Edible autumn

photo by pwisenberg

Fall is certainly upon us, and if you're anything like me that means bubbly casseroles, flavourful soups and everything in between. I suppose this little beauty qualifies as a stew- it's rich, hearty and the perfect meal for a crisp fall evening (not to mention that it combines sweet potatoes and peanut butter, two of my all-time favourite ingredients!) I took the night off from studying to enjoy it with grainy bread and cheesy horror movies, a winning combo if I do say so myself.

Hearty autumn stew
Serves 6-8 

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp chili flakes
salt and pepper
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup whole pearl onions (optional)
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup all natural peanut butter
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In a large pot, heat the oil on medium heat and add the onions, garlic, ginger, carrots celery and jalapeno. Season with cumin, cinnamon, chili flakes, salt and pepper and cook for five to ten minutes, until slightly soft. Add everything else to the pot except for the cilantro. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until thick and rich. Rectify the seasoning if necessary and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Serve piping hot with fresh bread if desired and let it warm your belly from the inside out!

Cheese please!

Photo by pwisenberg

Hello everyone!

As I write this I am sitting in the library avoiding the endless pages of reading that await me... Such is my new life as a law student. School, however, has been great so far! I've met tons of awesome people and my teachers all seem engaging and approachable. Needless to say, I've been super busy these past few weeks and haven't had much time to come up with new recipes, let alone blog about them.

I actually made this meal a while back for a going-away dinner that Paul and I hosted during our last weekend in Toronto. I love mac n' cheese as much as the next person and was so excited when I saw this incredibly simple recipe for vegan cheese sauce on Angela's fabulous site. I wanted more texture than your traditional creamy dish so I added cauliflower florets in with the noodles, topped the whole thing with breadcrumbs and Daiya (duh!) and baked it until the crust was golden and crispy And, let's be honest, serving things in individual-sized ramekins instantly makes a meal cuter!

Everyone (even my carnivorous friends) loved this dish and Paul is constantly urging me to make it again!

Vegan mac n' cheese
Serves 4
(double the recipe to serve a larger group or to have leftovers)

1 package whole wheat macaroni
1/4 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
1 tsp Earth Balance
1/2 pacakge Daiya vegan cheese shreds (cheddar or mozzarella)
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
sprinkling of paprika
salt and pepper to taste
this easy cheese sauce recipe

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until still quite firm. Drain and rinse under cold water to prevent from cooking further. Transfer macaroni to a large bowl and stir in the raw cauliflower florets. Meanwhile, in a small pot, prepare your simple cheese sauce, transfer to bowl of pasta and cauliflower, and toss it all together. Grease your baking sheet (or ramekins) with the Earth Balance. Add the pasta mixture to the baking sheet and top with Daiya, bread crumbs, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Finally, sprinkle everything with paprika and bake for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.

xo Robin

Pub grub?

photos by me

I like to think of this dish as my interpretation of buffalo wings and fries... a bit of a stretch, I know. That being said, this does not taste nearly as healthy as it truly is- always a good thing! I baked the chickpeas (sans-oil) until they were hot and crispy, and then tossed them in good old-fashioned  buffalo sauce. My "fries" are clearly not really fries at all, but a surprisingly delicious cauliflower mash. It's very low in fat, yet just as fluffy and flavourful as mashed potatoes. I topped the whole thing off with fresh scallions, and the dish really had all of the familiar pub-food flavours that we all love- without all the bad things that typically go along with them! Paul and I had this for dinner last night and he agreed that it was super yummy and completely satisfying. I urge you all to try this one...

Buffalo baked chick peas with cauliflower mash
Makes 2 dinner-sized portions

Buffalo baked chickpeas

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed until they are quite dry
salt and pepper
1/3 cup buffalo sauce

Cauliflower mash

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup non-dairy milk
4 scallions, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees .Spread the chickpeas evenly on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and crispy. Set aside to cool before tossing in the buffalo sauce.

Add the cauliflower florets to a large pot of boiling, salted water and cook until fork-tender. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook until soft and translucent. Drain cauliflower and wipe pot dry. Transfer cauliflower, onions and garlic back to pot with the milk and simmer until liquid has almost entirely evaporated. Mash or purée until smooth. Rectify the seasoning if necessary. Serve chickpeas over cauliflower mash and garnish with fresh scallions.

And there you have it folks, just an easy lil' weekday dinner that everyone will love. Wishing you all a happy Wednesday!