Banana Pumpkin Smoothie

I think I am slightly addicted to this smoothie. I've made it pretty much everyday for the last week or so! It tastes so good and it's a great source of vitamin A, calcium and protein. Yummy and healthy, yes! Plus easy to fix for breakfast or an after-school snack!

If you can't find low-fat kefir, substitute 1/2 Greek yogurt, 1/2 milk . And feel free to spice it up with ginger and cinnamon, I personally enjoy the clean, fresh, simple taste of the banana and pumpkin together, lightly sweetened with a touch of honey.

 

*** Have a happy, spooky Halloween!***

Makes 1 large smoothie (breakfast) or 2 small ones (snack)

• 1 ripe banana = 1 banane bien mûre
• ½ cup pumpkin (canned or homemade) = 120 gr de purée de citrouille ou potiron
• 1 cup kefir = 240 ml de kefir
• ½ tablespoon honey = ½ cuillère à soupe de miel
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (optional) = 1 cuillère à soupe de graines de lin moulues (facultatif)
• a few ice cubes = quelques glaçcons

Mix all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Serve right away. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato & Apple Soup

In the fall and winter, I almost always make a big pot on soup on Sunday so that I can quickly fix lunch or dinner on those crazy busy week days: just reheat a cup of soup (I recently purchased this great little vent n' serve soup mug from Tupperware and it is perfect for that purpose), add a few crackers or a grilled cheese sandwich. Done!

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon olive oil = 1 cuillère à soupe d'huile d'olive
• 1 small red onion, peeled and chopped = 1 petit oignon rouge, épluché et coupé en morceaux
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped = 2 patates douces, épluchées et coupées en morceaux
• 1 medium apple, chopped = 1 pomme, coupée en morceaux
• 2 to 2 ½ cups vegetable broth or water = 475 à 600 ml de bouillon de légumes ou d'eau
• Salt and pepper = sel et poivre

Coat dutch oven with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add onion, sweet potato chunks and apple slices. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Add vegetable broth (or water). Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.

 

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Blend with immersion blender until smooth (add more broth/water if needed). Enjoy!

 

Roasted Autumn Salad with Apple-Maple Vinaigrette

 

All the flavors of autumn into one yummy salad. As always with most my recipes, make it your own!

Don't like brussels sprouts? Roast butternut squash or pumpkin chunks instead (and substitute pumpkin butter for the apple one in the vinaigrette). No pepitas (pumpkin seeds)? Use any nut you like (walnuts, pecans, almonds...). Not a fan of blue cheese? Goat cheese or feta would work great too!

Serves 4

For the salad:

• 20 brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise = 20 choux de Bruxelles, coupés en deux dans le sens de la longueur
• 2 apples, sliced = 2 pommes, coupées en lamelles
• Olive oil = huile d'olive
• 4 cups baby spinach = 120 g de jeunes pousses d'épinard
• 4 tablespoons dried cranberries = 4 cuillères à soupe de cranberries séchées
• 4 tablespoons pepitas or nuts = 4 cuillères à soupe de pepitas ou noix/pecans/amandes
• 4 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese = 4 cuillères à soupe de Roquefort émietté

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 garlic clove, minced = 1 gousse d'ail, émincée
• 1 tablespoon apple butter (or applesauce) = 1 cuillère à soupe de compote de pommes (ou de sirop de Liège)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard = 1 cuillère à soupe de moutarde forte
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup = 1 cuillère à soupe de sirop d'érable
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar = 60 ml de vinaigre de cidre
• ⅓ cup olive oil = 80 ml d'huile d'olive

Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C.

 

Spray olive oil on a baking sheet, spread brussels sprouts and apple slices and spray with more olive oil. Roast, turning once, for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool. 

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette: blend all the ingredients together in a small food processor or in a mason jar.

 

Divide spinach leaves onto 4 plates, top with roasted brussels sprouts and apple slices, dried cranberries, pepitas and crumbled blue cheese. Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette on each salad and serve right away. Enjoy!

Note: save leftover vinaigrette in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.