fall – Page 5 – Strong Roots Nutrition

fall, main dish, soup, vegetable, vegetarian

October 28, 2013

Tuscan bean soup

Sometimes winter food can get a little monotonous because of a lack of fresh flavor and limited produce variety, but one great way to combat the winter food blues is an indoor herb garden. Little pots of thyme, rosemary, sage, and basil sitting by a sunny window can be a great kitchen asset, ready to give even the most bland root vegetables a kick of flavor. There really is no comparison between fresh and dried herbs, and I think that one of the easiest ways to take your cooking from a 4 to an 8 is to utilize fresh herbs whenever possible. Fresh-cut herbs[...]

fall, main dish, meat, pasta, soup

October 25, 2013

Using a whole chicken: Chicken noodle soup with homemade egg noodles

Tastes of winter are creeping in left and right these days. This week, Denver got its first snow. This was no wimpy little dusting, but at least two inches of wet powder that coated the lawns outside our apartment. Mike discovered it first. I discovered it second when Mike threw a snowball at me as I sleepily emerged from our cozy bedroom. Fall weather has been in full swing for several weeks now, but the first snow takes it to another level. So soup season commences. Humans have been cooking food for many, many years - probably since the first campfire. C[...]

fall, meat, soup, vegetable

October 23, 2013

Using a whole chicken: Homemade chicken stock

Stocks and broths have traditionally been used as a remedy when people are feeling under the weather, and modern medicine is showing that this isn't just an old wives tale; there are actually a lot of proposed health benefits to drinking homemade broth/stock when we're ill. Many nutrients that our bodies require end up being stored in our bones, so it makes perfect sense that simmering animal bones in a stock would release valuable vitamins, minerals, and proteins that do a sick body good. Homemade stock is rich in gelatin, a protein-packed nutrient th[...]

fall, main dish, meat, vegetable

October 21, 2013

Using a whole chicken: Roasted chicken and root vegetables

When I spent a few weeks studying in Italy in college, I had the privilege of meeting Carlo Petrini, founder of the international Slow Food movement. Slow Food is a non-profit organization created cultivate interest in local traditions, where food comes from, and how it tastes by inspiring people to return to their kitchens. It emphasizes bringing people together in the home through meals that utilize local, in-season ingredients from sustainable sources. These meals are intended to help create better relationships within families and help people connec[...]

fall, fish, main dish, meat, vegetable

October 7, 2013

Fish tacos with black beans and roasted sweet potatoes

Living in Colorado really can be as magical as it sounds. Right now, the fall colors are in full swing, the mountain ranges are capped with fresh snow, the mornings are wrap-in-a-blanket-with-a-cup-of-coffee cold, and the days are pleasantly crisp. We just returned from a weekend on the Western Slope experiencing all of this wonderful fall weather because the magic of fall in the mountains is too awesome to pass up when you're a short drive away. These fish tacos are a fall-inspired, weeknight winner. The hint of sweetness from[...]