8 Simple, Delicious Must-Make Fall Recipes
The Fall is a great time for foodies…and in my opinion the season with the strongest “food profile”. Sage & brown butter, caramelized apples, sage, cinnamon…and of course, Thanksgiving, the mother of all food holidays, make the season a great time to be cooking…and eating.
Here we’ve compiled eight of our favorite Fall recipes, which you absolutely should try. Weather you looking for something, simple and light, like our Apple & Jicama salad, something crisp & crunchy, like our butternut squash flatbread, or a full on saucy, succulent meat dish, like our braised pork belly, we’ve got you covered. You’re sure to find something you’ll love!
Coconut & Curry Butternut Squash Soup
A perfect way to start off a dinner, or frankly a complete lunch (maybe with a slice of good crusty bread), butternut squash soup screams fall flavors. I roast off the squash pieces in the oven, which helps to concentrate the flavor, but if you’d like to save time, you can skip that step. You can keep it straightforward, if you’d like, but in this version I add some coconut milk and curry powder which gives a soup a more exotic feel. I like to garnish with a bit more sage, balsamic vinegar…or maybe some toasted pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!
Caramelized Brussel Sprouts
They have a tough reputation in some circles, but when cooked right, these tender, little caramelized bundles are absolutely wonderful. I’ve found cooking them over high heat and getting some caramelization on the outside is a great way to draw out the natural sweetness in Brussels sprouts. Cooked quickly they maintain, their firm texture, while still tender to bite. Toss in a bit of butter at the end, and you’ve got the perfect side dish for any autumn meal.
Fresh & Light Apple & Jicama Salad
This apple salad is the crisp, fresh bite you’ve been looking for. Diced apples are combined with crunchy jicama and walnuts, a bit of blue cheese (great salty tang) and a bit of fresh green onion to give a hint of the savory. Tossed in a bit of balsamic vinaigrette, the salad as all the elements of sweet, salty, savory, crunchy you could want. You can serve as it, or (and great for a cocktail party) scoop it into spears of endive to make an easy finger food.
Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter
Another epitome of fall recipes is the Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown butter. The brown butter sauce, is so simple to make, simply some butter, sage and garlic (optional) heated until beautifully golden brown, aromatic, and nutty. Find a high quality ravioli and once cooked just al dente, toss them into the brown butter sauce to finish cooking for just a minute or two. A light dusting of parmesan and you’ve got a super rich, super wonderful fall feast!
Butternut Squash Flatbread Pizza
The wonderful thing about flatbreads, is you can make just about anything you can imagine. My flatbread of choice for fall flavors includes butternut squash, sage and goat cheese. The squash is quickly cooked until tender, and then topped on the flatbread with the other ingredients. Baked off at high temp, and you’ve got a crispy pizza ready to go. Even better…out of the oven top it with a bit of arugula, and a drizzle of balsamic & olive oil. Soooo Good.
Chicken Saltimbocca
While not strictly a fall recipe, the additional of sage in this Saltimbocca always makes me think of fall flavors. The chicken breasts are pounded thin, and then topped with fresh sage leaves and prosciutto, before being quickly seared off. The chicken is so beautifully flavored by the ham and sage, and when cooked well, remains tender and juicy. To amp up the fall flavor, make a bit of brown butter sauce and drizzle on the chicken once cooked.
Seared Halibut with Butternut Squash Apple Hash
Halibut is a beautiful, tender, clean tasting fish, that matches perfectly with the butternut squash and apple hash in this recipe. The apples provide a nice texture and flavor contrast to the savory squash. I also like to through some fresh sage, onions and garlic into the hash to amp up the flavors, and a bit of extra chicken stock, helps to create a nice sauce.
Braised Pork Belly with Red Cabbage & Apple
Pork Belly, is bacon. And Bacon is Good. Need I say more? While it takes some time to braise down the pork to get it to it’s optimal tenderness the wait is worth it. The apple and red cabbage is the perfect accompaniment to the pork. Apples and pork have a natural affinity for each other, and the bitterness of the cabbage helps to cut through the fat in the pork belly. This is very rich, wonderful dish, that will satisfy just about anybody!