Leek, fennel and apple walnut soup with turmeric

Eat your way to a clearer, less-sluggish mind by trying your hand at this soup, filled with an IQ-enhancing triple-threat: walnuts, apples and turmeric. Walnuts have been called the ultimate brain food because of their high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Apples are a leading source of quercetin, an antioxidant plant chemical that keeps your mental juices flowing by protecting your brain cells. And turmeric has remarkably improved symptoms in Alzheimer's patients, according to a recent study.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
3 leeks, white and light green parts chopped (discard green tops)
4 sprigs of thyme, leaves minced
1 fennel bulb, cored and chopped (reserve fronds for garnish)
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1-2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
4 cups vegetable stock
Maple syrup, reserved fennel fronds and more toasted walnuts, to serve
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Heat the grapeseed oil in a large soup pot over medium. Add the chopped leeks and thyme. Stir and sauté the leeks until they are a bit soft, about four minutes. Add the chopped fennel and apples. Stir ingredients. Add the turmeric and stir to coat the vegetables evenly. Sauté the vegetables until the fennel starts to soften, another four minutes. Stir in walnuts. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vegetable stock and stir.

Bring the pot to a boil and simmer until all of the vegetables/apples are very soft, about 12 to15 minutes. Remove the soup from heat. Blend the mixture in batches until totally smooth. Check the soup for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Bring the pureed soup to a boil and serve hot with drizzles of maple syrup, fresh black pepper, fennel fronds and more toasted walnuts.

Source: The First Mess

Pumpkin butter

Looking for a sweet escape from the Halloween candy that's staring you down from every aisle of the grocery store? Head to the pumpkin patch. This recipe will satisfy your sweet tooth without sending you into a candy-eating frenzy.

Makes 16 ounces

Ingredients:
3 cups pureed pumpkin (from about 4.25 pounds fresh sugar pumpkin)
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 to 3/4 cup water (can use apple cider as well; adjust sugar accordingly)
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice pumpkins in half with a sharp knife. Remove stem and scoop out seeds and pulp with spoon.

Roast pumpkins in a baking dish until soft when pierced with fork, about 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size. Scoop flesh from pumpkin. Discard skins.

In a heavy pot over low heat, combine all ingredients. Simmer for up to one hour, stirring at regular intervals to avoid burning, until the mixture has thickened. Blend with an immersion blender or transfer in batches to an upright blender and puree. Spoon into jars and refrigerate.

Source: The Year in Food

Butternut squash, Brussels sprout and bread stuffing with apple

This delicious, Thanksgiving-ready stuffing recipe combines in-season ingredients for a savory dish that your relatives won't even realize is vegan.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 pound butternut squash, cubed (2 cups)
1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved (4 cups)
1 medium Gala apple, diced in 1/2-inch pieces
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
10 slices bread of choice: crusty sourdough, dry cornbread or whole grain. Prior to preparing the recipe, leave bread out for a day to become slightly dry, then cut into cubes.
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth (plus extra as needed)
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup pecans or walnuts
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the squash, brussels sprouts, apples and shallots in two tablespoons oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast until vegetables are very tender and remove from oven. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.

Heat other tablespoon of oil in a large pot. Sauté the onion and celery until translucent (about five to eight minutes). Add the bread cubes and allow them to get golden brown with the veggies in the oil. Add a dash of salt and pepper.

Add the roasted vegetables, vegetable broth, cranberries, pecans or walnuts and seasonings. Stir the mix until the broth has almost entirely absorbed in the toasted bread. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Source: Food52

Kale and clementine salad

No one deserves to be sick over the holidays -- even if they're on the Naughty List. Fight off germs with this winter salad. Clementines, at the height of their ripeness during winter, are rich in cold-fighting vitamin C.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 avocado, diced
1 medium pomegranate, arils removed, or a handful of dried cranberries
4 clementines, peeled and sliced into rounds or small strips
4 small radishes, sliced into thin rounds and then into skinny strips
Handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup pepitas (sunflower seeds)

Honey-lime dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 small limes)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium jalapeño, membranes and seeds removed, finely chopped
2 teaspoons honey or agave nectar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Directions:
First, make the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients in a small bowl.

Prepare the kale by slicing out the stems and chopping the leaves into small, bite-sized pieces. Transfer the kale to a big salad bowl. Sprinkle a small pinch of sea salt over the kale and massage the leaves with your hands.

Drizzle salad dressing over the kale and toss well so the kale is lightly coated with dressing. Add the prepared avocado, pomegranate (or dried cranberries), clementines, radishes, cilantro and feta to the bowl.

Toast the pepitas in a skillet over medium-low heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until they smell fragrant and toasty. Transfer the pepitas to the salad bowl. Toss the salad to combine and serve.

Source: Cookie and Kate