Archives October 2017

It’s soup time

It’s another fall day in the Chicago area and that means soup time! Don’t allow the seasonal shifts and the inevitable approach of winter, keep you from embracing your creativity in the kitchen. There’s nothing like a warm bowl of my savory butternut squash and potato soup to get you through those cold days.

Also, I like to use this time to buckle down on creating healthy meals for the upcoming holiday season and avoid the temptations of overindulging in foods that don’t do anything good for my body or mindset!

That doesn’t mean I don’t have fun meals and snacks during the holidays. It simply means that by staying aligned and balanced I’m more likely to sustain healthy habits that serve my higher good in mind, body, and spirit.

Today’s recipe is for my savory butternut squash and potato soup is simple, healthy and loaded with the goodness of an awesome full-bodied flavor!

Ingredients for this savory butternut squash and potato soup

1. 5 medium potatoes or 2 cups, cubed. (Preferably Yukon gold or red potatoes).
2. 1 medium (2 cups) butternut squash, cubed.
3. 1 cup of cubed sweet potatoes.
4. 2 cups of shredded kale.
5. 2 cups of shredded red cabbage
6. 1 cup of thin-sliced/shredded Brussels sprouts.
7. 5 cups of water.
8. 2 tablespoons of sea salt.
9. 1 tablespoon of curry powder.
10. 1/2 teaspoon of spicy paprika.
11. 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme.
12. 1 tablespoon coconut oil
13. 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
14. 1/4 teaspoon of allspice.
15. 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.

Putting it all together

Bring your water to a boil using a medium-sized pot. Next, add all your spices and sea salt to the water and boil until the mixture begins to release its aroma. Add your cubed potatoes (including the sweet potatoes) to the water and allow to cook for 15 minutes before adding in the squash (you don’t want to overcook your squash).

A good rule of thumb is to add the ingredients that require the most cooking time first and then incorporate the remaining ingredients accordingly. Since I want to preserve my nutrients as much as possible, I typically add my greens and more delicate veggies last.

Once all of the veggies have been added, allow the stew to simmer with the olive and coconut oil for 15 minutes (i.e. add the greens in the last ten minutes of cooking time).

Remove your savory butternut squash and potato soup from the stovetop and allow to set for 3mins and then this savory dish is ready to serve!

Before you go!

Have tried some of my other yummy recipes? How about this warming cold and flu-fighting tea to get you through the winter chill?

About the author

Tonye Tariah is a Holistic Health Strategist, Coach, and the founder of Freedom at The Crossroads Blog. Tonye helps free women from inaction and unhealthy habits so they can get fit, healthy, and live free. Her belief is that “the cookie-cutter method only works for cookies”. Meaning, she helps each woman in a way that is unique to each her situation. By doing this, she’s better able to help women transform their lives from the inside out. Her ultimate goal is to help women become healthy and empowered through the transformative self-care journey!

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If you’ve ever felt like life seems to be passing you by, you’re still figuring out who you are, haven’t hit your “sweet spot” yet or fully come into your own, guess what? You are not alone! You might just be, a “late bloomer”!

We all travel different paths in this life and while there may be some points of intersection along the way, we are unique and our paths tend to reflect that truth.

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So you’re wondering if you too are a late bloomer? You’ve come to right place to help you figure that out!There is nothing overly dramatic or mysterious about being a late bloomer. As a child, I often wondered why I seemed to be out of step with my peers and or felt like my path led in a different direction. No, I didn’t have some monumental epiphany; I slowly grew into an awareness of myself, the unique space I held and finally, acceptance that I was a late bloomer!

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With that in mind here are a few quick clues:

1. You feel out of sync with your peers! Have you ever felt like you were on the outside looking in? Slightly out of phase with those around you or your “peer group”? If your answer is yes to any of this, chances are that you’re a late bloomer. I’ve often found that any or all of these “feelings” or sense is the recognition that I’ve yet to fully come into my own maturation at a particular point in time.

2. Your body hasn’t caught up with your mind! In other words, I’m speaking to another aspect of being out of sync with the rest of the world. This includes everything from the physical (i.e. you don’t look your age) to other areas of your life such as marital state, professional positioning, etc.

3. You’re “just” beginning to hit your peak in your life! Unlike your peers or the rest of the world, you intuit the fact that there’s “more” awaiting you; that something transformative is about to take place in your life that will cause a significant shift from the inside out.

Like most things in life, there are no quick and dirty rules for growth or advancements on this journey. One thing we can be sure of is that each of us must strive to avoid comparing ourselves to other people and focus on our unique individual gifts, talents, and paths. Also, being a late bloomer does not translate into resting on our laurels or procrastinating and waiting for life to just happen to us, rather we must choose to live and take action!

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Tonye Tariah, Holistic Health Strategist and founder of Freedom at The Crossroads Blog, helps free women from inaction and unhealthy habits so they can get fit, healthy, and live free. Her approach is “the cookie cutter method only works for cookies,” meaning she helps each person in a unique way helps them transform their lives from the inside out. She’s not about helping you lose weight quick. She’s about changing your habits and helping you fall in love with yourself so you can live a life with pure joy.

