Fall is officially in full swing!  Like a lot of people, I love the fall season for the boots and booties, scarves, denim and leather jackets, and endless layers.  But I also love the fall for all of the warm and easy recipes that come with it.  It’s the perfect time for warmer food and warm-colored dishes.

 

 

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

-       2 cups of vegetable stock

-       2 cloves of garlic

-       1 carrot

-       1 medium butternut squash (peeled, seeded, diced)

-       sage

-       onion, diced

-       ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk

-       cayenne pepper to taste

-       ground cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

-       salt and pepper to taste

      

Directions: Add everything but the coconut milk to your crockpot and toss to combine.  Cook 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 on high, until the squash is tender and mashes easily with a fork.  Then stir the coconut milk in.  Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.  Flavorful and easy to make!

 

Ground Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

-       1 lb Ground turkey

-       1 Green bell pepper

-       1 chopped onion

-       1 can of black and or kidney beans

-       1 can of crushed tomatoes

-       paprika

-       oregano

-       rosemary

-       cayenne pepper

-       salt and black pepper

-       olive oil

-       Extra healthy ingredient: turmeric

Directions: Add olive oil and throw everything else into the crockpot to cook overnight.  Chili is a great fall and winter dish because it’s easy and filling!  You can even add some frozen or fresh veggies to make it a little greener.  Store in an air tight container in the fridge to keep it as fresh as possible, and pair it with rice and/or a fall vegetable like broccoli, Brussel sprouts, or cabbage.

 

Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:

-       Chicken breasts

-       Olive oil

-       Salt and pepper

-       Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce (or Annie’s Organic BBQ Sauce for a healthier option)

-       Wheat buns

Directions: Use olive oil, salt, and pepper to season chicken breasts and put them in the crockpot with some water cook (just enough for them not to stick).  As soon as you remove the chicken from the crockpot, pull the chicken apart!  It’s best to pull the chicken while it’s still hot so that you end up with shredded chicken and not chunks of chicken.  After you pull the chicken, add the bbq sauce and put the chicken on the wheat buns.  Add a vegetable as a side and you’ve got a meal!  The chicken can easily be refrigerated and for a week’s worth of interchangeable lunches and dinners.

 

Stuffed Bell Peppers

This is hands down one of my favorite fall recipes because it's so simple.

Ingredients:

- 5 bell peppers

- 1 lb. of lean meat (chicken, turkey, etc.)

- 1.5 cups of beans

- 1.5 cups of brown rice

- meat or veggie broth

Directions: Rinse and gut your peppers, removing all seeds and the core.  Cook your rice, season your meat with spices and seasonings of your choice, and mix the cooked rice and seasoned meat with beans.  Then stuff the peppers!  Add a little broth to the bottom of the crockpot to give it a little extra flavor and keep the peppers from sticking or burning.  Cook on low for 8 hours.

After visiting the pumpkin patch and carving pumpkins in the fall, you’re often left with the guts of the pumpkin with no idea what to do with it.  Instead of tossing it, consider making roasted pumpkin seeds or pumpkin muffins!  Of course, if you’re not up for using real pumpkin, you can always use canned pumpkin pie filling or canned pumpkin puree.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees and toss your pumpkin seeds in a bowl of melted butter and salt (I like Smart Balance, which is a vegan butter).  Spread the seeds onto a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.  These are a perfect substitute to a typical nut snack like almonds or peanuts.  According to LIVESTRONG, they’re full of protein, fiber, essential fatty acids, they’re low in carbs, they contain a chemical that helps regulate depression stress and anxiety, and the monounsaturated fats found in them can help to keep your metabolism run smoothly and maintain hormone balance.

 

Pumpkin muffins

Ingredients:

-       1 pumpkin, seeded OR 1-2 cans of pumpkin pie filling

-       3 cups of all-purpose flour (find healthy flour substitute)

-       2 cups of sugar

-       2 teaspoons of baking soda

-       ½ teaspoon baking powder

-       cinnamon to taste

-       ground nutmeg to taste

-       1 teaspoon salt

-       2/3 cup vegetable oil

-       3 eggs

 

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your muffin pan with butter (or line with paper liners).  If you’re using fresh pumpkin, you’ll need to remove the seeds and strings and bake the pumpkin (covered) until it’s tender.  Then puree the pumpkin in the blender.  If you’re using pumpkin pie filling, skip to the next step.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups of pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, and eggs.  Stir this mixture into the flour mixture until smooth.  Then scoop batter into your muffin pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, cool, and enjoy.

 

If you try any of these recipes, be sure to let me know in the comments below!  Thanks for journeying with me.