There’s a bit of a cupboard clean-out going on in my kitchen. I have one cupboard divided in half: one side for savory things, like rice, grains and canned goods and one side for baking stuff, sugar, coconut, etc. And the truth is, it’s getting a little crowded. Pretty much all my rice, grains and dried beans are stored in glass jars and some of them are nearing empty while still taking up a load of space. Something had to be done.

So when I spied a small amount of farro inside a recycled Adam’s peanut butter jar, I decided to take action and make it a part of dinner. The thing about farro is that it’s a chewy grain and takes nearly and hour to cook, so this salad does require some advance planning. But what I like about farro, is that once you’ve got some made, it keeps nicely in the fridge and you can use it in salads and soup to instantly add bulk and texture. And farro is very high in protein and fiber which is a good thing when talking salad. Please note that farro is not a gluten-free grain, but it does tend to be lower in gluten than other wheat, so those with very mild gluten insensitivities might be able to eat farro.

As for this salad, my husband and I both loved it. We loved the chew and nutty flavour of the farro and the arugula adds a nice peppery bite. The first night we ate this, we used some leftover diced roasted beets which lent a lovely sweetness to the dish. The next night, we were out of roasted beets, so I subbed in some of my homemade pickled beets instead, which was a very good move. But it was the creamy yogurt & tahini dressing that embraced everything and tied in all the flavours so nicely.

farro & arugula salad with beets
I tend to have a pro-acidic palate, so I used nearly a whole lemon here, but feel free to cut it down if you don’t want too much of a pucker.

3/4 c farro
1 T greek yogurt
1 T tahini
1 T olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon (more or less depending on taste)
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper
a drop of honey (optional)
arugula, rinsed & dried
1 large roasted beet, diced or 1/2 c pickled beets, diced
1/4 c feta or goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

1. Add farro to a small saucepan filled with boiling water. Let simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, then turn down heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes more until tender. Drain & set aside to cool.

2. In a small jar, combine yogurt, tahini, oil, lemon, garlic, salt & pepper and honey. Shake until well blended. If you find the dressing too thick, add in a tiny bit of water to thin it out. Taste & adjust seasoning.

3. Divide farro into 4 bowls, top with arugula and beets and drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired.

Possibly related posts:

• dinner salad: farro & greens cranberry crunch salad
• beets in vinaigrette

January is a weird month for me. It starts off well – I’m inspired, positivity is seeping from my pores, I’m attacking new projects, I’m getting shit done. Then I stumble, I wipe myself off and am back at it, but there’s something amiss. My confidence is shaken and before I know it, I can’t quite remember what I was fighting for. What was making me tick for those couple of weeks? Where did that drive come from? Can I get it back? Please?

Maybe the days of endless grey skies and rain might have something to do with it. Or maybe it’s just that my body is saying relax, chill, take it easy. Have a beer, go out with friends, watch 3 episodes of Luther all in a row. And make a good dinner. A cozy dinner that feels like a warm blanket of niceness. A dinnertime hug. This smoked tofu and vegetable pot pie is just what your body needs.

I know, the ingredient list looks long and probably seems complicated. Think of it as a stir fry (easy, right?) with a biscuit top. No pie dough skills required. The vegetables are what I had on hand at the time, though you could certainly change things up to suit your own vegetable drawer. I used frozen organic butternut squash, peas and corn to make things super simple. I had fresh green beans on hand, but the frozen kind would be equally good. Don’t stress! The vegetables and tofu bathe in a lovely cream sauce which is simply that a sprinkle of flour and some vegetable stock and almond milk. Done and done!

Years ago – let’s be real, here – decades ago, when I read the Moosewood cookbook cover to cover, I would spy the words “smoked tofu” in a recipe and wanted to know more. But somehow, back then, I couldn’t easily find it in my local markets. But now, smoked tofu is quite commonplace and I’m surprised that this is my first time using it. And, yes, it’s as good as I imagined. If you don’t have smoked tofu on hand, try adding some smoked paprika or chipotle powder instead. I’m not the sort of person to have a bottle of liquid smoke on hand, but I’m sure that would work too. The smokiness here is fantastic and really helps to elevate this dish into super-fantastico territory. So pick some up at your local market.

elsewhere: Need a wholesome treat? What about a golden apple cake that makes January a happier little place. Go get the simple recipe over at Poppytalk.

smoked tofu & vegetable pot pie
When I made this, I had some extra biscuit dough leftover which is always a nice surprise. You could bake it up alongside the pot pie, or save it for the next day’s breakfast.

