Fall is officially here in New England so it’s time to start making our favorite comfort foods. It is a family tradition to pick a weekend and go apple picking, watch football, and…bake, bake, bake!
This year, I decided to choose my top 3 harvest recipes that I could make not only delicious but of course, healthy. We kept our jammies on all day and cooked away while watching the Pats play! The kids “helped” Mommy with the baking by dumping the chocolate chips into the batter and making a big mess of the kitchen…but that’s how we make memories in our crazy household. I’d like to share with you the harvest recipes we created and indulged in that day!
PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP BREAD
This moist, delicious pumpkin flavored bread was a big hit at breakfast!
Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp olive oil or melted coconut oil
- 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2/3 cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat with cooking spray a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, brown sugar, milk, pumpkin puree and oil until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir gently by hand until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top as desired.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
AUTUMN CHICKEN CASSEROLE
This delicious dinner will warm your heart and your belly!
Ingredients:
- 1 package of organic chicken breast tenderloins
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 1 package of Brussel sprouts, frozen or fresh
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 cups wild rice
- Olive oil
- Pink Himalayan salt
- Black pepper
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup sliced almonds
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425° F
- Spray a 9″-x-13″ baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray to prepare for veggies.
- Chop sweet potatoes into small cubes, chop onion into small pieces, and cut Brussel sprouts in half. Combine and spread onto prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Bake at 425 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
- While veggies are cooking, cut chicken tenderloins into about 1 inch pieces and drop into pan on stove top. Add olive oil, salt, pepper and cumin for flavor. Cook until chicken is lightly browned on the exterior, about 15 minutes on medium heat.
- Cook 2 cups of wild rice on stove top and set aside. Place cooked rice in a large baking dish and season with salt and pepper. Stir in chicken, cranberries, cooked vegetables, and add 1/4 cup broth. Top with almonds and bake until dish is hot and almonds are toasted, about 15 minutes.
APPLE NACHOS
This recipe not only satisfied everyone’s sweet tooth but provided my kids with a serving of fruit without them evening realizing it! Normally, I like to make a plate of nachos for game day but I wanted to try something healthier but could also serve it as a dessert. This recipe is very quick and easy to make and what is really great is you can make it to your liking with as little or as many toppings as you would like!
Ingredients:
- 2-3 Fuji and/or green apples washed and sliced
- ¼ cup almond butter
- Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Shredded coconut
- Cinnamon
Directions:
- Wash and slice apples
- Lay apples in a circle on a flat plate
- Heat almond butter in a bowl for about 20-30 seconds in the microwave
- Drizzle almond butter around apples in a circular motion (you can make the design as fancy as you want!)
- Sprinkle a handful of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips all over
- Sprinkle shredded coconut all over apples
- Add a dash of cinnamon