October 2022
Fall into Autumn's Harvest
with One-Pot Meals

I love how autumn makes her entrance. So subtle with shorter days and crisp morning temps. Then, seemingly overnight, she unleashes the glory of fall color. Warm shades of amber and bursts of scarlet adorn the trees and color her bountiful harvest. Local produce—winter squashes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, dark leafy greens, apples, pears, persimmons, pomegranates, nuts—offers a gorgeous palette of color, nutrients, and flavor that dish up comfort in every meal. One-pot recipes are my go-to this season—the warmth and aroma of a slow simmering pot define fall in my home. With school back in session and a calendar filled with tailgating, Halloween, harvest festivals, and Oktoberfest, one-pot is the way to go to in order to make hearty, healthy meals happen. I am so ready to dive into the season with chili, soups and stews, casseroles, skillet, and sheet pan meals. Feeling inspired?

And by the way, did you know October is Vegetarian Month? Join me as I celebrate a plant-powered lifestyle all month long by literally eating my way through my favorite fall seasonal one-pot vegetarian recipes. Together, let's allow the local produce from the garden, farmers market, and neighborhood grocery inspire us to eat with the season.

Top Tips for Fall-Inspired Plant-Based One-Pot Meals

Make It a Meal. Include all of the major food groups—protein, grains, veggies, healthy fats—to make a complete meal that can stand alone or be served with crusty bread or green salad. Try my Vegetable Pot Pie with Whole Wheat Biscuit Topping for inspiration.
Choose Your Vessel. Soups, chilis, and stews need a large pot, slow cooker, or Instant Pot, but keep a sheet pan, skillet, casserole, pie dish, and wok ready to host a variety of different "one-pot" recipes.
Try an A.M. One-Pot. It's not just for dinner! Overnight oats, a skillet meal, or breakfast pie are all super eye openers. Give my Rustic Vegan Corn Potato Sausage Skillet, Scrambled Turmeric Tofu with Greens, or Mushroom Spinach Tofu Pie a try!
Go Big! Grab the biggest pot, pan, or sheet you have and double your batch to eat tonight or tomorrow, or freeze and save until next month. One-pot meals make even better leftovers. One prep, one clean up, many meals—it's a perfect combination. My Vegan Tortilla Soup makes leftovers easy. Just ladle the extra from dinner into individual glass containers, stash in the fridge, or freeze for later.
Think Fall Harvest. Leave it to your garden or farmers market harvest to inspire your one-pot meals. What's ready now? That bumper crop of butternut squash could be added to stir fry or chili, or used in my recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash with Dates, Figs, and Pistachios—just add a protein boost with black beans or lentils to make it complete. There's no limit to one-pot potential.

With Gratitude,

Make the Most of Fall Produce.
Fall seasonal fruits and vegetables are at their peak of freshness, flavor, and nutrients right now! Find out what's in season, as well as my top tips on using them in Fall Fruits and Vegetables.

Heat Up the Skillet!
The skillet is boss when it comes to getting dinner on the table quickly. One pan to cook, serve, and clean—and versatile enough for beans, curry, and more! Get cooking with 20 Plant-Based Skillet Meal Recipes.

My Skillet Jambalaya Recipe is Featured in Parade.
One-pot meals like my Vegan Jambalaya with Red Beans and Okra are perfect for fall. Check it out in 33 Okra Recipes We Can't Get Enough Of.

Oldways Food Photography Webinar
Want to learn more about food photography? Then you must check out this webinar with food photographers' (me too!) best tips. Check it out here!

So excited to join the Planetary Health Collective panel on Sustainability in Food and Nutrition Careers on October 18 at 4 PM PT. If you're interested in sustainability, then this event is for you! Register here!

Oldways Webinar: Plant-Based Meals on the Healthcare Menu.
Calling all healthcare professionals! Join me and this amazing panel of experts on October 26 at 2 PM ET as we talk about how to put more plant-based meals on the healthcare menu. Register here today!

Rooted Santa Barbara Webinar
It was so fun presenting on plant-based eating for disease reduction at the Rooted Santa Barbara Webinar. I even provided a cooking class out of my own kitchen. If you missed it, watch it here.

Instagram Plant-Powered
Live Show
This month I'm talking about cooking with pumpkins, and I'll be mixing up my Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats. Join me on my Plant-Powered Live Cooking Show on Instagram October 6 at 3 PM PT @SharonPalmerRD and cook along with me!

California Vegan is Live!
I'm so excited to announce that my latest book, California Vegan, is getting lots of positive buzz and is available across the nation: Amazon, Apple, and my site. Get yours today!

About Sharon
Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RD is The Plant-Powered Dietitian. She is an award-winning food and nutrition journalist based in Ojai, California. Sharon speaks, writes, and blogs about her passion for delicious, healthful, sustainable plant-based foods every day. Check out her three books, and don't forget to follow Sharon on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Twitter, and her blog. If you'd like to work with Sharon, please contact her here.