Recipes I’m Loving: Fall 2021
After a whirlwind of a summer involving a ten-week trip back to the US, it feels good to be back in Tokyo and getting settled back into our routines here. And call me crazy, but part of me was also looking forward to coming back to Japan in order to get back on our usual meal planning routine here. Because while I initially loved summer nights spent cooking dinner out on the grill, I can also confidently say that I have zero desire to eat another grilled burger for a very, VERY, long time (note that my one-year-old daughter will likely disagree with this as we discovered a plain burger patty – whether beef, turkey, or chicken – is one of her very favorite foods at the moment).
So what am I looking forward to cooking again, or what have I been cooking already? Lots of fall-inspired recipes, many of which feature some of my most loved seasonal produce. Personally, I’m a sucker for a new recipe to try out, therefore I’m sharing this with anyone else interested in looking for a little kitchen inspiration. Do let me know if you try any of these or have some of your own favorite recipes to share, and happy autumn eating!
Japanese Kabocha Soup from Just One Cookbook:
If you’re lucky enough to live in a place where you can buy some Japanese winter squash, or kabocha as it is called here in Japan, then get thee to a grocery store and hurry home to make this soup. Not only it is extremely simple with minimal ingredients, but the taste is delicious. For those outside of Japan, I liken it to a butternut squash soup, only more flavorful. We serve it with salad and some bread to round out the meal.
Veggie Loaded Turkey Chili from The Real Food RDs
You knew there was going to be a chili recipe on here, right? I use this one from The Real Food RDs as a base and customize it to my liking depending on what I have (i.e. sometimes we have beef vs. turkey, sometimes I add two carrots vs. one, etc.). I’ve found that it’s a solid template to either follow exactly or to use like I do as a base to deviate from. It’s truly a one-pot meal although sometimes we serve it with a green salad or on top of rice.
Soba Noodle Veggie Stir-Fry from Skinnytaste
Ok so technically this has nothing to do with fall, but I love this recipe and it’s my go to for busy nights. It comes together SO fast – we use frozen broccoli florets to save even more time – and the combination of the creamy peanut sauce with the soba noodles and veggies is to die for. We’ve made this a lot in the past and I’ve already stocked up on my soba noodles for busy fall nights when we don’t have a ton of time to cook, but still crave something warm and nourishing.
Flourless Chocolate Cake from Allrecipes
While this also has nothing to do with fall per se, it’s been on my mind as our busy summer social schedule had me on tap to bring dessert to many a social function. I am not much of a baker, but the one ace in my pocket is my flourless chocolate cake recipe. A flourless chocolate cake is not only extremely easy but looks fancy and tastes decadent, especially when topped with whipped cream and seasonal berries. While the recipe I have is top secret – to make a long story short, it was given to me by Oprah’s chef and no I will never share! – this one is pretty close. I will definitely be making this at some point this fall and might play around with the toppings – maybe some peanut butter or salted caramel instead of berries? TBD!