Roast Acorn Squash with Tahini Maple Sauce

Here is a perfect, cozy fall recipe! This simple tahini maple sauce adds just the right amount of sweetness to a roasted squash. Feel free to use other squash varieties with this recipe, like delicata or kabocha. This would be an excellent side dish to serve at your Thanksgiving dinner or just as a simple side dish for any fall dinner. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 acorn squash

• 1-2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp fresh thyme

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

• 3 tbsp tahini

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• Juice from ½ lemon

• Salt to taste

• 3 tbsp water

Directions:

• Cut squash in half, remove seeds, cut in wedges

• Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme and roast in the oven at 425 for 45-50 minutes (flipping halfway)

• Combine all ingredients for sauce in a bowl and whisk until smooth

• Once squash is cooked, drizzle with the sauce and enjoy!

• Optional (but highly recommended): sprinkle some cinnamon on top before serving

Simple Roasted Tomatoes

Roasted tomatoes served with goat cheese as a side, paired with salmon with chimichurri and green beans

Tomatoes are so amazing right now. I’ve been obsessed with the cherry tomatoes that are a deep red in color and are so sweet when they burst in your mouth. Tomatoes are known for their antioxidants, which have anti-inflammatory properties. They are also an excellent source of vitamin C, which helps to boost our immune system! I think it’s best to keep it simple when cooking with tomatoes when they are ripe and in season. 

So this recipe is pretty straightforward and simple, but incredibly delicious! You can enjoy the roasted tomatoes as an easy side dish, top them with goat cheese (my favorite) or top a slice of whole grain bread with them! Whatever you decide, you won’t be disappointed!

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

• 2 pints of cherry tomatoes

• 6 cloves of garlic, smashed or minced

• 4 sprigs of thyme

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

• Toss the tomatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and thyme

• Bake on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes, or until tomatoes are beginning to burst

Sweet Potato Toasts with Crispy Mushrooms and Tahini

Keeping in theme with the Ingredient of the Week (sweet potatoes), I made these super easy and tasty sweet potato toasts with crispy mushrooms and tahini! What’s better than a 3-ingredient meal? I’ll make two of these and a side salad for a fresh, flavorful, and colorful lunch!

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato, sliced into ¼ inch slices, lengthwise

• 12 ounces of mushrooms, sliced

• 3-4 tbsp. avocado oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Tahini and sea salt to top

• 1 tbsp. fresh thyme (optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees

• Coat with half of the avocado oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper

• Place on baking sheet and place in the oven

• After 12 minutes, flip the “toasts”

• Roast for 12 more minutes or until browned and the flesh is soft when touched with a fork

• As “toasts” are in the oven, cook the mushrooms over medium-high heat with the remainder of the avocado oil and a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. Add in thyme if using too. Stir frequently until the mushrooms are cooked and crispy (about 8-10 minutes)

• Once the “toasts” are out of the oven, top them with mushrooms, and drizzle tahini on top. Finish with a pinch of sea salt.

Mushroom and Thyme Quinoa

By adding together the mushrooms, broth, and thyme, this will take your quinoa dish to the next level! It requires only a handful of ingredients, but the taste is rich and satisfying. When cooked, mushrooms embody an umami, savory flavor as well as a hearty, meaty texture. Because of the added mushrooms in this dish, it will fill you up and keep you satisfied. I also love serving this with roasted chicken, making sure to spoon the juices from the chicken right on top!

Ingredients 

(serves 4 as a side)

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

• 2 ½ cups chicken (or vegetable) broth

• 1 pound of assorted mushrooms, like shitake and crimini, thinly sliced

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves and 4 sprigs of thyme

• 1 tbsp grass fed butter or ghee

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Add the quinoa, 2 cups of chicken broth, and 4 sprigs of thyme to a pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until quinoa is cooked, about 12-15 minutes. Remove thyme stems and set aside.

• While quinoa cooks, heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, a heavy pinch of salt, and chopped thyme. Toss and stir. After five minutes, add in ½ cup of chicken broth. Saute until mushrooms are cooked and tender, about ten more minutes. 

• Add mushrooms (and all of the cooking liquid) and quinoa in a large serving bowl. Toss to combine and serve.

Health Benefits of Mushrooms:

Served with juicy chicken and a seasonal salad

• Mushrooms contain compounds that are antimicrobial and antiviral, making them powerful immune system boosters

• They are a great source of B vitamins, which help support adrenal function and turn nutrients from food into usable energy 

• Mushrooms are one of the few food sources with vitamin D, which helps us to absorb calcium and strengthen bones

• Certain mushrooms, like reishi, are adaptogens, and help reduce levels of cortisol, which can help alleviate stress and anxiety

• They contain anit-cancer compounds that help protect against oxidative stress and prevent tumor formation

Sources and additional reading:

• https://foodrevolution.org/blog/health-benefits-of-mushrooms/

• https://grocycle.com/health-benefits-of-mushrooms/

• https://draxe.com/nutrition/mushroom-nutrition-benefits/

Quinoa and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

I love cooking with acorn squash. Not only do they taste great, but they are so versatile and easy to work with. You can simply chop them into chunks and roast them in the oven with salt and pepper, but my favorite way to prepare them is by stuffing them with a flavorful combination of whole grains and veggies. I probably make some version of stuffed squash (I love trying heirloom varieties, like Thelma Sanders squash and Carnival squash, that I find at local farmers markets too) every other week in the fall. It’s such a warming and comforting dish that feels sophisticated, yet is not labor intensive. Stuffed acorn squash can be a hearty vegetarian main course, or you can easily add some ground turkey or chicken sausage if you feel like you need a little meat.

