Posted by Jennifer Lee on November 19, 2012 0 Comments
For a healthy twist on a holiday favorite, this easy
recipe for gluten-free stuffing made with quinoa, apples, sweet potato and
walnuts is just the ticket.
Our holiday table is always
filled with family favorites – tastes and smells that immediately bring back
fond memories of family get-togethers and warm celebrations. But this year, in
honor of our 52 New Foods adventure, we’re adding a few new additions to our
table. Thanks to the fantastic and fabulous Marla Meridith at Family Fresh
Cooking, we’re welcoming quinoa stuffing to our list of favorite holiday
dishes. Bonus points for being gluten-free!
Gluten Free Stuffing: Quinoa Stuffing with Apple, Sweet Potato and Walnuts
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 to 40 minutes
Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup dry quinoa
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into ¼” dice
2 Braeburn apples, chopped into ¼” dice
½ cup maple syrup
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp thyme
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Salt to taste
Directions:
1. Add the quinoa to two
cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or
until the water is absorbed.
2. While the quinoa is
cooking, add the lemon to the apples.
3. Toss the lemon apples
with the sweet potato, maple syrup and spices.
4. Bake in a 400 degree oven
for 35 to 40 minutes.
5. Add the quinoa and
walnuts to the baked apples and sweet potatoes. Drizzle with a little extra
maple syrup and add salt to taste.
6. Enjoy with friends and
family!
Recipe inspired by Marla Meridith's Quinoa Stuffing with Apple, Sweet Potato and Hazelnuts.
* What
new foods are you adding to your holiday table this year?
Craving more easy recipes to try? Catch up on
last week’s recipe: Easy Butternut Squash Soup!
About the author: Jennifer
Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- the
award-winning nutrition
games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled
to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into
a healthy
eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’
nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved
awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food
Revolution, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum
Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to
get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making
mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips,
and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery
Barn Kids, Jamie
Oliver’s Food Revolution, The
Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.
Read More
Posted by Jennifer Lee on November 15, 2012 0 Comments
Grow a Tree of Thanks to share your appreciations
this holiday.
Each year at holiday dinners
we dutifully go around the table and share what we are thankful for – the
bountiful meal, our family, our friends. But I often leave the table feeling:
a) what about the little things that often go unnoticed, and b) why don’t we
celebrate what we are grateful for everyday? So this year, I decided it would
be different. On a quiet afternoon, when
the kids were at school, I posted a simple message on a patch of free wall
space in our kitchen. It read, “I am thankful for…”
This lonely little note was
met with much excitement when my kids arrived home that afternoon. Pen and
paper in hand, they began scribbling down some of the things that make them happy.
Each day we add something
new to our budding tree – a warm blanket, an unexpected visit from a friend, the sun peeking out
from behind the clouds on a rainy day. It’s an easy way to celebrate and be
thankful in the moment, and it’s wonderful to see our tree of thanks growing so
beautifully each day.
Instead of waiting until the
holidays to show our thanks, we are celebrating all that we are grateful for
each day, and bringing focus to some of the little things that bring us joy
when they so often (and so easily) go unnoticed. It’s a small way to appreciate
the simple things that make our lives special every day.
About the author: Jennifer
Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- the
award-winning nutrition
games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled
to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into
a healthy
eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’
nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved
awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food
Revolution, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum
Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to
get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making
mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips,
and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery
Barn Kids, Jamie
Oliver’s Food Revolution, The
Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.
Read More
Posted by Jennifer Lee on November 12, 2012 2 Comments
This easy butternut squash soup recipe is a must for your holiday table! It’s a
healthy version of my favorite holiday soup – and can be made ahead to give you more time to celebrate with
friends and family.
The holidays sparkle at our
house with family celebrations, but I can easily lose my sparkle when I get
burdened down with too much cooking and not enough socializing! That’s why I
rely on a stable of tried and true make-ahead recipes, and this easy butternut
squash soup is one of my favorites. It’s deliciously, creamy texture comes from
using fresh roasted butternut squash puree – there’s not a drop of cream in
this soup making it healthy and tasty.
