5 Easy Healthy Winter Recipes

Try these 5 healthy winter recipes instead of the normal hibernation diet of eating and sleeping until spring. Choose your winter meals carefully and you will feel better and not have to work as hard to get ready for summer.

1. Butternut Squash for a healthy winter recipe to spice up vegetables.

Ingredients: 

• 2 medium butternut squash, halved and de-seeded
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 3 Tablespoon grape seed oil
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼  Teaspoon nutmeg
• ½  Teaspoon salt
• ½  Teaspoon Brown Sugar Splenda

1. Heat oven 350° F. Cut squash in half and de-seed. Pour water onto squash and bake for forty minutes or until soft.
2. Scoop the baked squash out of its shell and place in a food processor.
3. Add oil, eggs, vanilla and spices to food processor. Puree until creamy.
4. Place in a nine inch casserole dish and bake for another forty minutes. Serve warm.

2. Healthy Chicken Soup for a recipe to warm your soul.

Ingredients:

• 1 Clove garlic
• ½ Large celery stalk
• 8 Baby carrots
• 5 Ounces boneless chicken breast
• ½  Tablespoon olive oil
• ½  Cup chopped onion
• ¼  Teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 Cups chicken broth, low fat and low sodium
• 3/4 Cup water
• 1 1/2 Ounce pasta, egg noodles or any short pasta
• 2 Tablespoon fresh parsley
• ¼ Teaspoon dried dill

1. Mince garlic, chop celery, onions, and carrots.
2. Rinse and cup chicken into bite sized pieces. Heat olive oil in a saucepan to medium high heat .
3. Saute vegetables for four minutes. Add pepper, chicken, broth and water.
4. Bring to a boil and cover. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for five minutes. Add dry pasta and cook an additional eight to ten minutes until pasta is tender. Stir in dill and parsley.

3. Beef Stew for a healthy crock-pot recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound beef stew meat
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 1/ Teaspoon pepper
• ½ Cup beef broth
• 2 Cups low sodium beef broth
• 2 (14 ounce) cans Italian seasoned diced tomatoes, un-drained
• 3 Cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 9 Ounce package frozen cut green beans, thawed
• 9 Ounce package refrigerated fettuccine, cut in half

1. Toss beef  with flour and pepper and place in a 3 1/2 quart crock-pot. Add all ingredients except beans and pasta.
2. Cover and cook on low for ten to twelve hours until beef is tender.
3. Stir in green beans and pasta. Cook for another fifteen minutes. Makes four servings

4. Creamy Mashed Cauliflower for the  perfect healthy side dish recipe.                                                                                                 

Ingredients:

• 8 Cups bite-size cauliflower florets
• 4 Cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1/3 Cup nonfat buttermilk
• 2 Teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 Teaspoon butter
• ½ Teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Steam cauliflower florets and garlic over boiling water in a steamer basket. Cover and steam for about twelve to fifteen minutes or until very tender.
2. Place cauliflower and garlic in a food processor. Add buttermilk, oil,  butter, salt and pepper. Pulse several times until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
3. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

5. Roasted Apples for a healthy dessert  recipe to end your meal.

Ingredients:

• 4 Large ripe crisp sweet red apples (Romes are a good choice)
• 2/3 Cup unbleached organic cane sugar
• 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 Tablespoon veggie spread or butter
• ¼ Cup water

1. Wash the apples. Cut out a 1 ½ inch round cone shaped piece from the stem end of the apples. Use a small spoon to scoop out the remaining core, but do not break through to the other end.
2. Mix sugar, butter and cinnamon to make a paste.
3. Add ¼ of the mixture to the middle of each apple
4. Place apples in a dish or pan and add the water to the bottom. Cover with foil.
5. Place the dish in a pre-heated 350 degree F. oven. Bake for forty to forty-five minutes or until apples are tender.