Clean Eating Thanksgiving Go To's!

Thanksgiving is a day to literally stuff yourself like the turkey on your table!  It puts people into the infamous turkey coma!  Then you unbutton your pants, lay on the couch and question why the heck you ate so much!  Seriously you can't deny that you have totally been there!  I have for sure!

The next day you wake up and feel sluggish and vow to never do that again.  But holiday amnesia kicks in and there are leftovers- so you just eat some more!! But wait... you do 'okay' the next three weeks until the Christmas gatherings start and it happens all over again!  It's the vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting, detoxing and binging!  But this year you can have a little self control and also still enjoy the day!  For me my balance is finding clean recipes that are full of flavor, satisfy what I enjoy and still leave feeling comfortable in my jeans!! 

So this week is our holiday survival guide!!!  Today is recipe day.  How can you tweak the foods you love to save your waistline???

Corn Soufflé is no doubt one of my fav recipes. But it has a stick of butter and sour cream in there which leaves my entire stomach in knots and the calories are killer!  So double whammy!  I cleaned it up and it's pretty darn delicious.

Ingredients:
1/4 c egg substitute
1/4 c melted butter
1 8oz no salt added can of corn, drained
1 8oz can of cream corn
1 8 oz package of corn bread mix
1 8oz carton of plain greek yogurt
Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well. Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until set.

Next up the turkey!!!  Injecting your turkey with sodium and butter is one sure way to inject a little extra cushion to the middle!  This is one of our fav turkey recipes!  We actually use this with boneless skinless turkey breast quite often.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 split bone-in, skin-on turkey breast (about 2 1/2 lb)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 tsp minced fresh sage leaves
• 2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place turkey breast, skin-side-up, on a rack in a roasting pan.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice and zest, herbs, salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently loosen skin from turkey breast meat without removing it completely. Rub herb-oil mixture under skin and all over turkey breast meat (including underneath breast as well).
3. Roast, skin side-up, for 50 to 60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F when inserted into thickest part of breast (test in a few places to make sure).
4. Cover turkey with foil and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Remove and discard skin, then cut turkey breast from bone. Slice meat and serve.

 More thanksgiving recipes here!!!  Rolls, drinks and sweet potato casserole.

You can HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO!!!

What's your favorite holiday dish that you would like a clean version of? If you post in the comments I will give you some suggestions and possibly a recipe!

Stuffed Peppers

I haven't made this recipe in awhile, so I plan on adding it to the meal list for next week. I have kids who 'don't like peppers'-- but after they come out of the oven and they see them and SMELL them, then they are all for them! They really love this meal and I am excited to make it again! Try it and let me know what you think!

Eat Clean Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
Water
Sea Salt
4 large red bell peppers (you can use any color)- make sure the peppers can sit upright nicely. remove top, ribs and seeds.
2 cups cooked brown rice 

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, passed through a garlic press
2 cups fresh roma tomatoes, diced and set over a fine mesh sieve to drain
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
juice of one fresh lime
fresh ground pepper
cooking spray

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cooked brown rice in a bowl and let cool. set aside.
Make sure there is a rack in the middle of the oven. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place the peppers in the boiling water and cook briefly. the peppers need to be just a little soft. Remove the peppers from the water an dput them on a plate line with paper towels, upside down so the water can drain out.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute onion, carrot and butternut squash. Cook for 10 minutes, covered. Add garlic and cook a few minutes more. Now add tomatoes, beans and corn. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add vegtable mixture to cooled, cooked brown rice. Season with cilantro, lime juice, sea salt and black pepper. Mix with clean, bare hands until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Set aside.

Prepare a small baking pan with a light coating of cooking spray. Place each of the peppers right side up in the pan. Stuff each pepper with brown rice filling. Don't pack the rice mixture too tightly. Bake for 20 minutes and serve immediately.

You can add lean ground chicken or turkey to the cooked rice mixture to make it a complete clean eating meal. Simply brown one pound of ground chicken or turkey and add to stuffing mixture and stuff as usual. 

I also added a can of tomato sauce on top to give it some extra sauce. I used an all natural organic sauce with no added sugar! Delicious!

Almond Crusted Tilapia (or Chicken!)

This recipe is so good! It gives your fish or chicken an amazing flavor all while being super healthy! It gets an A+ from my family, so I want to share it with you!!


