Roasted Acorn Squash with Herb Dressing

Winter squashe might be one of my favorite things about the fall. Aren't they just so delicious?

You can't ever go wrong with a baked squash of any kind. This recipe here is a simple go-to of mine that takes little preparation and packs a lot of flavor. 

What's best about winter squash varieties is that they are super nutritious. They are high in antioxidants (hence their bright color), contain fiber, and have good amounts of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron.

Squash is meant to be comforting on all levels for this time of year. Get cooking! 

Ingredients

Roasted Acorn Squash:

1 acorn squash

1-2 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted, enough to coat squash

Pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Herb Dressing:

½ cup parsley, finely chopped

½ cup cilantro, finely chopped

¼ cup basil, finely chopped

½ - 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, enough to cover herbs

Juice of ½ lemon

Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Pinch of chili flakes, to taste

Procedure

To cook squash:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Cut squash in half from top to bottom. Scrape out seeds with a spoon and save (you can toast them or blend in smoothies). Cut into ¾-inch thick half moons.
3. Toss squash with coconut oil, sea salt, and black pepper on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Spread out evenly and bake for about 30 minutes, turning at 15 minutes, until squash is soft in the middle.

To make dressing:

1. Place finely chopped herbs in a small bowl.
2. Add olive oil slowly while whisking. Add enough olive oil to cover and create a dressing-like consistency that can be poured.
3. Season with lemon juice, sea salt, black pepper, and chili flakes until you reach desired taste.
4. Serve cooked squash and drizzle herb dressing over it.

Serves 2-3

This recipe was created for Oh My Drifter and photographed by the lovely Micaela. 

Oat & Pear Muffins

I love fall and all it's glory. So much goodness, nourishment, and warmth. I believe in eating with the seasons since what's in season (locally, wherever you live) is naturally what our bodies need. So although you may love your smoothies and raw foods (I sure do), if you're in cold weather, you might benefit more from cooked local and seasonal foods. 

The San Francisco cool weather sure has me wanting starchier and more grounding foods. Like pears, winter squashes, and persimmons. Yum! 

I gotta say that I'm not the best baker, but I've been surprising myself lately as I get more comfortable with it. 

These muffins are the perfect amount of sweet for a morning or afternoon treat. 

Ingredients

1 cup oat flour (ground up gluten-free oats) or almond flour

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of sea salt

2 organic pasture-raised eggs

1/2 cup spring water or almond milk

1/4 cup raw honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ripe pears, diced

Coconut palm sugar, to garnish muffins

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 
2. Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix.
3. Whisk together eggs, spring water or almond milk, raw honey, and vanilla. 
4. Pour egg mixture onto dry ingredients and mix to combine well. Add diced pears and mix again. 
5. Coat muffin molds with coconut oil or organic butter. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into each mold and garnish with a few pinches of coconut palm sugar. 
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into center of muffin. 

Makes 8 muffins. 

Cozy Winter Vegetable Sauté

I just can't get enough butternut squash and sweet potatoes this winter season. Who's with me? I like preparing meals that pack a punch of flavor and don't take hours to make. It's surprisingly easy to do so when using seasonal vegetables, herbs, and spices.

This can be made as an entree, side dish, or snack. You can enjoy with a side of hummus and crackers as a filling meal like I did (pictured below), or with anything else you please.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2-inch piece ginger, minced

3 green onions, sliced

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced

1 1/2 cups oyster mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1 bunch baby bok choy, ends removed

1 Tablespoon coconut aminos - Coconut Secret

Pinch of sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Pinch of dried chili flakes, to taste

Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve

Procedure

1. Heat coconut oil in a large pan. Add garlic, ginger, and green onion and sauté for a few minutes.
2. Add diced butternut squash, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, until tender but not mushy.
3. Add mushrooms, baby bok choy, coconut aminos, and spices.  Cover to cook until greens have wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
4. Serve and garnish with chopped herbs and lemon wedges.

Serves 4-6

Enjoy and share if you try this dish. What's your favorite quick and flavorful meal?

x,

Giovanna

Creamy Pumpkin Curry Soup

Pumpkin everything is going on in my kitchen these days. I love the colors and flavors of fall. Here's one of my favorite creations this season so far. You can use any variety of pumpkin, squash, or carrots as a base for this. They're all delicious.

Ingredients

1 medium sugar pie pumpkin

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

1 onion, sliced

1 clove garlic

4 cups homemade vegetable stock, spring water, or almond milk

1 Tablespoon curry powder

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon Garam masala (optional)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Juice of 1 lemon

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds with a spoon. Don't discard seeds, you can make use of them!
3. Lay the pumpkin halves face down on a baking dish and add a bit of water to cover the bottom of the dish. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until tender. When fully cooked, pumpkin can easily be separated from skin and scooped out with a spoon.
4. Transfer pumpkin to blender, add remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serves 6

Leave me a comment below to share how your fall curry creation came out!

x,

Giovanna

Creamy Carrot-Ginger Soup

'Tis the season for a warm and comforting soup on a cold or rainy night. Vegetables and fruits have their seasons for a reason. When in season, they provide the most nutritional value, most flavor, and are cheaper. During fall and winter seasons, starchy vegetables are at their peak season to provide warmth and antioxidants that help us fight cold and flu symptoms. Starchy vegetables include: all types of squash, yams, beets, and carrots. Other warming foods include: ginger, mustard, garlic, and onion. To get the most out of your food, make sure you eat a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables every week.

This carrot-ginger soup is the easiest creamy soup you will ever make. It's dairy-free, gluten-free, and very anti-inflammatory.

Carrot soup

Ingredients 

1 Tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil

1 medium onion, sliced

4-5 large carrots or 1 bunch of carrots, coarsely chopped

4 cups filtered water or vegetable broth

2-inch piece of ginger root, sliced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Sea salt to taste

Procedure

1.  Heat coconut oil in a medium stock pot. Add sliced onion and pinch of sea salt. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. Add chopped carrots and cook for another 5-8 minutes. Add sliced ginger and water and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes, covered, until carrots are soft.
2. Carefully transfer everything to a blender and blend until smooth (You may have to do this in batches if it doesn't all fit). Tip: Take off plastic part of blender lid and cover with a towel to avoid spilling. Place hand over towel before starting blender.If you leave the cap on, the soup will overflow because it is too hot.Once soup is blended completely, add lemon juice and pinch of sea salt. Taste and adjust as needed. Serve.

Serves 4-6