1 T olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t sea salt
1/4 t crushed red chilies
1 pkg smoked firm tofu, diced into 1″ cubes
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, sliced/diced
1 c mushrooms, sliced
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 c fresh green beans, cut into 1″ pieces
1 c cooked butternut squash, diced (frozen is fine)
1 T sodium-reduced soy sauce
1 t sriracha (optional)
2 T flour
3/4 c vegetable stock
1/2 c almond milk (any dairy or non-dairy is fine)
1/4 c frozen peas
1/4 c frozen corn

biscuit topping:
1 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c whole wheat flour
4 t baking powder
1 t sugar
1 t dried parsley
1/2 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 c butter, cubed (earth balance or other vegan butter)
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese or daiya (vegan cheese)
1 c almond milk (any dairy or non-dairy is fine)

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add in onions, garlic, salt and chilies. Let everything sweat for a bit and then add in the cubed tofu, celery, carrots, green beans, oregano and mushrooms. Sprinkle with the dried oregano.

Let saute for 10 minutes and then add in the butternut squash, soy sauce, sriracha (if using) and sprinkle with flour. Stir until flour coats everything. Pour in the stock and milk and let things thicken, stirring occasionally. Stir in the peas and corn and then pour mixture into a deep oven-proof dish. Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare your biscuit dough. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, salt, sugar, parsley, salt and garlic powder. Add in the butter work it in with your fingers until it’s blended in with the flour and looks like oats. Stir in the cheese until well mixed and then pour in the milk, stirring lightly with a wooden spoon.

Turn out onto a floured surface and roll out until your dough is about 1 inch thick. Trim dough to the size of your dish and gently place on top of your tofu & veg filled oven-proof dish. Alternately, just drop spoonfuls of dough onto the top of the mixture and pop it in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until biscuit topping is golden brown and the mixture is bubbling.

Possibly related posts:

• c’mon spring, let’s get on with it! chicken pot pie with cheddar-biscuit topping
• the secret of great tofu: green beans & tofu in a thai coconut sauce

A lot of people I know are reigning in their spending for the new year to help them with savings, getting rid of debt, etc. While I can count myself lucky in that we have no debt and we’ve been rigorously saving for years, I have noticed that we’ve eaten in almost all our meals so far this month. And strangely, it hasn’t felt like we’ve missed anything. Hardly! We’ve been eating very well and quite healthily, I might add.

Take this meal as an example. It seems rather plain – just remnants from the fridge: yams and mushrooms (and a tiny bit of leftover cauliflower – which I left out of the recipe because I felt it didn’t really add anything special to the dish). But this dish was more than just some random veg – I thought it quite flavourful and delicious, especially when served over millet. Somehow, the yams and the mushrooms work together as a great pair, with some chunky red onions along for the ride.

The yams have a definite sweetness and it goes so nicely with the tang from the white wine vinegar. I added in some maple syrup to round out the sweetness to the onions and mushrooms and it was a good move. The Mexican chili powder and smokey chipotle played nicely here adding a little earthy heat. While you could serve this alone as part of a meal, I loved this over millet. You could easily pair this with brown rice – but if rice is your go-to grain, branch out and try something new, like millet, quinoa or farro instead.

mexican-spiced roasted mushrooms & yams
3 yams, peeled & diced
1/2 onion, large dice
2 T olive oil
2 T white wine vinegar
1 T maple syrup
1 t chili powder
1/4 t chipotle powder
1/2 t fine-grained sea salt
a good grind of black pepper
2 c sliced mushrooms (I used baby bellas)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, toss the yam and onion together along with the oil, vinegar, maple syrup, chili powder, chipotle powder, and salt. Toss until well coated. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment, foil or silpat and then use a slotted spoon to remove the yams and onions to the prepped baking sheet. Reserve extra liquid in bowl and set aside. Arrange yams & onions in one layer. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the mushrooms into the bowl with the leftover dressing and toss well. Give a good grind of black pepper over top. When the yams and onions come out from the oven, flip and arrange space on the baking sheet for the mushrooms. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until mushrooms are golden brown & well-roasted. Remove from oven and serve immediately over your favorite rice or grain (I like millet).

