So it’s cold outside. Like freezing cold. Too cold to go out and play cold. Pipes freezing kinda cold….(if you live in a rental with really crap pipes). It’s the kind of day, where all day long I think about what warm comforting meal I want to sit down and eat tonight with the ones I love. Well this is it. This is the meal I wish I still had. Sadly we ate it all two nights ago and all I have left are these pictures. Oh and did I mention we have almost no groceries in the fridge! ya…it was too cold to do that too. Guess it’s pea soup and toast for my family tonight. That being said, if you happen to have these ingredients in your home, I highly suggest this is what you warm your tummy with tonight. Recipe adapted from MadelineLu.

Serves 4

Squash bake:

• 3 medium potato, cut into approx 1/2 inch cubes
• 2-3 cups butternut squash, or squash of choice, cut into approx 1/2 inch cubes
• 4 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large cooking onion
• 3 cloves of garlic,minced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 generous handful fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• oil for cooking; safflower, olive or coconut

Dill yogurt sauce:

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp fresh dill
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Mix all of the above together and you’re done.

To make:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil squash and potato for about 10 minutes or until just about cooked ( you don’t want them mushy)
3. Heat a couple tbsp of oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven (as I used)….or any oven-proof frying pan for that matter.
4. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft.
5. Once the potatoes and squash have finished cooking, drain them then toss them in over med-high heat.
6. Add the spices and cook until slightly browned. Stir every so often so they don’t burn to the bottom of the pan. Add a little more oil or broth if needed. This should take about 5 minutes.
7. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes or until everything is cooked through (keeping in mind you don’t want a pot of mush). Continue to stir every so often.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Stir in the parsley.
10. Break the eggs over the mixture and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. A few minutes more if you like your eggs really cooked and a little less if you want super runny.
11. Remove from oven and sprinkle with a little more paprika and pepper.
12. Serve topped with the dill yogurt sauce and a side of wild rice and lentils or a nice crispy baguette.
13. Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted (barely) from one of my favourite new cookbooks Thug Kitchen. I love every recipe in this book and have been obsessively cooking and eating my way through it.

• 2 cups wild rice blend or brown rice
• 2 tsp safflower oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 cup green chilies, diced. Can use canned or fresh
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1 ripe mango, in bite sized pieces
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• fresh cilantro to top

Rinse the rice. In a medium pot heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender about 3 minutes. Stir in the ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes, keep stirring every so often. Add the coconut milk, broth, salt, and chili powder. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer. Give another quick stir then cover and reduce heat to low (you want it to be at a low simmer) cook for 30-40 minutes or until most of the liquid has absorbed. When the rice has finished coking fold in the chillies, beans, mango, lime zest and juice. Let it all cook for another minute then serve topped with cilantro….and maybe a little sriracha.

Where’s the meat? If you are one of those people who don’t think dinner is complete without some meat, this dish would be great paired with chicken or a white fish such as tilapia, halibut, hake, haddock, sole, cod or flounder

I don’t cook with acorn squash all that often…I don’t know why, I just don’t. I guess I go through phases with my preferred squash but for the most part I am a butternut girl or Kabocha but I can never seem to get my hands on them. I had this acorn squash given to me and decided to try roasting it a little different from how I normally would (Sliced in half and seeded) I did it in thin slices because I wanted the soup to have more of that yummy roasted flavour. I was quite happy with how it turned out and so were my dinner guests.

Serves 6

• 1 acorn squash, cut in half, seeded and then cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 onion, skin removed and halved
• 2 potato, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 head of garlic
• 2 tsp cumin
• heavy pinch of chipotle chili powder
• pinch of cinnamon
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup whole milk or cream (leave this out if you want to keep this dish vegan)
• pepper to taste
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• safflower oil

Preheat the oven to 400. Cut and slice the squash, potato and onion. Toss with safflower oil and lay on baking sheet. Take the garlic and remove the excess layers of skin. Chop about 1/4 inch off the top of the bulb. Drizzle the top with a little oil then wrap in foil and place on the baking sheet. Let everything bake for 30 minutes flipping half way (obviously you do not have to flip the wrapped garlic). Once cooked, remove from the oven and let cool for a minute. Peel off the skin from the squash. In a large pot over medium heat, add the spices and stir them around for about 1 minute. Add the broth, squash, potato, onion and the roasted cloves of garlic. Now using an immersion blender, pulse everything until smooth. Add the chickpeas and give a few more quick pulses with the blender, making sure to not fully blend all the chickpeas. Allow to simmer for a few minutes then stir in the cider vinegar and lemon juice. Remove from heat and add the cream. At this point do a final taste test and see if you think it needs a little more salt or pepper, if so sprinkle it in then serve topped with some fresh parsley. Enjoy!

