Topic: Autumn Eats

Autumn Eats: Warm, Roasted Cranberry, Grape and Kale Salad

Think that with Thanksgiving come and gone, the time for cranberry dishes has passed, too? No way. It just means it’s time to take cranberries out of the sugar and sauce and into something a little more sophisticated—like this roasted cranberry, grape and kale salad. Easy, pretty and delicious, it also packs extraordinary nutritional punch (greens, grapes, garlic, berries and nuts with just the slightest bit of olive oil means we’re talking a very healthy and nutrient-hefty dish). More »

Healthy Thanksgiving Recipe: Squash, Apple And Blue Cheese Salad With Lemon-Garlic Dressing

We’ve written here before about how holiday hosts should do guests a favor by offering at least few healthy food options. For Thanksgiving dinner, this could include a salad—but what guests will want to eat some salad when there are potatoes and turkey and cranberry sauce available? All of them, when it’s a salad that looks and tastes this good! Butternut squash slices make this salad unique and give it Thanksgiving flare, while diced Honeycrisp apples provide crunch and sweetness, and blue cheese crumbles a delicious richness. Round things out with chopped walnuts and green onions, then top it off with a creamy, garlicky lemon and olive oil dressing. Your guests might even go for seconds. More »

Autumn Eats: Roasted Chestnuts

Don’t worry—while chestnuts roasting on an open fire might be romantic, your oven will do the job just fine. I first oven-roasted chestnuts two November’s ago, to bring as a side dish for a Thanksgiving potluck. They were so delicious—rich, nutty, savory—I wondered why I’d never considered the nuts before. Though chestnuts are hard-shelled when raw, they take on a soft, potato-like texture when roasted that makes them ideal mashing, using in stuffing, or turning into breads, soups and deserts. But the plain roasted nuts make a good snack or side all by themselves, too. More »

Autumn Eats: Easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Recipe

This time of year, pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin-flavored desserts tend to call my name. Loudly. So in an attempt to stay somewhat healthy when I’m not at an actual holiday dinner, I make this smoothie for myself for breakfast to curb my cravings for a pumpkin/spice/sugar-fest. It contains a good balance of protein and carbohydrates (see: Dr. Natasha Turner‘s advice for avoiding holiday carb cravings), and the only natural sweetener comes from a bit of stevia in my protein powder and a frozen banana. More »

Autumn Eats: Easy Pumpkin Wontons

Are they a desert? An appetizer? I was trying to decide how to classify these savory and sweet pumpkin wontons—filled with a mix of pureed pumpkin, almonds, molasses and fresh rosemary—for you, but you know what? Serve them as whatever you like—a snack, a side, a party hors d’ouevre. I brought a version of these holiday-friendly, vegetarian wontons to my family’s Thanksgiving gathering last year, and though at first folks were skeptical—wontons at Thanksgiving?—after everyone tasted them I got complaints for not bringing more. Best of all for party prep, they require very little hands-on time. You can make the filling in advance (in a food processor), then simply fill and fold the wonton shells and cook for 15 minutes when you’re ready. More »

Autumn Eats: Roasted Apples And Fall Vegetables With Pecans

I am so so into warm apples right now, so I was inspired by this apple-roasted vegetables recipe recently in Washington Post. A big mess of roasted veggies and apples makes a perfect Thanksgiving side, or an easy anytime dinner. The Post recipe uses mushrooms, bell peppers and red onion, but because I am an avid pepper hater, I decided to try my own veggie medley: Carrots, cauliflower, sweet potato, and leeks. The apples and some apple cider vinegar add a much-needed sweetness to the mix, while pecans provide protein and a little pizazz. If you’re looking to dress things up even more, I think throwing in some bread crumbs or adding a little blue cheese on the top would work well, too. More »

Autumn Eats: Beet, Fennel, and Fig Salad with Cranberry-Sage Dressing

Autumn is one of the best seasons for salad: This is the time of year to pile on tons of fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season and different from what you eat the rest of the year. To help you get creative, 10 Speed Press is letting us share this vegan recipe for Beet, Fennel and Fig Salad with Cranberry-Sage Dressing from Joy Pierson‘s Candle 79 Cookbook: Modern Vegan Classics from New York’s Premier Sustainable Restaurant, published by 10 Speed Press: More »

Autumn Eats: Vegan Seitan Piccata From Candle 79

Piccata is one of those comfort foods you might think you have to give up when you go vegan, but no! There is hope! Candle 79, one of New York City’s top vegan restaurants, serves a totally vegan version of this traditional dish, and 10 Speed Press is letting us share the recipe from Joy Pierson‘s Candle 79 Cookbook: Modern Vegan Classics from New York’s Premier Sustainable Restaurant, published by 10 Speed Press and available November 1. More »

Autumn Eats: Vegan Butternut Squash-Chestnut Soup with Caramelized Pears From Candle 79

Earlier this week, we gave you recipes for butternut squash that don’t involve soup. But we still think butternut squash soup is a great Autumn food. Which is why we got you this amazing vegan recipe from Joy Pierson‘s Candle 79 Cookbook: Modern Vegan Classics from New York’s Premier Sustainable Restaurant, published by 10 Speed Press More »

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Autumn Eats: Miso Noodle Soup

Next time you’re feeling crappy, or the weather is cold and wet, try this chicken noodle soup alternative, made with health-promoting miso, garlic and ginger. Miso, a fermented soybean paste, has a rich, salty flavor and is a great source of B12 (which vegans may lack) and zinc, manganese and copper, three important minerals for immune function support. And one serving of miso has two grams of protein for just 25 calories (it’s somewhat high in sodium, though, which is why this recipe uses water instead of stock or broth). The noodles make it seem like a childhood sick-day favorite, but instead of being packed with sodium and preservatives, it’s full of ingredients that can actually help you get over being sick. More »

Autumn Eats: Traditional Chilean Bean Soup

Squash soups are often creamy, pureed appetizers; good, but not enough to fill you up. But this traditional chilean bean soup combines squash with hearty ingredients to make it a fall lunch (or dinner) staple. More »

Autumn Eats: Root Vegetable Fries

This recipe makes good use of nutrient-dense parsnips, rutabagas and other autumn root vegetables that you know are good for you but aren’t quite sure what to do with. It’s adapted from a recipe in my favorite cookbook, Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source, and produces crispy, salty, healthy fries. More »

Autumn Eats: Easy, Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

As the weather gets chillier, I can’t stop thinking about soup (is that weird?). Soup is just about the only thing I want to eat right now—and by soup, I mean homemade soup, because I’d like to avoid the sodium, BPA and blandness of Campbell’s and its ilk, thank you very much. I’d also like to avoid spending copious time in the kitchen, though. The following recipe for creamy tomato basil soup, adapted from a recipe by nutritionist Lauren Talbot, uses vegetable broth and and your favorite brand of tomato pasta sauce as its base, cutting down on both time and the total number of ingredients you need to add. More »

Autumn Eats: Harissa Ravioli With Broccoli And Pepitas from Super Natural Every Day

Autumn heralds the season of pumpkin-filled pastas and meaty sauces. We’re excited for those, too, but we’re even more thrilled to share this harissa ravioli recipe from Heidi Swanson‘s Super Natural Every Day with unusual flavors that still uses some of our favorite fall produce. Full of pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and broccoli and laced with Middle-Eastern spices, this is a pasta dish we don’t think you’ll forget. More »

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