Every year when squash season comes around I make this recipe; it’s probably the second or third time I posted it. Once more can’t hurt, right?

Maple syrup and curry powder are an underrated combination. The sweetness in the syrup smoothes out the heat in curry powder and creates something unexpectedly delicious. Acorn squash is a great base for this since it doesn’t have too much flavor on its own and is good for you, too.

Maple-Curry Acorn Squash

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 3 servings):

• 1 Large acorn squash
• 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt*

*omit if your curry powder is already salted.

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking tray
2. Cut the squash in half to remove all the seeds. Once de-seeded, cut along the ridges into thin wedges.
3. In a large bowl, toss the wedges with the maple syrup, curry powder, and salt.
4. Lay the squash out on the baking tray and roast for 45 minutes or until fork tender.
5. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

If there’s any extra of the syrup mixture after you coat the squash or after it bakes drizzle it on top of the finished product for an extra hit of flavor.

Kale is one of those foods that it takes effort for me to enjoy. I never jumped on the kale chip bandwagon and steamed kale just tastes too bland. Add some butter, maple syrup, and pecans though and now we’re talking.

I like this because it’s a simple, fast and delicious side dish. The less you wilt the kale the more vibrant the flavor and texture of it will be.

I like pecans to add a nice crunch factor but you could really swap in any nuts or even croutons.

Sautéed Kale with Pecans

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 7 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

• 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 1/2 cups loose leaf cut kale
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pinch of nutmeg
• 3 Tablespoons chopped pecans

Method:

1. Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add in the kale and toss it in the melted butter. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the kale turns a deeper green and begins to wilt.
3. Add in the salt, nutmeg, maple syrup, and pecans and toss together until mixed.
4. Return to the stove for 20-30 seconds to heat. Serve hot.

Suddenly eating your vegetables isn’t so hard.

I’m not the best speller. In the past week I’ve learned three different words I’ve been spelling wrong all along. The first was “forcable” instead of forcible. That one could have gone either way, right? Another was “judgement” for judgment. I’m still left wondering what happened to that missing e. And then there’s “brussel sprouts”; to be fair, I don’t know anyone who’s ever taken time to pronounce that extra s.

It’s a good thing I’m better at preparing brussels sprouts than spelling them. They can seem intimidating and bland at first but with the right seasoning you’ll have no problem finishing a plateful.

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 4 servings):

• 1lb fresh brussels sprouts, stems removed and halved
• 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
2. In a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients until the brussels sprouts are evenly coated.
3. Lay the brussels sprouts out in an even layer on a non-stick surface.
4. Roast for 30-40 minutes until the sprouts begin to brown on the outside and are tender.
5. Serve immediately.

If you don’t have maple syrup, use something like honey to add the sweetness.