The Pepper Mill

𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗣𝗨𝗠𝗣𝗞𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗣
𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗦𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗵

I love this time of year 🍁 🍂 🍃. It is probably my favourite season for food and I get very excited about the first cozy evenings of the year, eating warm comfort foods by the fire ☺️

I’m not normally a big fan of pumpkin, but this soup is the exception and I make it a couple of times every autumn. I made some this evening with the little pumpkins that have been decorating my porch (uncarved). The little gooey lumps of melted cheese are really what makes this soup so delicious, so don’t be tempted to leave those out 😋

Recipe below 👇🏼

𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗣𝗨𝗠𝗣𝗞𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗣
𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝟰-𝟲

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
1 pumpkin weighing approx 1.5 kg
1 tbsp oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
850mls veg or chicken stock
425mls full-fat milk
25g butter
Freshly grated nutmeg
Salt & pepper

Gruyere cheese & toasted pumpkin seeds to serve

𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗗

1. Preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F

2. Start by roasting the pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin in half, remove and discard the seeds and then cut each half into 4 pieces to give 8 altogether. Rub the slices with oil and season with salt and pepper, then roast them on the top shelf of the oven for 30 mins until tender and slightly coloured. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

3. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and fry over a high heat for 5 mins to colour the onion slightly, then reduce the heat and continue to cook very gently for 20 mins.

4. Add the stock and milk to the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Don’t have the heat too high or the milk may cause the pan to boil over.

5. Remove the skin from the pumpkin slices (it should peel off easily), cut the flesh into large chunks and add them to the pan. Season the soup with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg, then simmer gently for 20 mins until the pumpkin flesh is very soft.

6. Finally, purée the soup until it is smooth. You may like to pass it through a sieve to ensure there are no pumpkin fibres in the soup, but I wouldn’t bother doing this unless I was making the soup for friends.

7. Dice the Gruyere into small chunks and stir them through the soup. Serve up into bowls and sprinkle the toasted pumpkin seeds on top.

𝗦𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗖𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗜𝗫𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗡 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜

Here is the recipe for one of the dishes I posted last weekend. This is a fantastic recipe to have up your sleeve as, apart from the red pepper, it consists entirely of store cupboard ingredients. You can change up the kinds of beans you use, or buy cans of mixed beans, just keep the overall quantities roughly the same. To make it even quicker to put together you can substitute the spices for a couple of packets of ready made taco or chilli mix, you will need approximately 6 tbsp of spices in total.

I sometimes serve this with brown rice, sometimes just with a handful of tortilla chips. Either way, it is delicious topped with sour cream, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro.

This recipe feeds 5-6 people and any leftovers can be frozen.

Recipe below 👇🏼

𝗦𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗖𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗜𝗫𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗡 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜
𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝟱-𝟲

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
350ml can sweet corn
540ml can kidney beans
540ml can pinto beans
540ml can black beans
127ml can green chillies
400ml can crushed tomatoes
1 red pepper

1-2 tsp cayenne pepper
4 tsp paprika
5 tsp cumin
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt

𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗗

1. Drain and rinse the sweet corn and all of the beans and place in the bowl of your slow cooker.

2. Dice the red pepper and add it, along with all the other ingredients, to the bowl. Mix well to combine.

3. Cook on the low setting for 8-10 hours. If you’re in a hurry you can cook it on the high setting for 3 hours.

4. Taste the chilli and adjust the seasoning as necessary before serving.

Lots of healthy things are happening in my kitchen today.

1. Roast veg, quinoa and goat cheese bowls lunch prep
2. Mixed bean chilli is bubbling away in the crockpot for tonight’s supper.
3. Blueberry chia ‘jam’ to go with Greek yoghurt & granola for breakfasts this week.

My hubby has recently been told he has quite high cholesterol levels, so we are working on eating lots of fibre, whole grains, fruit and veg in an attempt to put that right. I’ve got to look after him you know 💕

What are your favourite healthy meals to cook at home?

𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗜𝗟 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘

Remember those frail little basil plants I planted outside back in mid-May? I wanted to post a little update for you all. I will be the first to admit that I haven’t been tending these plants as well as I have in previous years. It’s been a busy summer and I haven’t given them the attention I should have. That said, Mother Nature has helped in giving us plenty of warmth and plenty of rain, so the plants are thriving nevertheless.
One thing I am normally fastidious about is removing flowers as they appear. Basil is an annual plant and its mission for the summer is to set seed. We, on the other hand, want to stop the plant doing that so it will continue to produce tasty, tender new leaves for as long as possible. The way to achieve this is to nip out the flowers as soon as you see them forming.
As you can see from the top photo, there were lots of flowers on my plants this year. I have just given them a good pruning and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I didn’t leave it too late and that they will now continue to produce more leaves so I can make a nice big batch of pesto in a few weeks time🤞🏼.

𝗣𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗢 𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗔 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗣𝗬 𝗖𝗔𝗨𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥
𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗕𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁

I made this recipe for the first time a few months ago and it has become a favourite mid-week meal for my husband and me. The cauliflower is soooo good, and also makes a delicious appetizer on its own, maybe with a side of ranch sauce for dipping.

I am a fairly recent air-fryer convert, and for this recipe it crisps the cauliflower up beautifully. If you don’t have an air-fryer, however, I have included instructions for cooking the cauliflower in the oven.

Recipe below 👇🏼

𝗣𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗢 𝗣𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗔 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗣𝗬 𝗖𝗔𝗨𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥
𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝟰

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗽𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿:
1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
Pinch of chilli flakes
Salt & black pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Zest of half a lemon

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼:
4 tbsp pesto
1/2 - 1 jalapeño (deseeded if you wish), cut into chunks
Handful of arugula (rocket)
Juice of half a lemon

350g pasta
1/4 cup (60mls) cream or coconut milk
Extra arugula (rocket) to serve
Grated Parmesan to serve

𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗗

1. Put all the pesto ingredients into a food processor and blitz to a paste. Set aside.

2. Toss the cauliflower florets in the oil, paprika, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Air fry for 10 mins. Add the lemon zest and garlic and air fry for 10 more minutes until crispy and charred.

Cauliflower oven method. Follow the same method as above, but bake on a baking tray at 425°F/220°C for 20 mins. Add the garlic and lemon zest and bake 10 mins more.

3. While the cauliflower is cooking, cook the pasta according to the packet’s instructions.

4. Once the pasta is cooked, drain reserving 3 tbsp of pasta water. Add the cream or coconut milk to the drained pasta along with the pasta water and cook for a minute or two to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the pesto.

5. Serve the pasta topped with the crispy cauliflower, a handful of arugula and a good grating of Parmesan cheese.

𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗜𝗟 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘

It is now about 5 weeks since I took my basil cuttings. They have been in water on my kitchen window sill since then and have developed good strong roots. I will now move them outside straight into the soil of my raised bed. Keep your fingers crossed for them that they are happy in their new home and survive the transition 🤞🏼

𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗠𝗜
𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝘄𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗹𝘁𝗼𝗻

I’ve made this recipe a couple of times recently and I love it! It is very simple to make, can be made well in advance (I have even frozen the logs successfully for months), and it really has the ‘WOW’ factor when you bring it out at the end of a meal, maybe as part of a cheese board.

This recipe makes two fairly large logs. You could make 3 or 4 smaller logs, or halve the recipe, which will still be plenty for the average dinner with friends. Feel free to change up the fillings. Any kind of biscuits, nuts, dried fruits or even mini marshmallows would work well, just try and keep the ratio of wet ingredients to dry ingredients similar to the recipe.

Recipe below 👇🏼

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝟮 𝘅 𝟭𝟬” 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘀

300g dark chocolate (at least 60%)
110g butter
110g sugar
1 large egg + 1 yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp dark rum
270g mixed nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
12 lady finger biscuits, roughly crushed
Icing sugar for dusting

𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗗

1. Finely chop the chocolate and place it, along with the butter, in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and stir gently until the chocolate and butter have melted.

2. In a separate bowl mix together the egg, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla and rum. Add this mixture to the chocolate and continue to stir over the heat for 3 or 4 minutes until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Remove from the heat.

3. Add the chopped nuts and lady fingers to the bowl and fold in gently to combine.

4. Cut two large rectangles of parchment paper. Divide the chocolate mixture in half and place one half on each piece of paper. As soon as the mixture is cool enough to handle shape each half into a log shape approx 3” in diameter and 10” long. Wrap the parchment tightly around each log and secure the ends. It may help to wrap aluminum foil over the paper to secure the logs tightly.

