SEPTEMBER SEASONAL RECIPE ROUNDUP

I can tell the season is changing because my thoughts have become dominated by all the seasonal foods I want to cook –– it happens to me every late summer/early fall.

I love to be in the kitchen at this time of year.

The harvest season feels so abundant, the farmers market is exploding with bounty, and the recipes I daydream of making are all born through my heightened #foodspiration.

So, rather than choosing just one recipe to share with you this week (almost impossible!), I decided scroll back through the Boulder Nutrition archive to gather a slew of my favorites of the season.

First on my list to make this week was my go-to Wild Mushroom Bisque -- it was heavenly.

This past weekend, Jason and I hiked on some of our favorite trails in the mountains where the leaves were just beginning to turn, and we were wowed by the impressive wild mushroom varieties throughout the forest floor.

I long to be a confident mushroom hunter –– some day I will hone that skill –– but for now it is to my long standing wild mushroom source, Hazel Del Mushrooms, for all the varieties (including my favorite, Lion's Mane).

I hope you enjoy some of these favorite September seasonal foods and recipes, and please feel free to share your creations by tagging me @bouldernutrition — I’d love to see them!

WILD MUSHROOM BISQUE

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green bean chimichurri

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roasted fig and arugula salad

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zucchini collagen jonnycakes

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{Dairy Free} Massaged Kale Caesar

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PALISADE PEACH CAPRESE

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LATE SUMMER STONE FRUIT CRUMBLE

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Together, let's cook up lives we long to live, with food we love to create, to then share it with those we love.

Eat well,

WATERMELON SALT ALOE ELIXIR

We had our first official watermelon of the season at a family BBQ last weekend. There is nothing quite like a cool slice on a hot summer day.

That said, add some coconut water, aloe, high quality salt and blend and be sure to take note how electrolytes hydrate you, energize and keep you sailing through summer and feeling your best.

Tis the season to elevate your hydration. Let's keep in mind the definition of hydration includes water + electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium). Hydration is also integral in your metabolic function.

Too much water and not enough electrolyte will deplete these essential minerals and leave you feeling worse than when you started.

This festive summer elixir is the perfect combination of all the flavors (and minerals) you need to keep your hydration levels happy. Feel free to spike it if you are feeling feisty.

SWEET POTATO AND MUSHROOM HASH

I know many folks who struggle with breakfast. Add in an egg allergy and breakfast can become even more complicated. This breakfast hash may just be your answer!  Egg-free, and it still feels like a breakfast/brunch win!  

CACAO DANDELION MOCHA LATTE

CACAO DANDELION MOCHA LATTE

I am a huge fan of dandelion root coffee.  It is tasty, alkalizing and incredibly detoxifying to the body. Add in a little raw cacao powder and some of your favorite creamy beverage (dairy free options welcome) and you've got yourself a tasty treat to boost your mood, energy, and pleasure!

Be sure you give this one a try. It’s an easy, tasty and incredibly potent boost to your energy, vitality, mood and creativity.

I like to drink raw cacao when I am writing, needing to be creative, or wanting to enhance my day! Sip, savor and enjoy.

CELERIAC MASH UP

You may know celery as a popular addition to soups, stews, and salads. You may not, however, be as familiar with the form of celery (the root) known as celeriac.
 
Don’t let the gnarly and peculiar appearance of celeriac fool you. Celeriac is full of flavor, and a tasty addition to your fall vegetable repertoire. Try these tasty mashers this Thanksgiving (and beyond).

Celeriac is rich in minerals such as potassium and phosphorus, which research shows supports healthy bone density. Celeriac is also full of vitamin C, K and B6 making it a nutrient-dense choice with many health benefits including fighting free radical damage––diminishing the damage caused to our cells from sources of toxicity and stress.

Plus, let me remind you they are so tasty! My very favorite root vegetable!!

