Fare: “A range of food.”

If you’re a clean(ish) eater like me, the best part about this recipe is you most likely have everything lying around already. A few of my staples are sweet potatoes, broccoli (the one green thing besides peas and avocados Tanner will actually eat…thank you, Annalisa!), and cashews, so as I was looking through my fridge and pantry I decided to mesh those all. I also almost always have minced garlic, sesame seeds, coconut oil, bell peppers, spinach, and apple chicken sausage on hand as well. So when I was menu planning my week and craving pesto, I knew I was going to cook all of those things, throw them into a bowl, and poof – dinner was served. So this is basically a fridge clean-out veggie and protein grab-bag.

This recipe requires minimal prep (literally just washing and slicing veggies), cooks pretty quickly, and can be cooked in the same skillet, so barely any dishes! Helloooo, busy weeknight/mom/college student/not-great-chef/toddler/unconfident male or female responsible for dinner duty/keeps great and flavorful for leftovers/perfect for trying to impress someone by cooking for them/pretty much anything/anyone approved dish!

My goal this week is to eat pretty clean, and stay away from gluten and dairy. Dairy has been causing me indigestion issues lately, and gluten has been leaving me sluggish, irritable, and tired. With Tone It Up’s Fit for Fall Challenge starting tomorrow, my friends and I are trying to be good when it comes to meal decisions, and for me, that means minimal gluten, sugar, and let’s be real…dessert in general. So, back to my clean eating roots for the next 6 weeks, and back in the kitchen – trying to cook up and blog one new recipe a day until my retreat, the Koru Retreat, whisks me away Thursday through Sunday.

Nutrient Packed Fall Fare:

a veggie and protein loaded grab-bag, I mean, bowl…

Ingredients:

wash and slice all vegetables

• 4 handfuls organic, fresh spinach
• ¼ cup unsalted, raw cashews
• 1 head organic broccoli
• 2 medium or 1 extra large peeled and cubed sweet potato(es)
• 2 organic chicken apple sausages, sliced down the center, then cubed
• 1 organic red, orange, or yellow bell pepper
• Worchester sauce or clean equivalent/alternative
• ½ tablespoon minced or grated garlic
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 5 green onion stalks, sliced
• 2 tablespoons non-Pine nut pesto (homemade/fresh/as clean as possible store-bought brand; I used Trader Joes). Pine nuts pack a nutritional punch, so I have nothing against them besides the fact I’m just not a huge fan of their flavor, and the pesto I picked up didn’t have them. So that’s why I added cashews for a more mild nutty flavoring while getting extra protein).
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Wash and slice/cube/peel all veggies
2. In a large non-stick skillet, add cubed sweet potato and coconut oil and cook on medium-high heat until al-dente
3. Add chicken sausage to sweet potatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently
4. Add broccoli and bell peppers, and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally
5. Add spinach, garlic, sesame seeds, Worchester sauce, and cashews. Mix and cook until spinach wilts
6. Turn to low heat and add green onion, pesto, fresh ground pepper, and coat veggies + chicken sausage evenly. Cook a couple more minutes, or until pesto and green onions are warm, and serve.

*Leftovers tip: The next morning, scramble 2-3 eggs and add to Fall Fare ingredients. Or, cook eggs over easy, whichever you prefer. Pack your day with protein and this brekkie will be sure to keep you full and supercharged until lunch!

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