Making Fall better through food - Failed mission (so far)

It’s been over a month since I took it upon myself to make Fall worthwhile (Recipes to redeem Fall). I am disappointed that I can’t confirm my mission was a success. Last month I picked 3 recipes that I thought would make me change my mind about Fall. You know, give it a chance. Try to not be so grumpy all the time. They all sounded pretty delicious so I was excited to try them. Here is how it went:

Hungarian Goulash

Rating: 2

This was the first recipe we tried. It was my first time trying to make a stew of this type. I must admit the potatoes and carrots were incredibly tasty and soft. This recipe did bring me comfort but I wasn’t fulfilled just for one reason, I couldn’t figure out the sides. We got some bread to dip on the sauce but it just wasn’t appetizing. The recipe made lots so we spent many days eating it. You know when you have leftovers in the fridge and you know eventually it will go to the trash un-eaten? That is how I felt the moment I served it. It was tasty but not something I will ever crave. It also didn’t make me feel better about the cold.

I understand if you don’t think this looks appetizing

---

Pumpkin coconut curry

Rating: 4

This second recipe was by far the best but it had nothing to do with the pumpkin (the Fall element). This was a delicious curry, it included a lot of cilantro which I had never cooked with before, only used as garnish. We enjoyed eating it, especially if you added lots of lime. The more bites I had, the more I realized this really isn’t much of a Fall recipe. It was too fresh, too colourful. Even though curries are a type of stew the flavours felt completely different. I bet you could make a curry on a crockpot but, for some reason that just feels wrong. Maybe what makes a Fall recipe is the use of a crockpot. I could have made the goulash in there, no problem. We will probably have this recipe again. Maybe we can try it in the spring. Make it a happy medium.

Too Fresh for Fall

---

Baked Tuscan Chicken Breasts

Rating: 1 (no photos were taken)

I broke my own rule against pasta but what would the side have been? Rice? Mashed Potatoes? Those all seemed wrong. We were having friends over for dinner so my initial idea to pair it with Quinoa was completely ignored as I was trying to make something good. The best part of the meal was definitely the salad our friend brought, it had spinach, pear, onion, pecans, and a delicious vinaigrette. The chicken was just fine, a little underseasoned even though I upped the seasoning and ignored the step to only season on one side. (Why would I do that?!). Will I make this recipe again, probably not. It did inspire more to try my own creamy sauce with spinach.

---

I will take the blame for the bad selection of recipes. It was hard to find recipes that seemed appetizing and I was enthusiastic about making them. The next rendition of this experiment will be with recipes that have been recommended. I have no doubt that will bring a better success rate.

This is what I learned after doing this experiment. There are no recipes that can redeem Fall. We just need to keep doing new things, having fun and not get entangled with the laziness of this season. Days are getting shorter, and it is hard to wake up but someday spring will be back, summer will be here and fresh fruit will be everywhere.

And if you are always cold like me, I recommend you try hot yoga. This is the only place I feel warm all week.