Category: October 11th 2022

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What do I Eat Today – Savory Fall Menu

What Do I Eat Today – Savory Fall Foods

Jean Yates


what do I eat today fall

This month’s menu features hearty recipes that fill the belly as the days get shorter and cooler. I’m featuring pumpkin again this month, one of my favorite vegetables and a super food.

Start your day with lemon juice & water, then followup with Green Drink. Breakfast is a yummy Creamy Berry Parfait, and lunch is a filling Pumpkin & Carrot Stew with Quinoa. Dinner is Pumpkin Lasagna with Rosemary Ricotta.  Dessert is a luscious vegan and gluten free Pumpkin Pie made with my Pumpkin Purée and Pumpkin Spice Blend recipes.


redhead with gren drink at refrigerator

First Thing in the Morning

I have lemon water in the morning and then I wait until I’m hungry to have my Green Drink.


berry parfait

For Breakfast – Creamy Berry Parfait

I make this recipe a lot, it feels like a splurge but it’s healthy, full of fresh berries and nut flavors. I like to make it in a mason jar, easy to grab and run on a busy morning.

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pumpkin & carrot stew with quinoa

Lunch – Fall Pumpkin + Carrot Stew with Quinoa

My pumpkin stew is made with mellow spices for a flavorful and healthy mid-day meal. This stew can be prepared a day ahead. It’s great to take to work or enjoy for dinner the next day, or for a warm and healthy meal for the kids to come home to and easily reheat.

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pumpkin lasagna

Dinner – Pumpkin Lasagna & Rosemary Ricotta

Macadamia nuts make a luscious “ricotta” and the pumpkin sauce for this recipe is savory with flavorful ingredients. A hearty lasagna made lighter with limited high carb ingredients.

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pumpkin pie

Dessert – Vegan & Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie

My oh my, pumpkin pie … how I love thee,
But how you seem to hate my belly.
For each sinfully delicious bite I take,
Your sweet and milky richness makes my tummy ache.
Is there a way to make you more nutritious,
All the while keeping you equally delicious?
The good news is yes there is,
And showing you how is my biz. (Mic drop)

Bon Appétit! – Veronica

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veronica

Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend

Chef V

This pumpkin pie spice blend recipe is easy to make on your own, especially if you have a lot of spices in your cupboard. The recipe below is much better but you can always buy this one pre-made too.

  • 2 1/2 tbsp ground organic cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp ground organic ginger
  • 2 tsp ground organic nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground organic cloves

DIRECTIONS
Mix spices together and use for your pumpkin pie recipes this year.

Organic Pumpkin Purée

Jean Yates

It’s so easy to make your own pumpkin purée. Just cut the top off any pumpkin, cut into 4 quarters and remove all the seeds and guts. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the pumpkin skin side down on the baking sheet. Place in the oven for 45 minutes at 350 F (do not use oil). Remove from the oven, rest for 5-10 minutes and peel off the pumpkin skin.

Place your pumpkin in Vitamix or blender and puree. Use this purée for my recipes or any recipe that calls for canned pumpkin puree. The difference is AMAZING! You can store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freezer for later use.

Use this recipe in my Creamy Pumpkin Curry Soup.

pumpkin puree

Ingredients

  • 1 pie pumpkin

Directions

It’s so easy to make your own pumpkin purée. Just cut the top off any pumpkin, cut into 4 quarters and remove all the seeds and guts. Place in the oven for 45 minutes at 350 F (do not use oil). Remove from the oven and peel off the pumpkin skin.

Place your pumpkin in Vitamix or blender and puree. Use this purée for my recipes or any recipe that calls for canned pumpkin puree. The difference is AMAZING! You can store in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.

Creamy Berry Parfait

Chef V

Chef V’s Tips: Many raw food recipes call for soaking nuts. Why? Soaking nuts (from 2 hours to overnight) improves the flavor and  nutritional value of the nuts by releasing dust, residue and tannin into the water, leaving the nuts with a softer, buttery texture and increasing their digestibility. Never use the soak water – always discard it.

creamy berry parfait

Serving Size: 2-4 people

Ingredients

Nut Mix

1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 raw sunflower seeds
1/4 raw flaxseeds

Raw Cashew Vanilla Cream

1 cup raw cashews, soaked and drained
1/4 to 1/2 filtered water
1 tablespoon raw coconut
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt

