Our resolution this year? To keep things simple. The next time you find yourself rushed for breakfast in the morning give this a try! Let's go!]]>

As we move into this New Year, all of us, to some degree, take a look at how we do things, what we need to improve on and how we can make our lives better.  There’s something amazing about the new year and the hope that it brings.  And, like you, we’ve been taking stock of what we’re doing, how we’re doing it and what we’re hoping to accomplish in the next twelve months.

Over the last few days, as I’ve been thinking about this upcoming year, one of the things that I want to stress is keeping things simple.  Like a lot of people, I have a bad tendency to make most things far more complicated than they need to be.  I have to have a couple 30 minute discussions just to decide on what to have for dinner.  I analyze everything I eat and everything I drink - trying to make it the most healthy I can, with the most perfect blend of nutrients possible.  And, while this isn’t necessarily a bad thing all the time, there are times when it just plain complicates the situation, ruins the mood or makes things difficult on those around me.  Sometimes things need to be simple.

This morning was a perfect example of things needing to be simple.  The first day of the new year, I was ready to get back to work after basically being off for a good week.  The kids were back at school, and our morning was right back to being rushed.  Naturally I was starving and I had nothing in the house that I could just whip up in two seconds.  After a quick search in the kitchen, I found just four simple ingredients that gave me a tasty, healthy and oh-so-quick start to my day.

The Line Up

Almonds (Soaked & Blanched)
Frozen Strawberries
1 cup Non-dairy milk of your choice
Vanilla extract

The Game Plan

While you can use just regular almonds, I only use almonds that I’ve soaked overnight and blanched.  By soaking, you neutralize the enzyme inhibitors (which the nut contains to protect it until it has what it needs for growing), the amount of vitamins your body can absorb increases and the Phytic acid, which inhibits the absorption of vital minerals, is reduced.  Blanching them removes the tough outer skin and makes them blend much easier and smoother in your smoothie.  Blanch by simply adding the almonds to a pot of boiling water for 30-60 seconds, pour into a colander, place under cold water, then pop the skins off by squeezing them between your thumb and index finger.

Like I said, this recipe is about as simple as it gets - add non-dairy milk to blender, add nuts, add strawberries and blend.  What you end up with is a wonderfully light smoothie full of protein, good fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.  What a way to start your day.

Welcome to 2011 everyone.  It’s simply going to be a great year!

Looking for a grain free, gluten free, vegan cookie that's moist, chewy and perfect for the holiday season? Give this a try! Let's go!]]>

This weekend, I got a link via Twitter, for some grain free/dairy free Snickerdoodles.  The original recipe, from over at Alisa Cooks, was modified from a recipe over at Jamie Oliver’s site.  While this one from Alisa Cooks still called for a whopping four eggs, I thought it would be a good one to try to make vegan since she had already taken out any dairy and gluten flours.  I was a little worried though, since she noted that she is “still working on the egg free/vegan version; thus far the results haven’t been postable.”  With this challenge in mind, we got settled in the kitchen and got to work.

This is what I really love about the web.  A recipe starts on someone’s website, gets picked up by someone else who makes adjustments and changes, then posts it to their site.  Someone else then makes further adjustments, posts the changes and on and on.  Sometimes it’s amazing to see the transformation from the original recipe to a version created a few “generations” later.

I am extremely happy with the results!  We ended up with a soft, chewy, extremely moist cookie.  While we didn’t add any cream of tartar (which we plan on adding in future batches), I thought it had a wonderful flavor.  The coconut flour played well off the cinnamon/sugar and three days later I’m still eating them!  They are just as moist and chewy today as they were when we made them.  Wonderful.

The Line Up

3/4 cup Organice evaporated cane juice
1/2 cup Coconut flour
1/4 cup Almond meal
1/2 tsp Guar gum
1/4 tsp Sea salt

1/2 cup Coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

1/4 cup Applesauce w/ 1 tsp Baking powder
2 TBSP flax meal w/ 1/3 cup HOT water

Topping
2 TBSP Organic evaporated cane juice
2 TBSP Ground cinnamon

The Game Plan

Preheat oven to 375-degrees.

In a small bowl, mix flaxseed meal and HOT water.  Stir well, set aside to thicken.

In another small bowl, combine applesauce and baking powder.  Mix well.  (Do this step just before you’re ready to add it to the flour mix.  If you don’t it’ll “boil over” on you.)

In a medium mixing bowl, combine evaporated cane juice, coconut flour, almond meal, guar gum and sea salt.  Add flaxseed and applesauce mixtures, coconut oil and vanilla extract.  Mix well.