GRATEFUL CRANBERRY SAUCE

Did you know cranberries are often referred to as a superfood?

While we tend to hear a lot about cranberries, we sadly don't the rest of the year. This naturally sweetened zesty version of traditional cranberry sauce highlights the health benefits of cranberries without all of the added sugar.

This delicious fall flavored rendition of cranberry sauce has a lot to offer your palate and your health!

Cranberries are known to decrease inflammation, prevent UTI’s, protect against cancer, improve cardiovascular health…the list goes on!

Enjoy these healthy and delicious treats this holiday season or really anytime at all!

WHAT'S YOUR FLAVOR FAV?

THE SECRET INGREDIENT IS ALWAYS LOVE

 

Sweet honey crisp apples, pungent roasted green chillies, salty farmers market cukes...


Fall flavors are a flowin'.


In traditional medicine, the 5 flavors are a representation of the geography of our palates, as well as a larger geography of our lives. Each of the five flavors have their own unique medicinal properties.
 

Flavors attune your body, mind and soul.


Subsequently, with our unique body ecologies, we can inquire into the flavors we crave on our plates and how they may reveal some deeper patterns in our lives.


Every craving has a message.


Let 's take a peek into the deeper currents of flavor:
 

• Sweet:  Sweetness is the most nourishing flavor –– all the way from breast milk to a homemade desert. Often a metaphor for love and attention, sweet is the most over eaten and out of balance flavor in our culture. When used wisely, sweetness nourishes the body and heart to the highest degree. 

• Salty:  Foods such as sea salt, seaweed and cured cheeses deliver salt to the body. Salt maintains the electrolyte balance in our cells. The salty flavor is said to increase inner courage, drive and fearlessness.

• Pungent:  Foods such as hot peppers, garlic and ginger bring the pungent flavor (also known as spicy). Pungent flavors clear the sinuses and improve circulation. Pungent foods are said to increase passion and excitement.

• Bitter:  Bitter is experienced in foods like kale, spinach and chocolate. Bitter is the flavor most lacking in the Western world’s diet, even though bitter foods often offer the most health benefits and spiritual enhancement. Bitter foods purify and cleanse the body, mind and soul.

• Sour:  Citrus, green grapes and fermented foods such as vinegars and pickles offer the sour flavor. Sour is energizing and supports a strong and healthy digestion. The sour flavor is known to soothe irritability and increase our sense of calm and peace. 

Often known as the taste of satiation, the combination and balance of all five flavors gives us the feeling of being fed, and being fed well. 

Notice the foods you crave when you are worried, stressed, irritable, bored, lonely or tired.


Which flavors you are drawn to?  Which flavors do you shy away from?  What do you need to be nourished?

Check out some of our favorite fall recipes HERE


Eat Well,


 P.S. For upcoming foodie fun and recipe demos follow us HERE

HARVEST STYLE ZUCCHINI BOATS

HELLO LATE SUMMER HARVEST!

Now you have another yummy recipe to eat up all those garden zucchinis. This one is a fun compilation of spicy Mexican flavors meets vegan cheese sauce. Even if you are friendly with dairy, trust me this nutritional yeast based delight is worth checking out. (So good!)
 

A wonderful source of vitamin B12, Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast (often a strain of saccharomyces cerevisiae) that makes a great sprinkle on any meal, a topping on your bowl of popcorn or a delicious cheesy sauce.  

This recipe blends delicious roasted chilies, peppers, black beans and zucchini all tied together with a tasty sauce.

Recipe Credit :: Boulder Nutrition Team Member Alana Quatro
Photo Credit :: Boulder Team Member Kristine Mahan

SPRING SUN-SATIONAL SALAD WITH CREAMY BEET DRESSING

This deliciously vibrant beet dressing is the ideal topping to any salad!

An exciting new dressing is the best way to spice up your basic everyday salad! With a perfectly creamy consistency that everyone can love, enjoy this a big beautiful salad with any meal! 