Ingredients:

1 1/2-2 pounds of chicken or tilapia
1 pound bag of unsalted almonds
1 cup (maybe a little more) egg whites
salt
pepper
paprika
onion powder
garlic powder

This makes a LOT of breading. I usually divide it in half and freeze the half I'm not using for next time! Simple and easy! I'm all about freezing leftovers or 1/2 of dinners so I can just pull them out next time we have it!

DIRECTIONS:

Okay- so first thing is first. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. It makes clean up so much easier!!

In a food processor blend the almonds, salt, pepper, paprika, onion and garlic powders until fine.  I honestly just guestimate the seasonings. I am sorry if you are a a measuring person!!! I just put a pinch here and a dash there!! Taste it along the way to see how you like it!

Okay, separate the mixture and freeze half at this point.

Now, take your meat. Cut it into slices. I will put mine in between plastic wrap and 'pound' them until thin. They cook faster and taste better when they are thin!! Usually 6-8 pieces! Put the egg whites in a bowl and now you will want to coat your meat in egg whites. I usually get it pretty wet with egg whites and then I dip the meat into the almond flour mixture! Coat it well and place it on the GREASED cookie sheet with the foil on it. To grease it, I just take a little bit of Olive Oil on a cooking brush and brush the foil with it before I put my chicken down on it. Works great.

BAKING:
If you are like me and like your chicken/fish CRISPY then bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. At the 10 minute mark I take them out of the oven, flip them over (so they don't get soggy) and finish cooking. THEN I put them under the broiler for about 5 minutes to get the tops really crispy like "fried" chicken!!

Try it tonight! I hope you LOVE it as much as we do!

I generally serve with baked sweet potatoes and baked asparagus with LOTS of garlic ;)

TOMATO BASIL TURKEY CUTLETS

This recipe is on the menu for tonight!!  I made it once before and we LOVED it!  I'm talking delicious.  My husband is the type of guy who will eat whatever I cook, but if he doesn't like it he's going to tell me about it!  But with this recipe, he and the kids gobbled it up and asked for it again.  So, here we are!  I'm making it again and sharing it with all of you!  I really focus on eating lean meats.  I am always trying to find new recipes to satisfy us since we eat a ton of chicken and turkey.  So, this takes the cake!  

Best part.. IT IS SO EASY TO MAKE!!  Seriously!! 6 Ingredients! BAM! It's simple.  I will be pairing it with some baked asparagus and quinoa! (And for those of you who are like "What the HECK is quinoa?!!"--- I used to be the same way! Had NO IDEA how to even say the word, let alone where to find it!)  But it's usually in the organic section of your grocery store (at least it is at mine) OR you can find it at Sam's Club or Costco for the best deal!


INGREDIENTS:

• Turkey Breast Cutlets- I use 4.
• 1 can of diced tomatoes- low sodium
• 1 medium size onion- chop it up very fine. I use my food processor for it.
• Garlic powder
• Dried basil
• 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

• You will need to grease a 9x13 casserole dish and put the turkey cutlets along the bottom of it. Sprinkle some basil and garlic powder on the meat and then pour the can of tomatoes over the top, then put the onions on top of that and lastly, sprinkle with cheese!!
• COVER it with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes!! 
• ENJOY!

Oven Roasted Chicken

Oven Roasted Chicken with sweet potato fries and green beans

1 whole chicken

1 TBSP. Olive Oil

salt 

pepper

garlic powder

1 lemon

parsley

This is how to cook it--I pat the chicken dry and put it in a roasting pan or a casserole dish. Coat it with the olive oil and then I season it with some salt/pepper and a little garlic powder. Then I squeeze the juice of one lemon over it and add a little parsley! Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 375 degrees and continue to cook until juice runs clear (165 degrees with a food thermometer). Usually about another 50 minutes to one hour! 

Serve it with sweet potato fries and fresh green beans! This is always a hit :) 

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

This was always a staple around our house as a kid. I think that my mom made this dish at least every other week!! It is a great way to get a ton of vitamins and nutrients without going way overboard on calories. This is a 'hearty' dish without giving you a hearty waistline!!  My family eats it up and it is perfect for a cold winter night!!

