I’ve been making Thanksgiving dinner for my friends and family for over 25 years and I’ve tried lots of different stuffing recipes. My all-time favorite is made with challah bread as a base to provide a gentle sweetness and perfect texture.

You can be creative and add your favorite chopped dried fruit and nuts. And if fresh herbs are not available you can use a few sprinkles of dried seasonings instead.

Thanksgiving Challah-Day Stuffing

Ingredients:

2 Challah breads – torn apart into small pieces

3 tablespoons olive oil

5 cloves of garlic – minced

1 medium sweet onion – chopped

2 quarts mushrooms – sliced

4 apples – cored, peeled and coarsely chopped

3/4 cup chestnuts – roasted and chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cut dried apricots – chopped

1/2 cup dried figs – chopped

1/2 cup total chopped almonds, walnuts and pecans

1/4 cup total fresh chopped parsley, thyme and Rosemary

4 eggs

16 ounce container of egg substitute

3 cups chicken broth – low sodium type

Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Tear challahs into small pieces and put in a very large bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, sauté onion in olive oil until transparent, add garlic and cook for 5 minutes more.
4. Add mushrooms and continue to cook together until mushrooms are tender.
5. Add chopped apples, chestnuts, dried fruit, nuts, herbs, salt and pepper and continue to cook together for about 10 minutes. Remove from stove.
6. Add above mixture to challah bread pieces and stir. Add egg, egg substitute, and broth. Combine together.
7. Spray a large roasting pan with cooking spray.
8. Place mixture evenly into pan.
9. Bake covered with foil wrap for 20 minutes.
10. Remove foil and bake until top is golden brown (around 30-45 minutes.)

Yield: 25-30 servings (1/2 cup each)

Ingredients:

1 package green split peas

1 package yellow split peas

2 cans (48 oz. each) vegetable broth (less sodium type, if possible)

1 large butternut squash *

1 small onion – chopped

2 cups carrots – chopped

6 garlic cloves – chopped

1 cup Almond Breeze almondmik – original unsweetened

1 cup apple cider

Salt & Pepper to taste

Sliced almonds – for garnish, optional

Cooking Spray

*Note: If you’d like to save time, you can use canned (2- 15 ounce cans) or frozen (2 packages) of butternut squash and begin with step 4 below.

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.     Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

3.     Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise and bake (cut side facing down) on cookie sheet for about 30 minutes or until fork tender. When cooled, scoop out squash from shell and cut into small pieces.

4.     While squash is baking, combine, rinse, and sort yellow and green peas.

5.     Pour broth into large (8 quart) soup pot and add split peas, squash, onion, garlic, carrots, almondmilk, apple cider and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour or until peas break apart easily. Stir regularly throughout. (Spoon off and discard any “foam” that forms during the process.)

6.     If you prefer a thinner consistency, place an immersion blender inside the pot of soup and blend briefly for no more than for 1-2 minutes (or skip this blender step altogether if you like your soup very thick). If you a prefer smoother, creamier consistency, blend until you reach the desired texture.

7.     Spoon soup into bowls and serve hot or pour into containers to refrigerate or freeze until needed.

8.     Garnish with sliced almonds if desired.

Servings per pot of soup: approximately 20   Serving size: 1 cup

Naturally sweet, family-friendly muffins made with oats, apple, carrot, and honey

Just wait until you taste these gluten-free honey muffins — they’re soft, warmly spiced, and naturally sweetened with real honey instead of refined sugar. Packed with fiber-rich oats, fresh carrots, and crisp apple, these easy muffins are perfect for breakfast, snacks, or a healthy treat any time of day. They’re gluten-free, dairy-free, and can easily be made nut-free by using sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead of nuts. These are kid-approved, meal-prep friendly muffins my whole family loves — especially my grandkids. We enjoy them with a dollop of cottage cheese or ricotta for a balanced, protein-rich bite.

