Beet & Corn Hash

This post seemed have gotten lost in the shuffle somewhere. Seems a little out of place now that we're almost heading into November but it was delish so here it is nonetheless!

I love meals that really represent the transition of seasons, especially summer to fall. Lately I've been diving into fall produce while still trying to use up some of late summers best offerings. I feel like the addition of sweet fresh corn really adds a touch of summer to an otherwise heavy fall dish. 

No recipe this time, just hoping to inspire you to take a breakfast staple like hash and give it a good ol' seasonal twist!

Asparagus Chorizo Hash

Mmm-mm, this was so good! 

Hit-the-spot good. 

Making-me-crave-it-for-dinner-again-tonight good. 

My mind is truly everywhere else right now, so I don't know what else I can say to make you want to cook this. It's just damn good!

Wilted Swiss Chard Potato Salad

Everyone keeps asking me if I've been having any strange cravings while pregnant. I feel like I'm almost disappointing people when I say no, not really. I remember asking pregnant friends the same thing, so curious of the weird and wacky food combinations they were eating. But most of them, like myself had nothing interesting to share.
I do feel like I'm eating a little differently but not all that "weird". There were a few weeks there when I could eat a bowl of cherry tomatoes simply dressed a few times a day, yet now it just doesn't appeal to me in the same way.
Around the same time I'd also slather a piece of toast with an inch thick layer of herb goat cheese and savour every tangy bite.
Lately I'd be pretty happy to eat some sort of grilled sausage on a bun smothered in mustard at any point in the day, but that's about it for real "cravings".

For the rest of the time I'm still trying to just enjoy all that spring has to offer. This salad is a perfect example of such. Asparagus, swiss chard and quinoa make this potato salad feel like a much healthier version of it's usual self.

Green Potato Salad

Well my least favourite time of year is upon us: the end of winter. You're probably thinking "The end of winter? That sounds like a great time of year! Spring is around the corner, change is in the air..." but those few weeks make me restless and irritable. I'm sick of winter foods and all I crave are fresh tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, lettuce, berries, peaches, peas, zucchini...ugh it's torture just thinking about all that scrumptious produce that is just out of my reach.

And to add to that annoying nagging feeling of wanting time to fast forward, this is also the time of year when I begin to become OBSESSED with gardening again. I have literally been having dreams about transplants, I kid you not. And just like the produce I long for, waiting for the rare sunny days to help my seedlings grow feels rather agonizing. 

So what's a housewife to do? Well the other day I decided to try to brighten up my day with this summery potato salad. With bright lemon, spicy arugula and creamy avocado, it totally hit the spot and helped make the long grey day feel a little more tolerable. 

Samosas

Samosas have been on my "Must-make" list for years now. I suppose one big hinderance that kept me from making these for so long was finding nigella seeds for the dough. But thanks to Costas Halavrezos and Epices de Cru I now have a wealthy stock of them in my spice drawer.
The recipe I used was from Epicurious and although seemed to have generally good reviews many reviewers complained that they were bland. Considering that the recipe suggests that they be served with yogurt (as opposed chutney which is what I eat samosas with) I wasn't too concerned.

Well after rolling out the dough, folding and filling them, we fried up two right away and froze the rest. We ate them with my peach chutney and loved every single bite.

Creamy Vegan Potato Salad

My parsley plants are overflowing and despite efforts to use it often (and freeze some of it) I just can't seem to keep up. So the other day I made a real effort to find more uses for parsley. I found a recipe for Green Tahini Dressing in my copy of "Get It Ripe" by Jae Steele, that looked perfect. Steele describes the dressing as going well with "everything!" so I decided to take her up on the challenge.
I had a plate full of leftover roasted new potatoes in the fridge and a few green beans that have escaped my pickling rampage, that both seemed like the perfect contenders to try out this dressing.

Spring Potato Salad

I just couldn't resist trying out Smitten Kitchen's newest potato salad recipe. Asparagus, pickled green onions, and a mustard vinaigrette? Are you kidding me? That sounds amazing! It's truly a salad of my dreams.

I made this for myself while my husband was away and didn't change a thing except for omitting the peas because they're not available yet. This time I made it for my husbands lunch and knowing he might not be terribly excited at the sight of potatoes in his salad, I added some bacon to try to lure him in. Turns out it was a fabulous addition to this flavourful salad.

Quick Pickle Potato Salad

Ok so I know I've been pretty glum what with all the cloudy days we've been having lately, and I tried my hardest to bring a piece of sun into my life (and mouth) with those cookies yesterday. But I think I'm starting to feel optimistic that the sun might actually one day return to our skies. The weather forecast still says I have to deal with another 4 days of clouds and rain, but now that I have this potato salad I think I'll be alright. This potato salad embodies summer for me, and after a long winter the crisp taste of pickled cucumber and fresh radishes just really hits the spot.

Dijon Potato Salad

I don't know about you, but when I return home after a vacation I can't wait to get back into my routine.
During the last day or so of our recent vacation in Montreal I felt my mind slowly being distracted with thoughts of new sewing and knitting projects.
Today (being our first real day back) I anxiously woke up early and headed to the market to stock up our empty fridge with fresh produce. There were thankfully lots  of new spring offerings that made me so excited to get into the kitchen, like tatsoi and mustard frills. I've been waiting weeks (if not months) to feel this excited about produce, and it feels good!

Dijon Roasted Potatoes

The snow has started melting, and there are tulips blooming on my window sill.
Yet I'm still having a winter doldrum kind of day. Looking back at the last month or so has made me realize that the influx of crafty things I've been making is my way of disguising my lack inspiration in the kitchen lately. All I'm craving is tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes. And green beans. And fresh herbs. And cucumbers, and radishes, and fresh greens. But all I have is root vegetables.
Ugh.
Spring cannot come soon enough.

So in an effort to console myself I whipped up one of my favourite root vegetable comfort foods. Roasted fingerlings slathered in grainy dijon and lemon juice.
It might not be the BLT I'm really craving, but it'll do the trick.

Moroccan Chickpea Soup

Have I ever mentioned my love for tomato based soups? No?
Well let this be a gentle reminder that the way to my heart is with a bowl of piping hot soup that contains little or lots of tomatoes.

Potato Turnip Gratin

Now here's a dish I don't make nearly enough.
It's so rich and delicious, please do me a favour and make this tonight Ok?

Cashew Sweet Potato Burgers

My favourite restaurant in Calgary, "The Coup" serves these delectable Cashew Yam Burgers. But they're not made with yams. Why everyone and their mothers calls sweet potatoes "yams", is beyond me. The two words are not interchangeable. It's not like calling a couch a sofa, or calling pants slacks. These are two very different vegetables! Stop calling sweet potatoes yams!

Ok...now that I've ranted about boring specific details...
These burgers are truly delicious and deserve to be made. So please don't make me beg, just make them.

Potato Pizza

I was sure about only one thing: I was making pizza for dinner. But my fridge and pantry had very little to offer as far as inspiration. Brussels sprouts? Nope. Parsnips? Nope. Cabbage? Nope. Potatoes? Nope. Wait a minute....maybe...yes. Yes, I can make a pizza with potatoes.

Turned out to be one of the best pizzas I've made in a while.

Potato Leek Soup with Bacon and Corn

This creamy comforting soup is just what my body wants as soon as the temperatures drop and the winds pick up. It's rich and hearty but I feel like the corn adds some light crunch with a hint of sweetness.