Fall Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggie Meal

This time of year I love warming bowls and easy meals. This combines the two together as it is a sheet pan meal that mixes fall flavours together while providing a good amount of protein and fibre. You can use any hearty vegetable you want. I just had all these vegetables to use up.

Ingredients:

  • 4-5 Italian chicken (or pork) sausage, chopped into smaller pieces

  • 1 sweet potato (medium or large), peeled and cubed

  • 1-2 cups butternut squash, cubed

  • 1.5 cups cauliflower florets

  • 1 cup baby potatoes, halved

  • 2 small beets, cubed

  • 1 cup Brussels sprouts, sliced in half

  • 2 big handfuls chopped kale

  • goats cheese, to taste

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 tsp garlic powder (I only estimated)

  • 1 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)

  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme, oregano or herbs de provence

  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425F.

  2. Toss the hard veggies first: In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, beets, squash and baby potatoes. Drizzle with 1.5 tbsp olive oil, half the seasoning, salt and pepper. (Tip - keep beets separate if preferred as they can tint other veggies slightly.)

  3. Spread on a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes.

  4. Add cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and sausage to the pan (or use a second pan and scatter sausage on both). Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and seasoning. Toss lightly to mix.

  5. Return to the oven and roast another 15-20 minutes, until all veggies are tender and caramelized and the sausage is browned.

  6. While cooking, lightly sauté kale with a little olive oil and salt until slightly wilted. OR, massage kale with a little olive oil and salt add to pan out of the oven.

  7. Optional - sprinkle crumbled goat cheese or parsley on top before serving. Yum!

Enjoy!

Perimenopause 101 - How to tell you are in it

Diagram from Lara Briden’s Hormone Repair Manual

Perimenopause is a gradual transition that typically begins in a woman's 40s, marking the lead-up to menopause. It's important to note that for women over 45, perimenopause is typically a clinical diagnosis and does not require lab assessment for confirmation. To help you recognize if you're entering this phase, here are some key signs to look out for:

  • Changes in menstrual patterns: Your periods may become irregular, with cycles becoming longer or shorter. You might still have periods, but the consistency and frequency may vary. Often your period becomes shorter before it gets less frequent.

  • New physical symptoms: You may experience hot flashes, night sweats, or changes in your skin and hair. Vulvar and vaginal symptoms can also occur while you're still menstruating. You may also have an exacerbation of pre-existing symptoms such as breast tenderness.

  • Insomnia and sleep changes: As your hormones fluctuate your sensitivity to that could cause worsening of sleep, either a few days before your period or throughout the cycle.

  • Mood changes: Some women notice shifts in their emotional state, including increased irritability or mood swings. It's important to note that while mood changes are common, severe depression should be addressed with a healthcare provider.

To better understand and manage your perimenopause journey:

  • Track your symptoms: Keep a record of your menstrual cycles and any new symptoms you experience. This can help you identify patterns and provide valuable information to your healthcare provider.

  • Get appropriate testing: Again hormone testing does not diagnose perimenopause however getting baselines of B12, ferritin, liver enzymes, lipid panels can be helpful to assess your overall health and cardiovascular risk (one thing we care about the most!)

  • Consider your family history: Ask your mother about her menopause experience, as there can be genetic similarities. Ask about family history of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. These areas of health are important to monitor in women’s health.

  • Seek expert help: Consider seeing a menopause practitioner who specializes in this life stage to get targeted support and avoid misdiagnosis.

Remember, every woman's experience with perimenopause is unique. By staying informed and proactive about your health, you can navigate this transition more smoothly and ensure you receive appropriate care and support.

Chicken Schnitzel & Pesto Pasta

A simple but classic meal and with any vegetable you like on the side. Consider grilled zucchini or peppers, green salad, steamed broccoli or even frozen peas (for the kiddos!). This chicken schnitzel recipe is very easy, delicious and can transform into several different recipes and pesto pasta is just always a hit in our house. Both the chicken and the pesto can be prepped ahead of time if you’d like and both can be eaten separately of course with other sides.

Chicken Schnitzel

I have been really enjoying recipes from Nicole from Simplehomeedit lately and her chicken schnitzel is one I have repeated lately. She has a great video and additional tips on how to make this so I will just share the link to her blog post here. My variation is using gluten free flour and breadcrumbs (when needed) and I usually air fry them and they turn out perfectly. Baking is definitely an option but consider browning the breadcrumbs first for that classic golden look. I avoid frying to avoid more mess. I have batched prepped these as well for the freezer when I have fresh chicken breast. That way I can just pull from the freezer and cook. These are also delicious in a chicken sandwich with simple romaine or iceburg lettuce and mayo or a little of the pesto below with tomato. Yum!

Recipe Here - Chicken Schnitzel

Pesto Pasta

Caro Chambers (from What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking - cookbook or substack) is someone I get food inspiration from as well and her write up about an easy pesto formula was great. My go tos for pesto are basil, walnuts or hemp hearts and parmesan cheese. I have liked this formula better than my original pesto pasta recipe and I use my fresh basil growing on my deck.

My usual variation:

  • 2 cups basil (or 1.5 cups basil + 1/2 cup parsley)

  • 1/2 cup walnuts (or pine nuts if you can find them or hemp hearts)

  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tbsp lemon juice

Blend all ingredients in a small food processor like this (adding oil slowly while blending if possible). Taste and add salt if preferred.

Mix a few tablespoons with cooked pasta (gluten free if needed). You don’t need too much pesto. Rotini is my preferred pasta for pesto in order to grab the pesto better. Serve warm or cold. Top with sliced chicken schnitzel or chicken on the side. Or you could mix in slightly cooked asparagus, peas or broccoli.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do!

Dr. Karen

Food Friday: Garlic-Soy Tofu with Mushrooms and Napa Cabbage

This recipe is from a great cookbook "The Vegan Family Cookbook". This has been another favourite of mine and the kids for a quick veggie and protein packed meal. It uses tofu as the protein source, which provides 14g of protein for half a pack and a source of phytoestrogens to support our hormones. I love using tofu once a week since it is easy to cook, takes on different flavours and healthy for our bodies. You can change up the veggies in this dish as well. (Note - if you are avoiding garlic due to digestive concerns, you'll have to skip this one.) Let me know what you think! 

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 tsp avocado oil

  • 1 12oz block extra-firm tofu, cut into bite size squares and patted dry

  • 4 tbsp soy sauce

  • 2.5 cups cremini or shiitake mushrooms, sliced

  • 5 heaping cups napa cabbage, thinly sliced 

  • 8 cloves garlic, minced

  • black pepper

  • 1 tbsp cornstarch

  • 2 tbsp water

Directions:

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and then tofu to the pan. Shake the pan to help release the tofu and use a wooden spatula to turn it until it is brown on a few sides.

  2. Add 1 tbsp soy sauce and toss until it is mostly absorbed, 20-30 seconds.

  3. Add the mushrooms, cabbage, garlic and a few grinds of pepper. The veggies will release their water and start to soften and wilt down in 2-3 minutes. 

  4. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the water and pour the mixture into the stir-fry along with the remaining 3 tbsp soy sauce. Cook just until the sauce has thickened and all is well combined. 

  5. Serve over white or brown rice. Top with toasted sesame seeds or green onions if you'd like.