And there’s more to love: a recent study in the Journal of Food Science found that honey’s natural aroma enhances sweetness, meaning you can use about 40% less honey than sugar and still get the same sweet taste — with fewer calories and less added sugar. That makes honey one of the smartest swaps you can make in baking, and it’s exactly why this recipe is both delicious and dietitian-approved. Whether you’re looking for a refined sugar-free muffin, a healthy snack for kids, or a cozy fall muffin recipe to add to your rotation, this one is worth bookmarking.

Honey Harvest Muffins

Honey Harvest Muffins

I make cobblers year-round, but there’s something extra special about using seasonal fruits. In the summer, peaches, mangos, and cherries make this dish a family magnet. In the fall, it’s all about apples and pears, warm spices, and that irresistible oven aroma.

What makes this recipe stand out? It skips the added sugar but not the flavor. Each bite is bursting with fruit-forward sweetness, a crunchy golden topping, and all the comfort of a traditional cobbler … just a whole lot better for you.

Need to tweak it? You can easily tailor this recipe to suit your dietary needs. Use a gluten-free granola for a gluten-free cobbler, swap in vegan butter for a plant-based version, or choose your favorite fruit combo to match the season (or what’s in your fridge). It’s a flexible, feel-good dessert that’s as simple to make as it is satisfying to eat.

Crunchy Mixed Fruit Cobbler

Ingredients:

For cobbler – 

2 cups (around 4 large) fresh peaches cut into small pieces

12 cherries – pitted and cut in quarters

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon corn starch

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup mixed unsalted nuts

Cooking spray

For topping – 

1/2 cup granola

2 tablespoons butter, melted (or 2 tablespoons avocado oil)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Spray a shallow pie dish with cooking spray and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine peaches and cherries with lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice, if desired. Stir in nuts.

4. Place fruit mixture evenly into pie dish.

5.  Melt butter.

6. In a small bowl mix the granola with melted butter.

7. Top the fruit mixture evenly with granola mixture. 

8. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for around 45 minutes or until topping is golden brown or fruit starts to bubble.

Serving suggestion – serve cobbler when warm in individual dessert bowls and top with a scoop of frozen yogurt or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Notes:

• You can add any of your favorite fruit to this recipe. I often add sliced apples or whatever fruit is in my fridge (except citrus).
• Instead of cornstarch, you can use whole wheat flour.
• Sometimes I also add a tablespoon of chia seeds, hemp hearts or flax seeds to the fruit mixture for a little extra crunch, fiber and protein.
• For a Fall cobbler with apples or pears, you might want to add 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice.
• I prefer to use a granola that doesn’t have much added sugar (around 6 grams or less) to let the sweetness of the fruit sing.

Guac-Humm-Mole

serves 8

Ingredients

2 avocados – ripe

½ cup hummus

¼ cup plain Greek yogurt

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoons chopped onion (or one small white onion)

2 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro juice of one fresh lime

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp white pepper

3 plum tomatoes – cut into cubes

cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

Add avocados, hummus, Greek yogurt, garlic, onion, parsley, lime juice, salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Combine together until creamy. Cut tomatoes into cubes and add to food processor. Pulse two or three times until tomatoes are chopped… don’t over pulse. Garnish with a sprig of parsley.

Serve with cut up veggies or whole grain tortilla chips.

These muffins are so easy to make…my kids even make them for me on Mother’s Day!  If you happen to have any leftovers (and that’s unlikely!) just pop them in the freezer and defrost individually for a mid-week treat.

Banana Almond Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 egg whites
• ½ cup extra olive light oil or avocado oil
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup Almond Breeze almond milk*
• 4 ripe bananas, mashed well
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350◦F

Spoon flours into dry measuring cups and level with a knife.

Whisk together with the next 4 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a large bowl.

Combine sugar, egg whites, oil, vanilla extract, yogurt and eggs in a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer until blended.

Add almond milk and mashed bananas, beating at a low speed until blended together.

Add flour mixture to above mixture and beat at a low speed just until combined (don’t over mix.)

Gently stir in chocolate chips.

Coat 2 loaf pans (9 X 5 inch each) or mini-muffin pans with cooking spray. (I use pans that hold 12 muffins per pan and this recipe makes around 3-4 pans of muffins.)

Spoon batter into pans and fill about 3/4 way. Sprinkle almonds evenly over batter.

