Our Favorite Fall Recipes

Suddenly, the air is crisp and we're pulling our fleeces out of the closet now that Fall has arrived. Our guests tell us that Fall is their favorite time of year to cook for family and friends – inspired by the comforting aroma and taste of Fall staples like pumpkin, butternut squash, cinnamon, and nutmeg. With cooler temperatures rolling in, it's easy to find solace in comfort food so our Miraval chefs created these recipes to help reduce the calories without sacrificing flavor and texture. All three of these recipes are from our cookbook Mindful Eating by Miraval. <— Makes a great gift for the Holidays! 

Order your copy of Mindful Eating for more than 250 healthful, gourmet recipes >

Pumpkin Cornmeal Bread

MAKES 2 LOAVES

• 1 c. warm water, not above 110° F
• 4½ tsp. active dry yeast
• 1/8 tsp. sugar
• 1 c. buttermilk, at room temperature
• 5 Tbsp. canola oil or vegetable oil
• 1/3 c. light molasses
• ½ c. canned pumpkin puree
• 5 c. all-purpose flour, plus more as needed for working the dough
• 1½ c. yellow cornmeal, plus more for the baking sheet
• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt

COMBINE the water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer with a dough-hook attachment and let sit until the yeast blooms and becomes foamy, 5 minutes. Add the buttermilk, oil, molasses, and pumpkin puree; and mix on low speed until combined, 1 minute.

ADD the flour, cornmeal, and salt and mix on low speed until the dough comes together in a ball and has a smooth, silken texture, 7 to 10 minutes. (Note: Depending upon kitchen temperature and humidity, the dough may become sticky and require extra flour during the kneading process. Add additional flour as needed, ¼ tsp. at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Alternatively, this dough can be made by hand; the time required to work the dough will be doubled.)

LIGHTLY coat the inside of a medium bowl with cooking spray. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, 1½ hours.

TURN the dough out onto a work surface, and with a sharp knife, cut into 2 equal portions. Roll each portion into a large ball and dust the tops lightly with flour.

COVER a large baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with cornmeal. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise until almost doubled in size and spongy to the touch, 45 minutes.

PREHEAT the oven to 350° F.

CUT slits in the top of each loaf and bake until it’s cooked through and makes a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom, 50 to 55 minutes; turn the racks 180 degrees halfway through the cooking time.

REMOVE from the oven. Transfer the loaves to a wire rack, and let cool for 1 hour before serving.

CALORIES PER SLICE: 60; TOTAL FAT: 1 G; CARBOHYDRATE: 10 G; DIETARY FIBER: 0 G; PROTEIN: 1 G

Butternut Squash Soup

Miraval’s approach to the classic Butternut Squash Soup channels the warmth and essence of autumn. We incorporate reduced cinnamon-infused rice milk to balance the butternut squash, which adds a completely different dimension of flavor to the dish.

Please note: Soups pureed in a blender have a richer texture. While the butternut squash mixture can be pureed with a food processor or stick blender, the texture and yield will be different from that made in a blender. 

Makes 6 cups; Serving size ½ cup

• ¼ tsp. Miraval Oil Blend (page 19) or vegetable oil
• 1 c. chopped yellow onion
• 1 c. chopped celery
• ½ tsp. chopped garlic
• 5 c. peeled, one-inch cubes butternut squash
• ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 5 c. Vegetable Stock (page 24) or canned vegetable broth
• 1½ c. rice milk
• 2 whole cinnamon sticks

HEAT a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the squash, nutmeg, and bay leaf; cook until the squash starts to turn brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook until the squash is fork tender, about 20 minutes.

IN a small saucepan, bring the rice milk and cinnamon sticks to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook, whisking occasionally, until light caramel in color and reduced to ¼ cup in volume, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and cool completely.

IN batches, transfer the butternut squash mixture to a blender and puree on high speed until smooth. Transfer to a clean container, stir, and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

TO serve, ladle half-cup portions into small soup bowls. Decoratively drizzle 1 tsp. of the rice milk into the center of each serving and serve immediately.

CALORIES: 50; TOTAL FAT: 0 G; CARBOHYDRATE: 12 G; DIETARY FIBER: 1 G; PROTEIN: 1 G

Rack of Lamb with Cinnamon-Peppercorn Sauce

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

• 4 six-ounce New Zealand lamb racks (4 to 5 bones each), trimmed and frenched
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 2 tsp. Miraval Oil Blend (page 19) or canola oil
• 1 recipe Cinnamon-Peppercorn Sauce (recipe follows)

PREHEAT the oven to 375°F.

LIGHTLY season the lamb on all sides with the salt and pepper.

HEAT a large skillet or sauté pan over high heat. Add the oil and when hot, add the lamb in and cook, turning until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes on meaty side, then 1 minute on bony side.

TRANSFER the pan into your preheated oven and roast to desired temperature, 12 to 15 minutes for medium rare.

PLACE the racks on a large cutting board and let rest for 1 to 2 minutes. Use a knife to cut the racks into two 2-bone chops each and divide among four plates. Spoon the sauce over the meat and arrange two ravioli on each plate. Serve immediately.

Cinnamon Peppercorn Sauce

MAKES 1/3 CUP

• ¼ tsp. Miraval Oil Blend (page 19) or canola oil
• ½ c. thinly sliced yellow onion
• ¼ c. cleaned chopped portobellos
• ½ tsp. whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme
• ½ bay leaf
• ¼ c. brandy
• 1 c. good quality dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1½ c. Red Wine Demi-Glace (page 130)

HEAT a medium saucepot over high heat. Add the oil; when hot, add the onions, mushrooms, peppercorns, thyme, and bay leaf; cook, stirring until the onions and mushrooms are soft, 3 minutes.

REMOVE the pot from the heat, add the brandy, and very carefully ignite with a match. Once the flame subsides, return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the wine and cinnamon, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Then add the demi-glace and reduce for 20 minutes at medium heat. The sauce will start to thicken, and that’s when you’re close to being done. Strain sauce through a fine mesh strainer and reserve for plating.

CALORIES: 455; TOTAL FAT: 22 G; CARBOHYDRATE: 23 G; DIETARY FIBER: 9 G; PROTEIN: 39 G

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