Scoop the dough into small balls (we used a small melon baller).  Roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten them a little.  As noted on Alisa’s site, these don’t spread very much on their own.

Bake cookies 15-17 minutes.  Remove from oven, let sit on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes 24 cookies.

Enjoy!

Just in time for Thanksgiving! This tasty, quick to make cocktail just screams Thanksgiving and is perfect for taking some time for yourself to relax this holiday. Let's go!]]>  

I know that it’s the day before Thanksgiving, and you are probably rushing around getting ready for tomorrow, and the last thing you want to do is go to the store again.  But, you may need to make an exception.

This recipe just screams Thanksgiving!  It is extremely tasty and perfect for enjoying while you *gasp* actually take a few moments for yourself to relax. 

Please bear in mind that when looking for a vodka to use in this recipe, there are some distilled from wheat (Grey Goose, Absolut, Three Olives and others), some from corn (Smirnoff), some from barley (Finlandia), some from potato (Teton Glacier, Blue Ice and others) and some from grapes (Ciroc, DiVine, Bombora).  There is some “disagreement” among some of the Celiac organizations as to whether or not the gluten is removed during the distillation process.  The European Food Safety Authority considers distilled alcohol “unlikely to cause a severe reaction” and the Canadian Celiac Association says the distillation process should remove reaction-causing proteins.  The Gluten Intolerance Group of North America also says that “distilled alcoholic beverages are gluten-free and that they do not contain any harmful gluten peptides.”  However, the Celiac Sprue Foundation suggests no hard liquor from grains containing gluten and distilled alcohols from gluten containing grains are not allowed under their Recognition Seal definition of “gluten free”.  They state “with present available methodology, it is difficult to determine the extent or consistency of the purity of such products.”

While most of the groups seem to agree that distilled alcohol is gluten free, regardless of what grain it’s distilled from, there is some inconsistency.  So, like most other food decisions, it’s ultimately up to you to decide what’s safe for you to eat.  I have enjoyed this “adult beverage” for the past couple Thanksgivings with no problems (and yes, I did use a vodka that was not distilled from wheat.  In my opinion, it’s better to be safe than sorry). 

Ok, I know, I know, it’s the day before Thanksgiving and if you’re going to run to the store, again, you need to do it.  So, on to the recipe!

The Line Up

Ice
1 oz vodka, chilled
1 oz vanilla liqueur
1-1/2 oz orange juice
1 TBSP pumpkin puree
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg

The Game Plan

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.  Add the vodka, vanilla liqueur, orange juice, pumpkin puree and a pinch of cinnamon.  Shake well and strain into a cocktail or martini glass.  Garnish with a pinch of nutmeg.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

* We found this recipe a couple years ago and for the life of me, I can’t remember where.  I like to give credit where credit’s due, but in this case I can’t.  Maybe I’ve had too many pumpkin martinis… 

I know you'll enjoy this simple, delicious recipe for a quick, grainless cookie. I swear it tastes just like Christmas. Let's go!]]>

I like simple.  Do you like simple?  I like recipes with a small ingredients list, with items on it that I can actually pronounce.  Do you like recipes with a small ingredients list, with items on it that you can actually pronounce?  Yeah, I think we’re on the same page.

Now go make some cookies.

The Line Up

1 cup Almond meal
1/4 cup Coconut flakes
1/4 cup Honey
2 TBSP butter (soy-free/vegan), melted
1 TBSP Orange zest

The Game Plan

Pre-heat oven to 350-degrees.  In medium bowl, mix the almond meal, orange zest and coconut flakes.  Add the butter and honey.  Stir well.  Place small spoonfuls on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Pat down each spoonful a little.

Bake at 350-degrees for 10-11 minutes.  Let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack and cool for at least 5 more minutes.  Enjoy!

I am a huge proponent of packing as much nutrition into each meal as possible. And, as a lot of you know, I like to keep things simple. Lucky for you, this recipe is simple, uses basic ingredients and packs a nutritional punch. Perfect. Let's go!]]>

By: The Maniac

Anyone who’s read this blog for any amount of time knows that I like to keep things simple.  While the fancy recipes with the fancy, hard to pronounce names sound really good in a cookbook (and most look really good in pictures), we’ve found that, at least for us, keeping it simple with basic ingredients is the way to go.  By keeping it simple, we usually have all the ingredients we need to make just about anything we want.  By keeping it simple, we are able to prepare meals quickly and spend the time sitting down, enjoying each other’s company.

