Fall Favs///Foodstuffs
Onward with my week of Autumnal favorites! Today was reaalllllly easy to write because fall is one of my favorite seasons for food.
It's harvest time, and the grocery store and farmer's market is filled with squashes, pumpkins, apples, rutabagas, (and hopefully for you, hard cider).
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| Sweet potatoes |
It's also finally appropriate for me to make chili, and even though we don't eat meat, don't think our chili is weak. It's spicy, flavorful and super thick. (Chili tip: if you want to have really thick chili, use the large cans of tomato sauce as your base instead of water. It holds the heat in better and it gives the chili a TON of flavor)
Other fall favorites include Spaghetti Squash, anything including sweet potatoes, and adding butternut squash to recipes, just because.
Butternut squash is one of those things that I hate making. It's a pain in the ass. But it's also ridiculous to buy the pre-cooked kind at the grocery store because it's about a bajillion dollars more expensive than baking it yourself. So I usually suck it up, peel and gut and bake a couple at a time and then freeze them until I need it for a recipe. I'm usually not one of those women that does that (not that there is anything wrong with it, I'm just pretty apathetic and lazy normally) but butternut squash is nutritious, it's yummy and it can really work for savory or sweet. So it's nice to have on hand.
If you don't know your way around a butternut squash take a gander at this link- Basic Roasted Butternut Squash- Whole or Cubed
They always say just to roast it without peeling...but I have NEVER had luck with that. I always have to peel.
And it's all worth it after that because I have a favorite easy butternut squash recipe for ya right here:
Black bean and Butternut Squash Quesadillas
Serves 2
Gather:
4 tortillas
1 cup of cheddar/mexican style/ or vegan cheese shreds
1 cup of black beans
1 cup of butternut squash, finely cubed and cooked
1 cup of swiss chard or kale
Cilantro/Avocado/Salsa for garnish
Method:
Seriously? If you can't figure it out, we have an issue, but I'll humor you.
Saute the chard/kale and when it's almost done throw in the beans, and pre-cooked squash.
When veggies and beans are all warmed through, remove from heat.
Distribute evenly between two tortillas, adding cheese to both. Place another tortilla on top brush with oil and cook on a skillet until cheese is melty, flipping once to cook both sides.
Cut into fours and use garnish of your choice. (We usually use all three. oink oink)
Enjoy with a bright pinot or some hard cider. I like Crispin's honeycrisp muy mucho)
Eat well! xx
