Roasted Autumn Acorn Squash

Last week I decided to go on a hunt for the most ‘autumn-like’ recipe in the world. I wanted to avoid the typical pumpkin-spice soup/ apple cider cookies and find something that someone could only eat in the fall and would feel a bit wrong eating in any other season.

Union square, while not the most beautiful park in my city, is home to a tri-weekly farmer’s market. I often used to buy fresh fruits and veggies here, but since we moved out of Greenwich Village, the market is a bit far away. However, last week I found myself walking around Union Square on a gorgeous, crisp Fall Saturday. I saw tiny pots of honey, gooey cheeses, vegan brownies, and a BUNCH of variety of squash. After realizing that I only had $4 in my wallet, I decided that I would have to buy just a tiny amount of something very special. I walked past a table piled high of acorn squash and realized that they were the perfect autumn-only food, and that one squash was only $3.50! I bought the squash, took the train home, and got cooking!

I wanted to make sure that the seasoning on the squash wasn’t overpowering, so I decided to avoid any online recipes and instead make my own. The seasoning is really subtle and the squash tasted so so so so much like fall. Acorn squash is my new go-to!!

 

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise (along the equator line) and then cut again so that there are 4 pieces of squash. Cut thin u-shaped slices from each quarter. See above images for guidance.
3. Toss the squash pieces with the oil, salt, pepper, and garlic.
4. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet.
5. Cook in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Toss the squash pieces and cook for another 10 minutes.
6. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a plate or a cooling rack until cool.
7. ENJOY!

Love,

Ally

Fall Chicken and Pumpkin Soup

I’m sure a ‘pumpkin pattern’ is starting to reveal itself on my blog this year. Pumpkin, being a vital symbol to Fall spirit, is one of my favorite items right now; not only in cooking and baking. My bathroom hand-soap is pumpkin scented, we have pumpkin pie and cinnamon flavored candles all over our apartment, and my dad just brought home pumpkin almond milk and pumpkin Cheerios from the grocery store.

This A-M-A-Z-I-N-G soup is the perfect pumpkin dish. It is unique and my dad said “It’s the first dish I can say is better than my Halloween chili!!” (A compliment that I never thought I’d hear him offer). The flavor of the pumpkin is subtle enough that it doesn’t overshadow the other ingredients but is strong enough to make the soup very full-flavored and interesting. The spices give this hearty dish a strong eccentric flavor that is memorable and a perfect representation of Fall cooking. After helping ourselves to seconds (despite being full), we decided that this recipe will become a Fall regular in our home. I hope you enjoy as much as I did!!!

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion

2 cloves garlic

5 cups chicken broth

1 large chicken breast (3/4 lb.)

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin pureé

1 (15 oz.) can black beans

½ cup frozen corn kernels

1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 Tbsp cumin

½ tsp salt

½ bunch fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add both to a large soup pot along with the olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are translucent (3-5 min.)
2. Add the chicken breast (whole) and chicken broth. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to high, and allow it to come to a full boil. As soon as it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and allow the pot to simmer for 30 minutes. Make sure the pot does not stop simmering after turning down the heat. If it does, increase the heat slightly until it is gently simmering.
3. After 30 minutes, remove the chicken breast from the broth and use two forks to shred the meat. Return the shredded meat to the pot.
4. Add the pumpkin purée and stir until the it has mixed into the broth.
5. Take one or two chipotle peppers from the can (one pepper for a milder soup, two for a spicier soup) and mince them. Add the minced peppers and about a teaspoon of the adobo sauce from the can to the soup.
6. Rinse the black beans and add them to the soup, along with the frozen corn kernels and cumin. Allow the soup to come up to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes more to allow the flavors to blend.
7. Taste the soup and add about ½ teaspoon of salt if desired. Roughly chop the cilantro and stir it into the soup just before serving.

Love,

Ally

I give an immense amount of credit to Budget Bites, for this flavorful and incredible soup (http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/08/chicken-pumpkin-soup/)

Gluten Free Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

          YAYYAYAY!! It’s fall, which is unquestionably the best season of the year! These next three months are home to combat boots, rain (my fav!), scarves, cute sweaters, hot tea, coffee, pumpkin flavored foods and drinks, Halloween (my favorite holiday), my birthday (obviously the most important holiday), and Thanksgiving.

          My love for baking and cooking definitely peaks in the Fall, and I have been waiting to cook with pumpkin puree for the last 8 months. Before having my first afternoon without massive amounts of homework (thanks Junior year of high school), I ran to the store and grabbed a can of pumpkin puree and some nutmeg. I dashed home and decided to make gluten-free pumpkin snickerdoodles, which although similar to my Fall pumpkin cookies, are something I have never tried before.

           I made one regular gluten free snickerdoodle batch without pumpkin, and then another batch where I added the nutmeg and pumpkin to the cookies. The pumpkin cookies definitely overshadowed the regular cookies (according to my mom and I). Enjoy!

Ingredients

³/₄ cup sugar

¹/₂ cup unsalted butter

1 ¹/₄ cup plus 2 tablespoons Gluten-Free all-purpose flour

1 large egg

1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

¹/₂ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon nutmeg

¹/₂ teaspoon gluten-free vanilla

¹/₈ teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Sugar

3 tablespoons sugar

1 ¹/₂ teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Combine 3/4 cup sugar and butter in bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add all remaining cookie ingredients; beat at low speed until well mixed.
3. Combine all cinnamon sugar ingredients in bowl; mix well.
4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in cinnamon sugar mixture.
5. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

 

 Love Ally!