And, as a lot of you know, I am a huge proponent of packing as much nutrition into each meal as possible and that that should be a goal for everyone and anyone with any sort of chronic disease, especially one of the digestive tract. 

Lucky for you, this recipe is simple, uses basic ingredients and packs a nutritional punch.  Perfect.

Asparagus  - an excellent source of Vitamin K, Folate, Vitamin C and Vitamin A.  Also a great source of B1, B2, B3, B6, fiber, manganese, copper, phosphorus, potassium and protein.  Asparagus also contains inulin, which the good bacteria in our large intestine - Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli - digest, increasing their numbers and health-promoting activity.

Summer squash - Excellent source of manganese and Vitamin C.  Also a good source of Vitamin A, fiber, folate, omega-3 fatty acids, B1, B2, B6, calcium, zinc and protein.  Squash have been found to have anti-cancer type effects.  Some lab studies have shown juices obtained from squash to have some ability to prevent cell mutations.

Crimini Mushrooms - Excellent source of minerals such as selenium, copper, potassium, phosphorus and zinc.  Also a great source of B vitamins and iron.  Mushrooms contain powerful phytonutrients that promote optimal health and are a top food source of the potent antioxidant, L-ergothioneine.

Apples - Apples have a positive effect on the bacteria in the digestive tract.  Studies on lab animals have shown an intake of apples to significantly alter amounts of two bacteria in the large intestine - Clostridiales and Bacteriodes.  Apples also possess powerful polyphenols, antioxidant benefits, anti-cancer benefits and may help benefit blood sugar regulation.

Cinnamon - Excellent source of manganese and a great source of fiber, calcium and iron.  This anti-inflammatory food can also help stop the growth of bacteria and fungi, including the yeast Candida.  Studies have also shown that seasoning a high carb food with cinnamon can help lessen its impact on blood sugar levels.

The Line Up

Asparagus spears
Yellow squash, sliced
Mushrooms, sliced
Sliced ham, chopped (preferrably uncured, nitrate/nitrite free)
Olive oil
Sea salt
Pepper

Apples, skin on, diced
Pecans
Apple juice (preferrably unfiltered)
Cinnamon

The Game Plan

For this breakfast, we’re actually going to be making two dishes - the ham/veggie “hash” and a wonderful cooked apple side.  Both are incredibly easy to make and can be done so that they are ready at the same time.  Also, like a lot of my recipes, I did not include any specific amounts of these ingredients.  With these types of recipes, you need to feel free to add a little more of this, or a little less of that.

You want to start your apples first, as they will take a bit longer to cook.  Simply add your apples to a small pot, add enough apple juice to just cover the bottom of the pot, sprinkle with some cinnamon and stir.  Bring to a boil.  Stir, reduce heat and cover.  Cook until the apples are soft.  When your apples are almost done, add the pecans.  You want them in there just long enough to soften up a bit.  The great part about this is that as the apples cook, the natural sugars will transform the small amount of apple juice you added into a wonderful, thick syrup.  Delicious!

Easy right?  Well, the hash is even easier.  Heat a little olive oil in your pan.  Add the asparagus and squash.  Cook for 3-5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and ham.  Cook for another 5 minutes or so, or until all the veggies are as soft as you want them.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Enjoy!

Halloween is quickly approaching which means the frightening thought of trick or treat bags full of poison. Now, I don’t mean rat poison filled chocolates from that creepy guy down the street. I’m talking about the mainstream, brightly colored packaging, universally accepted poison called Halloween Candy! So with Halloween this Sunday, the Maniac and I have been frantically trying to come up with a solution to the problem parents of food intolerant kids face each year. How do I let my kids enjoy the festivities without sacrificing their health? We've come up with a great idea! Let's go!]]>

By: Queen of Food Creations

Halloween is quickly approaching which means the frightening thought of trick or treat bags full of poison.  Now, I don’t mean rat poison filled chocolates from that creepy guy down the street.  I’m talking about the mainstream, brightly colored packaging, universally accepted poison called Halloween Candy!  You know the stuff…marketed to our kids with neon wrappers that crinkle like a dinner bell calling them in for the feed.  Chock full of artificial colors, artificial flavors, partially hydrogenated oils & high fructose corn syrup.  Not to mention, for kids with allergies, the wheat, gluten, dairy, nuts, etc.  It’s made for kids, so it must be safe, right?   It’s sold in our stores, so it must be safe, right?  Right?  Hello?  FDA…are you there?? 