Clean Eating Chicken And Dumplings

(Makes approximately 5 quarts)

Stew Ingredients:

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (no sugar/dextrose added)

1 tablespoon marjoram

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – cut into small chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion – peeled and diced

4 large carrots, peeled and sliced

4 stalks celery, cleaned and sliced

1 cup peas, frozen works fine

1/2 cup corn, frozen is what I use

Dumpling Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup milk (any milk you typically use is fine. I use unsweetened almond milk.

Stew Directions:

Pour the broth into your crock pot (or into a large soup pot if cooking on a stove top).

Add the marjoram and garlic powder to the broth and turn the crock pot to high (stove top, bring to a slow boil)

In a pan, combine the olive oil, onion, carrots and celery. Saute until the onions are translucent.

Add the veggies and cut up chicken to the crock pot (or soup pot).

Dumpling Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Whisk to blend well.

Pour in the oil and milk and mix with a wooden spoon.

(Be sure the broth is hot before adding the dumplings to the pot) Using two teaspoons, scoop up and round off your dumplings and scrap into your pot. (Just like making drop cookies)

Stove Top Directions:

Boil until the dumplings and chicken are cooked.

Slow Cooker Directions:

Cook this on high for about 3-1/2 hours. But if you need to cook it longer because you are leaving for the day (or cooking overnight), turn the slow cooker to low and cook until the dumplings and chicken are cooked through. (My guess is about 6 hours). It’s important to know how your slow cooker cooks here. Every slow cooker is slightly different.

Also, the dumplings will look a little odd after they have been cooking at the top of the stew all day. They create a sort of “crust-like” cover. Just break them up with a wooden spoon and stir them into the stew to finish cooking. Simply break one open to be sure it’s cooked all the way through.

CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

Cream of Mushroom Soup - cleaned up and homemade!



Makes approximately 1 cup, equivalent to one can.


3 Tbs of olive oil
3 Tbs whole grain flour (you can use rice flower if you need gluten free)
1/2 cup organic milk (almond milk)
1/2 cup organic or homemade broth 
Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms (or more)

Heat the oil in a pot over medium to high heat.  when warmed and very thin, whisk in flower and let cook for 1 minute.  
Poor in liquids while still whisking.
Add salt and mushrooms (in this step you could add in anything you wanted to make a cream of... ____ soup. For example, broccoli, chicken, garlic, onions, ground mustard, cheese, nutmeg... ect)
Whisk until sauce comes to a boil, then turn off the heat.  

Sausage and Egg Casserole

I recently went on a leadership retreat with some my amazing team of Beachbody coaches! It was the time of my life!! Made some amazing friends, learned a ton and also got to eat a lot of awesome CLEAN food!! So, with that I have a ton of new recipes to add! YUM!!

This was one egg bake that I will be making regularly! It was delicious and it is already on my menu for Christmas brunch! YES, I think THAT FAR AHEAD! hahaha!! I wanted to share it with all of you! It is Friday and a lot of us have a 'big breakfast' on the weekends! So, try this clean version of sausage and egg casserole. It will not disappoint!

EGG AND SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

2 cups cheddar cheese - grated

1 cup of homemade cream of mushroom soup

1 dozen eggs

1 lb. of  ground turkey breakfast sausage 

  

Brown sausage and drain well

Grate cheese 

Beat eggs

Mix all together with soup in bowl and pour into a 9x13 inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when tested.

Can be reheated later.

(Can also eat with hot sauce on top ) 

Enjoy! 

Mexican Lasagna

This is one of my all time recipes! (Okay, so I think that I say that about every single recipe!! But, they are all so good!)  My family loves this and that is always the kicker, right? All of you ladies out there know that it is a hit ONLY WHEN we can please EVERYONE at the dinner table!! I also take pride in knowing that I am creating clean, healthy food for my family to enjoy. No eating out every night for us, this momma cooks!! So, here it is. One of the best mexican dishes around!

MEXICAN LASAGNA

Ingredients:

• 1lb lean ground turkey
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (low fat)
• 1 cup of cottage cheese
• 1 cup of clean salsa
• 1/2 cup of black beans
• 1 small/medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning
• 4 low carb whole wheat tortillas, cut into strips (I like the santa fe wraps from costco)

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees.
2. In a skillet pan sprayed with nonstick spray, cook the ground turkey and onion until brown.  Once cooked turn to low and add salsa, black beans and taco seasoning and mix together.  Set aside
3. In a bowl, combine 3/4 cup of the cheddar cheese and the cup of cottage cheese.
4. In a baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray, line the pan with 1/2 of the tortilla strips.  Scoop 1/2 of the meat mixture on top and spread out, covering the tortillas.  Then add 1/2 of the cheese mix on top of the meat and spread.  Repeat the layers again with remaining strips, meat, and cottage cheese.  Top with remaining cheese.
5. Cover and bake for 40 minutes and enjoy!  Makes 4 servings at 350 calories each.

