Here, a warming bowl of fall veggies and black beans, with just a hint of the tropics via coconut oil and fresh lime juice. I love it with quinoa but it would also be tasty over rice.

1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled, cut in half if large
2 tbsp coconut oil, divided
½ small red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale, trimmed of tough stems and chopped
1 cup vegetable broth
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
juice from ½ lime (~1 Tb)
salt and black pepper

• Place sweet potato in a pot and cover with cold water by about an inch. Bring to a boil over high heat and let cook for about 10-15 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork but not mushy. Drain. When cool enough to handle, dice into small pieces.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 Tb of coconut oil in a large lidded pan or wok over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, stirring now and then. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Then stir in the kale, pour in the vegetable broth, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally and adding splashes of water if the kale starts to feel dry, until nicely cooked. This may take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how tough the kale is.
• Remove lid from pan and push the kale to the side. In the empty space, pour the remaining 1 Tb coconut oil and then the diced sweet potato. Leave the sweet potato untouched for at least a minute, just to brown it a little, then flip and let brown on the other side. (The kale will also brown a bit, too, in a lightly charred, delicious way.)  Lower heat and stir in the black beans, then season with lime juice, salt, and pepper.

Yield: About 4 servings

Garlicky pasta with peas is one of my favorite comfort foods. It’s easy, relatively cheap, and really hits the spot after a long day. This is another recipe I learned from my mom, who was inspired by a local pizzeria dish.

1 12oz package of pasta
olive oil
4-5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
dash of red pepper flakes, or to taste
1½ to 2 cups frozen peas, preferably petite
salt

• Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Set a timer for the cooking time.
• Meanwhile, in a small pan, cook garlic in just enough oil to cover over low heat, keeping a close watch and agitating frequently. When garlic starts to brown, turn off the heat.
• When you reach the last minute or two of cooking time for the pasta, add the peas to the boiling pasta. When time is up, drain pasta and peas together.
• Add garlic and oil to pasta and peas, and season with salt to taste.

Yield: About 4 servings

I admit that the thought of hot hummus and cooked avocado is more than a bit off-putting, but you’re just going to have to trust me that they totally work here.  Indeed, this sandwich– this panino if you must– is delectable, and is perfect comfort food as we transition into busy, blustery autumn.
*I cooked this on a stovetop grill pan with a panini press, both preheated.  In the past I’ve made it in a George Foreman grill.  If all you have is a regular frying pan, that’s fine, too.  Just cook the sandwich for a couple minutes on each side and use a spatula to press it down.

2 slices of bread
hummus
a few avocado slices
a few roasted red pepper slices (jarred is fine)
handful of arugula
bit of olive oil

• Preheat your grill/griddle/panini press/pan over medium heat.
• Assemble your sandwich.  Spread hummus on each slice of bread, then add avocado, roasted red pepper, and arugula.  Close sandwich and brush each side with a little olive oil.
• Cook for a few minutes, flipping if necessary, until bread is golden and maybe slightly charred and fillings are hot.

This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy beautiful, nutrient-rich swiss chard. Pine nuts are certainly not cheap, but are– at least to me– a worthwhile indulgence. However, chopped toasted walnuts would also be tasty.
*Because the stalks of the chard are tougher than the leaves, they need a longer cooking time. First cut off and discard the very ends of the stalks. Then cut the stalks from the leaves, and chop into 1” pieces. In a separate pile, chop the leaves.
*To toast the pine nuts, heat in a dry skillet over medium heat for a couple of minutes, watching closely, just until lightly browned and fragrant.

1 12-oz package pasta
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
olive oil
1 bunch swiss chard, leaves and stalks chopped separately
1 cup vegetable broth, divided
pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
salt and black pepper, to taste

• Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, drizzle some olive oil into a large pan and cook garlic over medium low heat for a few minutes, watching closely and agitating frequently, until fragrant.
• Stir in chard stalk pieces and sauté for about 30 seconds, then add ¼ cup of broth, cover pan with lid, and cook over medium high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add chard leaves, red pepper flakes (if using), and the rest of the broth. Cook, covered, for 4 to 5 minutes more, stirring every now and then, until cooked through.
• Mix drained pasta with chard, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil, and sprinkle on the pine nuts.

Yield: About 4 servings