4 Autumn Season Dishes, Each With A Purpose

The autumn season garden looks much different from the earlier seasons. Gone are the perfect lines of green sprouts of spring time and the abundant fullness of summer. The garden has that over grown look with generous evidence of plants past their prime succumbing to cooler temperatures. Now the pumpkins, squash, beets and sweet potatoes are some of the few yet to be harvested jewels that remain.

You’ve been watching them for some time now. Slowly they’ve ripened in a much different fashion compared to those vegetables of earlier seasons. The result? Large fruit with wonderful flavors that have gradually developed. The pumpkins and squash vividly proclaim from a distance, “I’m ready”! In contrast the beets and sweet potatoes push slightly out of the ground teasing your anticipation and expectations. With the exception of the beets these are your storage vegetables – no refrigeration required.

But, lets not talk about how to store your harvest well into the winter months. It’s time to get seasoning your autumn bounty with some warm flavors from the spice rack. This isn’t just good food you’ve been waiting to enjoy. The autumn season is your time to make a more meaningful mealtime for others. Ready? Let’s get cooking some seasonal dishes with purposeful preparation.

All recipe photos are copyright by Lisa Jarvis, used by permission.

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Prepare it with a greater purpose: Minister health and healing to someone sick and hurting. Soups often have qualities that contribute to healing such as a higher density of nutrients, higher in fiber, increased water content for hydration, warming properties to sooth upper respiratory, potentially more gentle to digest and the obvious for gardeners – soups are often a significant source of vegetables. So, prepare this autumn season dish intentionally to nurture health for yourself and others. Providing creamy pumpkin soup to someone who is sick can be a very gracious way to minister to that person.

Let’s get started: This creamy pumpkin soup is a warm and wonderful taste of fall. It’s easy to make too. You’ll love it! -Lisa

Here‘s what you need:

• 2 T butter
• 1 onion diced
• 2 cans (15 oz.) chicken broth
• 1 can ( 15 oz) pumpkin purée
• 1 t salt
• 1/4 t cinnamon
• 1/8 t ground ginger
• 1/8 t black pepper
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Sauté the onion in a large saucepan in the melted butter until it is soft. Add one can of the broth. Stir and simmer for about 5 minutes. Place the broth mixture in a blender or processor and pulse until smooth. Place the broth back in the saucepan. Add the other can of broth, the pumpkin, salt, pepper, cinnamon and ginger. Simmer on low about ten minutes. If you’d like it thicker you can add 1 T of cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cold water. After it has simmered, remove from heat and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Adjust to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

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Prepare it with a greater purpose: Demonstrate thankfulness for hard workers with a hardy meal. Compared to many of the sedentary activities of modern life, vigorous work outside especially in cooler temperatures can require much more physical energy. Doing hard work with a calorie deficit may very well contribute to burning stored body fat but to get the job done you may need to dial back the dieting goals at least long enough for everyone in your family to WORK + OUT and fuel their bodies well with this Italian Sausage stuffed acorn squash.

Let’s get started: Happy Fall Y’all! I know it may still feel like summer but it is officially fall and I am ready to start sharing some fall recipes. I love acorn squash, and especially if you stuff it full of yummy meat and cheese. This is a super easy way to enjoy a nutritious fall treat. For this recipe you can use turkey Italian sausage, or just use ground turkey and season it with Italian seasoning. Add some cheese and there you have it! -Lisa

Here’s what you need: (6 servings)

• 3 Acorn squash, halved
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 lb. turkey Italian sausage
• 1 T Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
• Fresh basil, sliced to garnish

Preheat the oven to 400. Cut off the ends of the acorn squash, then cut each in half. Scoop out the seeds. Place the squash on a baking sheet. Brush each one with olive oil inside and around the top, and salt and pepper each to taste. Bake at 400 for 45 minutes to an hour until they are fork tender.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan,heat a little olive oil. Saute the onion for a minute or two, then add the turkey Italian sausage. Cook until it is done. Drain any fat. Add in the panko crumbs and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melting. Remove from the heat.

When the squash is ready, fill each one evenly with the sausage mixture. Top each evenly with the rest of the Parmesan cheese, and the mozzarella. Place back in the oven at 400 for about 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil if you like. Enjoy!

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Prepare it with a greater purpose: Help someone rise above their ordinary and experience the extraordinary flavor of life in Christ. Know someone who is going through life alone? Maybe there’s a person who is depressed, stuck in a rut, or recently suffered a lose or failure. Everyone at some point or another needs an encouraging word, a fresh outlook and a taste of how fresh and exhilarating life can be. Pray and ask God to help you identify that person THEN invite her or him to enjoy some rich fellowship with this savory salad.

Let’s get started: This beet and goat cheese salad has become one of my favorite salads ever! I didn’t discover this wonderful combination until just a year or so ago. It truly is a match made in culinary heaven. I serve this with either a homemade honey dijon or a maple dijon vinaigrette. I am sharing the maple dijon vinaigrette recipe today. This salad is not only delicious but it is also beautiful and very festive for Christmas. I hope you will try making this! -Lisa

Here’s what you need:

• 1 large or 2 small fresh beets
• Fresh baby spinach leaves (about 4-5 cups)
• Goat cheese crumbles ( 3-4 ounces)
• Pecan halves or pieces (roasted or plain)

Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 cup Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Place all vinaigrette ingredients, except olive oil in a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth. With machine still running slowly drizzle in the oil until it is smooth.

To cook the beets: Preheat the oven to 400. Cut the green off the tops of the beet roots. Wrap the beets in foil and place in oven. Roast in the foil for 45 minutes to one hour or until you can easily cut through it with a knife. Take out of the oven and allow to cool some. Peel the beets and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Place the beets atop the baby spinach. Top with the goat cheese and pecans. Drizzle the dressing according to your taste. Enjoy!

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Prepare it with a greater purpose: Create a time of family fun that is gluten-free, healthier and strengthens faith. Why just have everyone sit down to the table to eat when they could enjoy being part of the prep process. Sweet potato lasagna is the perfect dish to include in an intentional evening of preparation and fellowship. Try both the recipe and the approach to cook up a special, healthy and fun time for all.

Let’s get started: We all love lasagna, right? How about this healthier version of this all-time favorite, swapping lasagna noodles out with thinly sliced sweet potatoes! This is a sweet and savory dish you will love!

Here’s what you need:

• 2 lb lean ground beef
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T minced garlic
• 2 t dried oregano
• 1 t dried rosemary
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 jar marinara sauce
• 1 15 oz container low fat ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 medium to large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced lengthwise in 1/8 inch slices
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 400. In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium high heat. Sauté the garlic, rosemary and oregano just a minute or two. Add the ground beef. Stir and cook until it is done. Drain. Add the marinara sauce and stir. Add salt and pepper if needed. Allow to simmer. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs and Parmesan. Spray the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Place a layer of the sweet potato slices to cover the bottom. Add 1/3 of the meat mixture layered on top of the potatoes. Next spread on 1/2 of the ricotta mixture. Repeat, using all of the ricotta mixture. Lastly, top with the remaining sweet potato slices, the rest of the meat mixture and sprinkle the shredded mozzarella on top. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Cook for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook for five minutes more. Allow to cool for five minutes before serving. Enjoy!

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