I am getting into full fall mode (lovingly referred to as “basic” by my bros), with pumpkin spice candles littered throughout the house and constant brainstorming on more ways to infiltrate pumpkin into new dishes in the kitchen. Today’s pumpkin invention is this combination of baked pumpkin with nut butter and spices. Continue Reading →
Potato Leek Soup
Potato leek soup is a classic option perfect for crisp fall afternoons and evenings. It often has cream and butter added in but using smaller, yellow potatoes which are naturally sweeter and creamier, results in a soup that tastes rich and still has a velvety texture without the heavy dairy. Continue Reading →
Vanilla Maple Roasted Pears
Fall is heavily associated with pumpkins and apples but it is also pear season. Like apples, these fruits have a subtle, fresh flavour and light sweetness that really comes through when they are roasted. From there they can be eaten on their own or served over or alongside oatmeal, granola, yogurt, chopped nuts or ice cream, and they’re even good in salads or with roasted chicken or pork. Using fruit as the anchor of a dessert keeps it light and offers some extra nutrients over pastry or cream based options. Continue Reading →
Tomato Artichoke Frittata
I had some fresh, very flavourful cherry tomatoes from my friend’s mom’s garden so I wanted to put them in a dish that would let them shine. Mrs. Gill is one of the best cooks I have ever met so I was really excited to see her new garden and to get to try some of the fruits of her labour. For me, something homegrown, just like something homemade, has a really special quality to it that the stuff in stores just can’t compete with. Frittatas, the fancy word for egg pie or crustless quiche, are great for using up leftover odds and ends as well as showcasing an ingredient. Continue Reading →Black Rice Stuffed Pumpkins
Stuffed pumpkins are a very seasonally appropriate and healthy side dish. The best part is that the filling can be made the night before or morning of serving and the pumpkins can be hollowed out, placed in a pan, covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated. Then the mixture just needs to be spooned into the pumpkins and it all bakes for 40 minutes. This makes it ideal for serving guests because it does not require much attention at this point, so you don’t get tied down to the kitchen and have more time to visit. The pumpkins themselves have a sweet, dense flesh that goes nicely with heavy whole grains and legumes. The outer skin is inedible and acts like a bowl, keeping everything together. This is a very grounding dish, with enough fiber, healthy fats and protein to slow down digestion and leave one with a comfortably satiated feeling. As the weather gets colder we can maintain balance by choosing heavier foods and something like this offers a lot of nutrients.Honey Sesame Glazed Butternut Salad
Adding some cooked squash to a salad makes it a bit heavier, a transition between the light food of summer full of raw produce and richer, cooked fall food. Butternut squash is a good option for salads, it is really sweet, slightly nutty, vibrantly orange and when warm and dense is highly qualified as healthy comfort food. Continue Reading →
Strawberry Almond Milk
Homemade almond milk has a fresh, light taste and a silky smooth consistency. It is not as stable as commercial versions- it only lasts for a few days and it doesn’t heat well for warm drinks like hot chocolate. That being said, its richer flavour makes it worth trying. Plus, there is an upside to its fragility- since it does not contain any of the stabilizers and preservatives that commercial versions do, it is a viable option for those with digestive issues and sensitive systems. Continue Reading →
Kale Chips
The unimaginable happened the other day when my dad asked for kale chips. His usual response to vegetables, especially leafy green ones, is to snub them or drench them in cheesy or creamy sauce. For him to request a vegetable dish is uncharacteristic, but for him to request kale, well I have a hard time believing I’m not dreaming. I made them several years ago at a family gathering in too hot of an oven and burned most of them so I was surprised that he remembered that and wanted more. They do still taste like kale but there is a richness from olive oil and then just salt or flavoured salt makes them that much more palatable. Continue Reading →
Sugar Pumpkin Soup
Sugar pumpkins are a small, sweet variety of the famous round orange squash synonymous with autumn. They fall into the hardier winter squash family (unlike lighter summer squash like zucchini) filling bins and tables at all the markets and grocers this time of year. Cooking with winter squash can be very rewarding or very disappointing, especially with the simpler dishes like soup. Continue Reading →
Salt Baked Purple Potatoes
Roasting potatoes in a bed of coarse salt makes the inside light and fluffy while crisping up the outside. Baked potatoes are a simple and classic side dish but it can be tricky to get the right texture when preparing them on their own without a big piece of meat in the same pot to provide moisture and seasoning. Using a few handfuls of salt takes all the guesswork out and works consistently, even if the ratios, time and temperature are a bit off. Continue Reading →