9 recipes that taste of autumn

Angela Romeo, Food editor, rounds up her 9 favourite recipes for autumn

The nights are closing in, the days are getting cooler and we’re all reaching for warm, hearty meals. It must be autumn. There’s so much to love about this time of year, especially when it comes to food. With harvest time well and truly here, we are spoilt with lots of tasty in-season fruit and veg. Whether you’re looking for a quick meal for tonight or a treat for the weekend, I’ve rounded up my favourites below:

Halloumi, carrot & orange salad

If you think salads can only be enjoyed in summer, think again! The speedy assembly here means you’ll have this salad on the table in only 15 mins. With heaps of orange colours coming through, this salad not only looks like autumn but tastes of it too. I love the burst of citrus from the orange contrasting with the salty halloumi. And this salad is great for entertaining, as it’s vegetarian and gluten-free too.

Cheat’s mushroom stroganoff

British mushrooms come into season in September until the end of November, making autumn the perfect time to cook up a mushroom stroganoff. For extra speed, as this recipe will be ready in only 25 mins, I use a ready-made white sauce for instant creaminess. Then to boost flavour and bring out the mushroom, include a splash of wine. Easy and delicious.

Autumn Kedgeree

With in-season mushrooms and kale, this kedgeree recipe adds an autumnal twist to the classic rice-based dish. This is one of those great universal dishes that works for every meal; make a big pan of it for brunch or cook it up for a family weeknight tea. And this dish is also low in saturated fat and contains 1 of your 5 a day.

Warm root veg salad

One more salad to tempt you this autumn. I love the roasted carrots and parsnips here, not only does roasting capture more flavour, but you serve them warm – making an autumn salad much more tempting! Finish off with a zingy homemade dressing and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds. This salad may look impressive, but it requires minimal effort.

Plum & blackberry crumble

I love finishing off a Sunday dinner with a cooked pudding, it’s a real sign that autumn is here. And crumbles are so universal, you can use whatever fruit you have handy for the base. Here, I’ve made use of blackberries and peaches still being in season into September, which also makes for a deep purple colour in the crumble. For extra speed use granola as the crumble topping and serve with custard on the side.

Easy ‘toffee’ apple lattice pie

An apple pie is a classic. But I’ve mixed it up a little by adding vanilla-infused dates in with the apples – this is my cheat’s way of creating a toffee flavour! This beautifully sweetens the cooking apples and makes the most of dates as they come into season in October. Then follow a very simple lattice pattern with the pastry to get that vital apple pie look. I love how quick this recipe is, it’ll be on the table in only half an hour. I like to prep the pie earlier in the day and pop it in the oven as you sit down to eat your main, then it’ll be ready perfectly on time for pudding.

Elderflower poached pear

The spiced pears in this recipe make for an easy elegant dessert – and are great when you have a group of friends round. They also count for 1 of your 5 a day and a low in saturated fat – all good things for a dessert. And with pears in season from September until January, this pudding recipe will see you through into the winter months too.