EASY AND COMFORTING RECIPES – OCTOBER DISHES

Fall, the bohemian, made a flamboyant entrance when it invited itself into my kitchen to infuse it with its woodsy flavors. With more delicate temperatures, it’s time to make way for more comforting recipes but still easy to make on a gentle October evening.

The choice of seasonal fruits starts to be more limited in October, but don’t be discouraged. However, the same cannot be said for vegetables, which still offer us plenty of delicious choices to concoct with the help of our children.

Autumn is the perfect time to prepare tasty and velvety soups with seasonal vegetables or good little compotes such as apple sauce that goes well with grilled pork chops.

October’s fruits and vegetables

To guide you towards making easy recipes in October with seasonal fruits and vegetables, here is a non-exhaustive list of fruits and vegetables that you’ll find on the market stalls. For more recipe ideas, check out our September issue.

Vegetables

• Leek
• Mushroom
• Turnip
• Zucchini
• Pumpkin
• Broccoli
• Green Bean
• Potato
• Brussels sprouts

Fruits

• Plum
• Grape
• Apple
• Pear
• Chestnut
• Quince

October’s appetizers

We can’t talk about October without mentioning soups. Although soup doesn’t make you grow, contrary to what my mom used to tell me when I was little, it is rich in vitamins and nutrients. Plus, it’s a great way to get kids who aren’t fond of vegetables to eat them.

I recently discovered that we can add apples to our soups, especially with squash or root vegetables. This little extra adds a slightly sweet touch to the soup. Vanessa from Vanessa’s Castle told me about it and shared this broccoli and apple recipe by 5 Ingredients 15 minutes.

Mushroom Soup

Mushrooms don’t often appear on our plates at home. My kids aren’t very fond of them and it’s not something I particularly enjoy cooking. To be honest, I don’t really see the point in eating them. However, I am very fond of mushroom soup. I found an easy recipe in the Journal des Femmes which I have translated for you below.

Ingredients

• 2Tbsp of butter
• 500gr of fresh mushrooms
• 20cl of crême fraîche or sour cream if you can’t find it
• 2 french shallots
• 1L of vegetable broth

Steps

• Peel and chop the shallots, and sauté them for a few minutes over low heat in a saucepan with the butter.
• In the meantime, run the mushrooms under hot water or wipe them with a clean, slightly damp cloth, set some aside. Cut off the tips of the stems and cut them into rough pieces.
• Add the mushrooms to the shallots, brown them for a few minutes, then add the hot broth and continue cooking over medium heat for 15 minutes.
• Mix with a hand blender or in a blender, add all or part of the cream and remix.

To finish

Pour the velouté into bowls or soup plates, cut off the stems of the remaining mushrooms, slice them and place them on the velouté. The mixture of textures between the soup and the raw mushrooms is delicious.

Lentil Filled Rolls (Mes Grands Classiques Véganes)

Although lentils start to come into season in November they can be dried and canned. Therefore, they can be eaten year-round.

Even though this recipe has several ingredients, it is simple to make. Preparation time is about 30 minutes. If more than one person chops the ingredients it will go faster!

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cups of chopped mushrooms
• 2 carrots, grated
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup of vegetable broth
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 2 cans of green lentils (rinsed and drained)
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 3 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/4 cup of ketchup
• 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp. yellow mustard
• 2 tsp. chili spices
• 12 buns
• Salt and pepper

Steps

• Sauté the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, carrots and celery in oil in a saucepan over medium heat for 10 minutes.
• Add remaining ingredients and cook for 10 minutes over medium-high heat.
• Remove from heat and lightly grind all ingredients.
• Garnish the previously grilled buns with the mixture, add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

October Dishes – Easy Recipes

Did you know that the Brussels sprout does not come from this city but from Saint-Gilles, a village in the suburbs of the Belgian capital?

The story goes back to the 17th century when, out of concern for yield and to make room in the fields, farmers created a new type of cabbage that grows vertically. It quickly became a very profitable crop and after its appearance in France in 1815, this new trend found its way to our plates worldwide.

Although the Brussels sprouts served in the school’s cafeteria left a bitter taste in my mouth, I have come to appreciate this little hybrid vegetable over the years.

Brussels Sprouts Salad (Six seasons – A new way with vegetables by Joshua McFadden)

Serve this dish warm or at room temperature. It’s perfect for one of those rare October days when temperatures hover around 20 degrees celsius.

Ingredients for 2 to 3 people

• olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and flared
• 3/4 lb. Brussels sprouts, cut in half lengthwise
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup lightly sautéed walnuts
• 1 handful green onions
• 1/4 cup lemon vinaigrette
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

The steps

• Heat a skillet over medium heat and add about 1/4 cup of olive oil and the garlic. Fry until golden brown. About 5 minutes.
• Set garlic aside.
• In the same pan, add the Brussels sprouts cut side down. Season with salt and pepper. Fry for about 10 minutes or until the sprouts are tender. Reduce heat if cabbage is browning too quickly.
• Add the garlic to the pan and disperse it well.
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the carrots, half of the walnuts, onions and mix well.
• Pour the vinaigrette over everything and mix.
• Add half the cilantro and parsley and mix.
• Taste and add more salt and pepper (if needed) to the dressing to make the salad more vibrant.
• Just before serving, add the remaining nuts, parsley and cilantro.

