Trading Up Downtown

Mmm… sweet potatoes! I honestly don’t think there’s a more delicious vegetable out there. And sweet potatoes score a 96 on the NuVal scale! Delicious and nutritious!

Sweet potatoes were on sale at the grocery last week, so I stocked up, which meant I had a lot of sweet potatoes in the house. This, of course, meant that I need to do some cooking!

Sweet Potatoes with a Sweet Touch

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (NuVal score:96), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
• 1/3 cup raisins (NuVal score: 87)
• 1/3 cup Let’s Do Organic Unsweetened Coconut (NuVal score: 23)
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup Vanilla Light Silk Soymilk (NuVal score: 82)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*F.
2. Layer sweet potatoes, raisins, coconut, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a 9X13-inch baking dish and then drizzle all over with soy milk and apple juice.
3. Cover with foil and bake until almost tender for about 30 minutes.
4. Uncover and bake until tender and coconut is golden brown for about 10 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love everything about it– from the colorful fall foliage and cool, crisp air to the plethora of comfort foods that go hand-in-hand with the season. I’m talking apple crisp, turkey stuffing, homemade chili, pumpkin pie, and even the in-season vegetables. (Can you say “sweet potatoe wedges“?!)

Here are three of my favorite fall vegetables that I just can’t get enough of right now. They taste delicious and can be prepared in a variety of ways– and the best part: they score 100 on the NuVal scale!

Butternut Squash (NuVal score: 100)

Butternut squash contains many different nutrients, such as vitamins A and C, potassium and fiber. Each cup of cubed butternut squash provides approximately 60 calories, 16 g of carbohydrates and 3 g of fiber. It also supplies almost 300 percent of your daily value of vitamin A, 50 percent of vitamin C, 7 percent of calcium and 5 percent of iron. [source]

Recipes to try: Roasted Butternut Squash & Butternut Squash Soup

Beets (NuVal score: 100)

Beets are loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C.  The greens have a higher content of iron compared to spinach.  They are also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron.While the sweet beet root has some of the minerals in its greens to a lesser degree, it is also a remarkable source of choline, folic acid, iodine, manganese, organic sodium, potassium, fiber and carbohydrates in the form of natural digestible sugars. [source]

Recipes to try: Shaved Baby Beets with Greens & Beet Chips

Cauliflower (NuVal score: 100)

Awhile back a reader sent me a recipe for what she calls “The BEST Spinach Artichoke Appetizer Dip.” For some reason, I never posted it on Trading Up Downtown, but with football season in full swing and the holidays right around the corner, here it is! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces Philadelphia Fat-Free Cream Cheese, softened (NuVal score: 28) ~ traded up from regular cream cheese
• 1 box chopped spinach, thawed and drained (NuVal score:  100)
• 14 oz bag frozen artichoke hearts, chopped and drained (NuVal score: 99)
• 1 cup Chobani Non-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt (NuVal score: 94) ~ traded up from regular or light mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup chopped onion (NuVal score: 93)
• 1 cup shredded parmesan
• 2 cup Pepperidge Farm Cubed Country Style Stuffing (NuVal score: 11)
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• Serve with Garden Of Eatin No Salt Blue Tortilla Chips Made With Organic Blue Corn (NuVal: 31) instead of regular tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Cream together light cream cheese and Greek yogurt. Add spinach, artichokes, parmesan, and onion.
2. Spread into 9×9 or 7×11 dish.  
3. Melt butter and mix it with stuffing. Crumble on top.  
4. Sprinkle with additional shredded parm and salt and pepper.  
5. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.