Easy Butternut Squash Soup
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups butternut squash
puree (made from 1 medium size butternut squash)
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Heat a medium stockpot,
then add the olive oil and onions.
Sautee gently until the onions are soft and fragrant.
2. Add the butternut squash
puree and chicken broth to the onions. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to
low and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Puree the soup in a
blender for about 2 minutes.
4. Add a little salt and pepper, then garnish and serve! If you're making this recipe ahead, let the soup cool completely
then store in a glass container in your freezer. When you're ready to
serve, just thaw, heat gently and enjoy!
What we Liked: My kids loved how the smell of this simple butternut squash soup
brought back fond memories of family celebrations! Make it ahead for an easy
addition to your holiday table or turn a regular weeknight dinner into a
festive gathering.
* What
is your favorite way to serve butternut squash?
Craving more easy recipes to try? Catch up on
last week’s recipe: Baked persimmon!
About the author: Jennifer
Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- the
award-winning nutrition
games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled
to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into
a healthy
eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’
nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved
awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food
Revolution, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum
Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to
get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making
mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips,
and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery
Barn Kids, Jamie
Oliver’s Food Revolution, The
Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.
Read More
Posted by Jennifer Lee on November 12, 2012 0 Comments
Roasted butternut squash puree is easy to make and
turns holiday soups into delicious, healthy dishes.
Prep time: 2 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash
Directions:
1. Slice the butternut
squash lengthwise, scoop out and discard the seeds.
2. Place the butternut
squash face down on a lined baking sheet. I like to use a Silpat liner for easy
cleanup.
3. Roast in a 400 degree
oven for about 30 minutes.
4. Let cool then scoop out
the flesh and use to make our easy butternut squash soup.
About the author: Jennifer
Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- the
award-winning nutrition
games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled
to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into
a healthy
eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’
nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved
awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food
Revolution, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum
Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to
get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making
mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips,
and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery
Barn Kids, Jamie
Oliver’s Food Revolution, The
Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.
Read More
Posted by Jennifer Lee on November 05, 2012 3 Comments
Move over baked apples. Persimmon is our new food of
the week and the votes are in: it’s a landslide victory!
During the holidays, we
always feature our traditional family favorite recipes like cranberry sauce and
homemade pumpkin pie. But this year, in honor of our 52 New Foods Challenge, we
wanted to add a few new additions to our holiday table. On our weekly visit to
the local farmers’ market, my kids spotted overflowing bushels of beautiful
persimmons. We loaded them into our basket, baked them up with a little honey
and cinnamon and discovered a new fall treat that will most definitely be
making an appearance at our holiday table this year.
Baked Persimmon
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 40 to 50 minutes
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
4 medium Fuyu persimmons
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
1 cup hot water
Directions:
1. Cut the tops off
the persimmons. Slice the remaining fruit in half, horizontally. Place in a
foil lined baking pan.
Note: Admire the beautiful pattern inside the fruit.
2. Add the honey and spices
to the cup of hot water. Mix gently until dissolved.
3. Pour the honey mixture
over the persimmons. Cover and bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the
fruit is soft.
4. Garnish with a drizzle of
the honey cinnamon syrup.
What we Liked: We searched through several persimmon recipes, but this simple dish
from The Kitchn was easy and tasty. You can also enjoy the simple pleasures of
persimmon by just slicing the fruit and adding to a hearty fall salad.
* Do
you have a favorite persimmon recipe? How do you like to prepare this delicious
fall fruit?
Craving more easy recipes to try? Catch up on
last week’s recipe: Homemade pumpkin pie!
About the author: Jennifer
Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color® -- the
award-winning nutrition
games that make healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled
to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into
a healthy
eating game and she’s giving back to support non-profit kids’
nutrition programs. Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved
awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food
Revolution, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum
Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to
get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making
mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips,
and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery
Barn Kids, Jamie
Oliver’s Food Revolution, The
Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at crunchacolor.com.
Read More
