It’s the time of year when I like to make a lot of soups, and chili, of course. This Chipotle Vegetarian Chili recipe is one of my newest favorites filled with black beans, corn, fresh vegetables, and chipotle peppers. I used the canned chipotle peppers, and they are great. Just don’t go overboard and add too many. You can always add more, so start with one or two and a little bit of the sauce. The peppers and a little beer add a wonderful spicy and smokiness to this chili, but this recipe is still very healthy and low in fat. It’s perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or for casual entertaining.

So, it’s Brussels Sprouts season, and I know people either love them or hate them. I happen to be a fan, and 2 out of 3 of my kids are too. This recipe for Brussels Sprouts Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts is one of my new favorites which I’ll serve on Thanksgiving this year. I used a simple apple cider vinaigrette mixture to flavor the Brussels Sprouts and tossed them with sweet dried cranberries and crunchy walnuts. For another healthy and easy Brussels Sprout side dish option, see Brussels Sprouts-Tomato Salad, which is another tasty way to serve this healthy vegetable.

5 Health Benefits of Brussels Sprouts:

1. Brussels Sprouts are high in Vitamin K which promotes healthy bones and brain function.

2. Brussels Spouts are high in fiber which helps in digestion, lowers cholesterol, prevents constipation, and aid in weight loss, making you feel fuller longer.

3. Brussels sprouts are high in antioxidants helping to fight against cancer.

4. Brussels sprouts are high in Vitamin C (1 cup contains over 161% of the recommended daily allowance) which helps boost the immune system and lower blood pressure.

5. Brussels Sprouts are high in iron and folate which helps maintain red blood cell count and prevents against diseases and birth defects.

FYI I will be on WMJJ 96.5 FM this morning talking about how to cook healthier during the holidays.

If you’re looking for a healthy side dish to add to your weeknight table or Thanksgiving or Christmas menus, I definitely have one for you. Lemon-Walnut Kale only takes 15 minutes to prepare, and it’s full of fresh vitamins, protein and so many health benefits. Kale is super healthy with more iron than beef, and it’s loaded with calcium, fiber, omega-3 acids and more. It’s said to have detoxifying properties, cancer and heart disease fighting properties and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Just cook it like you would spinach, and top it with your favorite ingredients. It’s going on my holiday table menu this year for sure.

I was fortunate to meet Virginia Wills several years ago, and I had the pleasure and honor to co-speak with her last year at Food Blog South. Last fall, I attended an event in Atlanta where she previewed some of her recipes for her new book, “From Basic to Brilliant”. I couldn’t wait for it to be released. Virginia is a graduate of  L’Academie de Cuisine and Ecole de Cuisine LaVarenne and, previously, was the Kitchen Director for Martha Stewart Living. Virginia expands on her incredible style in this 150 recipe cookbook where she offers incredible preparation and presentation techniques (her writing is amazing too). This recipe for Winter Greens and Butternut Squash Gratin is just one of the many stellar recipes in this book. I served it to company this weekend on a cold evening, and I received rave reviews. Her amazingly beautiful photos were taken by Helene Dujardin of Tartlette. “From Basic to Brilliant” can be found at Amazon or any of your favorite online stores as well as bookstores nationwide.

For a chance to win a copy, leave me a comment telling me why you want a copy of this book. Winner will be drawn on Thursday, November 10th and must be a U.S resident. For more chances, leave as many comments as you like telling me that you did the following:

1. Follow Alison Lewis on Twitter

2. Like Ingredients, Inc on Facebook

3. Follow Virginia Willis on Twitter

4. Like Virginia Willis on Facebook

“Reprinted with permission from Basic to Brilliant, Y’all: 150 Refined Southern Recipes and Ways to Dress Them Up for Company by Virginia Willis, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.”

Photo credit: Helene Dujardin © 2011

I love creating recipes with fresh mushrooms, and this Panko and Vegetable Stuffed Portobello was a vegetarian main dish was a hit this weekend. Be sure to notice that between September 15th to November 15th, select retailers nationwide will sell mushrooms in pink containers in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Since 2002, the Mushroom Council has invested more than $750,000 in grants to City of Hope for research on mushrooms and cancer. This fall, the Council will provide an additional $50,000 to continue funding this important research. How cool is this packaging in support of City of Hope and Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

Great Health Benefits of Mushrooms

1. Mushrooms are low in sodium and calories, and they are fat and cholesterol free.

2. Mushrooms can be an effective substitute for meats thanks to their hearty and fulfilling nature.

3. Mushrooms are the only item in the produce aisle to provide vitamin D, and one of the few non-fortified food sources. Growers also have the ability to increase D levels by exposing mushrooms to ultraviolet light.

