All posts filed under: Fall

Ricotta & Spinach Stuffed Shells

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Ricotta cheese, spinach, pasta, and tomato sauce are four ingredients that make the best comforting Italian dishes. These four ingredients are very versatile and can be combined in numerous ways, including lasagna, ravioli, tortellini, manicotti, and in this recipe for Ricotta & Spinach Stuffed Shells. While the former dishes require a bit of time, assembly, and patience, the latter is super quick and easy. In fact, it is so easy that you could make this any night of the week! For the full recipe for Ricotta & Spinach Stuffed Shells, click here! This recipe for Ricotta & Spinach Stuffed Shells is broken out into three basic parts: the ricotta and spinach filling, the tomato sauce and the pasta. These can be prepared in advance or can easily be prepared together as other parts of the dish cook or cool down. I begin by creating the ricotta and spinach mixture as the spinach needs to be cooked and cooled down before adding it into the ricotta cheese. I also add in some sautéed onions, garlic, cayenne …

Bloody Blackberry Bramble

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The spookiest night of the year has finally arrived– it’s Halloween! This year, my finacé and are are dressing up as King and Queen Midas! We are decked out in gold from head to toe and I have to admit, we did a really great job with our costumes this year! While we both have to work during the day, and we don’t have trick-or-treaters coming around, we decided to throw a little party just ourselves. Other than pumpkin carving and watching some scary movies, we are planning on having one or two of these delicious Bloody Blackberry Bramble Cocktails (maybe two drinks max…it is a Wednesday after all! :P). For the full recipe, click here! A Blackberry Bramble is a classic British cocktail containing lemon juice, gin and blackberry liqueur– most often Crème de Mûre. My version of this cocktail contains most of the same ingredients, but it is prepared a bit differently with crushed ice to give the drink a bloody look– perfect for Halloween! Apart from the crushed ice, I opted to …

Chai-Poached Quince

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If we want to talk about seasonal fruit, then the quince reigns supreme in the autumn months. At first glance, the quince may look like little, mis-grown pear, however, it is so much more than that and it has tons of amazing uses in the kitchen. One of this fruits great uses in the autumn is this recipe for Chai-Poached Quince. Before I give you a run-down on my recipe, let me tell you a bit more about the quince fruit. For the most part, this is an unknown fruit to most Canadians as it is difficult to find and is highly seasonal. I actually hadn’t tried quince ever (other than quince jam) until earlier this autumn…and boy, have I been missing out! Quince can actually be grown in B.C. and are in season from September to early November. Quince are a soft yellow in colour and are covered in a hefty layer of greyish-yellow fuzz when they grow. It’s similar to the idea of peach fuzz, but you can rub off the quince fuzz …

Herbed Turkey Breast with Roasted Apples

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The moment you have all been waiting for, it’s time to reveal the star of Thanksgiving dinner—my Herbed Turkey Breast with Roasted Apples. Honestly, does it get more autumnal than this? Turkey is a staple during Thanksgiving, and has always been a tradition to have this for Thanksgiving dinner probably for decades now. While cooking an entire turkey is fun and a bit of a culinary challenge, that is WAY too much for two people! So, for a smaller crowd, I opted to cook a turkey breast. I picked up this fantastic, locally-raised turkey breast from the butcher at Red Barn grocery store here in Victoria. I find that with basically all meats, buying local and free-range (if available) really has its benefits. Not only does the meat taste more flavourful (the way meat should taste) you also support your local farmers. A total win-win! I found this skin-on turkey breast to be incredibly rich and flavourful despite just being the turkey breast (i.e. white meat), and frankly, I didn’t miss the dark meat at …

Give Thanks: Thanksgiving Tablescape & Menu

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Thanksgiving dinner is quite possibly my most anticipated dinner of the entire year. You get to take time to reconnect with friends and family amidst our hectic schedules, you get to enjoy the beautiful crisp fall weather, and you get to eat lots of delicious foods! I have always enjoyed Thanksgiving as a holiday in general since it’s a holiday centered around food. No gifts. No balloons. Just hanging out together and eating—what could be more perfect and relaxing than that? Thanksgiving Tablescape To really set the cozy mood for Thanksgiving dinner, I like to dress up the table, even if there are just a few people coming over. I think that this is super important to do for Thanksgiving since it transforms any regular dinner into something very special. Plus, you’ve spent time making a bunch of delicious foods, why not enjoy them in a stunning setting? Beautiful and Edible This year, I really opted to go for a really inexpensive, and largely edible tablescape so that there was no waste.  I picked up …