Don’t get me wrong.  I am all for the occasional treat. Halloween is about sweets and goodies, so I either embrace it in our own way, or don’t celebrate it at all, which I cannot do.  Kids enjoy it too much, plus, aren’t they already restricted enough at every play date, school lunch and birthday party they go to?  Do we have to turn Halloween into a toothbrush, sticker and small container of Play-Doh kind of night?

So with Halloween this Sunday, the Maniac and I have been frantically trying to come up with a solution to the problem parents of food intolerant kids face each year.  How do I let my kids enjoy the festivities without sacrificing their health?  We’ve had suggestions of the “Halloween Witch” that will exchange books for the candy left on the front porch.  Not only does this take too long to dispose of the unwanted candy (do you know how much a kid can eat between trick or treating and bedtime??)  I also really didn’t need another holiday where I had to get up early to deliver the goods before kids woke up, if you know what I mean. 

We also didn’t want to “magically” take their candy over the course of a week (which we’ve done in the past at younger “oblivious” ages) because (a) they eat a lot of it in that week if you’re not careful, or (b)you get tired of telling them no 60 times a day or (c) they are at an age now where they know each and every piece of candy like it’s their BFF and they know how much candy is in the bag at a mere glance.  No, we needed something altogether different, fun, and immediate.  No waiting it out, they needed instant fixes right after trick or treating.

We decided to try a Treat Exchange Program this year.  After the traditional trick-or-treating, we will have a table set up with all the goodies we purchased and actually approve of (in moderation) in exchange for the nasty candy they just scored.  They will “buy” the good stuff with pieces of the bad stuff.  For example, one naturally colored sucker might cost 3 pieces of candy, but the entire container of dark chocolate covered cherries might cost 20 pieces.  Our goal is to give them things they enjoy, that are still special treats, but meet our requirements for all natural and allergy friendly.  This new tradition, I’m hoping, will be a little added fun to their night, give us peace of mind, and in the process, maybe give them a little more “control” over their choices.  No need to tell them their “control” was manipulated by mom and dad.  They’ll figure our tricks out soon enough!  Happy Halloween!

Quick. Cheap. Incredibly healthy. Give this tuna salad a try and help your body heal! Let's go!]]>

By: The Maniac

I found this quick, easy, inexpensive recipe on Eatingwell.com.  Not only does it taste great, but it is packed with nutrients to help your body heal.  Let’s take a quick look at what makes this simple recipe so great.

Ingredient Breakdown

The tuna is high in protein and is an excellent source of selenium, magnesium, B vitamins and omega-3 essential fatty acids.  Eating more of this wonderful fish has been linked to lower risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer.  Of particular interest to those of us with chronic inflammation issues, EPA, an omega-3 EFA found in tuna has been shown to reduce inflammation.  Also, in a recent study conducted in Spanish hospitals, researchers determined that eating more fish correlates with a reduced risk of certain cancers.  Particularly, cancers of all parts of the digestive tract. 

Artichokes are high in fiber, magnesium, Vitamin C and folic acid.  They help aid in digestion and provide nutrition to health-promoting bacteria in the intestinal tract.

Olives are a great source of iron, Vitamin E, fiber and monounsaturated fats.  In addition to their anti-inflammatory benefits, the nutrients in olives neutralize free radicals, helping to prevent colon cancer.

The lemon juice provides compounds called limonoids that have been shown to help fight cancers of the mouth, stomach and colon.

Last but not least, the oregano gives a boost with anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties.

Ok, so now that we’ve established the health aspects of this recipe.  Let’s take a quick look at how this meal compares to other “fast food” in regards to how quickly you get it and what it costs.  The average wait time at McDonald’s is supposed to be less than 3 minutes.  This meal took me no more than 10 minutes to prepare (and I was taking my time).  I could definitely crank it out in 5 minutes if I wanted to.  As far as the cost, the average meal at a fast food place is $4.95 to $8.95.  This recipe cost me just under $7 total and I got two meals out of it.  Add in some veggies to go with it and I was still at no more than $5 per meal.  Think you need to eat at fast food places because they’re faster and cheaper?  They aren’t.

The Line Up

(2) 6-ounce cans chunk light tuna*, drained & flaked
1 cup chopped canned artichoke hearts
1/2 cup chopped black olives (I used kalamata olives)
1/3 cup GF/vegan mayo
2 tsp lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp dried

* When looking for canned tuna, keep a couple things in mind.  First, look for “chunk light tuna” instead of canned white (aka, Albacore).  In a recent study, canned white tuna samples averaged about 315% more mercury than chunk light samples.  Also, try to find a chunk light tuna without added vegetable broth.  Stick with a simple ingredient list of tuna and water.

