Autumn Squash Recipes

Written by: Jessica De Somma, Hair Stylist, Yoga Teacher, Ayurvedic Health Conselor

Autumn is my favorite season to cook and bake! I try to cook seasonally by using local produce that is naturally available during this time of year. Ayurveda, the Indian holistic health science explains that each season gives us exactly what we need in order to counter balance the excessive negative attributes of a given time of year.

This time of year, we may feel ungrounded, unstable, and overwhelmed. Our skin, hair and nails may become dry and rough and our digestion may slow and become irregular. Try heating, heavy, and naturally sweet fruits and vegetables. Squash, bell peppers, potatoes, broccoli, beets, lentils, dates, peaches, and nuts all help to balance the excess dryness from the elements of air and space that are most prevalent in the fall season. Add some warming, digestive spices to your meals like ginger, turmeric, cardamom, clove, black pepper, cumin, and cinnamon. I added a couple of my favorite autumn balancing recipes below.

Butternut Squash Soup
Serves 4
1 onion
2 potatoes
1 carrot
1 butternut squash
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Cardamom
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
4 cups of low sodium vegetable stock
1 tablespoon of ghee or butter

Start by peeling and cutting the butternut squash into cubes. Add to a skillet with ghee. Cube and add the onion and carrot and let it golden. Add the spices. Transfer spiced vegetables to a large pot and add the potatoes along with the vegetable stock.
Simmer for 30 min. Let cool. Transfer the veggies to a blender with a strainer spoon and add back to mixture until the soup has a creamy consistency. Add chopped celery last. Garnish with fresh herbs.

Acorn Squash with Spiced Pistachios
1/2 cup pistachios
2 tablespoons ghee or butter
1/4 teaspoon Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 large acorn squash
About 4 oz Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 350° F. Peel and cube acorn squash and bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. While baking, add the pistachios to a frying pan and add spices and ghee for a few min on low heat. Serve the acorn squash with pistachios on top and a small dollop of Greek yogurt.