The Healthy Seasonal Winter Recipes You’ve Been Missing

Dec 8, 2021

Winter may be my favorite season so I have decided to share some of my favorite seasonal winter recipes. You may be wondering, ” Why is it important to eat seasonally?”. The answer is when you eat seasonally the ingredients you are using are often fresher, sustainably sourced, more nutrient-dense, and taste better.

Winter Seasonal Food Recipes

If you have been following along with me for any length of time you may know that I enjoy Hello Fresh and that it makes life really simple in a pinch. I often modify the recipes and portion sizes to fit my lifestyle and needs. For instance, in the recipe below for Delicata Squash, I would eat half the serving and I added chicken to include more protein.

Kale, Cranberry & Walnut Stuffed Squash with Parmesan & Creamy Lemon Thyme Couscous (Hello Fresh)

Ingredients:seasonal winter recipes

  • 1 unit Delicata Squash
  • 1 Yellow Onion
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • ¼ ounce Thyme
  • 1 Lemon
  • 4 ounce Kale
  • ¾ cup Israeli Couscous
  • 1 unit Veggie Stock Concentrate
  • 2 tablespoon Cream Cheese
  • 1 ounce Dried Cranberries
  • ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
  • ½ ounce Walnuts
  • 2 teaspoon Olive Oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 4-6 oz chicken breast (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash and dry produce. 
  2. Halve squash lengthwise; scoop out seeds with a spoon and discard. 
  3. Place squash on a baking sheet; drizzle each half with olive oil and rub to evenly coat. Season generously with salt and pepper, then arrange cut sides down. 
  4. Roast on top rack until browned and tender, 25-30 minutes.

Prep:

  1. While squash roasts, halve, peel, and finely dice the onion. Peel and mince garlic. Strip thyme leaves from stems; mince leaves until you have 2 tsp (4 tsp for 4 servings). Remove and discard any large stems from kale; chop them into bite-size pieces. Quarter lemon.

Cook Veggies:

  1. Melt 1 TBSP butter in a medium pot over medium-high heat (melt 2 TBSP butter in a large pot for 4 servings). Add onion; cook until slightly softened and lightly browned, 3-4 minutes.
  2. Stir in garlic and minced thyme; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. 
  3. Add kale and a splash of water; cook, stirring occasionally until kale is slightly wilted, 3-4 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Cook Couscous:

  1. Add couscous, ¾ cup water (1½ cups for 4 servings), and stock concentrate to the pot with kale mixture. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until couscous is tender, 6-8 minutes. Drain any excess liquid if necessary. 
  2. Stir in cream cheese, cranberries, and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Keep covered off heat until ready to stuff squash. (At this point if you are adding animal protein chop it up and mix in with the Couscous and vegetable mixture)

Stuff & Finish Squash:

  1. Once squash is tender, remove from oven; heat broiler to high. 
  2. Carefully flip squash, cut sides up, and stuff with as much couscous filling as will fit, saving any remaining filling for serving. Top stuffed squash with Parmesan. 
  3. Broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. TIP: Watch carefully to avoid burning.

Serve:

  1. Divide any remaining filling between plates. Top with stuffed squash. Sprinkle with walnuts. Serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.

A delicious winter appetizer that I found from Sur la Table is super easy yet packs a winter punch and will wow your holiday guests.

Butternut Squash and Bacon Crostini from Sur la Table

These Butternut Squash and Bacon Crostini are delicious sweet and savory fall appetizers. Toasty bread, creamy ricotta cheese, sweet butternut squash, crispy bacon, and earthy sage – all make for a tasty treat that’s perfect for the chilly season.

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 people

Ingredients:

  •  4 slices bacon
  • ½ medium butternut squash about 2 cups cubed
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese whippedhealthy recipes
  • 1 baguette sliced and toasted
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp fresh chopped sage
  • 1 tsp salt
  •  ½ tsp pepper

Instructions: 

  1. In a large skillet over medium heat cook the bacon until crispy – about 8-10 minutes. 
  2. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate topped with a paper towel to absorb the excess grease. Leave the bacon fat in the skillet.
  3. To the skillet with the bacon fat (still over medium heat) add the cubed butternut squash and cook stirring occasionally until tender – about 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the cubes. Add a bit of olive oil if the skillet gets dry.
  4. To the cooked squash, add the apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper – mix to combine well.
  5. On each piece of toasted bread, top with an even amount of ricotta cheese, followed by the butternut squash mixture, topped with the crispy bacon.

