Welcome back, friends, or welcome if you’re new here!  In today’s video, I’m going to share 3 new recipes with you that incorporate seasonal produce.

Now, seasonal produce can seem like a pretty limited category in January for those of you who live in the north, like I do.  But I will leave a list of seasonal produce down in the description box that, yes, even those living in the northern United States can take advantage of this time of year!  And remember, FROZEN fruits and vegetables are always in season!

The only sweetener I use in these recipes is pure stevia powder, so there is no added sugar, which makes these great options for people who are diabetic or people who are watching their sugar for some other reason, including weight loss.

The first recipe I’m going to share with you is for my homemade pear sauce.  This recipe could be used for apples or pears, but I bought a big box of organic red pears from Azure Standard for an incredible price, so I’m going to use pears today.

Now, it’s totally up to you whether or not you decide to peel your pears or apples for this, but I’m going to just leave the skins on to make it faster and easier.  They are organic, and I also washed them well, so I’m comfortable leaving them on, but you do you.

For this recipe, you will need about 2 lbs. of pears or apples cut into chunks, about 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice (and I’m using one of the lemon juice cubes that I showed you how to make in last week’s video, which I’ll link down below), about ½ tsp. of cinnamon, about 1/8 tsp. pure stevia powder, a pinch of salt and just a small splash of water to help it get going in the saucepot.

Now, although I just gave you a bunch of measurements for this recipe (and I will post them in the description box and on my website, as well), this is really one of those recipes that you can just eyeball and taste as you go.  I generally don’t measure any of this when I make it.  I just throw stuff in and adjust the flavors as necessary, especially since some pears are sweeter than others.  But I know that some people really need the measurements to have some kind of starting point, so I measured it this time, just for you!

To make this pear sauce, place all of these ingredients into a sauce pot on the stove.  Turn the heat to low or medium low and slowly bring the mixture to a light boil.  Then let it simmer until it reaches your desired level of tenderness.  I like to go in with a potato masher and smoosh it up a little bit, but I prefer to leave big chunks of fruit in mine.  If you want a smoother texture, you can either use an immersion blender to grind it up, or CAREFULLY transfer it to a traditional blender to smooth it out.  Please use caution when blending hot foods in a blender, or the lid may blow off!!  Alternatively, you don’t have to mash it at all, but could just eat it like a compote.

That’s it for this one!  You can eat this pear sauce hot or cold.  You could even top it with some of my healthy goatmilk ice cream and some of my candied pecans if you want an extra decadent dessert.  Both of those recipes are in a video that I did earlier this month, so I’ll link that video down below.

Time to switch gears a little bit and show you one of my favorite savory dishes, sweet potato chips and bacon.  These sweet potato chips are super healthy, easy to make and always satisfying!  You only need 4 ingredients for this recipe: sweet potatoes, bacon fat (from a clean source), salt and pepper.

Now, as far as finding a clean source for your bacon fat, I always buy the Never Any brand of bacon from Aldi, which has no sugar added and a small list of clean ingredients.  I like to cook the bacon in a large saucepan first, then remove the bacon and use the remaining fat to fry my sweet potato chips.  By the way, you can also use regular white potatoes for this, as well, if you prefer a more traditional potato chip, but sweet potatoes do have a lot of great nutrition.

I’m going to make this recipe 2 different ways today, and we will compare to see which one works better.  Traditionally, I have always made these in a large saucepan on the stove, but I just got a Ninja Crispi air fryer for Christmas, and I’m curious to see how they would turn out in there, as well.

I’m super excited about the Ninja Crispi!  It takes up so much less space than a traditional air fryer, and it comes with 2 different sized glass containers that double as both the cooking areas and food storage containers with lids!  It’s very easy to use and easy to clean, so I’m going to try doing some of the sweet potatoes in it today to see how they turn out.

For the pan-fried version, cook the bacon with the heat between medium low and medium.  While the bacon is cooking, slice your sweet potato into thin coins.  I’m going to use my mandolin for this, and if you’re looking for one, I can link this down below.  It actually comes with A TON more attachments, such as a veggie chopper lid and a spiralizer to name a couple.  It also has a bunch of different types of blades that are interchangeable, and a protective glove for added safety.

Once your bacon is cooked through, remove the meat to a paper towel-lined plate, and drop the sliced sweet potatoes into the bacon fat in the same pan.  Sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and let them get crispy on one side.  Then flip them over and cook them until they’re crispy on the other side.  I like to salt and pepper them again after flipping, but that’s up to you.  Remove to a paper-towel lined plate and enjoy!  I got a little distracted while my sweet potato chips were cooking, so some of them were a little charred.  I recommend aiming for a golden brown crisp for the best flavor.