Possibly related posts:

• yam & bean orange-scented chili
• craving comfort: spaghetti & mushrooms

Usually the transition into a new year brings a bit of stress. Maybe I set my goals and expectations too high or maybe I just feed off the stress of others. But not this year. I made a couple simple goals and one of them – to be a better hugger – already got in some practice-time through December. And yeah, about that hugging goal, I’m totally serious. Truth is, I’m a wimpy hugger and I really noticed how lacking I was in the hugging department when I visited my friend in Montreal. After we had met up, he sent me off with a big ol’ bear hug and it made me feel pretty great. It’s amazing how a hug can really make someone else feel good. So I told myself that I’m going to quit giving out namby-pamby tentative hugs to my friends and instead deliver good, hearty and heart-felt hugs. We’ll see how it goes.

A hug makes you feel warm and loved and happy and I think this meal does the same. This dal uses red lentils which cook up in a hurry into a soft and tender bite. There’s curry involved along with a bit of sriracha because I like heat. But there’s also some diced apples to nudge in some mellow sweetness. I added in fennel because I had some lying about my vegetable crisper, but you could sub in something as common as celery, broccoli or cauliflower. I even think some greens like spinach, kale or chard would be good here too. There’s no fuss involved and it’s an easy enough meal to make on a busy weeknight. See, it’s like a nice hug for your insides and it’s a good a place to start as any.

elsewhere: Yup, I love year-end recaps and over at Poppytalk, I list my top 12 favorite recipes that have appeared over on Poppytalk through 2011! Take a peek and check out my favorite recipes.

tomato-apple dal
2 T coconut oil
1 onion, finely diced
1/2 c fennel bulb, finely diced
2 apples, finely diced
2 T fresh ginger, minced
pinch of salt
2 T curry paste
2 c red lentils
2 c diced tomatoes
3 c water
Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce, to taste
1/4 c yogurt (optional)

In a large heavy pot, melt coconut oil over medium-high heat and add in onions, fennel, apples and ginger along with a pinch of salt. Stir occasionally until everything starts to get a little soft. Add in the curry paste and lentils and stir around until the lentils start to glisten. Turn down heat and add in the tomato puree and water, stirring so everything is combined. Put the lid on the saucepan and let simmer over low heat for 20 minutes until everything is soft. If it’s too dry for your liking, add in a bit of water. Stir in yogurt (if using) and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice.

Possibly related posts:

• curried apple & lentil dal
• warm up with winter squash, red lentil & tofu curry

This is the time of year that I find myself totally craving comfort. Wooly tights. Flannel sheets. Knit caps. Fuzzy sweaters. Heavy quilts. I think it’s because I get a little run down with work and all the craft fairs that pop up around this season. And craft fairs are hard work. I never realized how sore my smile muscles could get until I entered the craft fair circuit. It’s kind of a big change from working from home, let me tell you. Which reminds me, thank you to everyone who came around to my table at Got Craft this past Sunday! Thank you for saying hi and making me blush! And if you’re in Vancouver and want to pick up a few more paper doo-dads, I’ll be at Toque as a fundraiser for the Western Front this Friday and Saturday (details here).

And speaking of comfort, there’s something about this dish that seems like old-fashioned comfort food. Maybe because this dish is various shades of brown. Or maybe it’s the pasta which is always welcome this time of year, but I think the meaty mushrooms lend some earthy appeal. Don’t skimp! I used baby ‘bellas here, but I think a good mix of wild mushrooms would really kind of make my mouth go wild in a good way. There’s lots of garlic and the caramelized onions add some nice sweetness. I wasn’t sure what kind of herb to throw in and when I spied a bottle of herbs du provence (a mixture containing fennel, savoury, thyme, basil, lavender, etc.) it just seemed like the right thing to do and it worked really well. Of course, I thought lemon juice would go nicely here and next time I might add in some of the zest as well for extra zing.

