Fall Eats

Goodbye watermelon and freeze-pops, hello butternut squash and all things apple. While the weather might warm up again before we're truly on our way to winter, it seems like we went from t-shirts to layers of fleece in just a few days.

In the kitchen, I'm finally hitting a baking/cooking rhythm and trying out a few new things mixed in with old favorites:

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

One of the easiest, cheapest, and longest-lasting meals I've made - all you need is several pounds of pork shoulder/butt (I used about 9 pounds) and a marinade (easily googled). Let it cook low and slow for 8-10 hours, shred it, and you're done. You can put sauce on it or leave it as is, and you've got lunch and dinner for a week (or freeze it and have pulled pork all winter)!

BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza

At a loss for what to do with all the pork? Throw it on a pizza! Once you have your dough rolled out, use your favorite bbq sauce as a base, then add the pork plus cheese, pineapples, and sliced peppers and onions. Bake at 450 until golden brown and top with cilantro before serving.

Squash and Barley Risotto

I found this recipe while I was deciding what to do with the squash we just bought. Coincidentally, I had also just started making barley to have as a grain for lunch. I quickly chopped up the squash and added it in to the barley and broth, along with some caramelized onions, more vegetable broth, and some milk. It was surprisingly easy and, above all, tasty.

Apple Crisp Muffins

After all these savory foods, I need something sweet. In October, that means baking apples into everything. I used this recipe (omitting the applesauce since I didn't have any) and satiated my sweet tooth. Other options include: Apple Crisp, Apple Cake, Apple Pie or Baked Apples.

My appetite is ready for colder weather - bring it on, fall!