This soup is great served with crusty bread, a grilled cheese sandwich or a salad!

Squash Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed (seeds removed)
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 apple, cored and cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 to 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage finely, chopped
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• ½ teaspoon celery salt
• ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ nutmeg
• ⅛ cayenne pepper optional

For Garnish:

• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh thyme or sage Leaves
• Roasted pepitas
• Pomegranate seeds

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute.

Add the squash, carrots, apple, herbs and spices and 3 cups of vegetable broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Remove the pot from the heat and carefully remove the thyme sprigs.

Carefully blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth.

Ladle into bowls, garnish if desired and serve!

Cooking note:

• If you don’t have an immersion blender, you could add batches to a traditional blender.
• If you prefer a thinner soup, whisk in an additional cup of vegetable broth.
• Any type of apple will do.

What is gnocchi?

Gnocchi, pronounced nyow·kee, are pillowy-soft, small Italian dumplings that are usually made from potato, but can also be made with other ingredients such as semolina flour.

This recipe uses pre-made gnocchi, which are shelf-stable and take only 3 to 5 minutes to cook. Dress them up with your favorite sauce and serve with vegetables for a healthy meal.

Gnocchi with Pumpkin Thyme Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 16-ounce packages gnocchi
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ⅔ cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• ¼ cup milk (any kind)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• Black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic and white wine and cook for 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Add the vegetable broth and whisk in the tomato paste.

Whisk in the pumpkin, then add the milk, thyme, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil then lower heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the gnocchi according to package directions. Drain the gnocchi and stir them into the pumpkin sauce.

Sprinkle with black pepper and garnish with parmesan cheese and additional fresh thyme if desired.

Cooking note:

• You may substitute 1 teaspoon of dried thyme leaves, in place of the fresh thyme.
• I used oat milk, but any type of milk will do.
• This pumpkin gnocchi can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Freezing is not recommended, as the gnocchi will become mushy.

This broccoli crunch salad is made with sliced apples, grated carrot, sliced scallions, dried cranberries and toasted almonds, and is then tossed together with a light dressing. It is easy to make, super healthy, and delicious too! This recipe is great for meal prepping weekday lunches and is also an excellent way to consume more fruits and veggies. It’s the perfect fall salad.

Just one serving provides over 100% of your daily vitamin A and vitamin C needs, plus a whopping 7 grams of fiber!

Broccoli Crunch Salad with Apples and Almonds

Ingredients:

• 4 cups broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 apple, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, grated
• ¼ cup scallions, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ⅓ cup slivered almonds, toasted

Dressing:

• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Combine broccoli, apple, carrot, scallions, cranberries and almonds together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients together and then stir it into the salad. Serve, and enjoy!

Cooking Note:

• I used both broccoli florets and stalks in this salad. Cut the florets into bite-sized pieces and thinly slice the stalks.
• To toast the almonds, add them to a large skillet and toast for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat until browned and fragrant. No oil required!
• Any type of apple can be used!
• Red onion may be substituted for the scallions.
• Toasting almonds enhances their flavor and gives them some added crunch. Making them is simple. Add the nuts to a large skillet and toast over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until browned and fragrant. No oil required!

My family loves fresh salsa, and this refreshing appetizer was gone within minutes!

Not only is Mango Pico De Gallo great for dipping, but it’s also fantastic to serve with your favorite Mexican foods, such as tacos or flautas. Did I mention it’s healthy? This recipe is packed with potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber! What’s not to love?

Mango Pico De Gallo

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh tomato (any kind), chopped
• 1 fresh mango (any color), chopped
• ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped and seeds removed
• ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 lime, juiced

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and serve!

Sometimes I will add additional ingredients if I have them on hand. Here are some of my favorites:

• Avocado
• Red onion
• Fresh basil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Miniature mozzarella pearls

Cucumber Tomato Salad with Balsamic and Dill

Ingredients:

• 3 cups miniature cucumbers, sliced and halved
• 3 cups grape tomatoes, sliced
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon dried dill

Instructions:

Peel and slice the cucumbers, then cut the slices in half. Slice the tomatoes into halves or thirds depending on the size of each tomato. Toss the cucumbers, tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and dill together in a large bowl. Garnish with a little extra dill if desired and serve!

Cooking Notes:

• Any type of cucumber can be used for this recipe. I prefer the miniature cucumbers as they are the perfect size when you cut the slices in half.
• Any type of tomato can be used for this recipe. I prefer to use grape tomatoes which are easy to slice into halves or thirds.
• Substitute 1 tablespoon of fresh dill.
• This salad can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice
• 1¾ cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• Black pepper to taste

Instructions

Add water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the rice and olive oil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until all of the water has absorbed.

While the rice is cooking, zest and juice the lime and finely chop the cilantro.

When the rice is done, remove from heat and let it sit covered for 10 minutes. Remove cover and fluff with a fork. Stir in the cilantro, lime juice and lime zest. Add black pepper to taste.

Cooking notes:

• The cooking time may vary according to which brand of rice you are using. Refer to package directions.
• I used small grain rice, but you could also use long grain.
• If you are short on time, you could even use brown minute rice.
• One lime will provide about 2 tablespoons of juice and 2 tablespoons of zest.

Halloween Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 3 avocados pitted and peeled
• 1 lime, juiced
• ⅓ cup red onion finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Chop the red onion and cilantro. Juice the lime. Peel and pit the avocados.

Place the avocados in a mixing bowl along with the lime juice and salt. Mash the ingredients together with a potato masher or fork until you reach your desired consistency. Stir in the red onion and cilantro.

Spooky Spider Web

For the web, pipe four circles of sour cream onto the guacamole. Using a knife, draw lines from the inner circle to the edge of the bowl. For the spider, use one whole black olive for the body and sliced olives for the legs.

Monster Mash Face

Honestly, you can use whatever ingredients you have on hand — a fun activity for the kids! I used blue corn tortilla chips for the hair and nose and sliced cucumber with black beans for the eyes and black beans for the mouth.

Cooking Notes:

• Be sure to use avocados that are ripe, but not overripe. A ripe avocado will yield to pressure if you give it a gentle squeeze. To help speed the ripening process, place the avocados in a brown paper bag along with some bananas overnight.
• Feel free to mix in any extras, if desired, such as a fresh garden tomato, a jalapeno or serrano pepper, cumin, black pepper or cayenne pepper.
• A white onion could be substituted for the red onion.
• I do not recommend substituting bottled lime juice or dried cilantro. Fresh ingredients are what makes this recipe so amazing!

S’mores Cookies

Serves 16

Ingredients: