Favourite Healthy Autumn Recipes

Favourite Healthy Autumn Recipes

by | Oct 1, 2019 | Recipes

Favourite Healthy Autumn Recipes

It’s officially fall! The temperatures are dropping, and I don’t know about you but the heat has started to come on in our house in the mornings.

This is hands down my favourite season (and also the time I miss Canada the most – the autumn is just spectacular). I love the crisp mornings but warmer days, the colours of the trees, and even the occassionally rainy day!

Sometimes we head to the southern part of Belgium during this time of the year where nature is a little bit more similar to Canada. More forests with all the changing colours of the leaves that are so peaceful to walk through on a weekend hike. Unfortunately, where we live there just aren’t as many colours once the leaves begin to change.

I love the cozy menus that pop up in restaurants this time of year, as my digestion is definitely craving more warm, filling meals like soups and stews.

It’s time to cozy up with some warm drinks, wholesome food, while still getting to take advantage of loads of fresh, seasonal produce from the market.

(Do you have my free seasonal produce guide already? If not, click here to grab it!)

To help you get started with the season, I’m sharing my favourite autumn recipes from the blog. Whether you’re looking for breakfast, dinner, or just a side dish, I’ve got you covered.

Click on the images below to go straight to the recipe, and enjoy!

Apple Oatmeal Squares

Pancakes with Apple Compote

Breakfast Carrot Cake

Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts

Cauliflower Rice

Cranberry Sauce

Golden Milk Latte

Hassleback Potatoes

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Spiced Red Cabbage with Apple

Belgian Stoemp with Leek

Breakfast Carrot Cake

Breakfast Carrot Cake

by | Sep 19, 2019 | Recipes

Breakfast Carrot Cake

Growing up, carrot cake was my absolute favourite type of cake whether it was for birthdays or other celebrations. Except somehow I usually ended up getting chocolate cake, and the carrot cake seemed saved for my mom’s birthday instead. Can’t really complain too much about that, though! (I mean, cake is cake, right?!)

We always used a well-loved cookbook for our carrot cake recipe, and even though I’m not a huge fan of pineapple, it was a not-to-miss ingredient in our cake. Even now I love the twist that it adds to the recipe, giving it an extra bit of moisture and sweetness without the extra oils and added sugar.

I decided I wanted to have carrot cake for breakfast (it seemed like one of those things you just should do), so I needed to refine our family recipe to something a little more balanced – and I’m so happy with the results!

This oatmeal cake variation is everything that is amazing about carrot cake, but you can still happily eat it all week for breakfast. That’s a win for me! The oats make it quite filling so that you don’t need a huge portion, and it will stay with you all morning. Or just have a smaller slice as a snack!

I topped mine with plain cream cheese rather than creating a sugar-filled icing, but you can do whichever you prefer. I’m sure if you google “cream cheese icing” you’ll find plenty of possibilities.

Breakfast Carrot Cake

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 1/4 cup oat flour or oats ground using food processor
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil melted
  • 3 eggs large, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups grated carrots packed
  • 3/4 cup pineapple diced
  • 3/4 cup walnuts chopped

Optional

  • 200 g cheese cheese skip for dairy-free

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat oven to 160C / 320F. Line a 23x23cm (9x9") baking pan with parchment paper (cut two strips so that the paper continues up the sides of the pan).
  • In a medium bowl, add all the dry ingredients and whisk until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the maple syrup, coconut oil, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. If you have just melted your coconut oil, allow it to cool before using to ensure you don't cook your eggs!
  • Add in the grated carrots to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
  • Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix well.
  • Fold in the diced pineapple and chopped walnuts.
  • Pour batter into the baking pan and spread out evenly in the pan.
  • Bake for 40 minutes. (If you test with a toothpick it should come away clean.)
  • Allow to cool, then remove from pan. "Ice" with the cream cheese. Cut into 8 slices and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy!
  • You could also skip the creamcheese and freeze the bars instead, only icing them once defrosted and prior to eating.
Keyword Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese

Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese

by | Sep 3, 2019 | Recipes

Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese

Spaghetti Bolognese is one of those classic dishes that is on a pretty consistent rotation at our house. So in an effort to switch it up, I decided to test out the recipe using lentils instead of ground meat.

