Traditional fall menus warm the body, soul

Autumn is the time when meals begin to turn from light dining to more hearty plates of steaming, homey foods.

As the weather cools, the food warms — both the house and the body.

Fall meals, many of them made in slow cookers or braised in the oven, fill the house with mouth-watering aromas.

When you’re looking for fall meals, turn to comfort foods. After all, what’s going to warm you more than the foods that remind you of home and shelter. Macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, chicken soup and even the classic tomato soup with grilled cheese.

Even as those foods evoke childhood, they can leave the taste buds lacking. After all, the foods we enjoyed as a child often turn out to be less than satisfying as an adult.

So try a twist on comfort foods. Instead of a simple macaroni and cheese, add a topping made with bacon, onions and herbs. Use a hearty wine in a beef stew. Create grilled-cheese croutons to add to a homemade tomato soup.

When you make fall meals, select the best ingredients you can find for a fresh taste and healthy meal, and make use of the harvest. 

Substitute low-salt or low-fat ingredients for some of the less healthy ones to make it even better for you.

After all, you want something that will not only make you feel good and warm, but something that will truly nurture you.

Following are some comfort food recipes ideal for fall from www.purewow.com.

 

 

Tomato Soup in Grilled Cheese Bread Bowls

For soup:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1/3 cup half-and-half or heavy cream

1 bay leaf

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Parsley, as needed to garnish 

For bread bowls:

4 small round bread loaves, preferably sourdough

6 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter

16 slices American cheese

In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté five minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and sauté one minute, until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, then use a wooden spoon to lightly crush them. Stir in broth and half-and-half. Add bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook 20 to 25 minutes, until good flavor develops.

Slice tops off the loaves of bread. Use a small knife to cut around the inside of each loaf in a neat circle, then remove the circle in one piece and reserve.

Rub the inside of each bread bowl with 1/2 tablespoon butter, then line each with three slices American cheese. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Slice the reserved bread circles in half horizontally. Butter one side of each piece with 1/2 tablespoon butter. Place one slice American cheese between the two slices , buttered sides facing outward.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook sandwiches four minutes per side, flipping once, until both sides are golden brown. Transfer to the baking sheet and bake in a 400-degree oven four minutes to keep the sandwiches warm and melt the cheese inside the bread bowls.

To serve, ladle soup into the bread bowls and serve with the grilled cheese on the side. Garnish with parsley.

 

 

Loaded Baked Potato and Cauliflower Soup

4 large slices extra-thick cut bacon

2 onions, chopped

Kosher salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets

8 cups chicken stock

For serving: 

Sour cream

Chopped fresh chives 

Grated cheddar cheese

Heat a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Place bacon slices flat in the pot and cook eight to 12 minutes, turning a couple times, until crispy and most of the fat has drained. Using tongs, transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate, leaving the fat in the pot.

Add onions, two teaspoons salt and one teaspoon pepper and cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until onions are translucent and soft.

Stir in potatoes, cauliflower and stock, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a strong simmer and cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are very soft.

Purée soup using a blender in batches or a handheld immersion blender. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Slice or tear cooked bacon into bite-size pieces and sprinkle it over bowls of soup. Serve topped with sour cream, chives and cheese.

 

 

Cheater’s Italian Wedding Soup

For meatballs:

1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For soup:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 sweet onion, diced

3 carrots, peeled and diced

4 stalks celery, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1 cup short pasta, such as ditalini

1 14-ounce can white beans

1 bunch kale, deveined and sliced

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Kosher salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

To make meatballs, mix sausage, parsley, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Using a tablespoon, form the mixture into bite-size balls about one inch in diameter. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add meatballs and cook five minutes, until well browned on all sides. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

To make soup, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add onion, carrots and celery and sauté five or six minute, until tender. Add garlic and sauté one minutes, until fragrant. Stir in stock and bay leaf, bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and smmer 15 minutes.

Stir in pasta and beans and cook five to eight minutes, until pasta is al dente. Stir in kale and meatballs and simmer five minutes, until greens are wilted. Stir in Parmesan and season with salt and pepper before serving.

 

 

Baked Chicken and Mushroom Risotto

1-1/2 cups arborio rice

1 sweet onion, minced

1 pint mushrooms, quartered

1 garlic clove, minced

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup hot water

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons butter

Salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

2-1/2 cups cooked chicken, cut into chunks 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a large (at least 12 inch) oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven, stir rice with the onion, mushrooms, garlic and broth. Place pan in a 350-degree oven, uncovered, and cook 35 to 40 minutes, until liquid is almost entirely absorbed. Check halfway through the cooking time and if the rice has absorbed more than half the liquid, cover the pan.