Fun fact: Eating more beets is a great way to boost your immune system, and antioxidant levels while maintaining healthy blood pressure, nerve and muscle function! 

Brighten up your salads with these colorful, healthful, and perfectly textured ingredients.

LAVENDER LEMONADE {MONKFRUIT} MOCKTAIL

Not all summer drinks have to be filled with processed sugary sweeteners! Mix up your basic refreshers with this low-glycemic and delicious lavender infused mocktail! 

This drink utilizes the natural sweetness of monk fruit rather than refined sugar!

Fun fact: Monk fruit is about 300 times sweeter than normal cane sugar, but ZERO glycemic index – no negative effects on blood sugar. Monk fruit is a tropical melon that was first used by the Buddhist monks in the 13th century, hence the name. It's easy to use, just start slow as it is much sweeter than sugar.

You can find Monk fruit at your local health food store in a granular form (or on Amazon).

The natural sweetness from the monk fruit mixed with the tart lemons and soothing lavender creates a refreshingly perfect drink to enjoy during any summer activity! 

Savor this fresh cooling drink in the warm summer sun, or even add your favorite alcoholic beverage if you are in the mood for a sunshine pick-me-up! No matter how you decide to make it, this drink will not disappoint! 

CRUNCHY BLUEBERRY CABBAGE SALAD

CRUNCHY BLUEBERRY CABBAGE SALAD

This salad is such a colorful, nourishing dish - filled with purple and green cabbage, red leaf lettuce, carrots, blueberries, and pepitas.  It's topped with a super simple red wine vinaigrette so you can easily whip up this healthy meal when you're short on time!

Cabbage is a really filling and crunchy way to get some high quality produce variation in your diet.  It's packed with fiber, Vitamin C, and compounds that support your body's cancer-fighting abilities and natural detoxification processes.

Some other benefits of cabbage are its price; even organic cabbage is very affordable plus it holds up really well in the fridge- so you can create one big bowl of this salad to snack off of all week long.

Blueberries are an ultimate superfood.  They are overflowing with antioxidants, helping to reduce the effects of toxins and inflammation on your body, while also providing a mild sweetness without any negative effects on your blood sugar.  I love the bright blue color they add to this dish. 

Eat the rainbow and make this beautiful salad tonight, get the recipe by hitting the button below!

Recipe and photo credit: Ailsa Cowell at Food to Feel Good.

HOMEMADE COCONUT {SOAKED} GRANOLA

HOMEMADE COCONUT (SOAKED) GRANOLA

With the first signs of fall, I am immediately drawn into my kitchen.  Roasting is one of the cooking styles I often associate with the weather changing and first signs of autumn.  

This particular recipe is just delicious with late summer peaches and strawberries on top, or even the early signs of apple season.

Why soaked?  When we soak our grains and nuts, it breaks down the enzyme inhibitors that tend to make digestion a bit more work on the body (great if you are healing your digestion) and in this particular recipe, the oats are soaked in a mix of yogurt and coconut oil which also begins the fermentation of the grain, adding in the potent probiotics that aid in digestion, boost the nutrient density of our food and build immunity for the coming season change.

The nuts in this particular recipe are also soaked and roasted (play with which nuts you want to include), which is optional but well worth the effort.  You can find out how to soak and roast your nuts HERE.

The extra little bit of sea salt mixed with the sweet flavors of raw honey and cinnamon are such a favorite combination of mine. I hope you enjoy this yummy recipe as much as I do.  

Try it with any variety of milk, or yogurt, or just as an on the go snack.

FESTIVE GINGERBREAD GREEN SMOOTHIE

 

Festive Gingerbread Green Smoothie

 

"HOLIDAY WISHES MADE WITH GINGERBREAD HUGS AND PEPERMINT KISSES"

Need something a little festive this winter season?  Try our delicious gingerbread green smoothie.  

