fall recipes

I love Fall vegetables!  And Fall is the perfect time for soups.  According to Ayurvedic tradition, the cool, dry weather of Fall and early Winter calls for warm moist foods like soup, stews and root vegetables.  These are the comfort foods we need during the hectic beginning of the holiday season. 
One note about my recipes - I'm more of an instinctive cook - I don't measure (which is why I'm a terrible baker!).  So I list the spices that I use, but not the exact amount.  
​I suggest starting with a small amount, taste and add as needed.  

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butternut squash soup

Here's my recipe for rich, warming, delicious butternut squash soup.
Ingredients (all organic!):
2 TB coconut oil
1 yellow onion
1 large butternut squash (about 4 lbs)
3 gala apples
3 cups vegetable broth (I use Pacific organic low sodium)
Spices to taste: 

• sea salt
• garlic pepper
• nutmeg
• cinnamon

​ 1/2 cup coconut cream

Directions:  Peel squash, cut in half and remove seeds.  Cut squash into 2-inch cubes. Peel, core and cut apples into quarters.  Peel and chop onion.  In an InstantPot or other pressure cooker, melt the coconut oil on "saute" mode and add the onion.  Cook for several minutes until translucent.  Add about a cup of squash and let cook for about 5 minutes, stirring ocassionally.  Add remaining squash, apples, vegetable broth and spices.  Set InstantPot to manual for 10 minutes.  When time is up, use slow pressure release for 10 minutes.  After releasing pressure, carefully transfer all contents to a blender, add the coconut cream, and blend until smooth.  Use caution blending - do not overfill the blender and vent the lid.  Blend in batches if necessary.

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Chipotle chicken & sweet potato bowl

This is a really nice, quick weekday meal.
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Ingredients (all organic):
2 medium sweet potatos
1 medium yellow onion
2 lbs. skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 cups broccoli florets or brussels sprouts, trimmed & halved
6 TB coconut oil melted

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Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Peel and cut sweet potatoes into bite-sized cubes.  Slice or dice onion to your preference. Toss sweet potatoes and onion with a third of melted coconut oil, sea salt, garlic powder, cumin and chipotle hot sauce to taste. Spread on baking sheet (I cover mine with parchment paper) and bake for 20 minutes.  

​Spices to taste: 

• sea salt
• garlic powder
• cumin
• garlic pepper
• chipotle hot sauce

While the sweet potatoes are roasting, cut up chicken breasts and toss in a third of the coconut oil, sea salt, garlic powder, cumin and chipotle hot sauce. Spread on another baking sheet. ​Toss broccoli or brussels sprouts (or both?!) in remaining coconut oil and sprinkle with sea salt and garlic pepper. After 20 minutes, add broccoli/brussels sprouts to the sweet potato pan.  Put chicken pan in oven and cook everything another 20 minutes.