Tag Archives: fall recipes

Five Recipes For Fall

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Fall officially kicked off in my kitchen this year with this clam chowder, which was the most wonderful start, and I’m now looking forward to every bit of the warming and comforting food that goes along with this season. Here are five recipes that are on my fall cooking bucket list! 

Peanut Butter + Jam Baked Oatmeal. Fall=oatmeal time. This peanut butter + jam baked oatmeal is the definition of comforting. This healthy and nourishing recipe will feel so right on cool, fall mornings.

Butternut Squash, Pear + Curry Brown Butter Soup. I love using fruit in savory recipes like this one. Grab some local butternut squash and pears and enjoy a warming and comforting bowl of goodness.

New Sweet Potato + Black Bean Burgers. This remains one of my favorite plant-based burger recipes. These burgers hold together so well and are flavorful, hearty and nourishing. Use local sweet potatoes for these this fall!

Beet Gnocchi. Beet gnocchi may just be my favorite dish ever. And with local beets in the fall – it’s perfect. This recipe is from Food & Wine, and my post shares the process, plus a few minor tweaks I make to the recipe.

Apple Crisp. A favorite fall dessert of mine. This apple crisp is just slightly sweet and is made with almond flour instead of wheat flour.

Happy fall cooking and eating!

Shrimp Chowder with Veggies + Vodka Sauce

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Time for more soup!

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The photos of this soup look very similar to the photos I posted a couple weeks ago of sweet potato + black bean chili.

And while the photos look similar, the taste is completely different. This soup is very special and has been a long time coming to you. 

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I’ve been making this soup for a few years now. It all started after a visit to Greg’s dad and stepmom. His stepmom made us a version of this soup for dinner, and like a lot of things, after one bite, I was in love. 

I asked for the recipe, and Karen wrote it down on an index card for me. Through a couple of moves, I have misplaced the index card, but I have been making and enjoying the soup ever since. 

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Let me tell you how I’ve been making it.

I start with a lot of veggies. I prefer there to be too many veggies over not enough. I use the classic soup combo of garlic, onion, carrot and celery and also add bell peppers. Green bell peppers are excellent in this soup, and in this batch, I added a yellow one as well. 

Next comes shrimp. I suggest using fresh, good quality, large shrimp. It’s hard to choose a “star” of this soup, but it may just be the shrimp. The shrimp make this soup unique, and having really wonderful shrimp makes it wonderful. I buy fresh shrimp and I peel and devein them myself, but choose whatever you feel comfortable with. 

Vodka sauce. Similar to the shrimp, try not to skimp. Use a good quality jar of vodka sauce. Use a trusted brand, with an ingredient list that is short and recognizable. The best thing, really, would be to make your own, if you’re up for it. I tried homemade vodka sauce once, and it didn’t turn out, so I go the good quality jar route. The vodka sauce in this soup is what makes it so special. To the person eating it, it makes them think, “Just what is that flavor?”

The last element of this soup is broth. If I remember correctly, the original recipe called for beef broth. I don’t usually keep beef broth on hand so I have drifted to using veggie broth for this soup. I love it with veggie broth, but like me, feel free to experiment to find what you love!

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This soup is: hearty, filling, delicious, warm, a bit spicy and satisfying.

Try adding this recipe to your fall soup rotation, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! 

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Shrimp Chowder with Veggies + Vodka Sauce
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Ingredients
  1. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  2. 1 large yellow onion
  3. 3 medium carrots
  4. 3 celery stalks
  5. 2 bell peppers (I used one green and one yellow)
  6. 1 pound raw peeled + deveined shrimp
  7. 1 jar of good quality vodka sauce
  8. 32 ounces veggie broth
  9. Salt and pepper
  10. Dried oregano
Instructions
  1. Start by prepping all of the veggies. Chop the onion, carrots, celery and peppers to all the same size. Also, cut the peeled and deveined shrimp into bite-sized pieces. I cut each shrimp into three.
  2. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and stir.
  3. Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery and peppers to the pot and stir well to coat in oil. Add a pinch of salt and cook 5-10 minutes, until veggies has softened and slightly browned. Add the raw shrimp to the pot and stir. Let cook about 2 minutes, or until the shrimp just begin to turn pink.
  4. Add the vodka sauce and veggie broth to the pot. Stir, and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and let soup simmer for 10-20 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked completely through and veggies are tender.
  5. Season the soup with salt, pepper and dried oregano, to taste.
  6. Enjoy!
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/

Pumpkin Lasagna with Red Sauce, Broccoli + Kale

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Lasagna. One of the best meals ever, I think.

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The best for the person who eats it and for the person who makes it. 

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For the one who eats it: delicious, fulfilling, comforting, all around good.

For the one who makes it: fun, room for creativity, room for error, fulfilling, comforting, all around good. 

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Over the years, I’ve made so many versions of lasagna, I’ve lost track. It’s one of those things that if you know the general concept, you don’t really need a recipe. Come up with a flavor combo, figure out how you’ll layer it and you’re set. 

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I recently came up with this flavor combo and just had to share. It’s so good that I made it twice in five days. With just two of us here to eat, that’s a lot of lasagna, but Greg and I agree: lasagna leftovers are the best. 

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Let’s talk about the recipe:

Per usual, this recipe has no meat and is loaded with veggies. I chose broccoli and kale because I thought they’d go wonderfully with the pumpkin. I chose red sauce because although I love white sauce, red sauce is healthier for everyday. I went with a classic ricotta cheese layer. And then the pumpkin layer. I kept it super simple. Pureed pumpkin seasoned with a touch of salt and pepper, some nutmeg and some parmesan cheese. That pumpkin layer is so good.  

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There are several parts to making this lasagna but all are super easy. Once all parts are ready, all you need to do is layer, cover then bake! I love that about lasagna.

