Daily Archives: September 30, 2013

Fall Recipes: 9 Easy, Healthy Recipes for Autumn share

Red Lentil & Tamarind one of my fall recipes from Vibrant Wellness Journal

Looking for some simple, delicious fall recipes? We've got your covered!

Tomorrow is the first day of October, and this is an important reminder. Living in Hawaii means that I must use an actual calendar– rather than the changing colors of the deciduous forest or sweet, smoky chill in the air– to remind me that it is, indeed, time to start dishing up fall recipes.

And don't believe the rumors, there ARE seasons here in our sub-tropical islands, but the shift is subtle. But as a chef and nutritionist, that means it's extra important to pay attention to those subtle shifts, because even here in Hawaii we need to adjust our diet to adjust for the cooler weather.

Some of the foods that are typical in fall recipes have their roots in Eastern medicine. As the weather shifts to cooler temperatures,  it's important to bring grounding, warming foods into our diet after a summer of expansive, bright green energy.

It's time to turn down the brightness of summer salads and fresh berries and look for a bit more heft in our foods. Sweet potatoes, pumpkins and squashes are naturally sweet and can bring balance to our systems. Other good foods are mushrooms, dark leafy greens and root vegetables. Beans are also important at this time of year, to keep our bellies full and warm. I've taken a peek at some of my favorite food blogs to share some gorgeous autumn recipes.

All these fall recipes feature typically warm and grounding autumn foods, and I think you will find them all delightful!

9 Easy, Healthy Fall Recipes

1. Red Lentils with Tamarind (above photo) (tamarind is a sticky, savory paste that adds an incredible flavor to lentils- hands down, my new favorite ingredient!) from Vibrant Wellness Journal

2. Green Lentil Soup; green lentils are a nice change from brown, and paired with browned butter... yes, please) from 101 Cookbooks.

3. Pumpkin Lentil Soup (featuring two of my favorite fall ingredients!), from Homegrown Kitchen

4. Green Banana Curry (bananas cook into a starch and are a great replacement for potatoes in this Caribbean-inspired dish) from Vibrant Wellness Journal

5. Broccoli Tacos with Potatoes and Black Beans from Glue and Glitter

6. Homemade Chili featuring lentils, chickpeas and a mix of whole grains, this is the definition of hearty meals, from 101 Cookbooks

7. Quinoa Banana Bread Breakfast Cookies, for chilly mornings on the go, from Healthful Pursuit.

8. Mushroom Burgers with homemade Asian-style slaw, for those feeling more ambitious, from Sprouted Kitchen

9. And for more inspiration, Love and Lemons has a whole post dedicated to this exact same topic. Check out recipes like Miso Sweet Potatoes and Apple Muffins.

What are you favorite fall recipes to celebrate the flavors of autumn?

Chili image from 101 Cookbooks; red lentil recipe from Vibrant Wellness Journal.