For the air-fried version, I just dipped the sweet potato chips in the bacon fat that was in the pan and sprinkled them with salt and pepper.  I have to be honest… for this particular recipe, I personally prefer the flavor and texture of the pan-fried version because they had more moisture in them.  The air-fried chips were still good, and I think they would be a fantastic option for someone who is trying to eat a bit lighter, but I like my chips dripping with bacon grease!  If you’re someone who is used to using an air fryer, you would probably love the air-fried version.  This is my first experience with eating air fried food, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.  😊

Now, you may be thinking, “How are you calling this healthy when you’re frying the sweet potatoes in bacon fat?”  Well, as I said, the type of fat you use matters.  I buy this bacon because it has clean ingredients.  And also, fat is not the enemy!  In fact, healthy fats are ESSENTIAL for your health!  They help to regulate your hormones and improve cognitive function, among many other benefits.  Let me clarify, though… there is a big difference between the healthy fat that is found in nuts, clean animal products, avocados, coconut, etc., and unhealthy fats such as trans fats and highly processed foods and oils.  So, no- eating Big Macs and ho-hos everyday is NOT healthy!!!

Ok, let me step down from my soapbox to share my last recipe of the day with you, which is my homemade cranberry orange and cinnamon relish.

For this recipe, you will need, 3 cups of cranberries, the zest, juice and pulp of one orange, ½ tsp. of cinnamon, ¼ tsp. of pure stevia powder, and a tiny pinch of salt.  Depending on how juicy your orange is, you may or may not need to add a tiny splash of water once you transfer the mixture to your saucepot, though I ended up not needing to add any water.  I’m going to use this awesome all-in-one juicer, zester and measuring cup to zest and juice my orange.  I love this thing for so many reasons, and I will link it for you down below.  But I love how the different attachments all nest inside, I love how this design keeps all the juice and zest contained until you’re ready to use it, and I ESPECIALLY love that the zester stays firmly in place when placed into the yellow lid of this tool, which has a non-slip silicone finish to it so it won’t slide around on your countertop, and there is much less risk of cutting yourself as compared to a micro plane that you are holding in the air above the counter.  And this zester is the perfect depth and sharpness to get all of the flavorful zest off easily, without digging down into the bitter white layer of the skin.  I truly love this thing!!!

I’m using a large mandarin orange for this recipe because that’s what I have on hand, but you can use a small navel orange, as well.  Add the cranberries, the juice, zest and pulp of the orange, the cinnamon and the stevia to a saucepot.  Cover the pot and bring to a low boil using medium low heat.  Then simmer until the cranberries have burst open and released their juice.  Give it a taste test and adjust the seasonings to your liking.  (Note: the sweetness level will differ depending on the level of sweetness in your fruit, so you may want to add more stevia if your orange wasn’t as sweet as mine.)

This relish can be used as a topping for turkey, duck, lamb, or chicken, or you can just eat it on its own, just like you would eat applesauce.

I hope you guys love these recipes as much as I do, and I am so grateful that you guys chose to hang out with me today!  I really appreciate you supporting my channel, and I hope that you got some good recipe ideas that will help you on whatever health journey you are currently pursuing!  Remember, all of today’s recipes will be posted or linked in the description box, and you can also find them all on my website, thathomesteadingmom.com. If you find this content helpful, please like, share and subscribe, and I will see you all in my next video.  God bless!

Seasonal Produce

• Oranges
• Lemons
• Limes
• Grapefruit
• Lettuce
• Kale
• Spinach
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Brussels sprouts
• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Pears
• Apples
• Carrots
• Rutabaga
• Turnips
• Parsnips
• Parsley
• Chives
• Rhubarb
• Butternut squash
• Spaghetti squash
• Acorn squash
• FROZEN FRUITS AND VEGGIES

LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S VIDEO:

(As an affiliate, I may receive a small commission on products purchased through the links below, at no additional cost to you.  Thank you so much for supporting my blog and my YouTube channel, “That Homesteading Mom”! 😊)

JUICER/ZESTER/MEASURING CUP COMBO: https://goto.walmart.com/c/3826906/565706/9383?veh=aff&sourceid=imp_000011112222333344&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FTovolo-All-in-One-Manual-Citrus-Juicer-and-Zester-Set-with-Measuring-Cup-and-Dual-Reamers%2F15780318810

MANDOLIN: https://amzn.to/494afgB

STEVIA: https://amzn.to/4stWkrY

NINJA CRISPI: https://amzn.to/49egBu1

CUISINART STAINLESS STEEL SAUCEPAN (OPTION 1): https://amzn.to/4snipZ3

CUISINART STAINLESS STEEL SAUCEPAN (OPTION 2): https://amzn.to/3Ynr5kj

VITAMIX BLENDER: https://amzn.to/49I959N

AZURE STANDARD: https://www.azurestandard.com/?a_aid=a62abca0da

VIDEO WITH GOAT MILK ICE CREAM AND CANDIED PECANS: https://youtu.be/yu1HedTJs3s

VIDEO WITH LEMON JUICE CUBES: https://youtu.be/0WW3wU4HVyc

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them in the comments section of this YouTube video, or email me at [email protected].  😊