I’m so excited about this soup! Not just because it’s delicious but because it marks the beginning of fall cooking in my home. Hello yummy homemade soups and stews and chili and pot pies and and and…..oh how I love cold weather cooking!!!

Serves 6-8

• 1 large cooking onion
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 cobs of corn, corn removed from cob
• 2 large red potato, chopped into small bite sized pieces
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
• 1 stalk of lemongrass, minced or grated
• 1 litre of low sodium veg broth
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• safflower oil for frying
• salt and pepper to taste
• pickled jalapeño for topping
• avocado for topping

In a large pot over med-high heat, add the safflower oil. Let it heat for a minute then add the onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until tender and beginning to brown. Add the garlic, corn and potato. Cook stirring frequently for about 10 minutes or until the potato is tender. Add the ginger, jalapeño and lemongrass. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the broth. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk and cilantro. Bring back to a boil then remove from heat. Using an immersion blender give the chowder a few good pulses. Add the lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with pickled jalapeño and some diced avocado. Enjoy!

*Want to mix it up a bit? Try adding any of the following to your chowder-

• shredded chicken
• diced tomato, for topping
• swap out the potato for cauliflower
• sriracha instead of the pickled jalapeño

Recipe adapted from IT’S ALL GOOD

This week Poppy and I are staying with Granny and Grandad at a beautiful cottage they rented on Baptiste lake near Bancroft. We are loving every second of it. Since we were lucky enough to have been invited to join them for this week I thought it was only right that I offer to make at least a few of the meals. I decided on this dish for two reasons, number one being that I was craving a vegetarian dish, my mom cooks with meat a lot more than I am used to…not that there is anything wrong with that. I love my mom’s cooking. Number two being that I brought with me two of my newest cookbooks, The Vibrant Table and IT’S ALL GOOD. This recipe was inspired from it’s all good.

Serves 4

• 2 cups dark green lentils, drained and rinsed
• 1 heaping tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 heaping tbsp whole grain mustard
• juice of 1 medium lemon
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup safflower oil
• coarse sea salt ( any salt will do )
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2 large field tomatoes, diced or 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• handful of radishes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped

In a medium bowl whisk together the mustards, lemon juice, vinegar, oil and salt. Add the remaining ingredients and toss until evenly coated. Set aside on the kitchen counter for a min of 30 minutes.

To serve: You can eat this alone or if you want it to be a more substantial meal serve over mixed greens and top with a poached egg and a side of country bread. Enjoy!

These are so good and so easy. Make them, you won’t be sorry.

Serves 6

• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3-4 tbsp, red Thai curry paste
• 3-4 tbsp coconut cream, the thick stuff on the top of the can of coconut milk
• 1 tbsp safflower oil
• 1 small mango, cut into strips
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 ripe avocado, cut into strips
• cilantro
• plain yogurt
• sriracha ( if you like )
• 6 mini naan

Preheat oven to 400. Toss the cauliflower and chickpeas into a medium-sized bowl. In a small bowl mix together the curry paste,coconut cream and oil. Stir the curry mixture into the cauliflower and chickpeas. Make sure everything is evenly coated. Dump the cauliflower mixture into a baking dish and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes. Pop your naan bread in the oven for a minute to warm.

To serve: On a mini naan add a little plain yogurt. Top with the cauliflower mixture then add the mango, red onion, avocado and cilantro. If you want you can also add a splash of sriracha. Enjoy.

Serves 4

Pumpkin Seed Pesto

1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds, roasted

1 large clove of garlic

2 tsp capers

1/2 cup of fresh italian parsley

1/2 cup fresh basil

3-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 325. Evenly distribute the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet. Bake for 3-5 minutes or until slightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool. Add all of the above to your food processor and mix until fully blended and smooth.

Pasta 

4 servings Pasta of choice, I used vegetable pasta

2 peaches, pitted and sliced

1 med zucchini, sliced in half moons

Feta, for topping

Cook 4 servings of desired pasta. While the pasta is cooking grill the peaches and zucchini. First take a ziplock bag and add the raw zucchini and peaches. Add 1 tbsp olive oil or safflower oil. Seal the bag and give a little shake making sure to coat everything. Place the zucchini and peaches on a grill over medium heat for about 3-5 min per side. You want them to be tender but not falling appart.

To serve: Toss the pasta with desired amount of pesto. Gently mix in the zucchini and peaches. Top with feta and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Enjoy!

*Note: Pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

I came up with this recipe yesterday while brainstorming the millions of different types of tacos I could make for dinner. I just happened to have a butternut squash kicking around that needed to be eaten asap…and so the “pulled butternut squash taco” was born. This is another recipe in progress. Don’t take that the wrong way though, these taste amazing! I just mean I will definitely be playing around with it. I would like to make a healthier bbq sauce and maybe add a few tasty extras. So if you have a fave bbq sauce, feel free to swap it out for the recipe I used. Enjoy.

serves 8

PULLED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

4 cups butternut squash, shredded

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 green pepper, thinly sliced

1 large yellow onion, sliced in half moons

1 can of black beans, strained

safflower oil

BBQ SAUCE

3/4 cup ketchup

1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1-2 tbsp honey

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp chipotle chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tbsp mollases

1 tsp dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

TO MAKE BBQ SAUCE: Add all of the above bbq sauce ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whisk until blended.

