Author: Melissa

Vegan Kabocha Squash Curry

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Seasonal squash gets a spicy twist in this recipe for Vegan Kabocha Squash Curry. Kabocha squash is simmered in a flavourful Thai Red Curry sauce with other fresh vegetables. Served with freshly steamed rice, and you have a spicy vegan recipe that is perfect for fall and winter! What is Kabocha Squash? Kabocha is a type of winter squash that is in season during the fall months. It grows through the summer in a long trailing vine (just like a pumpkin) and produces gorgeous green-skinned squash by September. If stored in a cool and dark place, it will keep throughout the winter months, so you can enjoy the squash even in the cold months of February. Although kabocha is green on the outside, if you cut one open, you will see that the flesh is a beautiful golden orange colour. The overall flavour of kabocha squash is almost like a chestnut with lots of nutty notes. It also has a dense texture, very similar to a taro root. Plus, the skin is actually edible and …

Smoked Gouda, Garlic & Cauliflower Soup

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Soup season is here! With the days getting darker and colder, it’s the perfect time to snuggle up and have a delicious bowl of hearty soup. This Smoked Gouda, Garlic & Cauliflower Soup is comforting fall recipe in itself. However, it gets a refreshing bite with the addition of a fresh herb and crunchy garlic garnish.  Read on down below on how to make this tasty soup recipe! Recipe in collaboration with Red Barn Market.

West Coast Mushroom Galette

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Fall is a special time for mushroom lovers since so many varieties come into season! I use Chanterelle, Oyster and Cremini mushrooms in this delicious and seasonal recipe for my West Coast Mushroom Galette! You can forage your own mushrooms (if you have some expertise in mushroom foraging) or you can simply buy mushrooms at your local grocery store. Plus, this recipe allows you to combine whichever mushrooms are your favourite into this savoury galette! Read on down below to see which mushrooms I chose for my West Coast Mushroom Galette plus some tips on how to make the perfect pie dough and homemade ricotta cheese! Wild & Commercially Grown Mushrooms For my West Coast Mushroom Galette, I like to combine both wild and commercially grown mushrooms. Although wild mushrooms are a bit fancier, they come with a much higher price tag than regular commercially grown mushrooms. So instead of spending a fortune on this meal, I like to use some commercial mushrooms as a base and then accent it with some high end wild …

Salted Caramel Apples

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Halloween is one of my favourite holidays of the year, and I can’t officially celebrate it without a caramel apple. This classic combination of fresh tart apples and sweet caramel is the perfect flavour combination and is quintessential during the fall season. This year, I have decided to glam up this traditional Halloween recipe and make it fun for adults, with the addition of a sprinkle of fancy sea salt flakes. This adds beautiful texture and flavour to the apples, plus it looks absolutely stunning! Read on down below to learn how to make these Salted Caramel Apples! 🍎🍏 Which Apple Variety to Choose? During the fall, there are tons of fresh and seasonal apple varieties to choose from. And really, you can use whichever apple is your favourite in this Salted Caramel Apples recipe! If you have read my Apple Cider & Honey Pork Chops post, you all know that I absolutely love Honeycrisp apples. They are sweet and tart at the same time and I really love how it compliments the caramel in this …

Spooky Outdoor Halloween Decor

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Spooky season has arrived and I have our house all decorated for Halloween! 🎃👻 Although Halloween may look different this year, I am glad that we are able to still celebrate and hand out candy to kids where we live. Since it’s been such a crazy year, I have decided to go all out on our Halloween decor for this year just to make it extra special for all the trick-or-treaters! Read on down below for my tips (and tricks!) on how to decorate your home for Halloween! Use Natural Elements Natural elements like pumpkins, corn stalks, and hay are such a beautiful and inexpensive way to decorate the outside of your home for Halloween. Pumpkins and squash can also serve a dual purpose as decor and food as well! When Halloween has passed, you can cook up your pumpkins or squash, or store them in a cool and dark place over the winter. Plus, there are so many varieties of pumpkin and squash that are available that you can go with all monochromatic colours, …

