Whenever we can, many of us here at PYAM like to do ‘big-batch’ cooking on weekends. This gives us a leg up during the week when we might not have the time or energy to prepare a balanced, nutritious meal.
When the autumn sun fills your kitchen with light, these two recipes will fill it with irresistible aromas. Cook up a big batch of these high fiber dishes, then freeze some for another day.
Slow-cooker Chili
- 2 lbs coarsely ground meat—beef, chicken or turkey
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 (15 oz.) cans kidney beans
- 2 (14 oz.) cans tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed or 2 tsp. of garlic from jar
- 1-3 tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Salt to taste
The amount of fiber will vary with different recipes (and there are hundreds of chili recipes to be found) but each serving of chili can contain as much as 7-10 grams.
Pumpkin Bread
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp each nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups each granulated sugar and packed brown sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups canned pumpkin
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup each raisins and nuts (optional)
Sift together flour, powder, soda, salt and spices. Add the sugars, mixing well. Mix dry ingredients with the oil and pumpkin, stirring until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, blending thoroughly. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 ½ X 5 ¼ inch pans. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool in pans for 5 minutes then remove from pans and continue cooling before freezing. When made with nuts and raisins, this bread provides 4-5 grams of fiber per slice.
Food Fact: Pumpkin and squash are ‘super foods’ that are high in fiber, naturally low in carbohydrates, and loaded with potassium and beta-carotene. Potassium is an important nutrient that boosts our immune systems and keeps muscles strong.