When you’re run ragged with work and all the busy stuff that seems to crop up at this time of year, you need a little bit of comfort and ease around the dinner table. Even when that table is just the warm spot on the couch as you catch up on your latest tv craving. But just as this dinner is easy to whip up in about 30 minutes, it’s also perfect to serve at a casual gathering of your bestest friends. Just a bottle or two of your favorite wine and maybe some fresh parsley or basil to sprinkle overtop and you’re good.

elsewhere: The other morning was chilly and I wanted something warming so I made a batch of delicious oat and nutmeg scones. They were perfect little bites of quiet happiness. Get the recipe over at Poppytalk. You won’t regret it.

spaghetti & mushrooms
250 g spaghetti
1 T olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced thinly into strips
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 lb baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 t sea salt
1 t aleppo pepper
1 t herbs de provence
1/2 c chicken or vegetable stock
1 lemon, juiced
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add in spaghetti. Add in a little salt if you remember. Let it simmer over medium heat until almost al dente……

Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat and add onion slices. Saute until soft and fragrant, about 5-10 minutes. Toss in mushrooms, garlic, salt, aleppo pepper and herbs de provence. Stir everything around until the mushrooms release some of their moisture. Pour in stock and let simmer and reduce slightly.

How’s that spaghetti doing? Almost al dente? Then strain out most of the cooking liquid, but reserve about 2-4 tablespoons of cooking water with the spaghetti and toss the whole shebang into the skillet. Toss with the mushroom mixture, squeeze in the lemon juice, toss again, and serve in deep bowls with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Possibly related posts:

• 500 grams of spaghetti = two delicious summer pastas
• boot-strapped: mexican-spiced roasted mushrooms & yams

Thanksgiving is long-gone and maybe you’d rather be stamping out gingerbread cookies and wondering if glace cherries deserve another look. But I think you shouldn’t discount this sweet potato salad yet. I had some leftover sweet potatoes and yams in the fridge and decided this would be the perfect way to use ‘em up. And yes, in Canada, we call the deep orange sweet potatoes “yams” to differentiate them from their lighter skinned companions.

The taters get all roasted in the oven and then coated in a creamy yogurt-based dressing that has flavour to spare. It’s also studded with toasted pecans and chewy dried cranberries which add good texture and colour. This salad is my version of autumnal heaven. It’s sweet and spicy and crunchy and tangy and I’d be happy to eat a tiny bowl of this daily.

The original version called for mayo, but I wanted to keep this a little lighter so I used 0% greek yogurt instead for the win. I used garam masala but any of your favorite curry powder would be fine here. I also think that if you wanted to go a bit Southwestern, you could toss in some chipotle and limes instead of the curry and see what happens – I think it could be kinda spectacular. Green onions and cilantro would be nice too!

Oh, and I’d love to pimp some of my non-food stuffs for a moment….I will be selling my cards, birthday calendars and brand-new recipe cards at Got Craft? this Sunday on the Drive in Vancouver. Please stop by my table and say hello! I will also be at Toque the following weekend as a fundraiser for the Western Front. And if you don’t live in Vancouver, you can always purchase my lovely paper goods on etsy. Shop now for stocking stuffers and holiday gifts!!

elsewhere: Take a peek over at Poppytalk this week and bake up a batch of everything but the kitchen sink cookies. It will soothe what ails you.

curried sweet potato salad with cranberries & pecans
(adapted from Homesick Texan)
3 large sweet potatoes (yams), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 T olive oil
1/2 c greek yogurt
1 T garam masala paste (I always use Patak’s) or curry powder
1 t dijon mustard
1/4 red onion, finely diced
1 c dried cranberries
1/2 c roughly chopped pecans, lightly toasted
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Add cut up yams into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Use your hands to make sure everything is coated. Dump them onto a baking sheet covered with parchment or silpat in an even layer and roast for 35 minutes or until tender.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, masala, dijon, red onions and cranberries, along with a little salt and pepper and half of the pecans. Add in the warm sweet potatoes and stir until well combined. Chill for 3 hours. Sprinkle with remaining pecans and serve.

