Autumn brings with it some of the finest selection of seasonal produce the UK has to offer. We’re spoilt for choice, with mouth watering fruits such as cranberries and figs and delicious veg the likes of chunky squashes and flavoursome beetroot. In our latest blog, we’ve picked some of the top seasonal fruits and veg available this time of year, along with our favourite healthy recipes to go with them.
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
If you’ve got some leftover pumpkin seeds from Halloween, this is the perfect way to use them. Take these toasted pumpkin seeds with you to work as a healthy desk snack, or enjoy while watching a film on the sofa, as a tasty alternative to popcorn. There are tons of different options for seasoning, so you can pick your favourite and snack to your heart’s content.
What You’ll Need:
Pumpkin Seeds
Olive Oil
Seasoning – Salt & Pepper | Brown Sugar & Cinnamon | Cayenne Pepper
First, preheat your oven to 150ºC. Make sure your pumpkin seeds are washed and fully dried with a kitchen towel. Toss the seeds in a bowl with some olive oil and seasoning, making sure the seeds are coated thoroughly. Spread the seeds out on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 30 minutes. Leave to cool before tucking in.
Poached pears
Sweet, juicy pears are in great supply this season. Enjoy a simple dessert of poached pears for an after dinner treat. Add a little bit of luxury with this caramel sauce. Or go more simple with some yoghurt or ice cream.
What You’ll Need:
2 Pears
100g Granulated Sugar
50g Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
100ml Single Cream
Peel and core the pears. Pour 600ml water into a pan and add the granulated sugar. Leave the water to simmer, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Then, add the pears and vanilla extract, poaching the pears for around 15 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the brown sugar over a medium heat. Once melted, stir in the cream. Serve the pears topped with the sauce for a delightful mid week treat.
Broccoli Cheese Bites
Even if you’re not a fan of broccoli, you won’t fail to enjoy these Broccoli Cheese Bites. It’s up to you how strong you like your cheddar. We think a mature cheddar goes best with this recipe, but the choice is yours.
What You’ll Need:
1 Broccoli Head
Bread – 2-3 slices
2 Eggs
Onion (grated)
114g Cheddar (grated)
Salt
Pepper
Steam the broccoli until it’s soft, but not too soft. Once cooked, finely chop it. Add the broccoli to a food processor along with the eggs, torn up pieces of bread, grated cheese, onion, salt and pepper. Pulse for a few seconds. Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases and bake in the oven at 200ºC for around 25 minutes.
Butternut Squash Hummus
Come autumn, we can’t get enough of squashes. This butternut squash hummus is a nice change from your standard chickpea or red pepper variety. Serve with more veg or a toasted pitta for a filling snack at work.
What You’ll Need:
Half a Butternut Squash (chopped)
1 Garlic Clove (crushed)
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 400ml can Chickpeas
80g Tahini
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Cumin
Paprika
Preheat your oven to 200ºC. Place the butternut squash on a roasting tray and roast for 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Once done, add the squash, crushed garlic, lemon juice, chickpeas, tahini, olive oil and seasoning to your food processor and purée until smooth.
Apple Cinnamon Crisps
Overrun with apples from your apple tree? Or just fancy a change from your usual Ready Salted crisps? These apple cinnamon crisps are the perfect autumn treat. And so easy to make. These can be made in the oven or air fryer.
What You’ll Need:
Apples
Cinnamon
Sugar
Thinly slice your apples and add them to a bowl. Sprinkle on a generous helping of sugar and a flavouring of cinnamon. Make sure the apples are coated fully. Spread the slices on a baking sheet and bake at 200ºC for 3 hours, flipping the slices halfway through. Leave to cool for a bit, as they will continue to crisp after they come out of the oven.
Cranberry Almond Balls
These no bake cranberry almond balls take no time to make and will give you a great boost of energy when you’re contemplating whether to head out into the cold for your morning run. Sweet and filling, these are perfect for keeping a few in your bag in case you get peckish.
What You’ll Need:
125g Peanut or Almond Butter
80ml Honey
30g Chopped Almonds
75g Oats
30g Dried Cranberries
Mix together the honey and nut butter. Stir in the oats, chopped almonds and cranberries. Once combined, roll the mixture into small balls and lay on a baking sheet. Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge to harden them slightly.
Fig Energy Bites
Okay, we’ve already done one dried fruit energy balls recipe in this list. But these fig energy bites are too good not to include. Plus, they’re no bake too, making them super easy and quick to assemble.
What You’ll Need:
200g Dried Figs
200g Nuts of your choice (almonds, walnuts, pecans)
Cinnamon
Vanilla Extract
Soak the dried figs for up to 10 minutes. Once softened, drain the figs and put them into your food processor with chopped nuts, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Pulse until combined, then remove and stir to make a dough. Roll the dough into balls and enjoy straight away or pop in the fridge for a later date.
Pumpkin Bread
Hearty and delicious, this pumpkin bread is simple to whip up and is great served warm with butter. Move over Starbucks, this pumpkin bread is so good, you’ll want to enjoy it all year round.
What You’ll Need:
300g Sugar
300g Pumpkin Purée
175g Butter
2 Eggs
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Ginger
Baking Powder
Salt
225g Flour
Chocolate Chips (optional)
Preheat your oven to 180°C. In a large bowl, mix together the puréed pumpkin, sugar, melted butter, eggs, flour, salt, baking powder and spices (and chocolate chips if using). Pour the mixture into a greased and lined loaf tin. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
Tomato Chutney
If you’re particularly green fingered and have a load of tomatoes left over, chutney is a great way to use up those leftovers. It’s delicious, easy to make and is the perfect accompaniment to cheese and biscuits or cocktail sausages.
What You’ll Need:
1 Red Onion
300g Tomatoes
1 Red Chilli
50ml Red Wine Vinegar/Balsamic Vinegar
60g Brown Sugar
Roughly chop the onion and tomatoes. Deseed and chop the chilli. Add the tomatoes, onion and chilli to a saucepan with the vinegar and sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes until jam-like in consistency. Pour the chutney into a jar and leave to cool in the fridge.
Mushrooms on Toast
This may seem like pretty basic fare. But when it comes to mushrooms on toast you can go simple or you can jazz it up with porcini mushrooms, some fresh baked sourdough and expert seasoning to make this dish an easy, hassle free and warming snack for those long autumn evenings.
What You’ll Need:
Mushrooms (sliced)
Butter
Bread
Olive Oil
Garlic
Rosemary/Thyme/Oregano
Bread
Creme Fraiche (optional)
In a frying pan, melt the butter before adding the mushrooms and chopped garlic. Add the seasoning of your choice. Toast your bread in the toaster or under the grill. Once the mushrooms and garlic are done, transfer them onto the bread and pour over the jus for added flavour. An optional extra is adding creme fraiche for a more creamy mushroom mixture. Incredibly simple. Mouth wateringly delicious.