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Let me tell you quickly about the noodles I use. I use regular lasagna noodles (not the no-boil kind) and I do not boil them before baking. I have experimented with boiling them before and using the no-boil kind, but my preference is to use the regular and not boil them. It works, but it does take longer to bake. Use whatever noodles you like for this recipe, though!

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It is cloudy and chilly here today and I am thinking lasagna leftovers will be perfect for lunch. I hope this post inspires you to make this dish and to enjoy something warm and comforting for yourself!

Pumpkin Lasagna with Red Sauce, Broccoli + Kale
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For the sauce
  1. Olive oil
  2. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  3. 6 shallots, sliced
  4. 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  5. 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  6. 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  7. 2/3 cup coconut milk (or any milk!)
For the cheese filling
  1. 16 ounces ricotta cheese
  2. 1 egg
  3. 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
  4. 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
  5. Salt and pepper
For the pumpkin filling
  1. 1 1/2 cups or 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
  2. 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  3. Pinch of nutmeg
  4. Salt and pepper
Other
  1. 9 lasagna noodles
  2. ~2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped into small pieces
  3. ~2 large handfuls baby kale
  4. ~1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400*.
  2. Start with the sauce. Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to a pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced garlic and sliced shallots. Cook several minutes, until shallots have softened. Add the balsamic vinegar to the pot, and cook several more minutes, until the vinegar has reduced. Add the crushed tomatoes, brown sugar and coconut milk. Stir, and cook over medium-low heat while you prepare the other things.
  3. For the cheese filling: combine the ricotta, egg, dried basil and oregano in a bowl. Add salt and pepper and stir well. Set aside.
  4. For the pumpkin filling: combine the pumpkin puree, parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir together well. Set aside.
  5. I used a 9x13 baking pan. Using a soup ladle, ladle one scoop of sauce onto the bottom of the pan. Place three lasagna noodle on top of the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on the noodles, followed by 1/3 of the pumpkin mixture. Layer 1/2 of the broccoli on top of the pumpkin layer followed by a large handful of baby kale.
  6. Using the soup ladle, ladle another scoop of sauce on top of the veggies, trying to cover all lasagna noodles.
  7. Do another layer of three noodles, ricotta, pumpkin, the last of the veggies and then more sauce.
  8. Finish the layers with three noodles, the rest of the ricotta and pumpkin, the rest of the sauce and then a large covering of parmesan cheese.
  9. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 - 1.5 hours, or until noodles are soft.
Notes
  1. I used regular lasagna noodles and did not cook them before making the lasagna. I always do this and it always works for me, although it does take longer to bake.
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/

Vegan Sweet Potato + Black Bean Chili

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Happy November, everyone!

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This chili definitely matches the weather here. There is a definite chill in the air, making me crave warm, comforting things. 

This chili also matches the colors here. Oranges, reds, yellows. 

This chili + autumn right now = meant to be. 

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Let me tell you about it.

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It is packed with veggies. It’s mildly spicy (you can make it spicier!) and has a hint of sweet. It’s warm, filling and comforting. It’s healthy, gluten free and secretly vegan. 

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I started with my favorite classic base of red onion, garlic, carrots and celery. I added a ton of assorted peppers – some sweet some spicy. Then came the sweet potato and black beans. You just can’t go wrong with that combo. I added some diced tomatoes and some crushed, for texture. There is chili powder, paprika and cumin for smoky, spicy flavor, and some cinnamon for some sweet, curious flavor. You have got to add the cinnamon, you guys. It adds something so special. And, of course, I added baby kale. I told you I’ve been adding it to everything lately. I finished the chili off with a touch of coconut milk. The coconut milk makes it so creamy and keeps it completely vegan!

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Now let’s talk about how to make it your own! Use as many and whatever variety of peppers that you please. Want to keep this chili on the mild side? Use all sweet peppers. Want a major kick? Load it up with spicy peppers! The spices. I used chili powder, paprika and cumin, which is a pretty good combo, but go with the amounts that you like. Start with a little and add more as you go and taste. You can always add more spice but you cant take it away (I learned this the hard way with chili once). 

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Make this chili, serve it to someone you love and enjoy this beautiful season! 

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Enjoy! 🙂

Vegan Sweet Potato + Black Bean Chili
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Ingredients
  1. Olive oil
  2. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  3. 1 medium red onion
  4. 2 celery stalks
  5. 2 medium carrots
  6. 1 large sweet potato
  7. 1-2 cups assorted sweet + hot peppers
  8. 1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  9. 1 tablespoon chili powder
  10. 1 teaspoon paprika
  11. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  12. Large pinch of cinnamon
  13. Salt and pepper, to taste
  14. 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
  15. 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  16. 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  17. 1 15-ounce can coconut milk
  18. Several large handfuls of baby kale
Instructions
  1. Start by prepping all of the veggies. Dice the red onion, celery, carrots, sweet potato and peppers to all the same size (mine were relatively small).
  2. Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot. Once hot, add the minced garlic and diced onion and cook for several minutes, until the onion has softened.
  3. Add the celery, carrots and peppers and cook several more minutes, slightly softening the veggies.
  4. Add the sweet potatoes, and again, cook several more minutes to cook veggies.
  5. Add the black beans and chili powder, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper to the pot. Stir well to incorporate the spices.
  6. Add both cans of tomatoes, brown sugar and coconut milk to the pot. Stir well.
  7. Bring the chili to a boil and then cover the pot and reduce heat. Simmer over low heat until sweet potatoes are tender.
  8. Taste the chili along the way and add more seasoning according to your taste.
  9. Before serving, add several handfuls of baby kale and stir, until kale has wilted.
  10. Enjoy!
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/