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Winter is a great time for comfort foods. A variety of fruits and vegetables provide both nutrition and flavor. Sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber and beta-carotene. Apples contain phytonutrients and antioxidants which may help reduce the risk of developing cancer, hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. Check out these hearty and delicious recipes that are perfect for the colder months.

Crockpot Sweet Potato and Turkey Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow onion diced
• 1.5 cups of carrots sliced into large chunks
• 5 cups sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
• 1 tsp avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon ginger dried
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1.5 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 cups bone broth
• 1 pound ground turkey
• Juice of 2 limes
• 6 green onions sliced
• Avocado diced

Instructions:
Prepare vegetables and place them on the bottom of your crock pot. Place uncooked ground turkey on top of vegetables. Pour pumpkin puree and bone broth on top of the vegetables and turkey. In a separate bowl mix avocado oil and seasonings together. Pour mixture of seasonings into the crock pot. Let your stew cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Mix well with 1-2 hours remaining, ground turkey should fall apart. When finished stir in lime juice and serve hot! Top each serving with green onions and avocado. This recipe was inspired by rallypure.com.

Winter Fruit Bake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sliced apples with the peal
• 2 cups pear slices with no peal
• 2 cups diced pineapple chunks
• 1 tablespoon pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (extra for topping)
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons melted vegan butter (or ¼ stick melted butter)
• 1/4 cup chopped raw walnuts

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 300F. Toss sliced and diced fruit in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. In a separate medium sized bowl combine melted butter, spices, sugar, honey and pineapple juice. Add butter mixture to fruit and cover evenly. Save a small amount of butter mixture in the bowl for your walnuts. Pour fruit into a 9x12 baking dish. After tossing walnuts in the left over butter mixture sprinkle them on top of the dish. Bake your colorful dish for 50-60 minutes. Feel free to add more cinnamon prior to serving and enjoy! This recipe can be prepped the night before and kept in a covered dish in the refrigerator. This delicious treat was adapted by https://massey.vcu.educottercrunch.com.

Recipes prepared by Allie Farley, M.S., R.D., L.D., registered dietitian at VCU Health. Visit Allie's blog on Diet and Nutrition for more recipes and information about the role that diet plays in cancer.

Written by: Massey Communications Office