As October rolls around, the fall season truly feels like its beginning. Lighting the oven and having warm meals is a welcome addition as the days grow colder. Among other foods, October marks the peak season for foods such as apples, beets, blackberries, broccoli, cauliflower, dates, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, gourds, and winter squashes. These hearty options are extremely versatile and are great roasted, in soups, or even transformed to make something totally new from the initial ingredient.
Autumn Soup
This soup is full of carotene in the squash, carrots, and sweet potato. Carotene is a provitamin that is converted into vitamin A by the body. Vitamin A plays a role in eye health, the immune system, and reproduction. One of its more well-known effects is the ability to help prevent night blindness, or other age-related vision problems. There are also recent studies showing that proper intake of vitamin A can help prevent certain types of cancer, but the evidence is unclear. However, eating a healthy amount of vitamin A (900 mcg RAE for cis-males 19-50+ years old, 700 mcg RAE for cis-females 19-50+ years old) can help support your immune function and protect you from various health problems. Be aware that too much of a good thing isn’t always better. Talk to your doctor before starting any vitamin A supplementation as too much vitamin A can lead to vitamin A toxicity. This is not normally a concern unless there is over-supplementation. So, feel free to enjoy recipes like this soup knowing that you are helping your eyes and immune system stay strong.
Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooks: 20 minutes
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
2 ½ cups cubed peeled butternut squash
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 medium carrots, sliced
¼ cup thawed orange juice concentrate
3 cups fat-free milk
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
3 Tbsp reduced fat sour cream
2 Tbsp minced chives
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
Directions
Place squash, sweet potato, and carrots in a steamer basket; place in a large saucepan over 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil; cover and steam for 12-16 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor; add juice concentrate. Cover and process until smooth
Transfer to a large saucepan; stir in the milk, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir over low heat until heated through (do not boil). Top each serving with 1 ½ tsp sour cream, 1 tsp chives, and ½ tsp sesame seeds
See the original recipe here:
Apple Turnovers
Apple turnovers are a fall classic. Apples are high in fiber, phytochemicals, and vitamin C. These are best found in fresh whole apples with the peel. A snack like this apple turnover is delicious but loses many of the health benefits apples provide due to the transformation they undergo while baking. Nevertheless, apple turnovers are a treat we should allow ourselves to indulge in during the fall season when apples are at their best! Don’t forget to bring your fresh apples as a snack to work or class, maybe even pack a little peanut butter to add some protein and flavor to your apple slices.
Preparation: 10 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
13.25 oz puff pastry
3 apples peeled and finely chopped
¼ cup caster sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
1 egg whisked
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F
Put the apples, sugar, and cinnamon into a pan and heat on low until it forms a compote, about 10 minutes
Unroll the puff pastry and cut it into six equal squares
Put 1/6 of the apple mixture into the middle of each square. Fold over the pastry corner to corner, to form a triangle. Use a fork to crimp and seal the pastry edges
Put the turnovers onto a lined baking tray, brush with whisked egg, and cut a small hole in the top of each turnover. Sprinkle over the remaining sugar
Put in the center of the oven and cook for 18-20 minutes until golden on top and they have puffed up. Leave to cool on a rack.
See the original recipe here:
Cozy Cauliflower Curry
Not only delicious, but this recipe is also naturally gluten-free and vegan so it makes the perfect dinner for a group of people that have different allergies or intolerances to both gluten or dairy. It also will please all your vegetarian and vegan friends and those who eat meat won’t even miss having meat. The star of this meal other than the flavors is the garam masala. Garam masala is a spice mix originating in India that consists of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and sometimes coriander and cumin. All of these have functional properties that help with different parts of the body's function. For example, cardamom can be used to aid digestion and prevent nausea and vomiting. This link to a peer-reviewed article discusses many of the spices in this recipe, their origin, their active property, and their use in medicine. https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/77299 Many of these spices have been used since ancient days to help heal different ailments. Now we are able to see that they are some scientific evidence backing up these properties. This dish is delicious and functional, creating a delicious and healing combination to help energize you for your day.
Preparation time: 20 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes
Makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large white or yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
1 (15 oz) can of fire-roasted tomatoes with juices
1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can of coconut milk
1 head of cauliflower cut into bite-size florets
3 stalks of fresh kale, roughly chopped and stems discarded
Sea salt and black pepper
Chopped cilantro for garnish
Directions
Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 more minutes, stirring occasionally until fragrant. Add the spices (curry powder, garam masala, cinnamon, and ginge) and sauté for 1 more minute, frequently stirring, until fragrant
Add in the vegetable stock and diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Using an immersion blender purée the soup until completely smooth. Or place into a blender if no immersion blender is available and then transfer back to the pot.
Stir in the coconut milk, chickpeas, and cauliflower until combined. Continue cooking until the broth reaches a simmer (try to avoid boiling the broth). Then reduce heat to medium-low and maintain the simmer until the cauliflower is tender
Stir in the kale and cook for 2 more minutes, until the kale has softened. Give the curry a taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed
Serve warm over brown rice or quinoa, garnished with lots of fresh cilantro.
See the original recipe here:
Peanut Butter Stuffed Dates
Dates are a staple in middle eastern culture. They are also full of selenium, copper, potassium, and magnesium. Not only do they provide you with a great source of minerals, but they are also high in antioxidants, vitamins B and C, and dietary fiber. It’s a great snack option to keep you full on the go! These peanut butter stuffed dates are easy to make and great to pack as a snack for anyone in your family and they taste almost like dessert!
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Makes 6 dates
Ingredients
6 Mejool dates
6 tsp peanut butter
Optional toppings
Directions
Remove the pits from the dates, make sure to keep one side of the date intact.
Add 1 tsp of peanut butter to each date
Add toppings if desired. Toppings can include a dash of cinnamon, melted dark chocolate, or rushed nuts
See the original recipe here:
Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
This is a hearty meal that can feed a whole family. Full of different colors and phytochemicals, this meal is well rounded and has tons of different nutrients working to help fuel your body and mind.
Preparation time: 10 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
1 small Butternut Squash, about 3 cups, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 cup Quinoa
2 cups Chicken Stock, Or vegetable stock (low sodium)
1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
1/3 cup Chopped Italian Parsley
1/3 cup Thinly Sliced Scallions
1/2 cup Roasted Salted Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 cup Feta Cheese
1/2 cup Fresh Pomegranate Seeds
Salt and Pepper
Pomegranate Molasses or balsamic glaze
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Place the butternut squash on the baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the quinoa to the pan and toast for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the chicken or vegetable stock and a generous pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and cover the pan; cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid. Take the pan off the heat and allow the quinoa to rest for 5 minutes covered — fluff with a fork.
Transfer the quinoa to a large serving bowl. Gently fold in butternut squash, cranberries, parsley, scallions, pumpkin seeds, feta cheese, and pomegranate seeds. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the mixture with the pomegranate molasses.
See the original recipe here: