Persimmons and pomegranates are vibrant, flavourful winter fruits. Persimmons are sort of similar in taste and texture to mangoes and when cut horizontally their star shaped interior presents nicely on a plate. Pomegranates are a bit more tricky to prep- the ruby red arils have to be removed from the skin and connecting pith. Once they are freed they are great sprinkled over salads and add in a nice crisp sweetness. Continue Reading →
Stuffed Butternut Squash
This time of year brings piles and piles of squash. One of my favourites to use is butternut; its bright orange flesh is dense and lightly sweet making it flexible enough for sweet and savoury dishes. Baking halves and using them as a bowl for any filling of choice is an easy way to use them and it can be a good method for using up leftovers. Continue Reading →
Gnocchi Frittata
Frittatas are such a healthy and easy way to use up leftover ingredients, and the options extend as far as the imagination. I usually like to add in something dense like chopped potatoes or yams, but I went with gnocchi this time. Gnocchi is basically pasta made from potatoes, it is chewy and dense and heavy in all the right ways and is one of my absolute favourite comfort foods, ideal for the fall and winter. Continue Reading →
Chana Masala
Chana Masala is an Indian dish featuring chickpeas in a spiced tomato sauce, with chana meaning chickpeas and masala meaning a spice blend. It is warm, fragrant, comforting, stick-to-your-ribs kind of food. On cold, dark February nights with the rain pounding outside there are few things I find more comforting than gathering around a candlelit table with friends and eating hearty, spiced, exotic food like this. Continue Reading →
Blood Orange Chicken with Honey Rose Glaze and Almonds
Most of the restaurants I have been to this past week have been spreading some festive Valentine’s cheer with delicious cocktails featuring rose water. Since they were so enjoyable it got me thinking about how I could use it in savoury dishes. Chicken is an easy and healthy conduit that takes on most flavours well and since rose water is mainly used in Middle Eastern and North African cuisine I went Moroccan and added in some other typical ingredients for a simple dish with some exotic flair. Continue Reading →
Bacon Butternut Chickpea Pesto Pasta
A comforting bowl of pasta can get some extra nutrients by using whole grain pasta, adding in some fiber and protein rich buttery chickpeas and sneaking in a vegetable that become quite tasty and pretty inconspicuous like sweet butternut squash. Bacon provides a ton of flavour and makes the dish extra filling while a light, oil-based sauce like pesto enhances all the other flavours and keeps it from getting too weighed down. Continue Reading →
Japanese Sweet Potato Fries
Japanese sweet potatoes are the newest addition to my list of vegetables that actually taste really good. I always assumed that their pale coloured flesh was indicative of less flavour than vibrantly orange yams but if anything they are a bit sweeter. They are also a bit drier, which is a nice attribute for baking or roasting and they taste very, very similar to roasted chestnuts. Continue Reading →
Honey Mustard Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Adding some bacon to a dish always betters the overall flavour and along with some fresh herbs and a glaze made simply from honey and mustard it makes an easy-one pot chicken meal with just a few ingredients. The extra fat from the bacon enhances the potatoes (or any desired vegetables) as they cook but everything crisps up better (and is healthier) if most of it is removed at the halfway point and then again near the end. Continue Reading →
Gingerbread Steel Cut Oats
Gingerbread can be the ultimate in sweet comfort food. It has warming, fragrant spices and a deep caramel-like sweetness that can easily be imparted on a healthy bowl of oatmeal, making it more enticing on frosty, cold mornings. Steel cut oats cooked with almond milk thicken up into a dense, gooey and warm nutty-flavoured oatmeal full of fiber and protein to keep your belly satisfied and feeling full. Continue Reading →
Nutritious Rum Balls
Rum balls are a classic Christmas treat. There are endless options but they usually contain some chocolate and of course, some rum. This version is stuffed with other nutrient dense ingredients- almond flour and almond butter for protein and substance, medjool dates and maple syrup for natural sweetness and a vanilla bean for extra flavour. Continue Reading →