October is one of my favorite months. The foliage is at its peak in New England and the weather is around a comfortable 60 degrees.
I also met my hubby in October on Halloween, 7 years ago to be exact, he was dressed as Jack Sparrow and I was Lady Gaga. So another fun reason why October is a special month.
For our anniversary, we dined at Douzo, one of the best sushi places in Boston (IMO). If you checked out my Local’s Guide to Boston, it’s included in my print-out. If you get a chance to go there and you want to try something new, ask for the Sriracha Roll, it is not on the menu but it’s a local’s favorite made with tuna, avocado, and shrimp tempura, I highly recommend it!
Speaking of local favorites, the first item on my list of favorites for October is Granola that I found at the Copley Farmer’s Market (see details below on how you can purchase it online as well) and it’s my new obsession!
Favorite Granola – Chrissy’s Crumble
I usually prefer granola made with oats, but this one is grain-free and still so chucky and good! It’s full of amazing ingredients like chia seeds, coconut oil, almond butter, and maple syrup that bind with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit into the biggest chunks I’ve seen!
They have stands at farmer’s markets around Boston and are based out of Watertown, MA. But if you aren’t in Boston, you can purchase their granola online: Chrissy’s Crumble. Use their code SPEVENT to get 15% off your first order.
Favorite Fall Food – Honey Nut Squash
October means eating lots of pumpkin and squash. I recently discovered honey nut squash at the Farmer’s Market and it’s the next best thing since Pumpkin! Bonus – Trader Joe’s also sells it.
The best way to explain the taste/texture– It’s a hybrid between spaghetti squash and pumpkin. Here is a great article to read that tells you all about it and how to properly cook it as well. The-Local-Ingredient-Honeynut-Squash
I roasted mine, cut them into cubes and froze them for my smoothies. Here is a new recipe to try:
Banana Honey Nut Smoothie
1/2 ripe banana
1 small honey nut squash, (roasted, cubed and frozen)
1 cup of nut milk
1 teaspoon of turmeric (and pinch of black pepper to absorb)
1 tablespoon of nut butter
1 scoop of protein
Blend together in a blender until smooth and enjoy!
Favorite Vegetarian Weeknight Meal
When you don’t feel like having meat for dinner but you want something satisfying, this Zucchini Pasta & Mushroom “Alfredo” recipe is my go-to. And the hubs approves, so it’s a win-win.
It’s also been colder out now that it is November, so this dish is a great comfort meal but doesn’t feel heavy like other creamy dishes do.
Normally I buy my zoodles at the store, but I finally bought a spiralizer that works and doesn’t add bulk to my kitchen: Veggetti-Spiral-Vegetable-Slicer-Cutter.
It does the trick at creating spirals for zucchini, potatoes, carrots, or whatever you fancy.
Here is my go-to vegetarian week-night recipe:
Zucchini Pasta & Mushroom “Alfredo”
Serves 2
2 medium-sized Zucchinis
1 package of sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons of Ghee (or butter)
1 cup of cashew mylk (or cashew yogurt)
1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Directions:
Using the Veggetti, spiralize two medium-sized zucchinis and set aside for later.
Add sliced mushrooms to a sauté pan with a tablespoon of ghee (or butter) and salt and pepper over medium heat stove and stir until mushrooms are tender.
While mushrooms are cooking, start making your cream sauce by adding one tablespoon of ghee (or butter) to a small pan on medium to low heat.
Once butter has melted, add cashew mylk to the pan and stir until well mixed and the sauce starts to bubble (you may have to turn up the heat a little).
Turn the heat for the sauce off, and stir in parmesan cheese.
Once mushrooms are almost cooked to your liking, add in zucchini noodles and cook on low for 5 minutes, stirring until noodles are a little tender.
Remove from heat and drain any excess liquid from your mushrooms and noodles and then add the cream sauce to the pan, toss, and serve with more parm cheese!
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I am looking forward to all the soups, crock-pot meals, and comfort foods this winter, but I also don’t want to overindulge, so I like to keep my meals simple and healthy during the week.
What are your favorite lightened-up comfort dishes?