Bake breads (in loaf pans) for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, or bake muffins (in muffin tins) for around 20 minutes and check as above. Cool in pans for 10 minutes and then remove from pans and cool on wire rack.

* Any type of Almond Breeze almond milk would work but I especially love Almond Breeze Blended with Real Banana for this recipe.

Yield is either 2 loaves or around 40 muffins.

The beauty of this recipe is that you don’t have to use exact measurements. If you like your topping a little sweeter, just add more syrup. If you’re the tangy type, go heavier of the vinegar. And if you’d like more kick, include more horseradish sauce.

No matter how you prefer it, this dish is a low calorie way to get lots of flavor.

Most importantly, it’s essential to check labels carefully to be sure that the products you’re using are truly gluten-free. The brand suggestions I’ve mentioned below are only a few examples of those items that are gluten-free today, but in the future, it’s best to confirm their safety with the manufacturer to be aware of any production modifications.

Salmon with Gluten-Free Tangy Mustard/Horseradish Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon mustard (French’s, Heinz, Maille Dijon Originale, Organicville)
• 1 tablespoon horseradish sauce (Boar’s Head, Heinz, Gold’s)
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon agave or maple syrup (100% maple syrup)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (100% lemon juice)
• A pinch of garlic powder
• Ground white pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs like dill, parsley, thyme (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (any type you prefer)
• Salmon filet (2 pounds)

Directions:

Spray baking pan (15” X 10” X 1”) with cooking spray and place salmon filet atop (skin side down).  Pat salmon dry.

Combine the above ingredients in a bowl and spread mixture thinly over the top of  the salmon.

Bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. If grilling, grill on medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Cooking times may vary, depending upon the thickness of the filet.

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 180, Total Fat 8g, Saturated Fat 2g, Total Carbohydrate 3g, Fiber 0g, Sugars 1g, Protein 18g, Sodium 135mg

Gluten-Free Quinoa Veggie Confetti Salad

Ingredients:

• ½ cup quinoa (dry)
• 1 small zucchini – chopped
• ½ cup carrots – chopped
• ¼ cup fresh beets – chopped
• 1 tablespoon red onion – chopped
• 1 large portobello mushroom – chopped
• 4 cloves garlic – chopped
• 6 dried apricots – chopped
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
• 3 large fresh mint leaves – chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley – chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Pinch of smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a pot with a tight-fitting lid.  Add ½ cup quinoa and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Gently chop the remaining ingredients, zucchini through parsley. (Note: you can use a food processor, but I prefer chopping by hand so that the ingredients are less uniform.)
3. Season with smoked paprika and salt and pepper, as desired. (Here you could be adventurous and add chipotle, cumin, turmeric, or any other flavor you’d enjoy.)
4. Sauté veggies in olive oil for approximately 5 minutes.
5. Combine ingredients (quinoa and veggie mix) and serve as a side dish or make it a main by adding chunks of grilled chicken or salmon or you can keep it plant-forward by adding beans or tofu and serve as a main dish.

Makes 6 servings (about ½ cup each)

Nutrition Facts: Calories 130, Total Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 0.5g, Total Carbohydrate 18g, Fiber 3g, Sugars 4g, Protein 3g, Sodium 15mg

We don’t often think of turning to dessert for nutrition, yet this unique cobbler has no added sugar, providing natural sweetness from fruit. The crunchy addition of Fiber One ^TM Original cereal deliciously supplies fiber, an essential part of a wholesome diet that most of us don’t get enough of.  This recipe has 22% Daily Value (DV) of fiber and did you know that one serving of Fiber One ^TM Original cereal provides 65% Daily Value (DV) of fiber? What a delicious way to #flauntyourfiber !

And what also makes this dessert so different is that if you have any leftover, just refrigerate it and enjoy it the next morning by adding some to your morning cereal to boost fiber further or top it with some yogurt or cottage cheese to pair it with some protein. I usually make two cobblers at a time — just to have some waiting for us in the morning!

