Hearty and Healthy Fall Meals

When the first brisk fall morning arrives, your body starts craving warm and hearty meals to get you ready for winter. And at this time of year, there’s no shortage of healthy comfort foods, even for vegetarians.

Think seasonal—potatoes and sweet potatoes, squash, carrots and other root vegetables. But also earthy greens like kale and collards. All mixed together with warming spices and served hot on your plate or deep in your bowl.

The possibilities for vegetarian comfort foods are endless. But two of our Health Journal regulars offer their own delicious meals to enjoy by a warm fire with a cup of spiced apple cider.

Toasted Tempeh and Succulent Fall Vegetables 
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Ingredients
  1. 1 package of tempeh, sliced in 1- to 2-inch strips
  2. 1 bunch of fresh spinach or chard
  3. 4 teaspoon minced garlic
  4. 4 teaspoon minced ginger
  5. 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  6. 3 tablespoon liquid aminos or low-sodium soy sauce
  7. 1 head of fresh cauliflower, sliced into 1-inch “steaks”
  8. 2 carrots, cut into spirals with
  9. a julienne peeler
  10. 1 tablespoon chopped green onions, for garnish
  11. Coconut oil spray
  12. Smoked paprika
Instructions
  1. Marinade for tempeh
  2. 1. Whisk together the liquid aminos (or soy sauce) and half the garlic and ginger.
  3. 2. Add the tempeh strips and marinade for 30 minutes.
  4. Roast cauliflower
  5. 1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  6. 2. Spray cauliflower steaks on both sides with coconut oil. Sprinkle both sides with smoked paprika. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet.
  7. 3. Bake for about 30 minutes or until tender.
  8. Roast tempeh
  9. 1. Lightly spray baking sheet with coconut oil.
  10. 2. Arrange marinated tempeh in single layer on sheet and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  11. 3. Bake for about 30 minutes, turning tempeh over halfway through.
  12. Prepare greens
  13. 1. Add 1/4 cup of water to a stock pot with the rest of the ginger and garlic. Whisk together and heat over medium.
  14. 2. Remove the large veins and stems from the washed greens. Put greens and carrot spirals in the pot.
  15. 3. Stir frequently. Take care not to let leaves sit on the bottom of a dry pot, adding a splash of water as needed.
  16. 4. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Leaves should still have some firmness, but will be warm and moist.
  17. Assemble meal
  18. 1. Place a cauliflower steak on a plate and layer greens on top.
  19. 2. Assemble tempeh on top of greens and garnish with green onions.
Health Journal https://www.thehealthjournals.com/
White Bean and Kale Stew
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Ingredients
  1. 2 tablespoon olive oil
  2. 1 large onion, diced
  3. 6 medium to large carrots, chopped
  4. 3 garlic cloves, crushed or chopped
  5. 1 teaspoon paprika
  6. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  7. 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
  8. 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  9. 2 15-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
  10. 4-5 cups vegetable broth
  11. 6 ounces kale, washed and chopped
  12. 1 large lemon, juiced
  13. Nonfat Greek yogurt
Instructions
  1. 1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onions and carrots until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir to prevent sticking. Add the garlic and stir about 30 seconds.
  2. 2. Add the paprika, cumin, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir. Add 4 cups broth and the beans. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes.
  3. 3. Add the kale. Return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
  4. 4. Remove from the heat. Add the lemon juice and stir. Add the additional cup of broth for a thinner stew if desired.
  5. 5. Pour into individual bowls. Top each bowl with a large dollop of Greek yogurt.
Health Journal https://www.thehealthjournals.com/
Shawn Radcliffe: Shawn is a science writer and yoga instructor with over 15 years’ experience writing about science, health and medicine. In addition to The Health Journal, his work has appeared on Healthline, Men’s Fitness, and other consumer health and medical websites.