Makes 1 serving

1/2 cup water
4-5 ice cubes
1 large handful of raw spinach
1 ripe banana, peeled
1 orange, peeled
2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2 heaping teaspoons of Vega Tropical Shake and Go Smoothie mix
1 inch piece of vanilla bean (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8″ x 8″ pan with parchment paper. Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts (except chia seeds).
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted Earth Balance, chia (or flax) seeds, almond butter, applesauce (or pumpkin), molasses, maple syrup, and water. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until well combined.
3. Spread mixture evenly into the prepared pan and sprinkle brown sugar lightly over the top (optional). Bake for about 35 minutes, until brown around the edges. Cool in the pan for a few minutes then use the edges of parchment to lift them from the pan and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cool, cut the bars into squares. If they seem crumbly, you can refrigerate them for 30 minutes or so before cutting them.

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, jalapeno, garam masala, amchoor powder, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes longer.
2. Stir in lentils, broth, and bulgar and bring to a boil. If you are using additional vegetables other than greens (e.g. carrots, bell peppers, etc.), add them now too. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for about 45 minutes. Add water, if necessary, if lentils get too thick- you can serve this thinner as a soup or thicker like chili.
3. Discard bay leaves. Stir in cilantro, lemon juice, and spinach. Season with salt and pepper.

• Pot of pinto beans with brown rice and avocado
• Vegetable soup with "Harvest Grains Blend" (grain and bean combo from Trader Joe's)
• Whole wheat pasta tossed with chard, sundried tomatoes, white beans, and a creamy pesto sauce (cashew-based)
• Pita pizzas with cashew ricotta (there it is again- love it!) and steamed green beans
• Veggie burgers and chipotle sweet potato oven fries
• Stir fried bok choy and turnip greens with tofu, wild rice, shiitake mushrooms, and toasted pecans
• Roasted turnips, carrots, and sweet potatoes with farro, tempeh, pecans, and shiitake mushrooms (this is a repeat- it was SO GOOD last week)
• Potato leek soup with white beans added for protein
• Breakfast dishes: Apple cinnamon crockpot oats and persimmon apple breakfast crisp

*A tip: Portion out leftover dinner meals into single-serving reheat containers and refrigerate or freeze for easy grab-and-go lunches.

I love these containers: link

I will share a few recipes from this list as I cook these meals. Today, I'll share a super fast split pea soup recipe that I made last week.

Did you know...? Split peas area fantastic food- they don't require pre-soaking and they are loaded with iron, fiber, and protein!
Simple Split Pea Soup
1 1/2 cups split peas (green, yellow, or a mix), sorted and rinsed
6-8 cups of water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1-3 tsp liquid smoke (to taste, optional)
Sea salt (about 1 Tbsp) and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and add the onions and carrots. Saute until the onions are lightly browned.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer, partially covered, for about an hour. Serve the soup topped with homemade croutons.

To make croutons, I chopped up the heals of a few loaves of bread that were lingering in my fridge for just such an occasion. I tossed them with olive oil, salt, fresh chopped parsley, and minced garlic and baked them at 300 degrees until they were crunchy (about 25 minutes, turning once or twice).

• Split pea soup with added veggies and warm bread
• Baked penne with cashew ricotta and sauteed green beans
• Butternut squash and leek gratin (also with cashew ricotta...I'm hooked!)
• Roasted root veggies with tempeh and farro

Farro is a hearty grain that lends itself well to combining with all kinds of foods. It will make a great vehicle for my roasted veggies this week and leftovers reheat well for a healthy and filling breakfast (just add a little milk of choice and top with fruit, nuts, seeds, etc.). One serving of farro contains 5 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, and 10% of the RDA for iron.

To cook: soak the farro in cool water for at least an hour. Bring fresh water to a boil and add farro (1 cup of water for every 1/2 cup of farro) and simmer, partially covered, for 25-30 minutes (or until all liquid is absorbed).

What are some of your favorite fall meals?