Possibly related posts:

• curried sweet potato & rice autumn soup/stew
• salad on the go: chopped waldorf wraps

I’ve been trying to open myself up to new experiences and that tends to mean doing things that are pretty frickin’ scary. Though, I did just see 127 Hours recently, I think that experience is one I can live without, thank you very much. But I did speak in front of a crowd of 1,200 people last week and talked about my inspiration regarding food and food blogging at PechaKucha. And it turns out, speaking in front of a crowd of strangers – who thankfully laughed at all the right places – wasn’t as scary as I thought! It was actually all kinds of amazing and I’m so thankful for the opportunity do to so. Conquering a crazy fear? Check! If you are interested in seeing my presentation slides, you can view them here via slideshare. Slide 5 is static over there, but at PechaKucha it was a speeded up silent video. You can see the actual one minute and 40 second movie (with sound!) over on YouTube. It’s called A Dream of Donuts and I made it with a friend in 2000 and we edited with 2 VHS machines ‘cuz that’s how we rolled back then. It’s short and sweet and a little bit fun too. Here are the links to the recipe for my mom’s vanilla chocolate chip bundt cake and the recipe for chocolate on toast that I mentioned at PechaKucha if you feel like doing a little baking.

Oh hey, let’s talk about canning pickled beets! Okay? Okay!

Pickling is fine. No big thing, right? I mean I’ve quick pickled all kinds of vegetables and even made some apricot jam over the summer. But I have never tried canning and processing because it seemed like such a frightening process. And like all things that seem scary at first, it turned out not to be that scary after all. All you need is a bit of preparation – and equipment. I’m lucky because I scored a canning bath pot and jar rack at a garage sale and I found some canning tongs at a thrift store. I also used a wire cookie rack at the bottom of the pot to make sure that the jars didn’t touch the bottom because if glass jars touch the bottom of the pot, they’ll crack and explode. Hence the cookie rack. If you’re feeling more DIY, just create a rack of your own out of tin foil. Improvisation is key! You will also need 6 pint jars. Thrifted jars are fine but they must be clean and free of nicks and chips, but they don’t have to be brand new. However, your snap lids and rings should be, so don’t skimp there!

Once you’ve got all the equipment handy, all you need to do is make sure you’ve got your ingredients ready and read over the directions at least twice. Seriously, this will help you feel calm and prepared. If you’ve never canned anything before, peruse some online guidelines to get familiar with the task at hand. It will sound more scary than it actually is. Trust me.

You know you’ll have escaped the threat of botulism once you hear a very satisfying pop-pop-popping from each jar as they cool. It’s the best sound you’ve ever heard and it goes so well with that sigh of relief. To be sure that your jars have processed correctly, you can tap the lids with a spoon to hear a high pitched ring. The lids will also be slightly concave, so the visual clues with the audio clues will have you totally relived. Phew!

Now, regarding this beet recipe….while it was very tasty, the recipe itself was a bit totally off. One, it calls for a crap-load of beets – 4.5 lbs to be exact. And there’s no way that that amount of beets could have fit into my 6 pint jars (or the 5 pint jars + 2 half-pint jars I used). I had a ton of beets and onions leftover, not a problem since I love beet salad, but a complication nonetheless. In the recipe below you’ll find that I reduced the amount of beets and onions, but I just guessed at the amount figuring 3 lbs and 1 onion should do just fine (if this is not the case, please let me know). I loved the taste of the cinnamon and ginger and rosemary together but I also tend to enjoy a sweeter pickled beet. So bump up the brown sugar from 1/3 cups to 2/3 cups if you want your pickles a wee bit sweeter. Your call.

