Some of my favorite fall yummies

Have you EVER in your life tried an Asian Pear??? OMG! First of all, the smell alone will make me crazy! When you bite into this juicy delicious fruit you will think you are eating half apple and half pear. It's crispy, juicy, tangy yet sweet. It's probably my most FAVORITE of all the ROUND fruits like apples, oranges and other pears.
This yummy fruit goes by other names as well, like
 Nashi Pear, Sand Pear, Korean Pear, and Taiwan Pear
It's low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, and so high in dietary fiber, vitamin C and vitamin K.


 
 
 
 
 

 If you are looking to lose weight and or maintain optimal health, this fruit is a must in your fridge and in your belly! It's a GREAT snack, because once you eat this pear, you will feel full for a few hours or more and get all the benefits along with eating one. You can have it with some Almond Butter, or cahsew butter as a great energy snack.

Butternut Squash

 Butternut squash provides the most value of any squash. It is thin-skinned, has a small cavity with fewer seeds and less waste than with most other squashes.  As with other squashes the butternut squash benefits from baking which develops and deepens the flavor.

Although types of gourds were found in tombs of Egypt the butternut squash and its family members including the pumpkin and the calabaza are new world, native Americans. The butternut is the new kid on the block having made its appearance in 1944.

Butternut Squash is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium and Magnesium, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Potassium and Manganese

Butternut squash is a very versatile food used simply boiled or baked or in soups, souffles, pies and breads. Pan fry slices or add cubed pieces to casseroles or even rissoto. The butternut can be used in any recipe that calls for pumpkin.

I love to chop up a whole Butternut Squash, add some diced red onion and garlic, along with a diced up yam and acorn squash, drizzle olive oil on top and spread on a baking sheet to cook for 1 hour at 400 degrees! YUMMY!

And by NOW I am sure you ALL know that the Fit Green Goddess LOVES pumpkin, especially her Pumpkin Spice Granola! You see them all over, this time of year. If you're out pumpkin picking with the kids, you'll find them in the fields all spread out. Oh, and they come canned, too. If you are too lazy to cut and carve one to cook and eat, you can find canned pumpkin too, but NOT during teh summer months, the shelves are BARE where you would normally see the cans.


The pumpkin is a ubiquitous part of the American fall season—which is understandable, considering that it's indigenous to this part of the world. The Native Americans used it as both a food and a medicine. The first settlers from Europe added it to their diets. Then some of them helped spread it to the rest of the world by returning to their birthplaces in Europe with the seeds.


Pumpkin meat is very high in carotenoids. They're what give pumpkins their orange color—but that's the least of their benefits. Carotenoids are really good at neutralizing free radicals, nasty molecules that can attack cell membranes and leave the cells vulnerable to damage.


Pumpkins are also high in lutein and zeaxanthin, which scavenge free radicals in the lens of the eye. Therefore, they may help prevent the formation of cataracts and reduce the risk of macular degeneration, a serious eye problem than usually results in blindness.


Besides carotenoids, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which are all antioxidants, pumpkins have a lot of common nutrients, like iron, zinc, and fiber. Iron, of course, is needed by red blood cells. Zinc deficiency may be related to osteoporosis of the hip and spine in older men. And fiber is important for bowel health.

I also LOVE my Fit Green Goddess Pumpkin Smoothie!


1 scoop Vega or
RXdous Protein (non-vegans) powder
1 cup frozen whole cranberries
1 cup canned pumpkin
cinnamon
nutmeg
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup hemp vanilla milk
sprinkle of vanilla extract
Blend for 30 seconds and ENJOY!










LENTILS:

French lentils  are dark green and peppery in flavor. They hold their shape well after cooking but can take longer to cook than brown or orange lentils. These are the lentils to use in salads or dishes where you want the lentils to retain their shape.


Red or pink lentils  are a bright shade of salmon when they're dry, but they become mushy and yellow when cooked. They're quite tasty and cook in less than 10 minutes. They are milder and sweeter than other lentils, and because they lose their shape when cooked, they are easier to mix into soups, burgers and stews for added fiber and nutrition.


Brown lentils (also called green lentils, German lentils, or Egyptian lentils, bottom) are the most common lentil seen in grocery stores. Khaki in color and mild in flavor, they also hold their shape after cooking--as long as they're not overcooked. Add a bit of oil to the cooking water and cook until just tender, about 15 minutes at a simmer.


Black lentils are sometimes called beluga lentils because they shimmer after cooking and look like caviar.

Lentils have similar health benefits as common beans.  They are a good source of
protein, fiber, and folic acid.  They also contain many trace minerals.

Since lentils contain a large amount of fiber, they are effective in lowering cholesterol
and managing blood sugar disorders.  Like common beans, the high fiber in lentils
prevents blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal.  Studies have shown that
eating beans or lentils two or more times per week was linked with a 24 percent
reduced risk of beast cancer.  

Here is my inicredible recipe: Fit Green Goddess Lentil Soup