Ingredients:

A chicken sausage brand I recommend

• 2 acorn squash

• ½ cup quinoa, dry

• 4 chicken sausages, chopped into ¼ inch pieces (omit for vegetarians)

• 1 shallot, chopped finely

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

• 2 apples, diced

• 1 cup vegetable broth

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preparing the squash

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

• Prepare the acorn squash by trimming the ends to make them flat. Then cut them in half horizontally and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt. Place them on a baking sheet with the cut sides facing down. Bake until they are easily pierced with a fork, about 35-40 minutes. 

• Meanwhile, cook the quinoa. Rinse the quinoa and then place it in a small pot with 1 cup of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, and then simmer (covered) until all the broth has been absorbed, about 12-15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, and fluff the quinoa with a fork. 

• In a medium/large skillet, cook the chicken sausages over medium heat until starting to brown, about 5-7 minutes. Remove them from the skillet and set aside.

• Add olive oil to the skillet along with shallots and a sprinkling of salt. Cook, stirring every so often, until shallot begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic, sage, and rosemary and cook for about a minute, or until fragrant. Add in apple pieces and cook until starting to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add a splash of vegetable broth to help the apples soften. 

• In a mixing bowl, add the skillet ingredients, cooked quinoa, and chicken sausages. Stir to combine. Taste and add additional olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. I personally like to add a small amount of additional chopped rosemary and thyme.

• Remove the cooked squash halves from the oven and stuff them with the quinoa mixture, and serve.

Tip: You can easily tweak this recipe and make it your own! For example, add in mushrooms and/or top with toasted pumpkin seeds and goat cheese.

Another tip! Make double the amount of stuffing and enjoy as a quinoa bowl for lunch the next day with some sautéed greens.

Health Benefits of Acorn Squash:

• Acorn squash is an excellent source of vitamin C, which boosts immune function and helps to reduce inflammation

• They are rich in potassium, which helps maintain balanced blood pressure levels and regulates fluid balance in cells and tissues

• They are a high-fiber food, which supports regularity, healthy digestion, and the absorption of nutrients from food.

• Acorn squash is a great source of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in our body, and helps eliminate free radicals and improve eye health

Sources and Additional Reading:

• https://draxe.com/nutrition/acorn-squash-nutrition/

• https://servingjoy.com/health-benefits-of-acorn-squash/

• https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/acorn-squash.html

Pork Chops over Roasted Apples, Sweet Potatoes, and Brussel Sprouts

I made this the other night as the wind was picking up and the temperature was dropping. It is the perfect fall dinner recipe as it features so many delicious seasonal ingredients. It’s comforting, hearty, and incredibly flavorful. Apple sauce is frequently paired with pork chops, and in this recipe, the sweetness from the roasted apples balance out the savory flavors from the meat and other vegetables. You can swap the veggies around, like substitute butternut squash for sweet potatoes and add in some red onion wedges. Enjoy!

Make sure to generously salt the pork chops while bringing them to room temperature

Ingredients

(serves 2) 

For the Pork:

• 2 bone in pork chops

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil

• Salt and fresh ground black pepper

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 rosemary sprig

• ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth

For the Roast Veggies:

The seared pork chops

• 1 large sweet potato, cut into ¾ in. cubes

• 1 ½ cups of Brussel sprouts, quartered

• 2 medium sized apples, cut into ¾ in. cubes

• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

• 2 tbsp avocado oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees

• Pat pork dry with paper towels and then season generously with salt. Let come to room temperature. Just before cooking, pat dry with a paper towel.

• In a large mixing bowl, combine sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts, apples, rosemary, thyme, avocado oil, salt and pepper. Spread veggies on a large baking sheet and roast for about 50 minutes or until browned and crisp. 

• While veggies roast, heat the avocado oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Once very hot, add the pork and sear on both sides (about 2-3 minutes a side). 

• Transfer pork to the oven and roast for 7-10 minutes or until an internal thermometer reads between 145 and 150 degrees F.

• Remove pork from skillet and let rest for about 10 minutes

• Place the skillet (with pork juices) over medium heat, add broth, garlic and rosemary sprig until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

• Slice the pork, and serve over roasted vegetables. Spoon sauce on top. 

Before roasting….

After roasting…