When the rice is tender, remove from the oven. Stir in hot water, Parmesan and butter. Stir vigorously to combine.

Season with salt and pepper and stir in the chicken. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

 

 

Pasta alla Norma

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large eggplant, sliced into one-inch strips

Kosher salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

1 sweet onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1 pound bite-size dry pasta, like rigatoni or macaroni

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup grated pecorino or ricotta salata cheese

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add eggplant in batches and cook on all sides until golden brown. Remove eggplant from the pan and set aside on a large plate. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add onion to the pan and sauté four minutes, until tender. Add garlic and sauté one minutes, until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add red pepper flakes and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until the flavor develops and concentrates slightly.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain well.

Add pasta and eggplant to the sauce and toss to coat. Add parsley, basil and pecorino or ricotta salata, and toss well to combine.

 

 

Chicken Harvest Bowl

1 pound small sweet potatoes, halved lengthwise and sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt 

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

5 cups lightly packed shredded kale

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 8.8-ounce package cooked brown and wild rice

1 medium honeycrisp apple, diced

1/2 cup shaved Parmesan

1/2 cup roasted, salted almonds, coarsely chopped

For viniagrette:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2-1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Kosher salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

To make viniagrette, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon, honey and onion powder. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside half of the vinaigrette and place in the fridge.

Place sweet potatoes in a single layer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add one tablespoon olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and gently toss. Bake in a 425-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender.

Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat remaining olive oil to a cast iron grill pan over medium high heat. Working in batches, add chicken to the pan in a single layer and cook four to five minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Let cool, then dice into bite-size pieces.

In a large bowl, combine kale and green onions. Drizzle with half the dressing. Massage one to two minutes, until kale starts to soften and wilt, then season with salt and pepper.

Divide kale into bowls. Top with sweet potatoes, chicken, rice, apple, Parmesan and almonds, and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.

 

 

Butternut Squash Carbonara

1 medium butternut squash, cut in half with seeds removed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup whole milk

2 egg yolks

12 ounces bucatini, spaghetti or linguine

4 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Shaved Parmesan, for garnish

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the squash halves on it, skin side down. Drizzle squash with olive oil, then roast in a 375-degree oven 25 to 30 minutes, until squash is very tender. Cool slightly, then scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Mash squash with a fork or a potato masher until smooth. Stir in the milk and egg yolks. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add pasta and cook eight to 10 minutes, until al dente. Reserve one cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook five to six minutes, until fat has rendered and pancetta is very crisp. Add garlic and sauté one minute, until fragrant.

Reduce heat to low, then add pasta and toss until combined. Add squash mixture, tossing well to coat pasta with sauce. Remove pan from the heat and add grated Parmesan, tossing until combined.

Divide pasta among four bowls and garnish each generously with black pepper, chives and shaved Parmesan. Serve immediately.

 

 

Spicy Turkey Enchiladas With Pumpkin Seeds

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

3 cups shredded leftover turkey or chicken 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 28-ounce can red enchilada sauce

12 small corn tortillas

6 radishes, thinly sliced

1/2 cup pepitas

1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves

In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add scallions, garlic and jalapeño and sauté four minutes, until tender and fragrant. Transfer to a medium bowl, then stir in turkey and one-third of the cheese.

Pour half of the enchilada sauce into a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish coated with cooking spray. In the same skillet you used for sautéing, slightly warm two or three tortillas at a time. Fill each tortilla with a heaping 1/4 cup turkey filling, then wrap tightly into a log and place in the casserole dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.

Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake in a 400-degree oven 25 to 30 minutes, until sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Serve garnished with radish slices, pepitas and cilantro.

 

 

Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi Soup

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, oil drained

1 shallot, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Chili flakes

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 pound chicken breasts or thighs

Salt and black pepper

4 to 6 cups broth

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup heavy cream or whole milk

2 cups chopped spinach

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 pound fresh potato gnocchi

Fresh basil or parsley, for serving

Drain three tablespoons oil from the sun-dried tomatos into a large Dutch oven. Chop sun-dried tomatoes and set aside.

Set pot over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic and Italian seasoning. Mix in tomato paste and season with chili flakes. Cook five minutes, until tomato paste thickens. Add chicken and toss with the spices.

Add four cups broth. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Shred using two forks.

Whip cream cheese in a bowl, then add to the soup with the milk. Stir in spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan and gnocchi. Cook five minutes, until warmed throughout. If the soup is too thick, add additional broth.

Serve topped with Parmesan and basil. Enjoy warm, preferably with a crusty piece of bread.