These pickled beets make fine gifts. I’ve given away a few of the jars already and have received rave reviews. While the beets make a fine side dish, I think they are pretty perfect on their own. Adding a drizzle of local honey and a handful of salty crumbled feta certainly does things up right.

elsewhere: Don’t be a hater! Find the love for some spicy and salty roasted brussels sprouts over at Poppytalk. You won’t be disappointed.

phat beets
(adapted from Martha Stewart)
3 pounds large red beets, greens removed and washed
4-5″ piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thin rounds (12 slices of ginger)
6 sprigs fresh rosemary (3 inches each)
1 large red onion, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, then cut into thin slices
1 T whole allspice
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches long)
1 t whole cloves
4 c cider vinegar
1/4 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 – 2/3 c brown sugar

1. In a large pot, bring beets to the boil and let simmer for about 30-45 minutes until they can easily be pierced with a fork. Drain and cool beets. This step can be done the day before. Remove skins and cut beets in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. In a large bowl, mix together the onions with the beets. Set aside.

2. Place 6 clean 1-pint jars right side up on a rack in a boiling-water canner. Fill the canner and jars with hot water, about 1-inch above the tops of jars. Boil jars over high heat for 10 minutes. Remove and drain hot sterilized jars one at a time. Keep the water simmering away in the canner for later. Place jars on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.

3. Meanwhile, in another pot filled with water, bring water to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add cleaned lids and lid rings and let simmer lids for 10 minutes – do not boil, as this may cause problems in sealing jars. Drain lids and set aside.

4. Fill each sterilized jar with 2 pieces of ginger and 1 sprig rosemary. Pack each jar with onion and beet mixture up to within 1/2 inch below the rim of the jar.

5. In a tea strainer or make a baggie out of a piece of cheesecloth, place allspice, cinnamon stick, and cloves inside a medium sized saucepan. Pour over cider vinegar, 2 cups water, lemon juice, and brown sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and cover – let mixture simmer about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, check to make sure that the water in the canner is brought up to a boil.

6. Immediately pour hot spiced vinegar mixture over the beet mixture in each jar. Press down with a small rubber spatula to release any air bubbles. If you drip any liquid on the tops of the jars, wipe dry with a clean cloth. Put lids and rings on jars and tighten but do not over-tighten.

7. Within 10 minutes of filling the jars, place them back into the canner one at a time, using a jar lifter that is securely positioned below the neck of the jar. Keep jars upright at all times. Add more boiling water from a kettle if needed so that the water covers the jars by one inch. Boil the jars for 7 minutes. Turn off heat and gently transfer jars to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, taking care not to tilt jars and spacing each jar at least 1 inch apart. Avoid placing jars on a cold surface or near a cold draft.

8. Let jars sit undisturbed until fully cooled, 12 to 24 hours. You will begin to hear a popping noise. This is a very good thing, meaning that your jars have sealed. Hooray! No botulism for you! Do not tighten ring bands on the lids or push down on the center of the flat metal lid until jar has cooled completely.

9. Once jars have cooled completely, test to make sure each jar is completely sealed. Press down on the middle of the lid with a finger. If lid springs up when finger is released, the jar is unsealed. Store sealed jars in a cool place for at least 2 and up to 4 weeks to allow flavors to thoroughly combine. If any of the jars are unsealed, store in the refrigerator and used within several days.

Possibly related posts:

• splash of colour: farro & arugula salad with beets
• i love the beets & the beets love me: sauteed beet greens with lime and garlic

I know, I know, I just wrote about gremolata and here it is again, sneaking it’s way into this soup post. It’s not that I want to be known as the gremolata girl, but honestly, I couldn’t help myself. While this spicy & sweet winter squash soup is delicious on its own, I wanted to add something else to it and felt that heavy croutons wouldn’t cut it. I yearned for something fresh and light and vibrant and figured that a mix of herbs, hot peppers, orange zest and apples would be a great accompaniment. This isn’t a frou-frou garnish, instead, it adds a layer of complexity that really works well.

This soup is very sophisticated and complex in flavour yet it’s a cinch to prepare. I think was inspired by some seriously amazing and luxurious meals I had this past weekend. You see, I was chosen to spend 4 jam-packed days in Vieux Montreal (that’s the Old Quarter of Montreal for you anglos) with 5 other Canadian bloggers courtesy of the very passionate Montreal coffee company, Van Houtte. I’m a simple girl used to soaking my own chickpeas and eating out usually involves a cheeseburger, so dining at fantastic restaurants and eating multi-course meals, let alone participating in wine-tastings and coffee cuppings, is way out of the ordinary for me. I loved it and wanted to capture a bit of that worldliness in one of my first meals back at home and I think I did good.

