It may still be hot and humid here in Miami, but the rest of the country is getting ready to cozy up for fall with delicious recipes (and fab wardrobes). But no need for Miami FOMO! We can have in on everyone’s favorite season, too! Here are 5 ways to add the warmth of fall to your meal prep, without the cooler temps.
1. Make a pot of soup and chill.
Miami may not feel like the ideal setting for hot butternut squash soup just yet, but you can still get the feel with a chilled version. Either follow your favorite pureed soup recipe and chill for a couple hours before serving, or check out any of these innovative takes on cool soup. The Chilled Zucchini Soup sounds like a great transitional recipe, as zucchini is so associated with summer.
2. Warm up your salad.
Toss chunks of freshly roasted or grilled seasonal veggies into your salad. This hybrid of cool and warm produce is the perfect segue into fall. Roast up any squash you find in the market, cut it into large chunks, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle pinches of salt and pepper, and cook at 400°F for about 20 minutes until fork-tender. Add these to your standard salad fare of greens, raw veggies, nuts and cheese, and dress them with an autumnal maple vinaigrette. Sweet potatoes and butternut squash can add enough heft for your salad to stand alone as dinner. My all-time fave grilled example is a Grilled Caesar Salad. Shred some rotisserie chicken or grill up a piece of salmon alongside the Romaine, and dinner is served.
3. Season with the season.
Pick up what’s best harvested now, even if most of these items are available year-round these days here in Miami. Seeing these ingredients in your kitchen and finding recipes that spotlight them will make it feel more like autumn. Think apples and pears, Brussels sprouts and parsnips, and, of course, pumpkin. (Canned is the best way to cheat through meal prep!)
4. Supersize superfoods.
Some of Mother Nature’s most powerful superfoods shine in fall recipes, so incorporate these into your meals this time of year. Cool off your morning with a smoothie, add a couple tablespoons of oats and chia seeds, and top it with cinnamon, just as you would with a bowl of warm oatmeal.
5. Be a Spice Girl.
Aromatic warming spices like ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom will fill your home with smells and tastes of fall while boosting your health and wellness. They reduce inflammation and stimulate your immune system. Meals don’t have to be hot to warm up the health benefits. Here in Miami, try a ginger iced tea. For a tropical dessert that gives both tropical and autumnal feels, grill thick slices of fresh pineapple and glaze with a mix of orange juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
And, of course, the easiest way to make it feel like fall in Miami is to go ahead and treat yourself to that pumpkin spice latte… on the rocks, of course.