5. Place the logs in the fridge overnight by which time they will be set very firmly.

6. To serve, dust the logs with icing sugar and use kitchen string to tie decoratively to resemble a salami (see photo).

7. The logs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 7 days, or they can be frozen for several months.

𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗡 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠𝗔
𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗮𝘁𝘀

My hubby and I have been laid low with Covid this past week, it had to happen eventually I guess 🤒. Today though, the weather was warm and sunny, we have started to feel better, and we were craving something simple and healthy for dinner. I’ve been meaning to try this homemade shawarma recipe for a while and today it fitted the bill perfectly, we even fired up the BBQ for the first time this year!

I had never heard of shawarma until I moved to Canada 9 years ago, but here it is a very popular take-out food. It hails from the Middle East and is very similar to Greek gyros, but with a richer blend of spices. The marinade in this recipe is insanely tasty, and it produced meat that was so so juicy 🤤. It was super quick and easy to prepare and to cook, and I can’t wait to make this for a crowd as I think it will make for a very simple yet delicious supper with friends.

Recipe below 👇🏼

𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗡 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠𝗔
𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝟰

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
1kg skinless & boneless chicken thighs (8-12 thighs)

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗲:
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground cardamom
1 tsp cayenne pepper (reduce or omit to taste)
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp salt
Black pepper
Juice of half a lemon
3 tbsp olive oil

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗰𝗲:
1 cup Greek yoghurt
1 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp cumin
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt & pepper

𝗧𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲:
Pitta breads
Shredded romaine or iceberg lettuce
Tomato slices
Red onion, finely sliced
Lemon wedges
Hot sauce (optional)

𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗗

1. Mix together all the marinade ingredients in a ziploc bag. Add the chicken. Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the chicken with your hands. Refrigerate for 24 hours (if you’re in a hurry, marinate for at least 3 hours).

2. Mix all of the ingredients for the yoghurt sauce together. Refrigerate until needed.

3. Preheat a large skillet with 1 tbsp oil, or lightly oil your BBQ grill and preheat to medium-high.

4. Place the chicken in the skillet or on the BBQ grill. Cook the first side for 4-5 mins until nicely charred. Turn the chicken over and cook the second side for 3-4 mins. Remove from the heat and rest for 5 mins before serving.

5. Slice the chicken and pile it onto a serving platter. Serve with pitta breads, salad and the garlic sauce and allow everyone to assemble their own wraps.

Delicious new lunch menu now available at Equator Coffee Roasters, Stittsville
Yummy artisan bread by Nat's Bread Company
Photo creds Telah Morrison

𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗔 𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗟𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗣𝗘𝗔 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗦

Happy Easter Everyone!

Our family had an early Easter dinner last night as it was the only time we were all free at the same time over the weekend. As it is traditional to eat fish on Good Friday I thought I'd cook this salmon recipe that I have cooked only once or twice before. It was a good choice for a day when I'd been working during the day as a lot of the prep could be done the day before leaving minimal prep to do on the evening and more time to enjoy each other's company 🥂💕

This is a nice recipe for a celebration dinner as it looks quite impressive on a big platter served at the table. There were only 4 of us last night so I cooked smaller pieces of salmon, but if you are serving more people it looks even more impressive with whole sides of salmon.

You can normally find harissa paste in little jars at delis if your local grocery store doesn’t sell it.

Recipe below 👇🏼







𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗔 𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗟𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗣𝗘𝗔 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗦
𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝟰

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 small fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds
zest of half a lemon
2 tbsp harissa paste
1 tbsp runny honey
2 x 400g thick pieces of salmon, skin removed

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘂𝘀
1 veg or chicken stock sachet
1 tbsp harissa paste
25 g sultanas
150g couscous
1 x 400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Juice of 1 lemon and zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Small handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped
25g flaked almonds, toasted

𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗗

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the onions and fennel. Fry gently, stirring frequently, for about 15 mins util the veg are soft and golden. Add the cumin seeds and garlic for the last 2 mins of cooking time. Leave to cool.

2. Stir the harissa paste and honey together.

3. Place one of the salmon fillets, skin side down, on a large piece of parchment paper. Spread half of the harissa and honey mix over the salmon then top evenly with the vegetables. Cover the veg with the second piece of salmon to form a sandwich, positioning the fish so the thinnest end of the top piece is over the thickest end of the bottom piece. The fish can be prepared up to this point the day before. Cover and store in the fridge.