Lemon Vinaigrette

• 1 orange (blood)
• 1 lemon
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1 lime
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Zest all the citrus fruits in a bowl. Then, cut the fruits in half to take their juice (without the seeds). Whisk in the juice and zest with the other ingredients. Olive oil can be added as you go to give the dressing a fruitier taste.

Can be kept for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Easy Gratin (Astrapi Magazine)

Potato gratin is one of my favorite dishes, especially when served with flageolet beans, two good slices of roast beef and a touch of mustard.

Ingredients for 4 persons

• 300gr of leftover mashed potatoes
• 2 eggs
• 3 Tbsp of crème fraîche or sour cream
• 1 cup of grated cheese
• 2 pinches of nutmeg
• 1 Tbsp of olive oil

Steps

• Turn on the oven at 350F.
• Grease a baking dish with oil.
• Mix the eggs with the cream.
• Add mashed potatoes, nutmeg, grated cheese, salt and pepper.
• Pour everything in the dish and put in the oven for 30 minutes.

Rigatonis with broccoli and sausages (Six seasons – A new way with vegetables by Joshua McFadden)

I had already shared a recipe for pasta with broccoli that you can discover HERE. But this one I haven’t tried yet, so let me know how it turns out.

Ingredients for 4 people

• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• olive oil
• 1lb Italian sausages (spicy)
• salt and pepper
• 8 ounces of rigatoni
• 1lb broccoli cut into florets and stems peeled and sliced
• 3/4 cup dried chili flakes
• 1/2 cup whipped ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 breadcrumbs or bread crumbs (optional)

Steps

• Place garlic in a bowl and immerse in olive oil.
• Boil water for the pasta and add salt, enough to taste like the sea. Cook the pasta according to the indications.
• Meanwhile, cook the sliced sausages in a pan with olive oil for about 4 minutes.
• Add the broccoli slices, garlic and oil to the sausages. Turn the sausages over until they are cooked. Try to break them up into small pieces.
• Add the chili pepper and stir for 30 seconds.
• Add about 1/4 of the pasta water to the sausages and remove from heat.
• About 3 minutes before the pasta is done, add the broccoli florets to the water. When cooked, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
• Return the pan to the heat, add the pasta, broccoli florets, reserved cooking water, ricotta and half of the Parmesan cheese over medium heat.
• Stir well for a few minutes to heat through, seasoning as needed.
• Serve with remaining Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs as desired.

Uncomplicated October Desserts

The fruits are slowly starting their hibernation mode in October. That doesn’t mean there’s no more fruit and that you should say bye-bye to your sweet treats. Here are two little recipes to enjoy in October.

Upside-down pear cake (Mes grands classiques véganes)

A tasty and fragrant dessert to be complimented with a nice little tea on a cold autumn day.

Ingredients for 6 people

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup almond powder
• 1 cup and 2 tbsp white sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
• 8 maraschino cherries, halved
• 1 tbsp. vegetable butter
• 1 can pears or fresh pears (796ml)

Steps

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• In a bowl, mix flour, almond powder, sugar, salt and baking powder.
• Add oil, milk and vanilla.
• Mix with a mixer until the dough is smooth.
• Butter parchment paper with vegetable butter and sprinkle with sugar and put in a mold (20cm x 20cm).
• Drain the pears and garnish with half a cherry. Place them in the bottom of the pan.
• Pour the batter into the pan and cover the pears.
• Bake for 45 minutes.

Option: Save the pear juice from the can and boil it in a saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced by half. Use this juice to brush over the cake when it comes out of the oven.

Apples sautéed with roasted walnuts

In October you can still go apple picking, but hurry. There isn’t much time left for this family activity.

Ingredients

• 15gr of soft butter
• 4 apples, gutted and thinly sliced
• Juice and pulp of 2 tbsp of lime
• 60ml white grape juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 ground island berry
• 2 tbsp of walnuts in small pieces
• 1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Steps

• Melt butter in a frying pan.
• Toss apples with lime juice and pulp in skillet for 2 minutes.
• Cover and simmer for about 4 minutes to soften.
• Remove from heat and place (without juice) on a plate.
• Pour grape juice, lime zest, maple syrup, vanilla, island berry and nutmeg into pan and bring to a boil. Stir constantly to create a syrup.
• Toast walnuts in a skillet (without oil), stirring until they begin to brown.
• Pour syrup over apples and sprinkle with walnuts. Serve hot.

BON APPÉTIT!