Whether you’re vegetarian or just looking to increase plant-based recipes in your repertoire, this one is a winner! 

To be honest you don’t even need to have this with pasta – it’s great on its own like a stew, over roasted broccoli or cauliflower, or with sauteed greens. You could even just swap out the traditional pasta for zucchini noodles instead.

Sometime we steer clear of lentils because of the impression that they take a long time to cook – but these little green ones only need around 25 minutes, which pairs perfectly with the time needed to cook the sauce.

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 240 g Green Lentils
  • 1 L Vegetable Broth (or chicken broth if not strict vegetarian)
  • 1 large Onion diced
  • 2 large Carrots diced
  • 3 stalks Celery diced
  • 4 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil extra virgin
  • 500 mL Tomato Puree
  • Sea Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste
  • 400 g Pasta of choice
  • Parmesan Cheese optional, for garnish
  • Fresh Basil optional, for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Put lentils and broth in a medium sized pot, keeping around 80mL (1/3 cup) of the broth aside. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for around 25 minutes.
  • While the lentils are cooking, in a large frying pan over medium heat warm the olive oil. Add in the onions and cook for several minutes until fragrent.
  • Add the carrots, celery, and garlic to the pan with the onions. Cook, covered, until vegetables are soft, stirring occassionally, around 20-25 minutes.
  • When lentils are cooked, drain, then add to the frying pan with the vegetable mixture.
  • Add the tomato puree and remaining broth to the pan and mix well. Reduce heat to low and let cook, covered, stirring often, while preparing the pasta.
  • Cook pasta following package instructions. When draining, save some of the leftover pasta water.
  • If the sauce is too thick for your liking, stir in the pasta water, 30mL at a time until thin enough (generally no more than 120mL otherwise it could become too diluted).
  • Served with fresh, grated parmesan or fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!

Notes

This dish would be great with zucchini noodles! If using regular pasta be careful not to go overboard with the serving size as, thanks to the lentils, the sauce is very filling.
Keyword Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Summer Garden Salad

Summer Garden Salad

by | Aug 20, 2019 | Recipes

Summer Garden Salad

This salad is pretty straightforward and simple. I wanted to show you just how easy it can be to throw together a delicious, flavourful salad with easy ingredients that you probably have in your fridge, or maybe even in your garden!

Right now this produce is all in season, and as you may have heard from me before, eating in season means having produce that is more nutrious and full of flavour than its off-season counterparts.

So whether you get your ingredients out of your garden, from the farmers’ market, or the grocery store, I hope you enjoy the fresh taste of summer!

Summer Garden Salad

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course, Salad
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g Mixed Greens
  • 1 large Tomato chopped
  • 1/2 Cucumber chopped
  • 12 Raw Green Peas
  • 1 Peach halved, pit removed
  • 1 tsp Olive Oil extra virgin
  • 50 g Goat Cheese
  • 2 portions Protein of Choice salmon, grilled chicken, egg, etc.

Dressing

  • 3 tbsp Olive OIl extra virgin
  • 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp Dijon Mustard
  • Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Cook your choice of protein. This could be done in advance or while assembling the rest of the salad. (For salmon, season with a dash of sea salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes in a lined baking dish in an oven pre-heated to 180C/360F.)
  • Warm a grill-pan over medium-high heat and brush with olive oil. Grill peach, cut-side down, for 3-5 minutes.
  • In a bowl or airtight jar, combine all dressing ingredients and mix (or shake) well until fully combined.
  • Assemble all salad ingredients over a bed of mixed greens. Top each with 1-2 tbsp of salad dressing. Enjoy!
Keyword Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Paleo, Salad, Vegetarian
Zoodle Pasta Salad

Zoodle Pasta Salad

by | Aug 6, 2019 | Recipes

Zoodle Pasta Salad

Pasta salads are basically the epitome of childhood summer barbecue recipes. I bet every mother had one, recipe slightly different from the rest.

