Warm & Nourishing Roasted Fall Veggie Bowl

Fall veggies are my favorite kind of veggies, and ‘tis the season (so prepare to see lots of ‘em over here)! I love to get creative with how I season and prepare them to mix things up a bit — and this time was a total shot in the dark that resulted in a home run.

Simple, warm, nourishing, and completely customizable! Let’s get it:

What You Need:

• Brussel sprouts

• 1 butternut squash

• Grain of choice: I used farro because I like its nuttiness. But wild rice or quinoa would be great too — you want something pretty hearty.

• Olive oil

• 1/4 cup tahini

• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup

• A little squeeze of orange

• 1/4 tsp chili powder

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• 5-finger pinch of salt

• Black pepper to taste

• Fresh thyme

• Fresh sage

• Red pepper flakes

• 1/2 shallot

• Garlic salt

Make It Happen:

1. Preheat the oven to 425,

2. Use a veggie peeler to thoroughly remove all outter peel of the butternut squash. Then using the sharpest knife you got, careful cut in half long ways.

3. Scoop out all of the seeds and strings in the lower half of the squash, then cut the whole thing into cubes.

4. Toss squash cubes in a medium-sized bowl with a generous drizzle of olive oil, maple syrup, orange squeeze, nutmeg, chili powder, smoked paprika, cracked black pepper, and a 5-finger pinch of salt. Toss until thoroughly coated.

5. Wash your brussel sprouts and prepare them for the sheet pan by chopping off the stem and then slicing each brussel into thirds long ways — this makes for crispier sprouts because more surface area is exposed to oil and heat.

6. Toss the brussels in a drizzle of olive oil, a dash of red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt.

7. Spread all seasoned veggies onto a greased baking sheet lined with foil, with enough space between each piece that none are touching — Use two sheets if necessary.

8. Nestle in the sliced shallots, sage leaves, and fresh thyme springs between the veggies, pop into the oven and roast for about 15 - 20 minutes or until the squash is soft and brussels are crisped.

9. Meanwhile, cook your grain according to package instructions and prep the tahini sauce: 1/4 cup of tahini mixed with 2 tbsp of water (add more water as necessary, you want the sauce to be thin enough to drizzle but not so thin its watery) and a dash of garlic salt and pepper.

10. When the veggies are done, remove the thyme springs, lay them in the bed of warm grains, drizzle with tahini, and garnish with more fresh herbs for brightness. Enjoy!