4. Heat the oven to 200°C/400°F and place a large baking sheet inside to heat. Brush the salmon with the rest of the harissa mixture, then lift the salmon (still on the parchment) onto the hot baking sheet. Bake for 30mins. Check the fish is cooked through, if not return it to the oven for a few more minutes.

5. Meanwhile, put the drained chickpeas into a bowl with the lemon juice and oil and season well with salt and pepper. Add the parsley, mint and lemon zest.

6. To make the couscous, put the stock into a large bowl along with the harissa, sultanas and couscous. Pour over 225ml of boiling water, stir, cover and leave to stand for 5 mins.

7. Add the chickpeas to the couscous along with the flaked almonds (reserving a few as a garnish) and stir gently to combine.

8. Heap the couscous onto a serving platter and top with the salmon. Garnish with a few flaked almonds and a few more herbs if you wish.

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗢 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗜𝗟 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗖𝗨𝗧𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦

It’s that time of year again when my thoughts start to turn to growing edible goodies in the garden. I learned this method of propagating basil from a friend last year and it was so successful that I am repeating it this year and I wanted to share the details here. Last year I propagated approximately 20 cuttings which provided me with basil to cut all summer long, as well as arms full to make pesto with at the end of the summer.

𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗗

1. Buy one or two healthy looking basil plants or packs of cut basil from the grocery store.

2. Choosing the strongest shoots, use scissors or a sharp knife to cut the shoots just BELOW a leaf node. The stems should be as long as possible so cut below the lowest strong node on the stem.

3. Remove the lower leaves from the stem but leave the top leaves attached.

4. Place the stems into fresh water, ideally in a clear glass jar so you can watch for progress, and place in a bright warm spot.

5. Change the water every few days. You should see roots start to appear at the bottom of the stems after 2 or 3 weeks. I will post an update on my plants when I see some results 🤞🏼

𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗗𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗦 & 𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗦𝗬𝗥𝗨𝗣

I have recently returned from a trip to Costa Rica, which is one of the reasons I haven’t posted here for sooooo long! During our trip I noticed that a few times ‘Arroz con Leche’ appeared as part of the nightly buffet spread, and it reminded me how much I love this dessert. In England it is much less glamorously known as ‘Rice Pudding’, but then I guess that name sounds exotic to the Latin Americans 🤔

I love rice pudding hot out of the oven served simply with a big dollop of jam, but this is a recipe I have made many times. I prefer this version if I’m cooking for friends as it is made in advance and served at room temperature, plus it looks so pretty served in little glass dishes.

I have never found pudding rice in Canada, but I find Arborio rice gives very good results.

Recipe below 👇🏼

𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗗𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗦 & 𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗢𝗡 𝗦𝗬𝗥𝗨𝗣
𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝟰

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
100g pudding rice, or Arborio rice
Zest of 1/2 orange
Zest of 1/2 lemon
500ml full fat milk (or 400ml 2% milk + 100ml cream)
50g white sugar
50g raisins or sultanas
1/2 cinnamon stick
50g light brown sugar
1.5 tbsp cream

𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗗
1. Put the rice in a large pan with 250ml water and the orange & lemon zest. Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat then cook for about 15 mins. Keep an eye on it during this time so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

2. Once the water is absorbed, uncover the pan, stir in the milk and white sugar, then simmer gently for 20-25 mins, stirring often, until the rice is tender and thickened. Cool to room temperature.

3. Out the raisins into a small pan with the cinnamon stick, brown sugar and 50ml water. Heat gently until the sugar has melted then bubble for a minute or two unti, syrupy, stir in the cream and bubble for a couple more minutes. The sauce should end up looking glossy. Cool in the pan.

4. When ready to serve, divide the rice pudding between 4 bowls and top with the raisins. Spoon the syrup over the top.

**Note, if the rice pudding has thickened too much as it cooled, add in a splash more milk or cream and stir well to loosen before serving.

𝗖𝗢𝗧𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗣𝗜𝗘

I must confess, we always refer to this dish as ‘Shepherd’s Pie’ in our house. Strictly speaking a Shepherd’s Pie is made with minced lamb, as the name suggests. If beef is used then the dish is called Cottage Pie. Whatever you choose to call it, it is the ultimate in comfort food, and we need all the comfort food we can get to see us through these final weeks of winter.

There is nothing sophisticated about my recipe for Cottage Pie, but trust me, it tastes delicious. It is the perfect prepare-ahead dish to come home to after a busy day. Sometimes, if I’m feeling in need of a little extra comfort, I add some grated cheddar to the top of the pie before baking 😋.

