Fall Flavors Family Menu
Cooler nights and turning leaves make me reach for root vegetables and winter squash. I'm also loving my insides this week with a 10 day detox. This means no gluten, dairy, alcohol, caffiene and sugar for this mama. It also makes meal planning a little more intentional. Ready for what I came up with?
Kielbasa Stew.
Just throw everybody in the crockpot and dinner is ready when you are! I love the simplicity and yet kielbasa is a comfort flavor from my childhood. My mom would have served it with sauerkraut but that is a no-go for my family. Starts with broth which already makes me happy because I get to use the broth we make when we have bones on hand. I love knowing all the good we are getting from homemade stock. If you aren't already on the bandwagon, just google "health benefits of bone broth" and see what you think. Okay, then the veggies are potatos, carrots and cabbage. Similar to pot roast and just good hearty veggies. Top with the kielbasa (try to find one with no preservatives or gluten, if you can) and add the herbs. Dinner is ready.
Autumn Squash Soup.
Another crock pot winner, this soup is creamy and hearty all while being dairy-free! I think roasting the squash first adds a lot to the flavors, but if you don't have time you can just put everything right in the cooker. The apples add sweetness and more fall flavors. This one is crowd pleaser and is going with me to the soup and salad committee meeting. Its a win anytime I can feed my people and take something to share all with one effort!
I found this recipe in Parents magazine from a 2009 issue and immediately tore it out to save. While it's a meatless dish, it has as much iron as a burger. Really, there are so many health benefits to pumpkin, we should be buying it for more than just pumpkin pie. This recipe calls for evaporated milk (not on my 10 day eating plan) but you can find vegan recipes that are quite easy as well. It also makes for great leftovers that can to go school in a thermos the next day.
Sweet Potato Hash.
This is one of my favorites from the library of cookbooks from Healthy Living Revolution. Simple: just sweet potatoes and apples. Perfect fall flavors and the sweetness means everyone gobbles it up. You can pair with a meat if you choose, or serve it as a main dish. Oh, and depending on how quickly you can peel and dice, dinner can be ready on 20 minutes.
Chow Mein.
My family is still learning to like spaghetti squash, but they like it in this recipe. And if you're new to Bragg's Liquid Aminos, prepare to be impressed. It adds such a broad flavor to any dish. You can really power on the veggies by adding different ones, but the prepared slaw mixes at the store have some fun varieties now. I like the one with shredded brussels sprouts and kale mixed in. Shhh....don't tell my family!
If you want any of the recipes from this week's meal plan just click here and I'll send the FREE digital copy right over to you!