercising or grocery shopping. But think of your healthy behaviors as important as any work or household task. Think of them as things that must be done. If something really important comes up at the same time then make sure you reschedule your workout or meal prep to another time that day.
If you need assistance with meal planning, finding healthy recipes, learning basic cooking skills or want to take some fitness classes, then contact us today at info@nourishnorthwest.com or 503-234-7280!