I can’t believe it’s already fall! The bounty of the summer is slowly waning, the temperature is dropping, and it’s starting to feel like fall.
For me, fall means apples, root vegetables, soups and stews, short ribs and heavier meals. When our brains detect cooler outdoor temperatures it triggers a biological desire for heat, energy, and comfort. Hearty, warm meals offer us the extra calories and the fuel needed to warm the body. It takes less energy for our bodies to warm up hot food before digestion begins and warm meals also help your body absorb nutrients faster. In Ayurvedic medicine and macrobiotic theory our bodies function best when we eat seasonally from the area where we live. So, living in Pa. now is not the time to eat citrus it’s time to eat apples and pears with cinnamon and root veggies and warm things. It’s one of my most favorite times of year. Nothing better than the smell of applesauce cooking in the kitchen with cinnamon and all the spices of the season. All of this signals it’s time for stews and soups and warm food again. Isn’t it interesting how our bodies crave what our region harvests? It seems like just yesterday I was showing everyone the amazing tomato sandwiches from our Lancaster farmers and now today I’m searching for easy one-pot meals that last for a couple of lunches and dinners.
When I walked outside the other morning to go to the gym and the temperature had dipped just low enough that I had to run back inside for a coat, I knew that I would end up at the market getting the ingredients for one of my favorites. I’m not a huge meal prep girl because I love variety and creating a recipe around the best-looking ingredients I find at the markets. For my schedule, it is much easier to make big batches of food, eat them, freeze any leftovers and have them ready at the end of a long day when time is limited and I don’t want to veer off my macros.
Yesterday at the market, cauliflower, white sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, and spinach seemed to jump off the shelves, inspiring me to make my family’s favorite chana masala. I’ve become so proficient at this recipe that this time I tried a slight variation. I added protein to the mix, using my favorite chicken farmer’s ground chicken. This pumped up the protein, along with the over the top fiber from all the veggies and the fat from the coconut milk so sneaking a treat after dinner was unnecessary. It was amazing for dinner last night and just as great for lunch today.
I hope you have some time to stroll through your local farmers market and see the bounty that your body craves. I know I can’t wait for Sunday to talk to all of the farmers and see what they’re making for their families.
My Home Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large Vidalia onion, diced
- 1 LB ground organic chicken breast
- 1 head organic cauliflower chopped into medium florets with the stalk
- 1 jar garbanzo beans
- 1 box organic spinach
- 1 large Japanese white sweet potato cut into cubes the same size as the cauliflower
- 1 head organic cilantro chopped small
- 1 can light coconut milk
- 1 15 ounce can of whole tomatoes (with no calcium chloride)
- 4 T of your favorite curry
Garnish
- 1/2 avocado per serving
- 1 T organic sour cream per serving
Directions
- Begin by sautéing Vidalia onion in coconut oil until soft.
- Add the ground chicken breast and cook through.
- Add the cauliflower, stir, and let it heat for about 10 minutes.
- Add the Japanese sweet potato and stir again for about 10 minutes. (Everything should be getting a little bit sticky, and at this point, where you want to add liquid!)
- Sprinkle the curry over everything and stir one more time.
- Add the coconut milk and the tomatoes, and stir again.
- Cover and let cook until potato and cauliflower soften, about 30 minutes.
- Remove the lid, break up the tomatoes, add the garbanzo beans and the entire box of spinach, stir again, and let cook for about 30 more minutes.
Portion as much as you would like. Top with half of a diced avocado and sour cream if you desire!
Happy Fall,
Meridith