4. These friendly fungi provide critical nutrients like energizing B vitamins, potassium and powerful antioxidants, including ergothionene and selenium.

For chance to win the great giveaway above, follow the steps below. For each one, and let me know in the comments for a better chance to win:

1) Follow @MushroomChannel on Twitter

2) Check out and “like” the Mushroom Channel on Facebook

3) Answer the question: “How do you support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

4) RSVP to the Mom It Forward #gno twitter party and check out the giveaway at Mom at Forward

5) Join me for the Mushroom Council #gno twitter party October 4th, from 9-11 p.m EST.

6) Follow @alisonlewis on twitter and come see me on Facebook

Note: I was compensated for my participation in the Mushroom Channel Campaign

Okay, so Valentine’s Day is over, and I had a lot of fun featuring some great desserts. Now, it’s back to reality. I have had many requests lately for a wonderful, healthy salad recipe. I love this particular creation of Tabouli and Mixed Greens Salad. Feel free to add cooked or grilled chicken or shrimp to this dish if you wish. I love it “as is” for a hearty lunch salad or dinner salad – perfect served with a comforting soup. It’s so fresh and flavorful, and bulgur is so good for you. Bulgur is high in fiber, low in fat, and rich in B vitamins and iron. It can be boiled or soaked like in my recipe below. This salad is so tasty and pretty, and it will also give you a lot of energy. Just try it and see.

Did you know butternut squash is technically a fruit? It’s a member of the gourd family along with pumpkin, cucumber and melon as they all have seeds. Its orange color adds to its power of nutrients known as carotenoids shown to protect against heart disease. Butternut Squash also has significant amounts of potassium and vitamin B6 and folate. It’s low in fat and is a good source of fiber. I love using it in soups and this Curried Butternut Squash Soup is so easy, flavorful and heart-warming. Serve with a salad and crusty bread, and that’s all you need.

I’m shooting 4 television shows this week for NBC 13 “Daytime Alabama”, and here’s one of the dishes I will be making. For those of you not familiar with quinoa, I hope that I can help out. Quinoa is an amino acid protein rich seed that has a fluffy slightly crunchy texture and a nutty flavor when cooked. You cook it just as you would cook rice although you need to rinse the seeds before cooking them. Most commonly considered a grain, quinoa is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard with so many health benefits. Quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of fiber, protein, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus. It is said to be helpful to those who get migraine headaches and helps reduce diabetes and atherosclerosis. I love this Quinoa Salad with Arugula and Feta as it’s so fresh, healthy and flavorful. Feel free to make it a main dish by adding cooked chicken or shrimp. This is the perfect dish to start the new year on the right (and healthy) foot.

I have been working on some new fall salad recipes for upcoming television cooking segments this month. I was in the mood for a Black-Eyed Pea Salad and trying to increase the fiber in my kid’s diets. This recipe starts with a simple lime and chipotle vinaigrette combined with the black-eyed pea and black bean mixture. The mixture is served over peppery arugula which makes a fresh, flavorful and light salad. This is a great starter salad, but it would also be wonderful as a main dish topped with grilled or cooked chicken, shrimp, turkey or steak. This recipe is also a part of “Fall Fest” which is a continuation of Summer Fest, a cross blog recipe swap from various food blogs. These events were started by Margaret Roach of Away to Garden and Deb Puchalla of The Food Network. The theme this week is “fall salads” so I hope you enjoy this one.

Even though it’s the end of summer, I think it’s the perfect time to make fresh salads filled with your favorite produce. This Vegetable Salad is so colorful and flavorful from fresh roasted beets, corn, potatoes, tomatoes and lettuces topped with goat cheese and pecans. It makes a great main-course vegetarian salad because it is so hearty. This recipe is adapted from a recent recipe in Cooking Light for a Corn and Basil Salad. I added and deleted various ingredients, and this version turned out even better than it looks. My friend, Nancy, served it the other night along with beef tenderloin, and her friends raved about it. You can also add chicken or shrimp if you want to add extra protein. Also, feel free to prepare the beets, potatoes, corn and salad dressing ahead of time so all you have to do is assemble the ingredients.