2 Healthy Fall Recipes From The Founder Of PALETA

It’s not everyday that you meet someone like Kelly Boyer, better known as Chef Kelly, the founder and executive chef of the popular farm-to-table delivery food service PALETA. Chef Kelly started PALETA, which puts together healthy meals, cleanses, and juices for those on-the-go, in her very own kitchen after graduating from Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Program.

“I had put on a few pounds with all the classical French cuisine and wanted to apply the cooking techniques I learned to create more healthful dishes … just for myself,” says Kelly. But once her friends tried her recipes, they couldn't get enough. They started asking her to make meals for them regularly and in a short time, Kelly racked up many referrals. Before she knew it, her passion project became her life’s calling.  

PALETA has expanded and is California’s first-ever certified green kitchen, using only the best natural, local, and organic products available. The vegetables and fruits change according to season, and all the meats and fish are wild-caught or sustainably farmed and free of antibiotics and hormones. Chef Kelly’s mission is simple: change the way you eat—to change the way you feel—to change the way you live!

And no one understands the importance of health more than Kelly. At age 21, she was diagnosed with a rare advanced form of ovarian cancer. With the help of radical treatments and the support of family and loved ones, she beat it—and it has forever changed her outlook on life. Now she’s an avid exerciser and takes responsibility for eating healthfully. If you ever get to meet Chef Kelly, you’d immediately notice her vitality and caring nature. But to really know her is to try one of her delicious dishes. Her passion and love are evident in everything from the presentation of the food down to the very last bite; it’s perfection for the senses. “The deep satisfaction I get when my client’s lives are improved through a healthier lifestyle is nurturing. I am only grateful,” she says. Here, she shares two fall recipes. 

Gluten-Free Seasonal Autumn Fruit Crisp

Ingredients:

4 cups blackberries
2 large pears, sliced with skins left on
1 lemon (juice and zest)
4 tsp palm sugar
3 Tbsp gluten-free flour
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp sea salt
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp olive oil or Butter
Optional garnish: Greek yogurt

Directions:

1: Preheat oven to 350° F. Using a paper towel, spread an 8×8" baking dish with olive oil or Earth Balance vegan "butter."

2: In a bowl, combine fruit, lemon juice, and zest, half the palm sugar, and half the flour. Toss well and set aside.

3: In a separate bowl, combine remaining flour and sugar, oats, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. Mix well to combine.

4: Pour fruit mixture into prepared dish and sprinkle evenly with topping.

5: Bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbly.

6: Serve warm topped with a tablespoon of yogurt per serving and dust with cinnamon.

Notes on ingredients: healthier options for sugar include unrefined raw, date palm, and turbinado sugars. Leave the skins on fruit for added fiber. Always try to choose organic, unprocessed ingredients whenever possible. Use seasonal fruit like apples and pears during winter months. We also love Greek yogurt for its high content of hunger-reducing protein.

PALETA Roasted Vegetable Three Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 red bell peppers (1/2" chop) seeds removed  
4 garlic cloves, roasted and smashed
2 cups (1/2" cubes) peeled pumpkin or butternut squash
1 medium to large sweet onion  (1/2-inch chop)
3 medium peeled carrots (1/2 inch slices)  
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp salt (or even less!)
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 (16 oz) box organic vegetable broth  
2 bay leaves  
1 (28 oz) can chopped tomatoes  
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained  
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained  
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained  
optional garnish: ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions, leeks, or corn kernels 

Directions:

1: Preheat oven to 425° F.

2: Combine the first 11 ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and lightly toss.

3: Line a baking sheet with foil and spread the ingredients evenly across the pan; roast for 15 minutes or until just barely fork tender and lightly caramelized. When done, smash the roasted garlic between two spoons.

4: While the ingredients are roasting in the oven, add the remaining ingredients to a medium-sized stockpot and bring to a low simmer.

5: Add the roasted vegetables and smashed garlic to the stockpot and simmer for an additional 20 minutes to blend all the flavors; stir occasionally. Remove the bay leaves.

6: Ladle into your favorite soup bowl and garnish with sliced scallions.  

Chef Kelly's tips: Serve with crusty whole grain bread or over brown rice for a warm, heart-healthy meal that looks, smells and tastes like fall! And, don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients … this soup will take no time at all! Do your best to use organic ingredients whenever possible.

Kit Rich is Los Angeles-based fitness trainer with endless exercise and nutritional know-how. Hollywood's hottest stars are addicted to Kit's unique, multi-disciplined approach that combines cardio, yoga, Pilates, and weight training. Kit's clients are immediately taken by her funny and honest approach to health and fitness. She treats her clients as she treats herself, "with a hard challenge, sensibility, sensitively, and a good laugh." Follow Kit on Twitter @kitrichfitness.