Chive Mashed Potatoes

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While I said in my past few posts that I cannot get through Thanksgiving without my Traditional Bread Stuffing or my Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Shallots & Pancetta, I am serious when I say that I CANNOT make it through Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes! They are creamy, fluffy and it’s the best vehicle to transport gravy! While a recipe for mashed potatoes may seem to be a bit excessive since there are so few ingredients involved in this recipe, I have lots of tips and tricks to share with you to get the best mashed potatoes ever. Just like these ones below… That butter pool tho…. First off, the type of potato matters. The best types of potatoes for mashed potatoes are russet or Yukon gold potatoes. Russet potatoes have a really high starchiness and are light and fluffy in texture when cooked. These types of potatoes are typically used for baked potatoes (also delicious!). Alternatively, Yukon gold potatoes are excellent as they are creamy in texture but they are a bit dense when cooked. …

Traditional Bread Stuffing

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If you end up with a stale loaf of bread this time of year, don’t even think about throwing it away! Instead, you can make this delicious and hearty Traditional Bread Stuffing for your Thanksgiving table or for any Sunday night dinner this fall/winter season! This Traditional Bread Stuffing is the second recipe in my “Thanksgiving for Two” series. I know that I can’t let Thanksgiving pass me by without having some sort of bread stuffing. While I enjoy bread stuffing in any way it’s prepared (either baked inside a turkey or baked in its own casserole) I have a slight preference for the casserole style. I really enjoy the mix of textures to a baked stuffing—you get a nice crunchy top and a soft and juicy interior. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it! The trick to making a really good bread stuffing is to have a loaf of stale bread. Odd, I know, but the stale bread really soaks up the chicken stock and other delicious flavours that are added in this recipe …

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Shallot & Pancetta

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Get your stretchy pants ready– Thanksgiving is here! Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays because it if 100% centered around food. Turkey, stuffing, roasted vegetables, and pumpkin pie are the traditional Thanksgiving comfort foods that everyone enjoys this time of year. And while I love eating all these foods, it is a lot of work if you are celebrating solo or with a special person–which is he case for many people across the country who perhaps travel home to be with family. So this year, I am planning a special Thanksgiving menu for two! These recipes are simple to make and can be adapted to accommodate small or large crowds. Plus, I am covering all the bases so that you won’t miss out on the traditional tastes of the season! I will be putting out once recipe every day this week to get you prepared (or inspired) for Thanksgiving Day on October 8th. I will also be adding in a bonus decor and planning post that will help you get ready for the big …

Traditional Italian Meatballs

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I would love to say this these aren’t your Nonnas meatballs, but that is exactly what these are! Delicious ground beef and ground pork come together (with a few other key Italian ingredients) to make the perfect and most comforting meatball recipe you have ever had! I like to make these meatballs whenever I am missing home. I adore that homey feeling when there is a big pot of meatballs bubbling away on the stove all Sunday, with wafts of tomato and garlic and basil travelling though the home and warming your home and heart as it goes. I think that many people of Italian decent know what I’m talking about here… it’s all about family and tradition and COMFORT (perfect for the fall months)! Now each family recipe for meatballs is unique. Some family recipes use a combination of beef and pork, some use all beef, and some use beef, pork and veal. Others add Parmesan or basil or parsley or chili flakes to their meatballs. Some add milk to the meatballs instead of …

Oktoberfest Recipes: Spaetzle & Pork Schnitzel/Jägerschnitzel

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I am very happy that fall has finally arrived! By far, fall is definitely my favourite season of them all since it comes with warm drinks, cozy sweaters, and new delicious produce (think apples, cruciferous veggies, squash, pears) that make the perfect cozy and warming comfort foods. It also means that since it cooler and you are wearing warmer sweaters, there is a greater opportunity to make a bit of extra room for some tasty desserts! Haha 🙂 As I alluded to, fall is all about hearty, soul-filling comfort foods for me. Everyone has them—that special dish that makes you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. For me, this includes hearty soups and stews, meatballs that have simmered all day in a big pot of tomato sauce, mac and cheese (and other carby casseroles), spiced cakes and sweet desserts. The list could literally go on and on….and trust me it does. The list is so long that I have enough recipes to share with you for the next 3-4 years, so it’s safe to …