Full of fresh ginger and all the warming winter spices you can imagine, lots of immune boosting greens, minus all the sugar. Enjoy this holiday drink that's vegan, gluten-free, Paleo-friendly, nutrient dense and absolutely delicious!

These warming spices boost your metabolism, warm up your digestions, and balance your blood sugar.  You will love how you feel after this festive boost.

ROASTED BRUSSELS WITH BALSAMIC GLAZE & TOASTED PINE NUTS

Roasted brussels with balsamic glaze & toasted pine nuts

"SMALL CHEER AND GREAT WELCOME MAKE A MERRY FEAST"

 

There is nothing like roasted veggies and nuts at this time of year.  To me they make up the perfect side dish to any festive holiday meal.

Once you get the hang of veggie roasting, you too will see that with just a few ingredients and a little time, you can create delicious, warming, and nutrient dense additions to any meal.

• Brussels sprouts are part of the brassica family, closely related to cabbage, kale and mustard greens, known for their highly medicinal properties. 

• Brussels are very high in fiber, vegetable protein, and alpha-lipoid acid – an antioxidant that has been show to support insulin and blood sugar stabilization.

• Brussels are also very high in vitamin K, making them great for bone health an calcium absorption.  

• Brussels sprouts are one of the best veggie sources for omega-3 fatty acids.

Warm and crispy roasted brussels are one of my favorite parts of any Thanksgiving feast.

PUMPKIN OAT COOKIES

PUMPKIN OAT COOKIES

"Pumpkin kisses and harvest wishes"

These guilt-free delicious cookies satisfy that Halloween-triggered sweet tooth!

Super quick and easy prep! Took about 5-7 minutes for the dough and only 15 minutes in the oven! 

Some Interesting Pumpkin Health Facts: 

• Pumpkin is great for your vision with that hearty does of vitamin A (beta carotene). 

• Health magazine reported the orange color (carotenoids) are great for healthy radiant skin.

• The fleshy pumpkin is full of a healthy immunity dose of vitamin C. 

As we embrace the beautiful changing fall weather, our bodies naturally crave the seasonal foods associated with this time of year. With the abundance of winter squash, root vegetables, and warming spices, we can attune to the season of fall on a physical and energetic level. 

When the month of October comes around, candy floods the grocery stores. It becomes almost impossible to resist the sweet-tooth temptation within us all. So why resist? Embrace your sweet-tooth! Ditch the candy aisle and head to your kitchen! These pumpkin cookie are the perfect amount of sweet – guilt-free treats. 

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE GREEN SMOOTHIE

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE GREEN SMOOTHIE

“Spice your food with love,
and it pleases every palate”
-Plautus

 

“In my family, we always say ‘the spicier the better.’ That’s why we included two of our favorite ingredients in today’s green smoothie. While by now you know we are chocolate lovers, and that there are many medicinal and pleasure based qualities to chocolate, try kicking it up with yet another superfood – cayenne pepper.

My son Elijah used to work for an organic farm where every fall they would harvest their cayenne peppers. One of Elijah’s jobs was to grind the dried peppers down to make them into the spice many of us know and love.  

Elijah would come home after long days at the farm working in greenhouse, grinding cayenne pepper, feeling better than ever. He would tell me his sinuses never felt clearer, and he thought of this process as a cleanse for his whole body and mind.  

We still have his homegrown cayenne pepper in our spice cupboard, and every time I use it I think of how elevated he felt as he ground it up for our cooking.”        

Health Fact: Cayenne pepper has many many health benefits, along with making a lot of foods taste yummy.

One of our favorites is how cayenne pepper (capsicum) boosts our metabolism and invigorates our energy. Cayenne pepper also boosts immunity, especially in the lungs and sinuses, making it a great remedy for the common colds and flus.

Cayenne is wonderfully detoxifying, good for circulation, and as my dear dad says: “cleans the blood.” Cayenne pepper can be used as a digestive support, including alleviating gas, bloating, and indigestion.

