Recipes to Make This Fall!

It’s officially fall!

Which means all new fruits & veggies are in season: apples, pears, pumpkin, acorn squash, delicata squash, spaghetti squash, root veggies, and so much more.

Take advantage of fall produce and try these easy recipes:

Sweet Potato & Warm Tahini Kale Salad

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, diced

1 head of kale, chopped

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup tahini

Juice of ½ lemon

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Dice the sweet potato and coat in a little olive oil and black pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes, then turn pieces over and roast for another 15-20 minutes until potatoes are evenly crispy and cooked to desired tenderness.

2. Meanwhile, prep the kale. Place into a bowl and massage with juice of ½ lemon. Heat a pan on low heat and add the kale slowly to the pan (not all of the kale needs to be in the pan at once). Cook the kale so that it is warm and tender but not crispy, a little over a minute per batch.

3. Mix tahini, cumin, and chili powder. When sweet potatoes are done, top over the kale and add the pumpkin seeds. Then add the tahini dressing and coat well. Serve with protein of choice or eat as is.

Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

1 large acorn squash or 2 small acorn squash, halved & seeds scooped out

5 tbsp olive oil, divided

Salt & pepper

½ cup uncooked quinoa

1 cup celery, chopped

½ cup pistachios, chopped

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half and remove the seeds. Drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil on the squash and rub to coat the inside and outside evenly. Season the inside of the squash with salt & pepper. Then with a fork, poke holes in the skin side of the squash. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and place squash face down (skin side up) and bake for 30 minutes or until the inside of the squash is fork tender.

2. Meanwhile, boil quinoa according to package instructions. Chop celery and pistachios, and when quinoa is done mix into a bowl with the celery and pistachios. Mix 3 tbsp olive oil with 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and pour half the mixture into the quinoa salad. Mix well and add more to taste.

3. When the squash is finished, scoop quinoa salad into the center hole and serve.

4. This recipe makes a great plant-based dinner, or you can serve it with your favorite protein on the side/mixed into the quinoa salad.

Loaded Ground Turkey & Veggie Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

2 tsp olive oil

2 carrots, cut evenly

1 cup chopped celery

1 leek, chopped

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, sliced thin

1-2 cups diced baby potatoes

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 cup chopped kale

Juice of ½ lemon

Pinch of salt & pepper

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, brown the ground turkey. Using your spatula, break it into fine chunks. When done, set aside.

2. Saute carrots, celery and the leek in olive oil until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add a pinch of salt. Add in thyme, red pepper flakes and black pepper and stir well. Then add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes more. 

3. Add the cooked ground turkey back to the pot along with the diced potatoes. Then pour in chicken stock and water and bring to a simmer. Add the bay leaf, then cover the soup and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and cooked through.

4. Remove the bay leaf before adding the kale. Maintain a simmer until the kale reaches desired wilt, then squeeze lemon juice for the final touch.

Roasted Carrot & Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, diced

1 lb large carrots, peeled and diced

1 yellow onion, sliced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp cumin

Salt & pepper to taste

1-2 cups low sodium vegetable broth

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Toss them in a large bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper & cumin. Place veggies on a large baking sheet and roast for 30-45 minutes or until squash and carrots are both fork tender.

2. Transfer veggies to a food processor and blend, or transfer to a pot and, using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Add 1-2 cups of veggie broth (depending on desired thickness) and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes before serving and enjoy.

Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

1 bag brussels sprouts, halved

1-2 tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp black pepper

1 tsp balsamic glaze, plus more to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Meanwhile, halve your brussels sprouts, making sure to cut off the stems and peel off any rotting leaves. Toss sprouts with olive oil and black pepper, then place on a baking sheet flat side down.

2. Bake the sprouts for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through (you’ll only need 18-20 for small sprouts). You’ll want the sprouts to be tender and slightly crispy on the outside, not soggy.

3. When the sprouts are done, transfer to a heat-safe bowl and toss with balsamic glaze. Start with a very small amount of glaze, then add more if you need to. Serve & enjoy.

Veggie Chili

Ingredients:

2 bell peppers, chopped

1 small or medium zucchini, chopped

12 oz button mushrooms, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can corn

2 cans diced tomatoes (no salt added)

2 cans black beans & 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp oregano

1 bay leaf

2 cups low sodium veggie broth

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, saute the veggies in olive oil until tender.

2. Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, paprika and oregano. Stir, cook for a minute, and then add the diced tomatoes, beans, veggie broth, and bay leaf.

3. Bring the chili to a simmer and simmer covered for 30 minutes.

4. Remove the bay leaf when done and serve with chopped fresh herbs or avocado on top.

Simple Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and diced into even pieces

1 tbsp olive oil (+ more if needed)

Salt & pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with tin foil.

2. Peel the squash, then cut in half. Use a spoon to remove the seeds. Dice the squash into even pieces to allow for even cooking.

3. In a bowl, toss the squash with olive oil, salt & pepper. Lay flat on the baking sheet so that each piece touches the baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes or until the squash is tender and slightly browned.

And try out these dessert recipes full of nourishing ingredients that will satisfy your sweet tooth:

Apple Crumble

Ingredients:

4 small apples, sliced

1 cup almond flour

1 cup oats

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup coconut sugar

½ cup melted grass-fed butter

½ tsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Mix almond flour, oats, vanilla, sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.

3. Lay apples in a cast iron skillet and top with the almond flour mixture. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top of the crisp is browned and the apples are bubbling.

4. Eat plain or serve with vanilla ice cream!

Stewed Apples with Toasted Oats & Cinnamon

Ingredients:

2 apples, diced

1-2 tsp coconut oil

Squeeze of lemon juice

1 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp rolled oats

Instructions:

1. Dice apples and place in a bowl. Add cinnamon and squeeze of lemon juice and mix well. 

2. Heat the coconut oil in a pan and allow to melt before adding the apples. Stew the apples on low heat until they become tender to preference (about 10-20 minutes).

3. When the apples are close to being done, add oats to a separate pan and toast on medium-low heat for a minute or two and allow to become crispy. Serve over apples and enjoy. (Optional extra toppings: plain Greek yogurt, chia/flax seeds, shaved almonds.)

Let us know which recipes you try!

By Jessica Kaplan