Nutrient-dense recipes for autumn

It's autumn in the Pacific northwest! And I've been experimenting with some seasonal recipes to reduce the "empty" calories and increase the nutrient dense calories.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

For these delicious muffins I started with a recipe for zucchini bread that I found online. I then doubled the zucchini, replaced the white flour with 100% whole wheat flour, added flaxseed meal and chopped walnuts for extra protein, and added bittersweet chocolate chips.

Crustless Sweet Potato Pie

I think I was in junior high when I discovered a recipe that became my signature Thanksgiving dessert called, "Impossible Pumpkin Pie". I loved this recipe so much that I even wrote the whole thing out and sent it to my maternal grandmother. Instead of a crust, the recipe called for adding Bisquick to the batter. Since last Thanksgiving I have been improving on this recipe. I swapped out the Bisquick with Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Pancake and Waffle mix and replaced the white sugar with sweetened condensed milk.

 I then decided to try the whole recipe with sweet potatoes I roasted myself, and the result was fantastic.

Sweet potatoes are easy to roast. I just wrap them in foil for faster cooking and poke them on the top a few times with a knife. After about an hour, depending on size, the skins slip off pretty easily. And I plop them in the blender to puree. They usually need some water to blend up into a nice smooth puree.

Spaghetti Squash with marinara and edamame

A lot of my focus has been on improved desserts but I have also created/modified meals to make them packed with nutrients and flavor.

Spaghetti squash is simple to roast. I used my huge kitchen knife to slice it in half. Then I put the cut sides down on a cookie sheet and roast for about 45 minutes. Using my oven mitt, I test them by giving them a squeeze. If they squeeze really easily, they are done. I then scoop out the seeds, a cinch after cooking, and using a fork I scrap out the squash that separates into strings like spaghetti pasta.

For years I bought Newman's Own marinara sauce in the jar and loved it. Then I discovered Trader Joe's marinara this year.

The flavor is incredible and it has less sugar that Newman's Own which already had less sugar than most jar sauces.

I add the marinara to onions and garlic that I've sauteed in a pan. Sometimes I add ground beef to the pan first and brown it with the onions and garlic before I add the marinara. This last time, I also took some edamame that I bought frozen, boiled for 3 minutes in water, drained and then added to the sauce. I layer the spaghetti squash, a little grated parmesan cheese, and then the embellished marinara sauce and this makes an extremely satisfying meal bursting with flavor and nutrients.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies with Chickpeas

The best for last. These pumpkin cookies are maybe my best recipe yet! I started with Jessica Seinfeld's chocolate chip recipe that calls for a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed. (Chickpeas are high in fiber and protein and can be counted as either protein or veg on the Supertracker.)

Added Trader Joe's Organic pumpkin plus ground cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and ginger.

 I replaced half of the brown sugar with half a can of sweetened condensed milk, swapped the semisweet chocolate chips with bittersweet and the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. Instead of old-fashioned oats I added oat flour. I left out the raisins and walnuts. These cookies froze beautifully but they actually didn't stay in the freezer very long! :)

I find that the quality of food I eat has made a significant difference in my energy levels. I think because of my Lupus I have more immediate feedback about how certain foods impact my body. When October arrived, Trader Joe's started carrying an array of tempting pumpkin treats. I bought the delicious Pumpkin Bread Pudding from the frozen section. But it is made with white flour and white sugar and after eating it my ankles swelled alarmingly and my energy plummeted. I suppose I can think of my Lupus as a gift in that it allows me to see more easily the harmful effects of an unhealthy diet. So I am making my desserts at home with with nutrient dense ingredients for better health and more energy.