For this dish, I roasted several small varieties of winter squash the night before – and just so you know, most ornamental squash can be eaten! Those tiny cute pumpkins I got from our CSA before Halloween were quickly roasted and turned into soup. After cutting them in half and scraping out the seeds and stringy bits, I put them into a roasting pan filled with nearly an inch of water. Once they were soft, I just scraped all the innards and was left with just over 2 cups of squash. I think you could easily use canned pumpkin or roast your own acorn/butternut/kabocha squash here and get great results.

All curry powders & pastes have different spice levels. If you’re not sure how spicy yours is, start by adding a small amount at a time until you get the spice that suits your taste buds.

elsewhere: Looking for a warm & flavourful biscuit to eat with your soup or stew? Head over to Poppytalk & bake up a batch of easy zucchini & cheddar biscuits.

spicy winter squash soup with apples & orange scented gremolata
1 T butter (or Smart Balance or olive oil, if you want something non-dairy)
1 small onion, diced
2″ knob of ginger, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 birds eye chili, seeds removed & diced
1/2 t salt
1 t freshly ground pepper
1 heaping T curry paste (I used Patak’s Jalfrezi paste – curry powder works too!)
2 1/2 c cooked winter squash
2 apples, skinned & diced (I used russets)
6 c vegetable or chicken stock or water
a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce (optional)

In a large heavy pot, heat butter over medium-high heat and add in the onion and ginger, letting it sweat and get wilty – about 4 minutes. Add in the carrot, fresh chili, salt and ground pepper and stir around to get fragrant. Stir in the curry paste, along with the cooked squash and apples. Pour in the water or stock and give everything a good stir. Put on the lid and let simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes, checking at the half way point to add in additional liquid if needed, and stirring occasionally.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup and taste it to see if it needs more seasoning – I always add in some hot sauce here (vinegar based or sriracha, your call). Pour soup into bowls and top with gremolata. Makes 4-6 servings.

orange scented gremolata
1 birds eye chili, seeds removed & finely diced
1 T fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 t fresh sage, finely chopped
zest of a small orange, diced
1 t green pepper, finely diced
1 T of finely diced apple (I used a russet)

Prep the gremolata just before you are going to serve the soup. Combine all ingredients and drop a small spoonful on top of the soup. Trust me, this is more than a pretty garnish. Be amazed.

Possibly related posts:

• warm up with winter squash, red lentil & tofu curry
• smooth like orange velvet: winter vegetable soup

Growing up, my mom made accordion potatoes on special occasions. I loved them because they seemed super fancy but also their shapes were totally appealing and very kid-friendly. My mom always sprinkled the tops with breadcrumbs which made the tops extra crispy. We always called them accordions but they are also known as hassleback potatoes – named after a Stockholm restaurant where they originated from. Years ago, I made these for a dinner party and they were a huge hit. Everyone loved the crispy exterior and the soft insides, plus they were sprinkled with garlic, salt, herbs and swimming with butter. What’s not to love?

When we had our Thanksgiving dinner a few weeks ago, I decided to give accordion potatoes another go, but I cut down on some of the butter and subbed in some olive oil. I decided to leave out my mom’s breadcrumbs to keep things simple. Once again, they were a huge hit. I large potato is more than enough per person, but you could easily double this recipe for a crowd.

I’ve been making these potatoes forever and I’ve learned a tip to make slicing the potatoes so much easier and stress-free. Line up 2 chopsticks lengthwise on either side of the potato, so when you cut your slices, you don’t end up slicing all the way through!

elsewhere: If you’re already tired of salads from summer, think again. Over at Poppytalk I make a delicious salad using greens, beets, carrots, apples, nuts & seeds and my favorite pink vinaigrette. Get the recipe!

accordion (aka hassleback) potatoes
4 large russets, scrubbed & washed (oblong shape preferred)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh rosemary
1 T fresh thyme
1 t garlic powder
2 T olive oil
2 T unsalted butter
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t sea salt

Preheat oven to 425F.