Zucchini Lasagna

Okay!! So, last night it was so cold and icky outside that I knew that we needed a warm, yummy, hearty meal!!! BUT, I also like to know that it isn't going to break all of the hard work that I do with my workouts and also with my clean eating for myself and my family! I have had this once before and it was yummy, but it has been awhile! So, I changed up last night's dinner plans and decided to make the Zucchini Lasagna again for my family!  SUCCESS!! I mean it was so delicious! I forgot how good it really is! I mean, after ONE BITE my four year old was telling my husband and I how YUMMY it was for her tummy and she wanted it for breakfast the next morning!! That is definitely music to any momma's ears! Healthy food can taste great! Just make it right!!  My husband loved it and my six year old (who gave me grief BEFORE trying it) ended up loving it too! WIN WIN!!
So, on to the recipe!!!

Zucchini Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 lb of lean ground turkey
• Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
•  4 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise
• 24 oz of low fat cottage cheese 
• 1 jar of no sugar added spaghetti sauce (I use whatever I find that is organic)
•  1 cup low fat mozzarella cheese

Directions:

• Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
• Combine onion, ground turkey, salt, pepper, garlic powder in a skillet and brown turkey until no longer pink.
• Layer Zucchini in the bottom of your pan, then spread a layer of cottage cheese, then a little bit of mozzarella cheese, follow that with a layer of ground turkey mixture, spread a layer of sauce on top.
• Repeat this over again.  Then layer one final row of zucchini on top and cover with sauce and a little sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.

• Cover with foil and bake in the oven for approximately 1 hour.
• Remove the foil and continue to bake for 10 more minutes then remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

Yes it will be a little bit runny due to the water in the zucchini, sauce and the cottage cheese.  I used a slotted spoon to scoop out the lasagna which allows the liquids to stay in the dish. 

It is honestly amazing!  I hope you enjoy it!!!

I know we will be having this as a weekly meal!! It is THAT GOOD!!! 

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

Okay- this recipe is so good. I was a little 'leery' at first because my family can be picky at times, but that doesn't stop me from making a new recipes and trying new things!! So, I whipped this one up and MAN!! It is SO GOOD! My kids loved it, my hubby loved it and it has become a staple on our meal plans!! It is a perfect recipe for a cold fall/winter day and everyone will love it!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey

1-1 1/2 tablespoons oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small cabbage, chopped (I slice it up pretty thin and kind of chop it finely)

2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, stirring, until ground beef is no longer pink and onion is tender.

Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.

Add the chopped cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.

I like to add some cooked brown rice to this too :) Yummy!!

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

CHILI- the healthy version!

THE BEST CHILI EVER!

Okay, so as soon as fall gets here I am all about soup! I want it all the time! A different kind every night of the week. No joke! How many of you feel the same way? So, chili is something that I have made for years. I have tried so many different recipes and each one that I have tried is good in its own way, but this one… MAN, I FINALLY nailed it! I made a cleaner version of chili that is so delicious that you won't even notice the missing fat content! I've tweaked it to perfection! Now, try it and let me know what you think!

MY FAVE CHILI RECIPE!!

1 pound lean ground turkey

1/2 pound chicken breast

1 59 ounce 'bottle' of tomato juice

1 big can of tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 cup chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp white organic sugar

1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper

2 cans dark kidney beans (RINSED!)

So, this is how I make mine. I will give you a few other 'options below!! I put the ground turkey and chicken in the crockpot and cook it for 4-5 hours on low when it is NOT frozen. If it is frozen meat, then I will cook it on high for about 5 hours.  In a big pot combine all of the other ingredients and cook on low/simmer for about 2 hours. I usually chop all of the veggies in a food processor. My family and I like everything chopped really fine. My kids don't like to see 'chunks' of veggies in their soup.. So, puree or chop very fine and they will never know!! After the meat is cooked, chop it up and shred the chicken then add it to the pot of sauce. Cook on low for about another 30 minutes then...Ready to go!!! :) Remember, the longer chili sits together the better it tastes!!