Recipe below 👇🏼

𝗖𝗢𝗧𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗣𝗜𝗘
𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝟰

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
500g minced beef
2 tbsp oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 beef oxo cubes/sachets
2 tbsp HP brown sauce
3 tbsp tomato purée/paste
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste

2 large potatoes
1 leek
2 tbsp butter

𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗗

1. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil over a medium heat in a large frying pan and fry the onion, celery & carrot for 10-15 minutes until soft and starting to colour. Add the garlic and fry 2 mins more. Remove all the veg to a bowl and set aside.

2. Add the other tbsp of oil to the pan and turn up the heat to high. Season the beef with salt and pepper and fry until well browned.

3. Add the oxo cubes to the pan with the beef, then add back in the veg.

4. Add the HP sauce, tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and water. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add more water if the meat starts to get too dry.

5. While the meat is simmering, peel the potatoes and cut into large chunks. Boil until soft (about 15 mins depending on the size of your chunks).

6. Wash and chop the leek. Melt the butter in a small frying pan and fry the leek until soft but not coloured.

7. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and mash them. Season with salt and pepper and add in the leeks and all the butter from the pan. Mix well. The mash should not be too wet so I wouldn’t recommend adding any milk.

8. Once the meat has simmered for an hour, tip it into an ovenproof serving dish and top with the mashed potatoes.

9. The dish can be prepared to this point up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated. Remove from the fridge an hour before reheating.

10. When you are ready to eat, preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Put the cottage pie in the oven and bake for 30-40 mins until piping hot.

𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗡 𝗞𝗔𝗧𝗦𝗨 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗝𝗔𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗪
𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗛𝗮𝘆

This is a great recipe for days when you want to go light on the carbs but still enjoy a delicious supper. The original recipe called for quinoa flakes rather than regular quinoa, so if you have those by all means use them. I happened to have a giant Costco sized bag of quinoa in the cupboard so thought I’d try using that instead and it worked great. The coating on the chicken is crispy and full of flavour, and the dressing gives another layer of flavour and just the right amount of moisture to the dish.

Recipe below 👇🏼

𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗡 𝗞𝗔𝗧𝗦𝗨 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗝𝗔𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗪
𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝟰

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
Sea salt & black pepper
4 small chicken breasts, halved horizontally
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp oil

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗱:
3 cups shredded Chinese cabbage
2 carrots, peeled and cut into fine shreds
2 spring (green) onions, shredded
Pea shoots or other micro greens (optional)

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴:
1 tbsp finely grated white onion
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup

𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗗

1. To make the dressing, put the onion, soy sauce, vinegar and maple syrup into a jar, screw on the lid and shake vigorously to combine. Set aside

2. Place the quinoa, breadcrumbs, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste into a shallow bowl, stir to combine.

3. Dip the chicken pieces into the beaten egg, then press into the quinoa mixture firmly to coat both sides.

4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan until shimmering. Cook the chicken pieces for 3-4 mins each side until cooked through and golden brown.

5. Mix the cabbage, carrots and spring onions in a bowl and divide between 4 plates. Slice the chicken pieces and arrange alongside the slaw. Finally, drizzle over the dressing, top with the pea shoots and extra sesame seeds if you wish, and serve warm.

𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗗𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗣𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗢 𝗗𝗔𝗨𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗢𝗜𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗦
𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗮𝘁𝘀

These little potato stacks are a perfect accompaniment to the mushroom stew and scones I posted yesterday, or any dish that requires a potatoey side dish. They are great for entertaining too as they can be prepared in advance then baked just before serving.

This recipe makes 12 stacks in a regular sized muffin tin. We found 2 stacks per person was a good portion size, but that, of course, depends how hungry you are!

Recipe below 👇🏼

𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗗𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗣𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗢 𝗗𝗔𝗨𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗢𝗜𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗦
𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝟰-𝟲

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
Oil spray
1.2kg starchy potatoes (choose large, long ones)
2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup double (whipping) cream
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 3/4 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp salt
Black pepper
75g melting cheese (eg Gruyère, Cheddar, Swiss), sliced into 12 squares
3/4 cup melting cheese, grated

𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗗

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F

2. Melt the butter in a small pan and use some of it to grease a 12 hole muffin tin.

3. Add the garlic to the remaining butter and fry gently for 20 seconds. Add the cream, salt and a few grinds of black pepper and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to cook for 30 secs, then remove from the stove and keep warm.