Apple Cider & Honey Pork Chops

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If you’re looking for a recipe with ALL the flavours of fall, these Apple Cider & Honey Pork Chops are it! Pork chops are stewed in fresh apples and onions that get nice and soft and tender. Plus to add a bit more zip, I add black pepper, cayenne pepper and apple cider vinegar. Local honey rounds out this entire recipe making it slightly sweet and bringing all these delicious fall flavours together! Honeycrisp: The Apple of Choice For these Apple Cider & Honey Pork Chops, my apple of choice is the Honeycrisp apple. This is probably one of my favourite apples to eat during the fall since they are sweet and tangy. They’re also called ‘Honeycrisp‘ for a reason as they are incredibly crunchy and juicy! When cooked, Honeycrisp apples also retain their shape fairly well and have a nice soft texture. Honeycrisp apples are a beautiful red colour with yellow underneath. Inside, the flesh is a nice firm texture and is a very light yellow, almost white, in colour. When buying Honeycrisp apples, …

Easy & Delicious Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes for 2020

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I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Well…at least for us Canadians! Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays because it mainly centres around food and eating food all day. Plus, it’s a great time to sit back, relax and enjoy the fall season with your friends and family. Although the holidays may look different this year, I still wanted to give you a full Thanksgiving menu so that you can make it for your family or your close friends. All of the recipes look really impressive but they are really easy and just about anyone can pull these recipes off. So if you’re in need of some recipe inspiration for Thanksgiving, check out the recipes down below and let me know which ones you want to make. Additionally you can also watch my brand new YouTube video to see how I made everything from scratch! Roasted Turkey Breast with Bread Stuffing I am taking Thanksgiving turkey to the next level with this Roasted Turkey Breast with Bread Stuffing. It has all …

3 Cozy Fall Meal Prep Recipes – Perfect for Back to School

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Fall is upon us and that means eating lots of cozy and comforting meals! Today, I’m sharing three fall recipes: Traditional Shepherd’s Pie, Garden Tomato Soup, and Butternut Squash & Sage Pasta! While some of these recipes may take a bit of time, it’s nothing a little meal prepping can’t solve! I love to meal prep this time fo year since I’m often really busy and it helps me make good choices, especially when it comes to dinner. If you have not tried meal prepping before, give it a go with these recipes! This way, you can enjoy these three comforting fall recipes any time this season! 🍂 🍁 Traditional Shepherd’s Pie Shepherd’s Pie is the comfort food of all comfort foods! I went super traditional and used ground lamb in this recipe, but if you aren’t a fan of lamb, you can substitute it with ground beef. I think this recipe is super comforting because it has all the elements of a traditional Sunday dinner– just in pie form. You have your meat, your …

Corn Cheese Fritters

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If you have ever had the pleasure of eating a dish called “corn cheese” at a Korean restaurant, you will know exactly what these Corn Cheese Fritters taste like! I was inspired by this popular Korean BBQ recipe and decided to make it into mini corn fritters. These Cheese Corn Fritters are sweet, cheesy, and creamy, just like the original recipe! A Hybrid Corn Creation The first time that I had corn cheese at a Korean BBQ restaurant, my mind was blown! I did not know that something so simple as corn could taste even better than it already does. In the traditional Korean recipe, corn kernels are tossed with mayo, scallions, and sometimes peppers before being placed into a buttered cast-iron skillet and topped with mozzarella cheese. The cheese melts and becomes all stringy and gooey, which you can scoop up and eat with BBQ meats (or on it’s own). I have not had this recipe since moving to Victoria, BC and I was really craving it, so I decided to make a slightly …

Healthy Summer Meal Ideas

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Out of all the seasons, I believe summer is the easiest one to eat super healthy, delicious foods. Over the past few months, I have admittedly gained some extra pounds from stress about all the things going on in the world, having to re-plan our wedding due to COVID-19, and from an unforeseen basement renovation! Crazy times! If you were in a similar situation or just looking to get healthy, I have a selection of healthy and easy summer recipe ideas to help you shed a few pounds before fall arrives. 4 Healthy Summer Recipes Greek Chicken Bowl This Greek Chicken Bowl is super healthy and gives you a variety of vegetables, protein and fats in one meal! This recipe is great warm as well as cold, and is perfect for meal prep! Steamed Fish This Steamed Fish is delicious and healthy! Made with ginger, garlic, scallions and soy sauce, this recipe will transport you to Asia in just one bite! This recipe is very lean but is incredible flavourful and surprisingly filling! Bruschetta Chicken …