Butternut Tamale Pie

Butternut Tamale Pie
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In my neck of the woods, Thanksgiving is less than a week away and words cannot express how not ready I feel. I’ve complained about this a lot on this blog, but I don’t care, I’m going to say it again – Canadian Thanksgiving comes up way too quickly. I’m just not ready for the pumpkin pie of it all. But I will persevere and reacquaint myself with turkey brine. But before I get to the bird, there’s a little tradition I do on this blog every year. I give the holiday-loving vegetarians a meal option that doesn’t feel tacked together and isn’t just a plate of sides. This is a full-on main event designed to make omnivores jealous. And this year it’s this Butternut Tamale Pie. 

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Mortadella Pear Skillet Pizza w Shaved Radicchio

Mortadella Pear Skillet Pizza
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Monday is not typically associated with pizza. And I am in fact writing this post on a Monday. Why? Because I’m clearly a culinary rebel. Not really. I’m just disorganized. This recipe was supposed to come out on a Friday or a Saturday. Two evenings that are infinitely more suitable for a pizza party. But why? I mean, when you really think about it, pizza is an instant lift. A mood booster, a smile inducer if you will. Why waste pizza’s awesome powers on days that are in and of themselves exuberant and carefree? Wouldn’t it make more sense to deploy a pizza while you’re in the throws of Monday blahs? I think so. So here is today’s recipe – a Mortadella Pear Skillet Pizza with an extremely fluffy focaccia crust.

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Apricot and Olive Focaccia with Honey & Pistachios

Apricot and Olive Focaccia with Honey and Pistachios
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Summer may be winding down but I’m going to keep the picnic and patio food coming. As a Canadian, I am hearty when it comes to cold weather. I will gladly sit on a patio deep into November. And if apricots were in-season that far into the fall, I would happily eat this Apricot and Olive Focaccia while I did it. This bread is studded with fresh apricot wedges and Kalamata olives before being baked to golden perfection. It is then glazed with honey while it’s still hot and sprinkled with crushed salted pistachios. Focaccia may be traditionally billed as a starter but this focaccia eats like a meal. In fact, I ate half of this for dinner and it was a solid choice all around.

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PB and Honey Donuts with Honey Roasted Peanuts

PB and Honey Donuts with Honey Roasted Peanuts
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Today’s PB and Honey Donuts are a love letter to the first sandwich I ever learned how to make myself – peanut butter and honey. My mom was always keen on independence, so I started making my own school lunches fairly early on. But because my repertoire was limited, whenever I brown-bagged it to school chances were there was a PB and honey sandwich in that bag. And yes, I am old enough to remember a time when peanut butter was allowed in schools. You’d think after years of eating the same sandwich I’d be sick of it but I’m not. I still love the combo to this day, so much so that I saw fit to immortalize it in donut form. And the result was pretty spectacular if I do say so myself. So let’s dive in!

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