3 Savory Family Friendly Fall Inspired Recipes

With the crispness of the Autumn air seems to bring a resurgence of inspiration for us to get back into our kitchens. Not only does the lower temperatures offer more inspiration to turn the oven on, and even the stove for that matter, but also the more routined schedule of fall lends a hand. Cooking for me takes the approach of ease, nutrient dense, and flavor packed dishes to get my creativity going, also a hungry son and husband help convince me to cook too.

Shifting into Autumn comes an abundance of new seasonal veggies that helps to inspire me into wanting to try new recipes, and needing to perfect the recipes so I can add them to dishes I can bring to holiday festivities. Here are a few recipes that are not overly complicated, and can be made ahead of time and are freezer friendly if you are trying to meal prep, or make bigger batches while being nutrient dense without cutting down on flavor. 

RECIPE
Butternut Squash & Cheese Crostini

Ready in 50 minutes

Serves 8 people

 Ingredients

• 1 Loaf of Sourdough Bread

• 1 Butternut Squash

• 2 Tablespoons Of Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, Salt 

• 1 Container of Plain Vegan Cream Cheese ( I Used Kite Hill Brand)

• 1 Whole Head of Garlic

• 1 Yellow  Onion

Preparation

1. Preheat Oven to 375 F  Peel, Discard seeds, then Cut Squash into bite sized pieces. Toss pieces in Olive Oil, Salt also Add 1 Tablespoons of Rosemary,Thyme and Oregano, Stir then add seasoned squash to baking tray. 

2. Cut Yellow Onion into bite sized pieces, then Add to baking sheet with Butternut Squash. Then Remove extra skin on Garlic and remove the top off the Garlic. Place Whole Garlic Bulb also on baking tray. 

3. Place Tray in oven Bake around 30 mins until Squash is tender when poked

4. While Baking Squash, Onions and Garlic. Add Cream Cheese to bowl, including Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano and Salt. Place back in the Fridge. Cut up loaf of bread.

5. Remove Cooked Veggies From Oven, let cool for a few mins until cooled enough to handle. Start removing each clove of garlic from its skin, should just squeeze out of skin. Set aside about 5 cloves, Mash rest of cloves making a garlic like paste. Add the mashed cloves to Cream Cheese Mixture. Place mixture back into the fridge. 

6. Place sliced bread onto a baking sheet put into oven, let slices get a light brown color on edges, once to desired color remove from oven and let slices cool.

7. Loosely mash Butternut Squash with onion (chunks are ok) you want the mixture to be able to be scooped onto crostini, taste and add salt to your taste.

8. Layer Cream Cheese on to each Crostini Slice. Next Butternut Squash Mixture on top and ENJOY!

Tips

Sprinkle on top of each Crostini extra Herbs that you might have left over, Chives, or Sea Salt which adds flavor and a bit of polish look. 

RECIPE
Roasted Tomato and Bell Pepper Soup

Ready in 60 minutes

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

• 4 Large Tomatoes

• 2 Red Bell Peppers

• 1 Whole Garlic Bulb

• 1 Yellow Onion

• 1 Cup of Vegetable Broth

• 1 Teaspoons of Smoked Paprika

• 1 Tablespoon of Crushed Red Pepper

• Salt to Taste

• 4-5 Basil Leafs

Preparation

1. Preheat Oven on 375 F  Chop Tomatoes into quarters or large chunks. Next cut Bell Peppers into 1in wide strips, discarding seeds. Next discard extra skin on Garlic bulb, cut top skin off of bulb. 

2. Once chopped place Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, and Garlic on a baking sheet. Drizzle with Olive Oil and Sprinkle with Salt. Place baking sheet in the oven. Bake until tender and roasted on edges.

3. Dice Yellow Onion. Add Onion to Sauté Pan Simmer until Translucent and tender. Place Tomatoes and Bell Pepper into pan, slowly add 1 Cup of Veggie Broth with mixture. Remove skin from Garlic cloves then add to pan. Add All Seasoning to Pan. CAREFULLY!!! Blend ingredients with immersion blender, or CAREFULLY Add ingredients to a normal blender. Blend to desired consistency add season and more Broth if desired.

4. When Serving Soup, Lightly Drizzle on top Olive Oil and Basil Leaves

Tips

This recipe is freezer friendly, great to make ahead or in big batches especially with Tomatoes and Bell Peppers being peak season, making produce cheaper at Farmers Markets and stores.

RECIPE
Super Charged Green Pasta Bake

Ready in 50 minutes

Serves 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 Package of Penne Pasta

• ¼ Cup of Hemp Seed, Sunflower Seeds, Flax, Pumpkin Seeds, Pine Nuts (Sub in your favs)

• ½ Cup of Panko Crumbs

• 2 Tablespoon of Italian Seasoning (sub for whatever you have on hand)

• Zest of 1 Lemon

• 4 Tablespoons of Vegan Butter or Olive Oil

• 4 Tablespoons of Flour

• 1-1 ½ Cups Of Plain Soy Milk

• 4 Cloves of Garlic

• 1 Bunch of Kale, Swiss Chard, Spinach (use what your family prefers, also can mix your greens)

Preparation

1. Preheat Oven to 375 F. Prepare Penne Pasta as recommended on the package, leaving pasta Al Dente. 

2. Next remove Greens from Stem and chop. Crush Garlic set aside.

3. Sauce: Place Butter in pan and melt, slowly sprinkle Flour in, whisking the butter and flour together, as the butter absorbs the flour add a small amount more in until you have used up all you flour, if the ratios seem off you can add a few drop of Olive Oil. Next add Garlic and allow the flour/butter to brown lightly. When mixture has a light brown color add milk SLOWLY. As your pouring small amounts of milk(can sub ½ cup of a dry white wine) in whisk continually and let the mixture absorb the liquid, continue until you have desired sauce consistency. Add seasoning and salt.

4. Add Greens to saucepan, folding in. Heat is off.

5. Next add Cooked pasta to saucepan folding together until well mixed. If the mixture is dry, add a bit of the pasta water until creamy enough. Stir in Lemon Zest

6. In a Food Processor or Blender add Seeds Pulse until mixture is consistent in size. Add Panko pulse until blended together 

7. Add Pasta with Sauce into a baking dish, Add Seed/Panko on top of pasta. Bake for around 20 mins or until Panko is golden brown! Serve and enjoy!

Tips

Options: top with Pine Nuts, Nutritional Yeast.

 This recipe is great to make ahead of time,  just bake when ready to serve. Once baked is a freezer friendly recipe.