Berries

1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries

Directions

Combine all the nut mix ingredients in a bowl. Next, process the Raw Cashew Vanilla Cream ingredients in a Vitamix until smooth and creamy.
To serve, assemble the parfait in a mason jar or clear glass:
Step 1 : Place 1/2 of nuts on the bottom;
Step 2: Sprinkle 1/2 of the berries over the nuts;
Step 3: Spoon the cashew cream over the top;
Step 4: Sprinkle the remaining nuts over the cream;
Step 5: Garnish with remaining berries.
For easy breakfast planning, my Raw Cashew Vanilla Cream recipe can easily be doubled and will keep for up to a week refrigerated.

Fall Pumpkin + Carrot Stew with Quinoa

Chef V

My Fall Pumpkin Stew is made with mellow spices for a flavorful and healthy meal.

This stew can be prepared a day ahead. It’s great to take to work or enjoy for dinner the next day, or for a warm and healthy meal for the kids to come home to and easily reheat.

mediterranean stew

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons cold-pressed olive oil
  • 1 cup white onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon each: black pepper, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground turmeric, ground ginger, cayenne pepper
  • Pinch saffron
  • 1 cup filtered water
  • 1 cup cooked lentils (if canned, do not drain: if cooked, save 1/4 cup of the cooking water)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 cups (about 1& 1/2 pounds) cubed pumpkin
  • 2 cups peeled carrots, cut into 3/4 inch slices

QUINOA

  • 1 tablespoon cold-pressed olive oil
  • 1/2 cup diced white onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups filtered water

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

First, prepare the stew. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, stirring often, for about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the dry spices. Add 1 cup water, lentils (with liquid from the can or reserved 1/4 cup cooking water), and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the pumpkin and carrots. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Keep warm until the quinoa is finished, or cover the stew and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Next, prepare the quinoa. Place the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, covered, until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often so the onion does not burn. Add the garlic, salt, and turmeric, and sauté for one minute. Add the quinoa and stir for one minute. Add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, for about 15 minutes.

To serve, stir half the cilantro and half of the basil into the warm stew. Spoon the quinoa onto a platter or divide among bowls and form a well in the center. Spoon the stew into the well and garnish with the remaining cilantro and basil, if desired.

Pumpkin Lasagna & Rosemary “Ricotta”

Chef V

Pumpkin Rosemary Ricotta

PREP TIME:
TOTAL: 1HR

Serving Size: 2-4 People

INGREDIENTS

Ricotta Rosemary

    • 1-cup macadamia nuts- soaked for an hour
    • ½ lemon juiced
    • 1 tsp. organic sea salt
    • 1 tbsp. fresh chopped rosemary
    • 2 tbsp. pure organic pumpkin puree
    • 1 tbsp. cold pressed olive oil

Pumpkin Sauce

  • 1 tbsp. organic cold pressed olive oil
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 1-cup shredded organic carrot
  • 2 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbsp. organic rosemary, chopped
  • ¼- cup organic parsley, chopped
  • ½-cup organic basil, slivered
  • 2 cups pure organic pumpkin puree
  • 1-cup filtered water
    ¼ cup organic unsweetened almond milk
    1 tsp. organic sea salt
    ½ tsp. black pepper

Noodles

  • 1 box of gluten-free (brown rice or quinoa) lasagna noodles (about 6 whole lasagna noodles needed)

INSTRUCTIONS

Blend “ricotta” ingredients together in a Vitamix or food processor, slowly pouring the oil while blending. Blend until smooth like a ricotta texture. Scrape mixture out with a spoon into a bowl. Refrigerate while making the sauce.

Turn oven on to 350 F. Bring a large pot of water to boil (large enough that the lasagna noodles will fit in without bending). Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add carrot and sauté an additional 2 minutes. Add garlic, rosemary, basil, and parsley. Add Pumpkin puree, water, almond milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.

While simmering, cook lasagna noodles for 5-10 minutes (According to box directions).

When done, line a 8” x 4” baking dish with ¼ cup of sauce on the bottom, 2 layers of noodles, ¼ cup sauce, ¼ cup ricotta, 2 noodles, ¼ cup sauce, the rest of ricotta, 2 more noodles on top, cover with sauce and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until hot.

Pumpkin Lasagna & Rosemary “Ricotta”  Bon Appétit!

© 2021 Chef V, LLC.