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Fall cooking

When I think of Fall, I think of cozy fires, a stack of my favorite books in my favorite nook, and the yummy fragrance of savory dishes baking in the oven. Needless to say,  I’ve learned to appreciate the beauty to be found in each season and more recently, to cherish every moment. Fall is a great opportunity to get creative in the kitchen with some awesome healthy fall recipes!

Getting creative with my recipes during the fall and winter seasons

I love the challenge of creating yummy and healthy meals using products that are in season and are ethically and sustainably sourced. Fall veggies ring in a new season of goodness and are a great opportunity to learn more about where my food comes from. Are you making the right choices when it comes to what’s on your plate? I love hardy greens and kale is one of my favorites because it’s so versatile as both a salad base and cooked dishes. Unlike spinach, it holds up well for both cold and hot recipes.

Today’s recipe

Obviously, today’s recipe is centered on kale as the basis for my spicy kale dish favorite! My basic rule for ALL of my recipes is that every dish must have a full-bodied flavor profile and incorporate gut-friendly and anti-inflammatory properties. This is a huge issue for me as I have struggled off and on with digestive maladies and have fully dived into the benefits of using spices and other ingredients that promote gut health.

Squash is another Fall favorite of mine. For this dish, I’ve used butternut squash baked in the oven with a savory blend of fresh garlic and herbs to complete this vegan dish. If you have another favorite or preference, substitute it in place of the butternut squash.

What you will need for this recipe: (Approx. 45-50 mins to prep and cook)

1. Fresh organic kale (yes, people! quick and dirty rule: if you’re going to eat the skin /leaf (s), they need to be organic veggies to limit your exposure to harmful pesticides and herbicides).

2. Fresh butternut squash (conventional non-GMO or organic, depending on your preference and budget).

3. Fresh, fine-chopped garlic (equivalent to 3 tablespoons to one large butternut squash)

4. 2 tablespoons of thyme (fresh or dry; this will be enough to season both the squash and kale).

5. 2 tablespoons of finely chopped chives (organic fresh or dry).

6. 1 tablespoon of curry powder (African curry is what I use for all my Afro-fusion dishes).

More wholesome ingredients for this recipe

7. 1 tablespoon of spicy paprika (this will be enough for both the kale and squash portions of the recipe).

8. 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric (to be used for cooking the kale portion of the dish)

9.  2 tablespoons of Braggs amino acid (to be split equally between the kale and squash portions).

10. 1/2 tablespoon of sea salt, equally portioned between the kale and squash (none of the stripped-down stuff!).

11. 1/2 teaspoon of allspice (equally portioned between the kale and squash).

12. 1 teaspoon of ground African crayfish (eliminate this ingredient if you’re allergic to shellfish or if you want the vegan alternative).

13. 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground nutmeg.

14. 1/4 cup of olive oil (this will be enough to prepare the kale and butternut squash).

Cooking instructions: Kale

This is a two-part dish with the kale cooked on the stovetop and the butternut squash baked in the oven. It’s not complicated and only requires a bit of organization on your part. First, place a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat and add two tablespoons of olive oil to gradually warm-up(using the two tablespoons of olive oil that was set aside for the kale portion of this recipe).

Next, add your spices and gently mix them together in olive oil and allow the heat to release the aroma. Don’t allow the ingredients to burn, so you need to keep a close eye on this process at this point! Incorporate the chopped garlic and crayfish and allow the mixture to cook for 1 min. Finally, add both the chopped /shredded kale and the chopped chives to the mixture and sauteé for approximately 10-15 mins or until wilted, and then set it aside while you continue prepping the other half of this dish(your greens should still be green and not overcooked!).

Cooking instructions: Butternut squash

First, set your oven to 375ºF, lightly coat your baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil (set aside the second tablespoon of olive oil until you’re ready to season the butternut squash). Wash and peel the butternut squash and then cut it into small to medium-sized cubes and then season with the spices you set aside for this half of the recipe. Next, top the squash with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil making sure that the squash is fully coated in both the olive oil and the spices. Finally, cover the pan with foil and bake for ten minutes on the top rack of the oven. After 10 minutes, remove the foil and place the baking pan on the middle oven rack and back for an additional 15 mins and once it has cooked remove the butternut squash (once it’s medium soft with a light brown tint, it’s done!).

Serving it up

Finally, allow the squash to cool for five minutes, and then plate your creation! Bon appetite and help yourself to the freebies on this page!

P.s. if you’re still on the fence about how to break free into healthy habits CLICK HERE!

Before you go!

Remember that every season has something good to contribute to your life’s experience. That’s also true when it comes to preparing seasonal recipes we feed ourselves and our families.

Tonye Tariah, Holistic Health Strategist and founder of Freedom at The Crossroads Blog, helps free women from inaction and unhealthy habits so they can get fit, healthy, and live free. Her approach is “the cookie-cutter method only works for cookies,” meaning she helps each person in a unique way helps them transform their lives from the inside out. She’s not about helping you lose weight quickly. She’s about changing your habits and helping you fall in love with yourself so you can live a life with pure joy.