I’ve lived in Houston for more than three years now and it still surprises me how wonderful the Fall is here. The season starts a little later than up north. It really begins after Halloween and lasts through December or longer. We don’t have much of a winter and I’m more than okay with that.

While I have acclimated to the heat and humidity of the summer months, Autumn is such a refreshing change of pace. And by the time November rolls around, I’m ready to start eating more comfort foods like soups and stews. And root vegetables and squashes become the new staple in my pantry.

So this recipe is my new favorite way to eat roasted vegetables. It would be an awesome side dish for your Thanksgiving meal, for sure. First, start by gathering an assortment of Fall veggies and slice them into 1/4 inch rounds or half moons.

Then make a little sauce with coconut oil, mustard and minced garlic. It helps to melt the coconut oil first before mixing it with the mustard. If the mixture sits out it may thicken again, just pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds or less to bring it back to a liquid state.

Next, grind gluten free pretzels ( I like the Glutino brand) in a food processor until they are the consistency of breadcrumbs and add some spices. Finally, mix everything together and roast until vegetables are nicely browned.

I found this recipe in a great article in Yoga Journal about eating for the Fall season. I changed the vegetables a little based on what I had in my kitchen. The original recipe called for multigrain cereal for the “breadcrumbs,” but I like the idea of using pretzels which goes perfectly with the mustard sauce.

Mustard Pretzel Crispy Roasted Vegetables

Adapted from Yoga Journal

Serves 4

1 fennel root, thinly sliced into rounds

2 medium sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/4″ rounds

2 small red-skinned potatoes, sliced into 1/4″ rounds

1 medium onion or leek, sliced into 1/4″ half moons

1/2 rutabaga, sliced into 1/4″ half moons

2 carrots, sliced into 1/4″ rounds

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp dijon mustard

4 Tbsp melted coconut oil

2 cups gluten free pretzel sticks

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp ground coriander

Preheat oven to 400F. Wash and slice fennel, potatoes, onion, rutabaga and carrots and place in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together mustard, garlic and melted coconut oil. Grind pretzel sticks in food processor until it’s the consistency of breadcrumbs.

In a separate bowl, combine pretzel crumbs, salt and spices. Toss the vegetables with the mustard sauce and stir to coat. Add the pretzel mixture and stir to thoroughly combine so that all the vegetables are breaded.

Place veggies in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake until vegetables are golden brown and tender, about 30-45 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper, if desired.