As a kid, I always loved the super creamy mayonnaisey ones, but yet my mom always made a vinegrette version. I never understood it!

But now I get the vinegrette love. There is so much more flavour in there especially if you let the whole thing marinate for a couple hours.

Plus what a delicious way to pack in some extra veggies while still eating “pasta” – right?!

After making my own version for a family gathering earlier this year, I knew I had to further “Healthfully Heather” customize it. Enter – the zucchini noodles!

You don’t even need to cook them, making this way easier than your standard pasta version – no cook or cooling time needed. Yet the spiralized zoodles still give you almost the same feeling.

Make this the day before and let the flavours sink in over night, and enjoy!

Zoodle Pasta Salad

Pasta salad recipe with tomato, cucumber, and greek dressing using zucchini noodles instead of pasta.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Zucchini
  • 1 large Tomato diced
  • 1/2 Cucumber diced
  • 2 Shallots diced

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1.5 tsp Oregano dried
  • 1/2 tsp Parsley dried
  • 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
  • pinch Sea Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard

Instructions
 

  • Peel the zucchini and cut off the ends. In order to create short noodles, like half moons, cut zucchini along the long side half-way through. Using a vegetable spiralizer with the thick noodle setting, spiralize into noodles.
  • In a large bowl, mix the zoodles, tomato, cucumber, and shallots together.
  • In a small bowl or jar, combine all dressing ingredients and mix well until fully combined.
  • Pour dressing over vegetables, mixing well until evenly distributed.
  • Serve immediately or allow to marinate in the fridge for several hours for more depth of flavour. Enjoy!

Notes

If you don't have a vegetable spiralizer, skip cutting the zucchini lengthways. Instead use your vegetable peeler to create thin ribbons.
Keyword Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Paleo, Salad, Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
Avocado-Matcha Frozen Yogurt Popsicles

Avocado-Matcha Frozen Yogurt Popsicles

by | Jul 16, 2019 | Recipes

Avocado-Matcha Frozen Yogurt Popsicles

I tried out these avocado-matcha popsicles on a whim, curious to create a sweet treat that would be surprisingly satiating.

In the end these aren’t super sweet – although you can definitely up the honey if you want something sweeter. But these avocado-matcha frozen yogurt popsicles give you that refreshing feeling that you’re looking for in a popsicle but are filling enough to act as a good snack – or even as breakfast!

Try mixing some chopped pistachios into the blended mixture to add some extra crunch into your popsicle, or fill the bottom of the molds to have a pistachio tip.

While I used a full-fate Greek yogurt, these would be just as good using a non-dairy, coconut milk yogurt instead.

Bring on summer!


Avocado-Matcha Frozen Yogurt Popsicles

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Prep Time 5 minutes
Freezing Time 3 hours
Course Dessert, Snack
Servings 6 Popsicles

Equipment

  • Blender

Ingredients
  

  • 250 mL Greek Yogurt full fat
  • 1 Avocado
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • 2 tsp Matcha Powder
  • Chopped Pistachios optional

Instructions
 

  • In a blender combine all ingredients except the pistachios and blend to fully combine. Taste test and add in more honey or matcha as desired.
  • (Optional, using a spoon or spatula, fold in the crushed pistachios)
  • Spoon into popsicle molds, leaving ¼-½ cm at the top empty as the popsicles will expand when frozen.
  • Set in freezer for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.
  • To remove from molds, run the individual mold under lukewarm water, gently wiggling the popsicle stick until it comes free. Don’t get any water on the popsicle itself – just the mold. Enjoy!
Keyword Gluten Free, Vegetarian

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