Hands up if you love autumn! How can you not? The world is just so beautiful right now- with the changing colours of the leaves dancing in the wind, and the fading sunshine peeping through the clouds… ok, so that may be a bit of a romantic view, but genuinely we LOVE autumn here at Little Soap HQ! We love the warmth of the afternoons before winter really kicks in; we love the promise of fresh starts as the kids trudge off back to school; we love the abundance of delicious foods. And that’s what today’s post is all about. The plethora of amazing produce at your fingertips in the autumn. So here are three foods you must eat this season… you’re welcome.
Sweet potato
We LOVE sweet potato at any time of the year, but in the autumn they are really delicious. A lot more easily digested than white potatoes, the sweet potato is a firm favourite in both sweet and savoury dishes. They’re full of beta-carotene (vitamin A) and they taste great too. For simple, tasty, crispy fries, add a teaspoon of cornflour and a teaspoon of paprika to your wedges before adding olive oil and baking in the oven. Or you could try…
Sweet potato brownies
All you need is:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 80g ground almonds
- 100g buckwheat or brown rice flour
- 14 dates
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
Don’t be alarmed by the sweet potatoes in this recipe! Set your oven to 180 degrees c, and start by peeling and cutting the potatoes into squares. Steam for around 20 minutes, until they’re nice and soft. In a blender, mix the potatoes with the dates; add all the other ingredients to another bowl, then combine the two mixtures, stirring well. Bake for 20 minutes, then allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into portions. You have to try this!
Figs
Figs are so underrated! They are actually really high in fibre (5 grams per 1½-ounce serving), way higher than ny other common dried or fresh fruit. And they’re also a good non-dairy source of calcium too – the same amount of figs and milk provide equal amounts of calcium. Fig puree can be used as both a sweetener and a fat substitute when you’re baking and you can keep them dried to snack on when a sweet craving hits. The ultimate versatile autumn treat! One of our favourite recipes for figs is…
Fig and coconut brownies
All you need is:
- 60g ground almonds
- 60g dates
- 100g maple syrup
- 50g coconut sugar
- 85 g coconut milk
- 50 g desiccated coconut
- 6 steamed figs
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- half a teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- pinch of salt
To make the brownies, simply blend all the dry ingredients in a food processor. Then add the dates, figs, coconut milk, coconut oil and desiccated coconut and blend until the mixture is smooth. In a medium bowl, stir the maple syrup into the mixture. Grease an 8×8” pan lined with foil and spread the mixture evenly on the foil, then bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. Enjoy!
Beetroot
We love beetroot! Perfect in a salad, amazing with a warming stew, and just as great in a chocolate cake. Beetroot is full of potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, B6 and C, folic acid, carbohydrates, protein, antioxidants and soluble fibre. A real super food! And in case you hadn’t guessed where we might be going with this, you can also make these little beauties…
Beetroot brownies
All you need is:
- 320g brown rice flour
- two teaspoons baking powder
- 60g cocoa powder
- 170g maple syrup
- 170g grated raw beetroot
- 340g coconut oil, melted
- 170g coconut milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 egg whites
To make them, preheat your oven to 165 degrees c. Grease a 1 inch cake pan and line with paper. Sift the flour with the baking powder and cocoa and then add the beetroot, madly syrup, coconut oil, milk and egg yolks. Mix well. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until they’re stiff, and then fold into the first mixture. Pour into your tin and bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool.
That’s three foods you to eat this autumn. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it?
