Butternut Squash Soup

I lost the real pics of my bowls... Googled

Total Time: 2 hours

My Health Rating: Healthy, just be careful with the salt.

• 2 Tbsp of Smart Balance Light with Flax (vegan)
• 2 small yellow onions, diced
• 1 lb of fresh Butternut Squash or Acorn (or a combo of both is yummy too!) peeled, seeded and cut into 2 inch pieces.
• 1 teaspoon of Nutmeg
• 1.2 liters or 5 cups of Veggie Stock
• 8 oz chopped russet potatoes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup of plain soy milk

Directions:
Melt Smart Balance LIGHT with Flax in a large pan. 

Add onion and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until soft. 

Add the butternut squash, veggie stock, and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer gently for about 35 minutes until all veggies are soft. 

Use immersion blender directly in pan and process until smooth, or to desired consistency. (You can use a food processor or blender, but be sure to do it in LOTS of SMALL batches, since hot liquids explode when processed like this. Seriously - huge potential for getting burned when using a blender.)

Warm soup thoroughly, and add salt and pepper to taste preference level. Add soy milk while re-heating.

Serve in cute pumpkin bowls if you can.

Italian Veggie Pizza

Makes 2-3 Servings

Total time: 30 min (15 min prep, 8-10 min cook time)

My Health Rating: Healthiest pizza you'll ever eat

Credit for the tofu prep: Sara Jean!

• Chunky Pizza Sauce (or pasta sauce, I use Chunky Ragu Garden Combo Sauce)
• 1 red and/or green peppers (I keep sliced frozen red, yellow, and green peppers in my freezer, and simply defrosted and diced for this recipe)
• 1 Tomato
• 1 zucchini squash
• 1 yellow squash
• Whole wheat pizza crust (dough or pre-made)
• Shredded mozzarella (1/4 to 1/2 cup, or to taste)
• Italian seasoning (to taste)
• Italian dressing
• 1 block of extra firm tofu (optional)

• Marinating bowl or container (anything with a secure lid will work)
• Mandolin slicer
• Foil
• Pizza pan (or cookie sheet)
• Nonstick frying pan

Pre-heat oven based on crust instructions.

Drain tofu. Halve the tofu block. Slice tofu into medium to thin rectangles. Place tofu into a container and pour in Italian dressing. Cover and shake to coat tofu. Set sealed container aside.

Wash all veggies. Slice 1 yellow squash, 1 zucchini, and 1 tomato thinly using the mandolin. Halve each slice. (I recommend 3.0 thickness, depending on your mandolin size options!). Dice the red peppers

Place pan onto stove. Once pan heated, pour tofu and Italian dressing marinade in. Use a spatula to arrange tofu so it forms 1 layer. Pan cook on medium to medium-high (do not flip) for 5-10 minutes. Flip each piece once bottom is golden. Pan cook until uniform golden color.

Pour about 1/2 a cup of sauce into a bowl - sprinkle in Italian seasoning to taste.

Prepare pizza crust as instructed (place on foil on cookie sheet). Spread sauce on dough. Place veggies. Place tofu. Sprinkle mozzarella as desired.

Cook according to crust instructions. 

Salute! 

Note: If using pasta sauce instead of pizza sauce, it may be slightly watery. Try adding flour, cornstarch, or breadcrumbs to thicken.

Shredded Chicken & Artichoke Casserole

Makes 2-3 Servings

Total time: 1 hr 45 min (30 minute prep, 1 hr 15 min total cook time)

My Health Rating: Very healthy (low sodium, high protein, high veggie content.. even allowed in the most extreme phase of my semi-regular cran detox diet)

Credit: ALG's FF Plan / Cran Detox

• 2 chicken breasts, poached
• 1/2 a medium diced onion
• 1 diced red bell pepper
• 8 oz can of artichoke hearts, drained & rinsed
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lemon (juice only)
• Ceramic casserole dish with glass top 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Poach chicken, and make sure it's done (there should be no pink).

Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces - try my 2 fork method of performing chicken-shredding surgery to pull it apart, so you don't get burned like I continue to do to myself.

Mix chicken, onion, red bell pepper, artichoke hearts, garlic, and lemon juice in a medium casserole dish and mix well.

Cover with glass top and bake in oven for 45 minutes.

Remove lid, stir tomato sauce into the casserole, and cook uncovered for an additional 20 minutes at 350°F.