Anyone else feeling the Fall vibes with temps below 90?? Okay, so maybe we don’t have the gorgeous changing of leaves and chilly nights, but at least we have the following going for us:

1. It’s technically Fall as of September 22nd, and

2. We can now begin to consider wearing boots in the near future.

I call that a win! Until that first chill comes through, at least we can enjoy the produce of Fall in our kitchens to continue to summon cooler weather and pumpkin spice vibes. Here are some foods to be on the lookout for this Fall:

Photo by: finedininglovers.com

I tried to think of one recipe that I wanted to share with all of you, but the real problem is that there are so many that I really enjoy! My solution: share a few of my Fall faves to hopefully give you some recipe inspiration for the months ahead.

Acorn Squash

I love a good acorn squash recipe! The sweetness of the squash melded with savory sausage is. the. best. You can always swap out the protein source for something you like if pork isn’t your thing! This recipe from Paleo Running Momma is sure to be a hit this Fall in any household:

Caramelized Onion Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

paleorunningmomma.com

Butternut squash and pomegranate

I RARELY repeat recipes, but this is one that I make at least 1-2 times every Fall. Well, at least since I saw the recipe…which was two years ago. Since I have made it several times, one recommendation I would make is to get the already cubed butternut squash and make it casserole-style with the meat topping evenly spread over the roasted cubed butternut squash. This will make it SO much easier to serve, and easier to make since you won’t have to cut it yourself. I’m just looking out for you! Enjoy this gem from Fed and Fit:

Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash

fedandfit.com

Sauteed kale

I don’t have any favorite recipes online, so I thought I’d share how I make it. I’d hardly call it a recipe, but this helps break down the kale a bit so that it’s less chewy and aggressive when you put it on your plate. It gives it a lemony, garlic, roasted flavor that pairs well with most dishes. In fact, I often use this leafy green in my breakfast dishes!

Ingredients:

  • Kale (I like to buy the already chopped 16 ounce bag- it makes a ton for leftovers!)
  • 1 small lemon
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 T Coconut oil or avocado oil

To make it:

  1. Heat the cooking oil over medium heat in a large pot (so the kale doesn’t spill over!)
  2. When the oil is heated, add the minced garlic and stir until fragrant
  3. Dump in the whole bag of kale and mix it around to coat all of it in oil. This is possible, it just takes 1-2 minutes of stirring and pushing down the kale from the top to the bottom of the pot.
  4. Cover the pot for 3-5 minutes until the kale softens.
  5. Now, take the lid off of the pot and squeeze in the juice of your small lemon and stir the kale to make sure the lemon juice reaches all leaves.
  6. Add sea salt and pepper and turn your heat up to medium high. Continue to stir kale in until some pieces start to get browned a little bit. I prefer a little crunch on my kale, but you can cook it until your desired texture!

Pear

Who doesn’t love a good stuffed pear recipe?? You could replicate this with apples as well to utilize all of your fall favorites! I would imagine that chopping up some apples AND pears and baking them in a small casserole dish as you would for this recipe would also be amazing. *drool* Give this recipe from Skinny Taste a try:

www.skinnytaste.com/baked-pears-with-walnuts-and-honey/

From skinnytaste.com

Have some fun in the kitchen and make these recipes your own! If there’s a certain ingredient you don’t like, think about how you might modify the recipe to make it suit your taste. Hopefully these Fall flavors will help you get into the groove of the new season and help you change things up in the kitchen. If you give one of these a try, tag us on social media or comment below to let us know how it went and which recipes are your favorites!