Line up 2 chopsticks lengthwise on either side of your potato on your cutting board. Slice each potato at 3-4mm intervals – basically as thick as a really thick chip, but if you cut slightly thicker slices, that’s okay too. Carefully place potatoes on a lightly oiled glass baking dish.

In a small saucepan, let the olive oil, butter, garlic, garlic powder and herbs melt together. Brush liberally over potatoes, making sure to get the butter/herb/oil mixture into the crevices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 45-65 minutes or until potatoes are tender & crispy.

Possibly related posts:

• farm fresh dinner: new potatoes, braised greens and a beet salad
• eat fish and be merry: baked fish with potatoes & rosemary + lime & honey wax beans

The last few months have been hectic with work so I found it hard to take time out and do the things I enjoy. So this week, I made time for friends and for adventure and for bike rides. It also helped that Vancouver has been sunny for days so it’s been easy to meet up with friends and take some time out for myself without needing to bring along an umbrella. To say that this past week was fun is an understatement. It’s been awesome. And by way of an introduction, so is this meal.

I made this a few weeks ago, but I’m already thinking that it’s time for a repeat. It’s spicy and warming and perfect on nights when there’s a chill in the air. Fall is here and we’ve been tempted to turn on our heat (but so far, we’re resisting). This would make an ideal warm-up dinner. We’re lucky to still get some nice looking tomatoes from our csa (though I doubt we’ll see any more to come as we got our first bit of frost this week), so I chopped up some nice golden heirlooms and reduced them down with some onions and garlic. A spoonful of my favorite curry paste bumps up the spice. Yogurt, coconut milk and a dollop of mango chutney get involved as does some zucchini. If it’s hard to find zucchini now, try subbing in some colourful peppers or get all up in autumn’s grill and add in some roasted butternut or acorn squash or even some sweet potatoes. Really, I think that would be just grand.

If you think it’s easy to screw up shrimp, give this meal a try because I think it’s almost impossible to cook them badly here. Just make sure that adding the shrimp is the last thing you do. The lime & chili marinated shrimp only need 2 minutes to cook, so once the sauce is prepared, the rest is a breeze. I served this over coconut rice which is a heck of a lot easier to prepare than it sounds. I just took the leftover coconut milk from the sauce and dumped it into the pot of cooked rice. It’s not overly coconutty, but it made the rice creamy and worked really well with this dish. Ta da! Dinner is served.

spicy masala shrimp with zucchini and coconut rice
1 T canola oil
1/2 large onion, sliced thin
2 green onions, sliced thin
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t sea salt
2 T (heaping) masala curry paste (I use Patak’s)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c plain yogurt
1 T siraracha (optional)
1 T mango chutney
1 c zucchini, cut in half or quartered & sliced thin
1/2 can (400 ml) light coconut milk

1 lb large shrimp (21/25 shrimp), deveined & tails on
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t aleppo pepper (or crushed red pepper)
1/4 t sea salt
juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 can (400 ml) light coconut milk
4 c cooked, hot rice

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add in onion. When the onion gets fragrant & translucent, add in the green onion and garlic and stir it around with a bit of salt. Add in curry paste and the tomatoes and cook down until the tomatoes get soft, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, In a medium bowl, add the shrimp, garlic, pepper, salt and lime juice and let marinate for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Back over at the stove, turn down heat to low and add in yogurt, sriracha, mango chutney, half the can of coconut milk and the zucchini into the tomato curry mixture. Stir well and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Turn back up the heat to medium-high so the mixture starts a slow bubble and pour in the shrimp mixture. Stir so that the shrimp is coated in the curry and let cook for 2 minutes until the shrimp is pink.

Meanwhile, add a half can of coconut milk to your hot rice and stir well.

Serve masala shrimp over coconut rice. Serves 4.

Possibly related posts:

• beautiful magic: spicy roasted broccoli & shrimp
• brown rice bowl with vegetables & roasted chickpeas