TO MAKE THE PULLED BUTTERNUT SQUASH: In a Cuisinart using the shredder attachment, shred the butternut squash. In a large pan ( preferably one with a lid ) heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the shredded squash, peppers and onion. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes stirring throughout. Add 2 tbsp of water and cook, covered for 5 min. Add the sauce, as much or as little as you like. Add the black beans and cook for 5 more minutes.

TO SERVE: Warm taco shell of choice ( I used a soft corn tortilla ). Spread a layer of crema. Pile on some pulled butternut and top with avocado, shredded cheese and sriracha.

WANT TO MIX IT UP A BIT? TRY ADDING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING TO YOUR TACO-

-Shredded red cabbage

-pickled jalapeno

-Fresh diced tomato

-turn it into a breakfast burrito and add some scrambled eggs!

recipe adapted from a house in the hills

I love meals like this. It is such a versatile dish that can be taken in so many delicious directions. I was running short on time…and groceries… so this time I didn’t add a ton to this hash. Regardless of the lack of toppings my guests devoured it.

serves 4

. 1 bunch asparagus

. 4 medium russet potatoes

. 5 green onions, chopped

. 1 large clove of garlic, minced

. salt and pepper to taste

. coconut or safflower oil for frying

. Feta for topping

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While you are waiting for the water to boil, snap off the bottoms of your asparagus spears ( discard the bottoms ) and cut the remaining asparagus into 1 inch pieces. Chop the green onions. Now that the water has come to a boil add the potatoes and cook for about 10-15  minutes or until just tender. Add the asparagus to the pot of potatoes and let boil for the last two minutes. Once the potatos and asparagus have cooked, drain them and give them a quick rinse with cold water. Set aside to cool. Chop the potatoes into bite sized pieces. In a large frying pan saute the green onions and garlic with about 1 tbsp of oil over medium-low heat. Turn heat to med and add a little more oil. Now add the potato, asparagus and a good pinch of salt and some fresh pepper. Saute, turning every 4 minutes making sure the bottoms are browning ( not burning ) If  the potatoes are sticking to the pan you can add a little more oil. Once the hash is looking good and golden remove from heat and serve! Top with a generous drizzle of chimichurri and a crumbling of Feta. Enjoy.

chimichurri

. 1/2 cup parsley

. 3/4 cup cilantro

. 1 1/2 cloves of garlic

. 2 1/2 tbsp shallots

. 2-4 slices of pickled jalapano, add more or less depending on how much heat you like or you can skip the jalapano if you aren’t wanting the extra kick.

. 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

. 3/4 cups olive oil

. 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

. 3/8 tsp salt

To make: add all of the above to your food processor and pulse. Alternately, if you do not have a food processor you can finely chop everything and then mix together in a bowl.

Want to mix it up a bit? Try adding any of the following to your hash

. top with a poached egg

. shredded chicken 

. sliced sausage

. diced tomato

. can’t forget a drizzle of sriracha!

 Recipe makes about 12 small/medium pancakes

5 cups of shredded vegetable, I used a mixture of red and green cabbage, carrot and brussel sprouts

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 cup chicken, cooked and shredded 

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tbsp worcester sauce

1/2 cup cold water

safflower oil or canola, for frying

In a small bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. In a large bowl add the shredded vegetable, scallions and chicken. Now add the flour mixture and toss with your fingers until evenly distributed. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, water and worcester. Pour the wet ingredients into the cabbage mixture. Gently mix together ( do not over mix ). Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with oil and warm over medium heat. Make about 3-4 pancakes evenly spread apart, each one should be about 2 tbsp of batter. Slightly flatten with a spatula. Cook for 5-7 minutes per side or until they are cooked through and have a nice crispy brown outer layer.

Okonomiyaki Sauce:

1/4 ketchup

1 1/2 tbsp worcester sauce

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

1 bsp rice wine ( for cooking )

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

1/8 tsp ground ginger

Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer for 3-5 minutes until smooth and thick. Sauce recipe courtesy from Smitten Kitchen

Sriracha mayo:

1/4 cup mayo

1 1/2 tsp sriracha

Other toppings:

toasted sesame seeds

scallions, thinly sliced 

To serve:

Spread a bit of the okonomiyaki sauce on the pancakes and top with mayo and some toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

*Want to mix it up a bit? try adding any of the following to your pancakes

Kale, shredded

zucchini, shredded

baby prawns

bacon

fish