Nutty Apple Pear Cobbler with Fiber One ^TM Original Cereal

Prep: 20 minutes

Total: 65 minutes

Serving: 1 cobbler slice

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:  

2/3 cup Fiber One ^TM Original cereal

2 large fresh apples – peeled, cored and cut into small pieces

1 large pear – peeled, cored and cut into small pieces

1/4 cup dried unsweetened cranberries

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter – melted

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Cooking spray

Directions:

Step 1 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2 

Spray a shallow pie dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Step 3

Measure 1/3 cup Fiber One ^TM Original cereal and pulse to a powder in a food processor. Set the other 1/3 cup Fiber One ^TM Original cereal aside.

Step 4 

In a large bowl, combine apples, pears and cranberries with powdery Fiber One, lemon juice, flour and cinnamon.

Step 5 

Place fruit mixture evenly into pie dish.

Step 6 

In a small bowl mix the remaining Fiber One ^TM Original cereal and almonds with melted butter.

Step 7

Spread the Fiber One ^TM Original cereal mixture evenly over the fruit mixture. 

Step 8

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for around 45 minutes or until fruit is bubbly or top is golden brown.

Serving suggestion – serve cobbler when warm in individual dessert bowls and top with a scoop of frozen yogurt or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Nutrition Analysis Per Serving:

114 calories, 2g protein, 20g carbohydrates (7% DV), 5g total fat (8% DV), 2g saturated fat (10% DV), 8g cholesterol (2% DV), 19mg sodium (2% DV), 6g fiber (22% DV)

Disclosure: I partnered with General Mills Fiber One ^TM Original Cereal to create this recipe and the opinions are my own.

Although these muffins are decadent as a dessert, my family loves them for breakfast paired with a scoop of cottage or ricotta cheese or partnered with our favorite egg dishes. It’s a great way to start the day to keep you feeling full and satisfied.

By using Fiber One ^TM Original cereal in place of all-purpose flour you’ll get 26% of the Daily Value (DV) of fiber in just two mini muffins — but fair warning …it’ll be hard to eat just two! That’s why I usually double this recipe and freeze whatever is left so that a quick, wholesome breakfast could be defrosted whenever you’re looking for a delicious high fiber meal or snack. What an easy, yummy way to #flauntyourfiber!

Fiber One ^TM Original Cereal Pumpkin Muffins

Prep: 25 minutes

Total: 65 minutes

Serving: 2 mini-muffins

Yield: 20 mini muffins (10 servings)

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups Fiber One ^TM Original cereal

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup avocado oil

1 large egg

1/4 cup plain, low-fat yogurt

1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup puréed pumpkin – canned, unsweetened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

1/3 chopped almonds

Cooking spray

Directions:

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat 2 mini muffin tins (20 muffins) with cooking spray and set aside.

Step 2

Place Fiber One ^TM Original cereal in a food processor and pulse until powdery or flour-like.

Step 3

In a medium bowl, whisk together Fiber One ^TM Original cereal, flour, chia seeds, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Step 4

In a large bowl, with a hand mixer combine sugar and oil. Then add egg, yogurt, almond milk, pumpkin and vanilla extract and beat with mixer until combined.

Step 5

Add Fiber One ^TM Original cereal mixture to above liquid mixture and beat at a low speed just until combined (don’t over mix.) Stir in chocolate chips.

Step 6

Spoon batter into muffin pans, filling each section half-way. Sprinkle almonds evenly over batter.

Step 7

Bake muffins for 20-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Step 8

Cool in pans for 10 minutes and then remove from pans and cool on wire rack.

Tips:

• Swap coconut sugar for the granulated sugar offers another great twist on the flavor of this muffin.
• Chocolate chips can be omitted, if you prefer a less sweet muffin.
• Light avocado oil can be used in place of avocado oil. 

Nutrition Analysis per Serving: 194 calories, 4g protein, 26g carbohydrates (9% DV), 11g total fat (17% DV), 2.5g saturated fat (12%DV), 19mg cholesterol (6% DV), 342mg sodium (14% DV), 7g fiber (26% DV)

Disclosure: I partnered with General Mills Fiber One ^TM Original cereal to create this recipe and the opinions are my own.