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!

Tasty taters

photos by pwisenberg

Hello everyone and happy Thanksgiving! Since I finally have time to breathe and relax a bit this weekend, I thought I'd share a recent recipe. I made this mish-mash of a dish on a chilly Tuesday night and it wound up being so flavourful that I felt it deserved to be shared! The star ingredient were the baked sweet potatoes that I seasoned with oregano and paprika. These hearty tots are perfect when cut into thick wedges and served on a bed of bright quinoa salad.

Baked sweet potato wedges and quinoa salad
Serves 4

Baked Potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by preheating your oven to 450 degrees. Place 2 large sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and prick with a fork. Bake for about 45 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven and slice into thick wedges. Sprinkle generously with oregano, paprika, sea salt and coarse black pepper.

Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup baby spinach

While the potatoes are cooking, add quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water to a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for around 15 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Sautee until soft and slightly golden. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, dijon and remaining olive oil. Add in the warm quinoa, cooked veggies, walnuts and tomatoes and toss it all together. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the potato wedges over a bed of  warm quinoa and baby spinach for a healthy meal that I guarantee will leave you with a very happy belly!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone xo

A real picnic

Photo by me

I made this recipe a while back as a contribution to One Green Planet, but it was too pretty not to share with you all. I wanted to make a colourful potato salad that seemed both classic and innovative. I used multi-coloured sweet potatoes from our local farmer's market and added sweet corn, bell peppers, onions, jalapeno and cilantro. This pretty little dish has both a spicy bite from a touch of cayenne and a burst of freshness from its simple lime dressing. Summer picnic food at its best!

Spicy sweet potato salad (Serves 6-8 as a side dish)

Salad ingredients:

• 1 lb. sweet potatoes (multicolored if available), peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 tsp. cumin
• ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cups cooked corn (fresh or frozen)
• 4 scallions, trimmed and sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• ½ jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped for garnish
• Dressing Ingredients
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• zest and juice of 1 lime
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the sweet potatoes in the vegetable oil, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. Bake on an aluminum foil-lined sheet for 20-25 minutes, turning once. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add the cooked corn, scallions, bell pepper and jalapeno and toss to combine.

To prepare the simple citrus dressing, simply whisk together of all the ingredients.

Add the potatoes and dressing to the bowl and toss everything together. Garnish with fresh cilantro and enjoy!

Golden delicious

Photo by me

Don't you just crave something fried sometimes? Well I do, and these veggie pancakes were the perfect solution for a tasty Friday lunch with a friend. I was inspired by a recipe that came with our biweekly organic box, they called for sweet potatoes and parsnips, but I only had one left so I substituted carrots instead. I think any root veggie would work well along with the potatoes. The cakes wound up having the most beautiful orange colour and paired perfectly with a simple mixed green salad.

Sweet potato & carrot cakes
Serves 4

1 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 pound other root veggies, peeled and cubed (I used 1 parsnip and 3 carrots)
1 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 cup bread crumbs (I used panko, mmm)
1-2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 big pinches of thyme (fresh or dried)
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups mixed greens (I tossed them in a simple vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, dijon and maple syrup)

Cook the sweet potatoes, parsnips and carrots in boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes, then drain well and set aside to cool slightly. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet and cook the onion and garlic with a pinch of thyme, salt and pepper, until soft.

Puree the root veggies in a food processor with the flour and nutmeg (or mash by hand). Stir in the cooked onion and garlic and the rest of the thyme. Season to taste. Shape the mixture into rounds (add more flour if they are still too wet), and coat in the bread crumbs. Heat 2 tbsp oil in the same skillet until hot enough that a drop of bread crumbs sizzles right away, cook the cakes for about 6-8 minutes each, being careful not to break them when you flip .Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Sprinkle the hot cakes with a pinch of sea salt and garnish with a lemon wedge. Serve on a bed of lightly dressed greens and enjoy.

Happy Sunday! xo

That's amore!

photos by me

Anyone who says they don't like pizza is a liar. I love pizza, but I'll admit I was skeptical that vegan pizza could meet my personal standards. I'm so happy to say I was wrong! I got creative with these recipes, wanting to be sure to incorporate colour, texture and balanced flavours. The potato pizza offers an incredible pairing of both sweet and savoury flavours. The caramelized onions are moist and function as the sauce. Combine this with the taters, thyme and fresh arugula and you've got a lovely little pie that's both tasty and light. I know, I know, pizza should never be light. But, don't fret my friends, my "cheesy" pesto pizza takes care of this little problem. Light it is not, amazingly delicious it is! I was inspired by an episode of Giada at Home for this recipe (honestly, how can you not love this woman?). I combined vegan mozzarella and cream cheese with a ton of garlic and basil and puréed it all together. Top it all off with fresh tomatoes and it's soo yummy. "I can't even tell it's vegan!" exclaimed my non-vegan taste-tester friend, seriously what better compliment could I receive?

Sweet potato & onion pizza
Makes one large pizza

1/2 this homemade dough recipe
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 sweet potato, thinly sliced into coins
1/2 cup arugula
1 tbsp fresh thyme
olive oil, for sautéing and drizzling
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Sprinkle onions with salt and sauté on low heat until soft and caramelized, about 15 minutes, set aside. In same pan, quickly sauté thinly sliced potatoes until slightly softened. Lightly drizzle dough with olive oil, spread out onions in centre and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, leaving a one inch border. Spread out potato coins and sprinkle with fresh thyme. Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden brown. Top with fresh arugula and serve.

"Cheesy" basil pizza
Makes one large pizza

1/2 this homemade dough recipe
1/2 cup vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti)
2 cups vegan mozzarella (I used Daiya)
1 cup fresh basil
2 cloves garlic
1 plum tomato, sliced
olive oil, for drizzling
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In food processor, combine both types of cheese, basil, garlic, salt and pepper until well blended. Lightly drizzle dough with olive oil, evenly spread cheese and basil mixture, leaving one inch border. Top with tomato slices and bake for about 15 minutes (I broiled it for an additional minute to ensure bubbly yumminess). Wow all your vegan and non-vegan friends alike with these phenomenal pizzas- do try.

Happy Saturday friends!