The Game Plan

Did I mention this was an easy recipe?  Combine tuna, artichokes, olives, mayo, lemon juice and oregono in a medium bowl.  Enjoy!

Please. Stop with the "the gluten free diet is nutritionally lacking" nonsense. With a little creativity, you can boost the nutritional density of just about anything. Let's go!]]>

Whenever I hear people talk about how nutritionally deficient a gluten free diet is, or can be, I always have to laugh to myself.  Nutritionally deficient??  Are you kidding me??  The gluten free diet is one of the most nutrient dense ways you can eat, if done right.  The typical SAD diet is way more unhealthy.  I mean, do you realize how much nutrition is represented in that picture up there?  But more of that in a minute…

**Reality alert** (Don’t read any further if you’re easily offended)  If you think a gluten free diet is nutritionally deficient then you are not eating the right foods.  And the reality is - ready, here it comes - that you aren’t eating the right foods either because you don’t care or don’t know what you should be eating.  If you simply don’t care about eating the right foods, then be honest about it.  Stop complaining about how bad you feel, how much sugar is in everything or how you are tired of being “sick” all the time.  I don’t want to hear it anymore.  Now, if you simply don’t know what foods you should be eating, well, that’s a different story.  We can work on that.

Since the title of this post would lead you to believe I’ve got a recipe for you, I’ll illustrate how easy it is to eat healthy on a gluten free diet with this dish, Cauliflower Rice Stir-Fry.  First of all, for the recipe I didn’t use rice at all, I used cauliflower that was chopped up in a food processor.  There have been several dozen studies linking cauliflower to cancer prevention, particularly bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer and ovarian cancer.  Cauliflower also possesses antioxidant benefits, anti-inflammatory benefits and provides digestive support.  Cauliflower is rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Fiber, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Omega-3 fatty acids and Manganese.  In comparison, white rice contains no Vitamin C, no Vitamin K, less than a third the amount of fiber, half the Vitamin B6 and one-tenth the amount of Omega-3s when compared to cauliflower.  And to anyone who says they don’t like cauliflower, you can’t even taste it when it’s buried under a delicious stir-fry.  Plus it’s way faster to prepare than rice.

Now, add a bunch of other veggies and some meat and you’ve got a complete meal that is providing you with plenty of vitamins, fat, carbs and protein to help your body heal.  And did I mention it was fast?  For the picture above, I used about 1/2 head of cauliflower and a bowl of ready-to-use stir fry veggies from Trader Joe’s.  It took me less than 10 minutes to prepare it from start to finish.  Now that’s fast food we can all feel good about eating.

No lengthy intro. No cute story. No cluttering up the simplicity of this recipe with a bunch of words. Enjoy. See the recipe!]]>

You know, I must have written and re-written this post about a hundred times.  I don’t know why, but for some reason, no matter what I wrote, it just didn’t seem to work.  Even now I’m trying to think of a way to end this first paragraph with a witty “exit sentence” and it’s just not coming together.

Apparently, today, I have no choice but to keep this short and sweet and get right to the recipe.  I mean that’s what you’re after anyway right?

Happy Fall everyone.  Enjoy.

The Line Up
For the Muffins

3/4 cup Teff or Sorghum flour
3/4 cup Brown Rice flour
3/4 cup Potato starch
1/4 cup Tapioca starch
2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Xanthan gum
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking soda

3/4 cup Canola oil
3/4 cup Sugar
2/3 cup Hot water
1/2 cup Applesauce (or 1 egg)
1 tsp Vanilla

Add 1 cup of any fruit (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc)

The Line Up
For the Crumb Topping

1/3 cup Brown sugar
1/4 cup crunched GF Cornflakes or GF Rice Crispies
3 TBSP Canola oil or Melted shortening
2 TBSP Brown rice flour
2 TBSP Potato starch
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

The Game Plan

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Whisk dry ingredients together, set aside.  In large bowl, blend oil and sugar until combined.  Add applesauce & vanilla to oil/sugar mixture.  Mix until combined.  Next, alternately add dry mix and hot water until dry mix is fully incorporated and has the consistency of a thick cake batter.  Gently fold in your fruit.  Spoon into sprayed or lined muffin cups about 2/3 full.

In small bowl, combine all topping ingredients until it forms a crumb mixture (not wet, not dry).  For best results, stir with a fork.  Add about a tsp of the topping mixture to the top of each muffin and spread around, covering the top of the muffin batter.

