It's very easy to slip into a routine of eating carbs and comfort foods when the weather starts to get colder. But autumn is when you need to be eating as healthy as possible. It's cold and flu season, and you'll want to make sure your microbiome is in the best condition possible - full of beneficial bacteria.
That means eating gut-friendly foods.
Here are are a few of my favourite autumnal recipes that are not only great for your gut, but also full of prebiotics and probiotics too.
Roasted carrots with whipped feta dip
I'm a total convert to whipped feta. Just blend feta with yoghurt, garlic and your favourite herbs.
Ingredients
- 200g pack of a good quality feta
- 4 tbsp of Greek yoghurt
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp of chopped chives
- 1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil
- Sprinkle of sea salt
- Squeeze of lemon
- Carrots
Toss your carrot sticks in olive oil, salt and pepper. You can add more flavour by sprinkling on some paprika or cayenne pepper.
Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes at 220oC.
In the meantime, put in your other ingredients to make the whipped feta.
When the carrots are ready, take them out and allow them to cool slightly. I like to toast some pine nuts to sprinkle over the top as well.
This dish would make a great party platter. Just add other roasted vegetables to a sharing plate with your whipped feta in the centre.
Red Pepper & Cherry Tomato Air Fryer Soup
This is a great soup to make in your Air fryer or Insta-pot and it's soup-errr quick too and definitely a family favourite in our house.
I've have taken inspiration from Bored of Lunch recipe...but modified it to add fresh herbs and to give a gut friendly boost to that cheese toastie dipper!!
- 500g cherry tomatoes
- 3 red peppers
- 1 red onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 200ml vegetable stock
- 150ml cream
- Fresh thyme and oregano
- Sourdough
- Strong cheddar cheese
- Fermented onions
You just put all the ingredients into your air fryer (except the stock and cream) at 200oC for 20 minutes. Then add in the stock and cream and blend.
But before you eat it, you need to make your toastie in the air fryer.
Use fresh sourdough, your favourite cheese and some fermented onions to give your gut health a boost. Just pop the sandwich in the air fryer for about 10-15 minutes until crisp.
Winter Vegetable & Barley Soup
This soup is always a winner in our house. The barley makes it so creamy and delicious. If you can't find barley in the house then you need to go out immediately and buy some.
It can take a while to cook barley, so I like to have a batch pre-made and frozen into small pots, ready to throw into soups and stews.
- 40g ghee (this is clarified butter which you can make yourself, by heating slightly in the pan and scooping off the white milk solids until you have a clear golden ghee!
- 1 leek
- 2 carrots
- 2 courgettes
- 1 medium potato
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 100g pearl barley
- 1.2ltr of a good vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 cup of peas
Put the ghee into your pan and add your chopped vegetables. Give them a swish about for 5 minutes until they start to soften up.
Next ad din your stock and herbs and the barley. If your barley is raw you'll need to cook this now for about 45 minutes to an hour. Pre-cooked barley, then cook your soup for about 10minutees until the potato is cooked through.
When the soup is ready, add in your chopped parsley and serve with homemade rolls.
Apple & Raspberry Crumble
Our whole family love apple crumble and apple pie so now that the Bramley apples are in season this is the perfect time to make this super easy recipe.
You can also add in pears or any type of berries to bulk up the filling and if your trying to cut down on sugar then try and use honey or maple syrup as sugar alternative. 🍏
For the filling:
- 5 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 250g raspberries (but you could use any berries)
- 60ml water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1tbsp sugar
For the crumble:
- 250g plain flour
- 200g butter
- 75g sugar
- 50g rolled oats or ground almonds
Preheat your oven to 190°C. Then in a large bowl, combine the chopped apples a pinch of sugar and a 1/4 cup of water, put on a low heat until the apples become soft.
In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, rolled oats and sugar. Use your hands to rub in the butter until the mixture becomes crumbly. Next add the almond flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg to add sweetness.
When the apples are soft take them off the heat and then add your raspberries and pour the apple-raspberry mixture into an ovenproof bowl.
Crumble the oat mixture evenly over the top and pat down with a spoon.
Now bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the crumble is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy warm with a scoop of vanilla yogurt or a drizzle of maple syrup.
Autumnal Ice-Cubes
I love this simple recipe for autumnal ice-cubes. My kids love making them, and they turn any drink autumnal.
Just add your favourite ingredients into ice cube trays and fill with water, or apple juice. I like Blackberries, Apple pieces and a cinnamon stick, filled with apple juice to add to a Moocha Kombucha Apple & Blackberry.
Or how about adding some orange and apple slices to ice cubes. These will make great additions to cocktails and add a finishing touch!
Happy autumnal cooking!
