Greetings Dear Readers!
I am so happy today because its the perfect Fall weather. Its cool and crisp outside but the sun is shining and if you stand in just the right place it will still warm you outside and in.
This is by far my favorite season for cooking. I love to bake apple pie, roast seasonal squashes and root veggies, and of course, I love juicing apples!
Today I'm going to share with you some of my favorite simple recipes for Fall. Try them at home and let me know how it goes. I hope its delicious and FUN!
Roasted Butternut Squash
Ingredients
1 butternut squash
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup Organic Cold Pressed Olive Oil (you can use coconut oil as well)
Cinnamon to taste
Sea Salt
When I found out how simple it was to roast a squash I was blown away. You can certainly get more fancy with this recipe by cutting the squash into different size pieces or shaping them, but if your just chillin' at home and want something sweet and warm and delicious, try this:
Wash one small butternut squash and cut it in half or four.
Remove the seeds from the belly of the squash.
Place both halves (inside face up) on a baking tray.
Preheat the oven to 375 (or 400 depending on climate and your oven)
Chop 2 cloves of garlic fine and mix them into a 1/4 cup of oil. Mix well.
Drizzle or glaze the oil over the squash covering the entire exposed surface
Sprinkle cinnamon and sea salt over the squash to your desired amount
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes then check with a fork.
I like it really soft so I would probably leave my squash in another 15 minutes (40 total). If you like it kind of hard or raw still, you can take it out after 30 minutes. Cut it into pieces and serve! Delicious.
AGAVE APPLE PIE
Here's a healthy take on an apple pie recipe that I have been trying to perfect for a few years now. It includes the use of Agave nectar. Agave nectar's glycemic index and glycemic load are comparable to fructose, which in turn has a much lower glycemic index and glycemic load than table sugar (sucrose).
INGREDIENTS
Place one of the whole grain pie crust in a round baking dish. Wash, peel, core and chop the apples into small chunks. In a large mixing bowl combine the apples, agave nectar, sea salt and cinnamon and stir until blended. Add the rolled oats and wheat flour to the mixture and stir until moist and blended. (you could add more apples or a dash more agave here to keep mixture moist).
Fill in pie dish and cover with the second pie crust. Poke holes in the top crust with a fork to allow it to breathe.
Bake at 350, for 25 minutes. Crust should turn golden brown. Keep your eye on it!
Enjoy! (don't be afraid to add a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt to this dish!)
APPLE, WALNUT & ENDIVE SALAD
(got this recipe from Martha)
Serves 4
- 1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons grainy mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 2 red apples, quartered, cored, and each quarter cut into 8 wedges
- 3 ounces baby arugula, washed and dried (6 cups)
- 1 Belgian endive, leaves separated, washed and dried
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
- 2 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
- In a small skillet over medium heat, toast walnuts, stirring frequently until crisp and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey, shallot, and vinegar until well combined. Whisk in the oil until thick; season with salt and pepper.
- Add apple and arugula; toss to coat. Arrange endive leaves on four serving plates, top with apple mixture and scatter mint, cheese, and walnuts over the top.
Read more at Wholeliving.com: Apple, Walnut, and Endive Salad
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