Bake at 350-degrees for 25 minutes.  Makes 18 muffins.

With fall here and school in full swing, that can only mean two things - cooler weather and people getting sick. Now, while I love the cooler weather, I can live without the getting sick part. I mean, here we are only about 2 weeks into school and my youngest has already caught some sort of cold. So, to help prevent any more infectious outbreaks, I put together this wonderful soup. Not only is it a gorgeous color, but it is chock full of ingredients that are just perfect for strengthening your immune system for the long cold road ahead. See the recipe!]]>

With fall here and school in full swing, that can only mean two things - cooler weather and people getting sick.  Now, while I love the cooler weather, I can live without the getting sick part.  I mean, here we are only about 2 weeks into school and my youngest has already caught some sort of cold.  So, to help prevent any more infectious outbreaks, I put together this wonderful soup.  Not only is it a gorgeous color, but it is chock full of ingredients that are just perfect for strengthening your immune system for the long cold road ahead.  And, if you look at some of these ingredients and think there’s no way your kid will eat it.  Give it a try.  Both my kids loved it.

When shopping for this recipe, please, please, please buy organic ingredients.  I know that organic can sometimes be a bit more expensive, but for a recipe like this it’s almost a necessity.  With some of these ingredients being root veggies, you definitely want to make sure there were no chemicals used to grow them.  Remember, we’re trying to make a soup that’s healthy for you, and the best way to do that is with organics.  At this time of year, even the organic versions of these ingredients should be inexpensive.

Now, before I get into the recipe (which is so simple, it almost doesn’t qualify as an actual recipe), I want to touch on why I chose some of the ingredients that I did. 

Onions.  Rich in sulfur-containing compounds and the flavonoid quercetin, onions have been shown to have antibacterial benefits, lower our risk of several cancers and provide anti-inflammatory benefits.  And, luckily for us, when onions are simmered to make soup, their quercetin doesn’t get degraded, it just gets transferred into the soup’s water.  Keeping this key flavonoid intact ensures that we are getting all of it’s health benefits.

Beets.  Beets are one of those veggies that, even if you don’t like them, you can’t argue with the fact that they just look like they’re good for you with that incredibly deep purple color.  Turns out, the pigment that gives beets that deep dark color, betacyanin, is also a strong cancer-fighting agent.

Butternut Squash.  All winter squash are incredibly healthy, and at this time of year are very, very inexpensive.  Butternut squash, like all winter squash, is an excellent source of Vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) and Vitamin C.  Beta-carotene has beens shown to have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties (noticing a trend here?)

Swiss Chard.  As a “dark leafy green”, chard is incredibly high in it’s vitamin and mineral content.  It’s an excellent source of Vitamin K, Vitamin A (beta-carotene), Vitamin C, Iron, Vitamin E and more.  Now, talking colds, you want a strong, efficient immune system.  Just one cup of cooked chard provides 109.9% of the daily value of Vitamin A, 52.5% of the daily value of Vitamin C and 16.6% of the daily value of Vitamin E.  Even with all the other great things in this soup, this particular ingredient is key in boosting the “healthy factor”.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  With anti-inflammatory benefits, healthy fats, and support for your GI tract, olive oil is the perfect thing to round out the ingredients for this soup.

The Line Up

1 large onion, quartered
1 bunch of beets (the bunch I used had 3 decent size beets in it), peeled and chopped.  Stems and leaves removed (I saved the leaves for another day)
1 large bunch of swiss chard, chopped (stems and leaves)
1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper (to taste)

The Game Plan

The thing I like about making soup is that you basically throw a bunch of stuff in a pot of water, cook it until the stuff you threw in is soft, grind it all up and voila!  You’ve got soup.  It’s easy, simple, incredibly cheap and doesn’t dirty too many dishes.

Add oil to a large stock pot, until the bottom is covered.  Heat over medium heat.  Add onions and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add beets and squash.  Stir well, add enough water to completely cover the veggies.  Bring water to a low boil.  Cook for 10-12 minutes.  Add chard.  Check your water level, if everythings not covered, add more.  Cook for another 10-12 minutes, or until squash, beets and chard stems are soft.  Remove from heat.

If you have an immersion blender, use it to grind what’s in the pot until there are no more chunks and it’s smooth.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, add the soup, in small increments to a blender and blend until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Whatever you don’t eat, can be stored in mason jars (once cooled) and either stored in the fridge for a few days or frozen in your freezer for another time.