4. Peel the potatoes and trim them to a cylinder shape that will fit the muffin tin. Cut into 2mm thick slices using a mandolin or sharp knife.

5. Place some of potato slices into the muffin tin so they go about half way up the holes. Try to make them into neat stacks.

6. Drizzle each potato stack with 1 tsp of the cream mixture, using about half of the mixture.

7. Top each stack with a cheese slice.

8. Top each stack with the remaining potato slices, they should now stand about 1cm above the rim of the muffin tin (they sink as they bake). Drizzle with the remaining cream mixture and sprinkle with most of the thyme.

9. Cover the muffin tin loosely with foil and bake for 40 mins until the potatoes are cooked through. A small sharp knife should go through without any resistance.

10. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the grated cheese and bake without foil for 10 mins until golden.

11. Sprinkle with the remaining thyme, allow to stand for 5 mins, then use a spoon to remove the stacks from the tin and serve.

𝗛𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗪 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗘𝗦𝗘 & 𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦
𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗲

It has snowed in Ottawa today, A LOT! On days like this we all need something comforting for dinner, and this hearty vegetarian stew with warm scones is the perfect meal to eat from a bowl, curled up by the fire 🔥. I also serve some kind of potato dish alongside this, I’ll post a recipe tomorrow for my current favourite. I know that is double carbs, and that may seem a lot, but trust me it all works together so well, and I can promise you you will feel suitably warm and comforted once you’ve eaten it all 😋.

You can really use any kind of mushrooms for this, so make up the 750g with whatever varieties you like.

Recipe below 👇🏼

𝗛𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗠 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗪 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗘𝗦𝗘 & 𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦
𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝟰

𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦
𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘄:
10g dried porcini mushrooms
500ml hot vegetable stock
3-4 tbsp olive oil
500g chestnut (cremini) mushrooms, cut into bite sized pieces
250g field (portobello) mushrooms, cut into bite sized pieces
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 red peppers, deseeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp caraway seeds
400ml can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Sour cream to serve

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲 & 𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀:
350g self-raising flour
1 tsp salt
50g butter, diced
25g freshly grated parmesan
1 tbsp chopped rosemary
240-250ml buttermilk (or milk soured with a squeeze of lemon)

𝗠𝗘𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗗

1. Soak the porcini mushrooms in the hot stock for 20 mins, then strain the liquid into a jug and set the mushrooms and liquid aside.

2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a heavy based pan. Fry the fresh mushrooms in batches, adding more oil as necessary, until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Add the remaining oil and fry the onion, peppers, garlic, paprika and caraway seeds with a little salt and pepper for 10 mins until softened. Return the fried mushrooms to the pan, add the porcini mushrooms and stir in the stock, tomatoes & tomato purée. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook gently for 45 mins. The stew can be cooked and refrigerated for up to 24 hours at this point and reheated gently on the hob when ready to serve.

4. Meanwhile make the scones. Preheat the oven to 220°C/440°F.

5. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs, then stir in the cheese and the rosemary. Make a well in the centre of the flour and work in the buttermilk (you may not need it all) until the mixture just comes together.

6. Tip the dough onto a floured surface and shape into a disc approx 2cm deep. Transfer the dough to a baking tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Cut the dough into 8 wedges, leaving the wedges in the round.

7. Brush the tops lightly with a little more buttermilk and bake for 20-25 mins until risen, golden and firm to the touch.

8. Serve the stew with some sour cream drizzled over the top with the warm scones on the side.

𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧-𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗢𝗪𝗟

This really can’t count as a recipe, it requires nothing more than some chopping and assembly of ingredients, but just look at those colours 😍. I thought it looked so pretty I wanted to photograph it and share it with you all.

If you feel inspired to make something similar, the possible variations are obviously endless, but my bowl contains a selection of fresh fruit with coconut flavoured Greek Yoghurt, a scoop of almond butter and a sprinkle of homemade granola (see separate recipe).

A good workout followed by all that goodness! I am feeling quite virtuous now 😊

I’ve been having lots of fun today doing a photo shoot for Quitters Coffee. Did I mention it’s the best little coffee shop in town?

If you live in the Stittsville area, you can order online at
https://quitterscoffee.ca
Ready for pick up in 15 minutes.
Open 8-7 every day except Monday.