*I just put the chicken in there to try it and I LOVE it this way! It adds something and it is so good!!*

CROCKPOT CHICKEN TACOS

Okay everyone, this recipe is a MUST for your menu this week. If you've never tried it, just wait! It is seriously so delicious! My family and I usually have it once a week! It's almost funny because at this point friends who come over for dinner either request that I make it or they already know that it is probably what we are having for dinner that night anyways! A staple is an understatement and you will see why!

These are great served as a regular taco on either a soft whole wheat tortilla shell or even on a hard shell taco. They are great made into a quesadilla and it tastes wonderful served over a bed of lettuce! Whatever way you decide to make it, you won't be disappointed!

Here you go!

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

1 lb. chicken breasts
1 can of organic black beans
1 container of fresh salsa
1 packet taco seasoning
1/3 brick of cream cheese
1/2 cup water (only use water if chicken is thawed)

Put everything in the crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours! You can use frozen or fresh chicken breasts. But remember, if you are using frozen, omit the water :)  It makes it really runny if you use the water with the frozen chicken.
About 20 minutes before serving stir in the cream cheese! 
ENJOY!!

We usually have some salsa, tomatoes, onions and lettuce on ours. We also use greek yogurt in place of sour cream! If you have never tried to use plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream, you're missing out!! Try it! You can't even tell the difference, but greek yogurt is so much better for you!

CLEAN EATING CHICKEN SALAD

CLEAN EATING CHICKEN SALAD

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 2 teaspoons honey mustard
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 5 ounce package  mixed greens (about 8 cups)
• 2 cups thinly sliced pitted plums
• 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Directions

1. Preheat a grill or grill pan misted with cooking spray to medium high. Separatechicken  from breasts. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag; press air out of bag and seal. Pound chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin until about 1/2 inch thick. Remove chicken from bag and sprinkle both sides with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

2. Grill chicken until no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes a side on the grill or 5 to 7 minutes a side in a grill pan. Let rest 3 to 5 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch-thick strips.

3. Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard and remaining salt in a small bowl. Whisk in oil and season with pepper. Arrange mixed greens, plums, goat cheese and chicken on a large platter. Drizzle dressing over salad.

Layered Hummus Dip

Layered Hummus Dip!

This recipe is simply amazing. It is so addicting and you don't have to feel guilty for it! I was recently at an amazing leadership retreat and one of my friends made this dip. I seriously couldn't stay away from it. It is simple to make and everyone will love it. Great to bring to a party or to have on hand when you get company. Be prepared to have it go fast!

Strawberry Zucchini Muffins

This recipe was so easy and SO GOOD! I mean come on, when you are craving a muffin then this should be a go to recipe. It is clean and you wouldn't even know it! I am for one all about making things healthy and this is the way to go! Make these as a special 'treat' to go along with dinner one night this week! Your family will love them!


Strawberry Zucchini Muffins


Ingredients:
1 cup shredded zucchini
8 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (or oil)
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup strawberries, cut into small pieces, fresh or frozen
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine zucchini, eggs, applesauce (or oil), honey and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix well.
3. Add salt, coconut flour, and baking soda to wet ingredients. Mix until there are no coconut flour lumps.
4. Gently fold in strawberry pieces.
5. Fill muffin cups 3/4 of the way full (or more).
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes for regular sized muffins and 15-18 minutes for mini muffins.
*Makes 12 regular muffins and 6-10 mini muffins depending on how full you fill them.

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup 

Total Time: 1 hr.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces
5½ cups low-sodium, organic vegetable broth
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves removed and chopped, stem discarded, divided use
Sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
6 tsp. nonfat plain yogurt

Preparation:
1. Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until translucent.
2. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute, or until tender.
3. Add squash, broth, and red pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; gently boil, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until squash is soft. Remove from heat. 4. Place soup in a blender or food processor, in 4 or more batches, if necessary; cover with lid and kitchen towel. Blend until smooth.

5. Return soup to sauce pan over medium heat. Add 1 tsp. thyme; cook, stirring constantly, until soup is hot.
6. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
7. Ladle soup into 6 serving bowls. Garnish each with 1 tsp. yogurt, and sprinkle all with remaining 2 tsp. thyme.