Pumpkin Spice Steel-Cut Oats
SERVES 6
Spicy pumpkin flavors for breakfast? This super simple recipe is quickly prepared before bed and will be ready and cooked to perfection by the time you wake up. Family and friends will be wondering where you found the time.
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups (375 mL) steel-cut oats
2 cups (500 mL) 1% milk
4 cups (1 L) water
1 cup (250 mL) pure pumpkin purée
2 tsp (10 mL) cinnamon
1 tsp (5 mL) ground ginger
½ tsp (2 mL) nutmeg
1 Tbsp (15 mL) pure vanilla extract
1⁄3 cup (75 mL) pure maple syrup or brown sugar
Vanilla yogurt, cream, or milk (optional)
Directions:
Place the oats, milk, water, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Stir gently and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or overnight.
Stir in the vanilla and maple syrup.
Serve with yogurt, cream, milk if desired.
PER SERVING: Energy 240 calories; Protein 9g; Carbohydrates 46g; Dietary Fiber 5g; Fat 3.5g; Sugar 16g; Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 45mg.
Roasted Chicken, Kale & Buckwheat Soup
SERVES 4
Give your take-out menus the night off. Weeknight meals should be delicious, simple and healthy. This chunky soup is all that with precooked chicken, kale, buckwheat and sweet potato.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp (15 mL) grapeseed or extra virgin olive oil
1 cup (250 mL) chopped onion
3⁄4 cup (3 mL) chopped celery
1 tsp (5 mL) minced garlic
4 cups (1 L) chicken stock
1 cup (250 mL) water
2 cups (500 mL) roughly diced sweet potato
1⁄3 cup (75 mL) buckwheat groats (or quinoa or sorghum)
2 cups (500 mL) thinly sliced kale, ribs removed
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh thyme or 1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme
1 cup (250 mL) roughly diced roasted chicken
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salt to taste (optional)
Directions:
Heat a large saucepan on medium-low heat.
Add the oil, onion, celery and garlic. Cook, covered, for about 7 minutes or until the vegetables are starting to soften, adding a tablespoon or two of water to the pan if the mixture starts to dry out.
Pour in the stock, water, sweet potato, buckwheat, kale, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 17 minutes or until sweet potato and buckwheat are tender.
Add the chicken and simmer until hot, 3 to 5 minutes. Add pepper and salt (if using) to taste.
Serve.
TIP: Instead of cooked chicken, try precooked low-fat Italian sausage.
PER SERVING: Energy 250 calories; Protein 16g; Carbohydrates 35g; Dietary Fiber 5g; Fat 6g; Sugar 5g; Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 260mg.
