It's fall! My absolute favorite season! I love everything about fall: the brisk and energizing weather and the leaves turning into gorgeous hues of crimson, mustard, and burnt orange. And of course, I am in love with fall harvest foods and fall flavors. It’s pumpkin season, ya’ll. I’m so into it. Plus, after a hot summer, baking and cooking feel so nurturing, healing, grounding, fun, cozy, and makes me oh-so-happy!
Do you have a favorite fall dish?
If you follow me on Instagram you know that I am obsessed with trying new pumpkin bread recipes (gluten/grain/dairy free) and many other recipes with pumpkin in it. I’m excited to share 5 yummy pumpkin-based recipes with you.
1) Easy Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients:
2 ½ cans unsweetened pumpkin purée
1 can full-fat additive free coconut milk
1.5 cups chicken bone broth, I suggest Kettle & Fire brand if you don't make your own (you can also use veggie broth)
1 cup apple cider
3 shallots, thinly sliced (or 1 small yellow onion, diced)
4 large garlic cloves, sliced
1.5 tsp ginger, or to taste
1 tsp curry powder, or to taste
½ tsp cumin powder, or to taste
A few dashes allspice
1 Tbsp avocado oil, olive oil, or coconut oil
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
How to:
In a well-heated sauté skillet, add oil. Sauté shallot and garlic until fragrant about 3 minutes. Season with a few pinches of salt. Set aside.Add all the other ingredients to a medium sized pot.With an immersion blender, blend until smooth and creamy. It’s a thick soup, which I love. But you can adjust the liquids to your liking, adding more broth or apple cider. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender and transfer back to the pot. Alternatively, you can dice the shallots and garlic into tiny pieces and blend with a spoon.Bring to a simmer, stirring often.Serve hot, warm, or slightly chilled. Enjoy!
Keeps in the fridge for up to a week. If stored in the freezer (up to a few months), defrost overnight and reheat over the stovetop.
2) Pumpkin Kiss Cookie
So easy and so delicious! I love these straight from the fridge. Made with medjool dates, almond flour/meal, unsweetened pumpkin purée, unsweetened coconut flakes, eggs, & spices. I doubled the recipe and used 85% dark chocolate. Full recipe & instructions here.
3) Creamy Cauliflower Pumpkin Risotto
Ingredients (makes a lot!):
2 bags Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Rice (32 oz)
2 Tbsp coconut oil
6 cloves garlic, diced
1 can full fat additive-free coconut milk
1 can unsweetened pumpkin purée
2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast, or more if you like
1 Tbsp ground turmeric
1/4-1/2 cup collagen peptides (or 2-4 tsp arrowroot starch) to thicken
Fresh black pepper to taste
How to:
Melt coconut oil in large pot and add garlic. Sauté for a few minutes then add cauliflower rice. Cook/stir for about 5 minutes. Add all the other ingredients and then bring to boil for about 3 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until desired consistency.
Enjoy as a side dish and/or top with sautéed greens, eggs, sausage, etc. Keeps in the fridge for about 5 days.
4) Pumpkin Pie Bars
These yummy bars are made with unsweetened sunbutter. Next time I'll use 1 cup pumpkin purée (instead of 3/4 cup) that the recipe called for.
5) Pumpkin Sunbutter Cups
Who doesn’t love a nut butter cup? This is a delicious and healthy alternative to Reece’s. The recipe calls for peanut butter but I used unsweetened sunbutter and you can use any nut or seed butter you like. Only 6 ingredients: dark chocolate (I used 85%), unsweetened nut/seed, unsweetened pumpkin purée, maple syrup, vanilla extract, & pumpkin pie spice. I doubled the recipe. I'm keeping these in the freezer so I don’t gobble them up right away!
As you can see, these recipes call for canned pumpkin. Please make sure to choose 100% canned pumpkin without salt or any additives (not “pumpkin” or “pumpkin pie mix”), ideally organic. Canned pumpkin is convenient and is a healthy alternative for tons of recipes if you’re short on time and/or don't want to purée your own. I’m a real foods advocate and fresh foods generally have a higher nutrient content than canned foods. However, both fresh and canned pumpkin are packed with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, all of which have a plethora of health benefits,. Here are just a few:
* Pumpkin is a very rich source of beta-carotene, which is a carotenoid (an antioxidant) that your body converts into Vitamin A (important for eye health, night vision, and skin health); it enhances your immune system and is an anti-inflammatory agent
* Pumpkin is high in fiber, which is needed for healthy digestion and bowel health
* Pumpkin is high in vitamins A and C, which can help boost your immune system
* It’s a good source of potassium and magnesium, which help with muscle function
I hope you are enjoying fall!
Love,
Alyssa