Now that October is coming to a close, Thanksgiving is getting just that much nearer.
The beginning of November is a perfect time to experiment with the vegetables that are in-season to prepare a fancy feast come the 25th.
Today's guide will give you an idea of some of my favorite vegetables that are perfectly ripe for the picking at your local grocery stores and delicious ways to prepare them!
Winter Squash
Winter squash are the best vegetables to eat on a cold winter's night and they are excellent for your heart, just like pumpkins! Winter squash is known for its starchiness, due to polysaccharides containing pectins. Now, I know most of you probably don't know what that means; heck, I don't even really know what it means... However, there have been recent studies done on these special polysaccharides in winter squash that show it has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic and insulin-regulating properties! Winter squash is also extremely filled with Vitamin A and C. More nutritional facts are shown below:
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| **Nutritional Facts obtained from WHFoods |
- All you need is a green and slightly orange acorn squash, a little brown sugar and butter or syrup, and some salt. The first step is to preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- When you pick out your squash, make sure the surface is slightly dull and smooth all around. The heaviness of the squash indicates how much moisture is withheld inside of it.
- Rule dictates to cook/eat the acorn squash within 2 weeks of purchasing it. Keep it outside of the refrigerator until it is cooked!
- Cut the acorn squash lengthwise and scoop out the pulp and seeds, (you can save the seeds and roast them later if you want to!)
- Poke holes in the fleshy, yellow insides of the squash and then either put half a tablespoon of butter in each half and sprinkle some brown sugar over it or pour syrup into both insides of the squash, (you could even do both if you want it extra sweet!) Finish off with a dash of salt to amplify the taste.
- Place the two halves, insides facing up, in a baking dish filled with a little bit of water and put that into the oven and cook for 55 minutes - 1 hour and 15 minutes. When done, the squash should ideally be brown on the tops, soft, and the skin should have a crinkled effect.
You can find other types of winter squashes here if you want to get experimental with the hearty veggie!
Sweet Potatoes
Who hasn't had sweet potatoes at least once in their lifetime? Sweet potatoes aren't real potatoes, and are actually one of the best winter vegetables that you can eat. They are chock-full of beta-carotene, which provides a rich source of Vitamin A and helps your reproductive system function properly; it is essential to your diet! The important thing to remember is that beta-carotene's benefits are maximized when paired with a little bit of fat, which isn't that hard to do in the upcoming recipe for this delicious root veggie! It should also be noted that sweet potatoes nutritional benefits are maximized when steamed or boiled.
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| **Nutritional Facts obtained from WHFoods |
Turnips
Turnips are not normally something that many college students would use in recipes. I understand, you never had a good experience with them growing up.
However, turnips are EXTREMELY good for you, and when I say EXTREMELY, I mean EXTREMELY!
Okay so, turnips can be a bit bitter, but that's only because they are loaded with calcium! And not only that, but they have more glucosinolate content than any other commonly eaten cruciferous vegetable; those include cabbage, kale, cauliflower, and broccoli. What's glucosinolate and why should you care? I'm glad you asked. They are phytonutrients that can be converted into isothiocyanates (ITCs) which have cancer-preventing properties.
Turnips can help prevent cancer!!!
Diving a little bit deeper into that, the reason turnips have this ability is because they provide nutrient support to three body systems which are closely linked to cancer development: the detox system, antioxidant system, and the inflammatory/anti-inflammatory system.
They are also filled with Vitamins K, A, and C. You can't go wrong there.
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| **Nutritional Facts obtained from WHFoods |
Root Medley Recipe
This recipe, taken from Taste of Home and edited by local chef, Oliver Marshall, is sure to be a real treat for Thanksgiving dinner! Using sweet potatoes and turnips, plus some other great winter veggies, this dish is filled with vitamins and minerals and is sure to fill you up on cold nights!
Ingredients:
- 6 small red potatoes, quartered
- 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 to 2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1 medium onion, cut into eighths
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Spice Islands® Dill Weed
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
- Place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Add salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8 minutes.
- Add remaining vegetables; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender; drain.
- For glaze, melt butter in a small saucepan; stir in brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the water, lemon juice, dill, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
- Pour over vegetables and toss to coat.
*This dish makes 8 servings.
Chef's note: you can replace butter with both duck fat or bacon fat to enrich the taste. Chef Marshall's favorite is duck fat, which can be found at specialized cooking stores throughout Boston. He informed me that since butter is a fat, replacing it with either duck or bacon fat is not changing the fat content of the dish too drastically, and it adds tremendous flavor!
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| Local Chef Oliver Marshall |
Exercise of the Week: The All Toner
This exercise works your arms, chest, core, butt, and legs!
- Get on your hands and knees, sitting back so your butt rests on your feet.
- Start lowering your head, scooping your back (think of a cat stretching), letting your butt lift off your feet.
- Pull forward so that your back is straight with a slight arch.
- Pull back to your knees and do it all over again. Repeat 16 times.
This week's exercise routine was brought to you by Cosmopolitan.
Learn more at Easy At Home Exercises - Cosmopolitan
Thanks for reading this week and stay happy and healthy until next time!
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