Nutrition: 

Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 777mg | Potassium: 348mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 6833IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 2mg

A Simple Winter Seasonal Salad

Ingredients: winter salad recipe

  • Mixed baby kale + greens
  • 2 soft boiled eggs
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Watermelon radishes
  • 4 oz Chicken breast
  • Bacon
  • Cucumber
  • Avocado
  • Shaved Parmesan (optional)
  • Green Goddess dressing

Seasonal Winter Soup Recipes

One of my favorite seasonal foods to make is stew. We buy a locally sourced cow share and use the freshest meat to make this stew and it is such a hit. The recipe is by Autumn Calabrese from FIXATE.

Beef Stewbeef stew recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1½ lbs. raw lean beef stew meat, boneless
  • 1½ medium onions chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes chopped
  • ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)
  • ½ to 1 cup low-sodium organic beef broth (or vegetable broth)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 8 oz. small button mushrooms cut in half
  • 2 medium celery stalks cut into 1-inch slices
  • 2 medium carrots sliced
  • 2 medium potatoes cubed
  • 2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley (for garnish; optional)

Instructions:

  1. Heat oil in a large saucepot over medium-high heat.
  2. Add beef; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until beef is browned.
  3. Add onions; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent.
  4. Add tomatoes, soy sauce, hot sauce, ½ cup broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, for 40 minutes, adding additional broth as needed. 
  5. Add mushrooms, celery, carrots, and potatoes; cook, covered, for an additional 12 to 18 minutes, or until sauce has thickened and beef is fork-tender.
  6. Garnish evenly with parsley if desired.  

Seasonal Winter Desserts

Let’s not forget we can make our sweet tooth a little healthier by choosing seasonal. Here is a recipe by EatingWell that I think you will enjoy.

Sweet Potato Pie with Cream Cheese Swirl

Ingredients: sweet potato pie recipe

  • 2 medium-large sweet potatoes
  • 6 ounces crisp gingersnap cookies (26-28 small cookies)
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt, divided 
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk 
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel)
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Tightly wrap sweet potatoes in foil and place them on a baking sheet. Roast until very tender, about 1 1/4 hours. Carefully unwrap and set aside to cool.
  3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
  4. Process gingersnaps in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl, add oil, and stir until well combined. 
  5. Using a spoon, spread, and pat the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. 
  6. Bake until just barely beginning to darken, about 10 minutes.
  7. Clean and dry the food processor work bowl. Peel the sweet potatoes and transfer them to the food processor. Puree until smooth. Measure out 1 1/2 cups (if you have extra puree, reserve it for another use). Return the 1 1/2 cups puree to the food processor. Add brown sugar, 1/2 cup yogurt, eggs, egg yolk, cinnamon, and nutmeg; pulse just until combined. Spread the sweet potato filling in the warm crust.
  8. Clean and dry the work bowl again. Add the remaining 1/4 cup yogurt, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and ginger; puree until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides once or twice. 
  9. Dollop tablespoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture onto the filling, spacing them evenly. Draw the tip of a wooden skewer or a thin knife through the cream cheese mixture and sweet potato filling repeatedly to create a swirled design.
  10. Bake the pie until firm to the touch and start to puff around the edges, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 2 hours.

If you feel like you are wanting more recipes, tips, and tricks on mental health, mindset, relationships, and a roadmap to living your healthiest life, I have many more tips and tools for your toolbox where those came from. All of my meal plans include access to hundreds of recipes and short, easy, all levels workouts. If you have any specific recipes you would like or fitness program questions, always feel free to reach out to me. My mindset work is all-encompassing and can help you release trauma abs roadblocks to ensure a more balanced and joyful life. Thanks for reading. I hope this information was useful and finds you in a space of the heart. I’m just me, Sarah Roberts (Savino), MSW, RYT200, TBB Coach founder of team Indie Sols, figuring out what works for me and sharing it with you in hopes that it will make some positive changes for you as well!

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