5 meals i’m slowing down & savoring this autumn
One of many things I love about autumn is the food. 'Tis the season for warm spices, unique flavor combinations, roasting, baking, slurping with a spoon... There's nothing better than a comforting autumn meal. Here are five of my go-to's, all laid out for ya below.
creamy tomato soup and garlicky grilled cheese
I could eat soup every day for the rest of my life. Lately, creamy tomato soups are all I can think about. This recipe is a combination of recipes I've found over the months and I think it fits my lifestyle really well because it's easy, convenient, and customizable. As the only soup lover in the house, I can batch make this for myself in no time.
ingredients:
- 4 large tomatoes
- 1 large white or sweet onion
- 2-4 garlic cloves
- olive oil
- salt + pepper
- 1 cup broth
- 1/2 cup milk
- two slices of sourdough
- 1 garlic clove
- cheese (as much as you prefer)
- 1 tbs. butter
how to make:
- chop tomatoes and onion into fours, and place into a lined deep baking dish along with garlic cloves.
- drizzle everything with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
- bake at 425 degrees f for 25 minutes. everything should have a roasted and slightly caramelized color.
- carefully transfer everything into a large pot. add in broth.
- using a hand blender, blend everything up until very smooth.
- bring to a simmer over medium heat, add in your milk, stir to combine.
- remove from heat.
- to make the garlicky grilled cheese, rub a garlic clove into one side of each slice of sourdough. layer your cheese, close up the sandwich, and place into a pan of melted butter over medium-low heat. toast on each side and remove from heat once cheese has just melted.
enjoy!
spicy peanut noodles with crispy tofu and bok choy
This has been a weekly go-to meal for years! All of the components are doing their thing at the same time, so after you do your initial prep, you can get this made in less than thirty minutes. We love creamy, savory, spicy sauces, and this peanut sauce hits the spot. A bowl of noodles might be my love language.
ingredients:
- one block of super firm tofu
- 2 tbs. poultry seasoning (or your favorite all-purpose seasoning)
- one package of noodles
- 2-4 bok choy heads
- 2 tbs. soy sauce (or liquid aminos, coconut aminos, etc.)
- 2 tbs. mirin
- 1 tbs. sriracha (or gochujang)
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tbs. peanut butter
- water as needed
- chopped scallions, for garnish
how to make:
- slice tofu into even cubes and gently toss with poultry seasoning.
- lay on a lined baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees f for 25-35 minutes, until crispy.
- while the tofu bakes, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
- cook your noodles according to the package instructions.
- while the noodles are cooking, chop bok choy into large bite-sized pieces.
- when there is one minute left on your noodles, throw the bok choy into the water where the noodles are cooking. once the time is up, you'll drain the noodles and bok choy together.
- prepare the sauce: soy sauce, mirin, sriracha, garlic powder, and peanut butter. you can use water to thin this out to your preference.
- layer your bowl: noodles and bok choy down first, then sauce, toss to coat. top with crispy tofu. garnish with scallion.
enjoy!
warm farro salad with cinnamon roasted squash and crumbled feta
Who says salads have to disappear in the cold seasons? I actually prefer warm salads over cold, because they're a little heartier from the addition of grains. And I personally like the variety, uniqueness, and flavor combinations from fall and winter produce. This is another super easy one!
ingredients:
- 1 cup chopped greens (I like arugula or iceberg lettuce)
- 1 cup cooked farro
- one small butternut squash
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- olive oil
- salt + pepper
- feta
- (optional) maple dijon dressing: maple syrup, dijon mustard, olive oil, salt, pepper, water as needed
how to make:
- dice butternut squash into one-inch cubes, toss in a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. layer on a lined baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees f for 40 minutes.
- you can prepare the other ingredients in the meanwhile!
- to assemble: greens go down first, then the farro. top with roasted butternut squash and crumbled feta (as much as you like).
- if you like dressing, you can whisk up the maple dijon dressing using equal parts maple syrup, mustard, and olive oil. season with salt and pepper, and thin out to your preference using water.
enjoy!
apple cider donuts and coffee
There's something immensely joyful about a 3pm coffee and donut break. It's truly one of life's little joys (for me at least!). I don't have a recipe for this one, but brew your favorite cup of coffee (decaf if you don't drink coffee in the afternoon), and grab yourself a box of apple cider donuts from Whole Foods. They are warmly spiced, not overly sweet, but have that signature crunchy cinnamon sugar exterior with the fluffy interior, and there's a vegan option, too!
enjoy!
pancakes and sausage with chili maple syrup
I made this one as an appetizer for Ian's birthday party. Pancakes and sausage is one of his favorite camping breakfasts, usually because pancakes are easy to make on a tabletop burner and we always have leftover sausages from cooking them on the fire the night before. It's simple, it's comforting, and I threw in a unique chili maple syrup for an extra kick of warmth.
ingredients:
- your favorite pancake mix (I use birch benders)
- ingredients needed for your pancake mix
- your favorite sausage (I use beyond sausages but breakfast sausages would be amazing)
- 2 oz. maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp. chili powder
how to make:
- prepare your pancake batter per package instructions.
- if you prefer stovetop pancakes (the traditional method), make them per usual! I make sheet pan pancakes for convenience. if you'd like to do this, pour your pancake batter into a small greased sheet pan and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
- while the pancakes are cooking, prepare your sausages. you can bake them, grill them, whatever you prefer!
- you can serve this whole with entire pancakes and sausage links on a plate OR you can do what I did and cut bite-sized pieces of the pancakes and sausages, then layer them onto a skewer.
- to make the chili syrup, simply combine the maple syrup and chili powder together.
enjoy!
Which recipe is calling out to ya? Let me know below or on social!
