Autumn is upon us, and you know that can only mean one thing: Trader Joe’s aisles everywhere are stacked floor-to-ceiling with pumpkin-spice-flavored-everything. And we do mean everything. Don’t knock the honey-roasted pumpkin ravioli until you try it.
But seriously, fall is a time for warm, cozy and earth-toned dishes, and you definitely don’t have to wait for Thanksgiving to roll around to start indulging in all the goodness. Here are some of our favorite fall recipes and some tips on how to garnish and plate them for when that forced family bonding time does come.
Ina Garten’s Balsamic-Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Ina Garten is a queen. Fact. Any recipe with her name in front of it is pretty amazing, but these Brussels are To. Die. For. Also, they’re like super easy to whip up.
Kristin made this recipe infamous in our friend circle & it is now requested any time she brings a covered dish to a gathering. It has ignited a love of brussel sprouts that I never knew possible. Ok, that sounds dramatic...but try them. You'll understand!
Recipe: Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts
All you have to do to create these crispy, juicy nuggets of slightly tangy, slightly sweet greens is trim and halve the Brussels, toss them onto a foil-lined pan with diced pancetta and lovingly drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper (We think some brown sugar might be a tasty add-in too.)
After that, put them into the oven at 400 degrees and let them absorb all the goodness for 20 to 30 minutes. When they’re done, pull them out and drizzle with some thick, syrupy balsamic. Then, move the pan far, far away to yourself to keep from eating them all in one sitting.
For serving these bad boys up to a crowd, we suggest putting them in our Taupe Reactive Glaze Stoneware Bowl and drizzling some extra balsamic on top. For a final touch, garnish them with some microgreens and pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries.
Autumn always brings about a dilemma for me at my local coffee shop: Do I order a fun and seasonal latte or stick to my go-to quad espresso? Luckily, the coffee gods saw my pain and created a masterpiece I can whip up at home. If you aren't sold by this Pinterest worthy photo, let your tastebuds be the judge. You're welcome:
Recipe: Homemade Pumpkin Chai Latte
Just creating this beautiful, aromatic drink will make you feel like a five-star barista, and the recipe even tells you how to make your own coconut whipped cream to add some frothiness and some sweetness. All you need for the liquid gold itself is a chai tea bag, your choice of milk, pumpkin puree, honey, vanilla and some classic fall spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. It is perfection.
To really dress it up, we suggest pouring your concoction into one of our Reactive Clay Mugs and topping it off with some extra spices and a cinnamon stick.
Roasted Squash, Caramelized Fig and Feta Salad
I’m a sucker for a good salad with all the toppings. And because fall flavors are the best flavors, this salad might just take the cake. Squash, poms, figs, and cheese are up there in my favorite foods, and they are all at their peaks in autumn.
To whip this baby up, you need to start by tossing the squash slices in olive oil, thyme, honey, and salt and then sticking them in the oven to roast for about 20 minutes. Then, add in the halved, fresh figs, give everything a good toss and stick the tray back in the oven for about 15 minutes.
The dressing is also homemade, which I think makes the flavors about ten times better. To make it, all you have to do is combine olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, thyme, orange zest and some salt and pepper in a mason jar. Give it a good shake and voila: You’re Gordon Ramsay.
To make this beauty look as fancy as it tastes, top fresh arugula with the crispy, caramelized squash, and figs in a serving bowl. Then, sprinkle on some feta or goat cheese (my personal favorite) and pomegranate seeds. For an extra dash of pizzazz and crunch, add in some candied walnuts. After you snap the perfect picture for our Instagram, drizzle on the dressing use our Helping Hands Wild Olive Wood Salad Servers to toss generously.
I had to pause on writing & fill my cart Whole Foods/ Prime Now because all of this talk of savory & sweet has me craving the flavors of the season! Also, because I would rather fold laundry than grocery shop, many thanks Amazon for allowing me to have brussel sprouts & pancetta delivered to my doorstep.
Let us know if you try any of these fabulous recipes and send us your foodstagrams with Holistic Habitat kitchenware. Happy fall!
xo-Rachael & Kristin