THE PRIESTESS SMOOTHIE

THE PRIESTESS SMOOTHIE

I created this smoothie for many of the women in my private practice to support a healthy menstrual cycle and balance out monthly cycle hormones and energy.  

Many women struggle with menstrual stress, pain, fatigue, cramps, mood challenges.  Some women are even bed ridden, experiencing high levels of suffering and often challenged to have a somewhat normal day.

While there are many causes for menstrual struggles, this recipe addresses a lot of them.  

I chose these ingredients as medicinal foods that are known to help.  Some of these tonics are essential remedies to support a health menstrual cycle (AKA Moon cycle), building blood, relaxing the uterus, and uplifting mood and energy.

 

 

Red Raspberry Leaf:

Raspberry leaf helps with irregular or heavy bleeding while relaxing the uterus. Fragrine, the main component of raspberry leaf, tones the uterus. When the uterus is toned, it is more relaxed and it helps the blood flow smoothly while also reducing cramps.

Avocado:

Avocados tend to offer a good amount of healthy fats, while boosting progesterone. Stress and anxiety can lead to progesterone deficiency in women of childbearing years, which is often linked to the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome or PMS.

 

Rose Oil:

One of the best for aromatherapy oils for mood, hormone balancing, and easing the restful time of the moon cycle.

 

Banana:

Bananas are rich in vitamin B6 and potassium, which can stop you from retaining water and feeling bloated. Too little potassium can cause muscle cramping

Red Swiss Chard:

We often feel tired and depleted in the waning phase of our moon cycle. Consider eating more blood building foods to support you in replenishing your energy.  Blood building foods include red meat (organic and grass fed), fresh figs, red Swiss chard, beets, and cherries to name a few.

 

Protein:

Often during our cycles we feel a little tired, so be sure to keep up with your proteins, which are rich in vitamin B12, iron, and folic acid and essential for rebuilding blood and energy. For meat eaters, choose grass fed, organic and wild options.  For vegetarians, make sure you eat balanced unrefined proteins such as beans, whey protein, hemp protein, chia seeds, and quinoa. 

SPRING DANDELION PESTO

SPRING DANDELION PESTO

Dandelion is one of the most potent cleansing greens during the spring, and how convenient that they are popping up all over the place. Be sure that you know the source and you don’t ingest any pesticides along with your greens. You can also find organic dandelion at the local health food store.

Dandelion greens are super rich in many nutrients, like calcium, iron, potassium, and Vitamins C, E, and K - among many other impressive compounds.

The flavonoids in dandelion greens support the removal of toxins from the liver, stimulate bile production to aid in digestion, and also act as a diuretic to cleanse and replenish the kidneys.

You can add this delicious pesto to anything - soba noodles, zoodles, quinoa, chicken, or even salmon.  Get creative and enjoy this nourishing gift of Spring.

BLISSFUL ROASTED BEET SALAD

 

BLISSFUL ROASTED GOLDEN BEET SALAD

Golden beets are a tasty, bright, addition to any meal and bring some major nutritional benefits along with them. They are slightly sweeter than red beets with a mellower flavor – not as much of an earthy bite. If you haven’t had them before, it’s definitely worth trying these sunny root vegetables for their delicious taste and satiating texture. They carry various spices well and work in a large variety of recipes, from juices, to stews, to salads.

Golden beets provide blood nourishing iron and Vitamin C, along with phytonutrients like lycopene, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene.  

They’ve got some powerful antioxidant properties, helping to slow the process of aging and reduce the effects of stress, pollution, and toxins.  These sweet yellow beets are also a rich source of potassium, making them a super heart friendly food and a nice source of electrolytes. Another bonus, they encourage blood purification and liver detoxification, so they are a stellar addition to any cleansing program.

Here's a recipe for my easy Blissful Roasted Golden Beet Salad. Enjoy!