All posts filed under: Winter

Homemade Hot Chocolate

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If you’re fed up with all snow and the cold weather we have been having lately, a cup of Homemade Hot Chocolate is just what you need. Rather than buying a pre-made hot chocolate mix that is full of preservatives and unnecessary ingredients, I encourage you to make your own. Not only is it super easy, you likely have all the ingredients in your pantry! Pantry Staples & Fancy Additions Simply combine some unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated white sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a pot of warm milk and you will have a rich and creamy hot chocolate in under 10 minutes! You can use whatever milk you like, but my favourite is 2% milk from our local BC dairy farmers! While this is a basic recipe, you can also go all out and add whatever toppings you like. I like to keep it pretty simple with whipped cream and maybe a sprinkle of chocolate chips. But if you want to take it up a notch you can add chocolate shavings, a cinnamon stick, …

Traditional Mulled Wine

Traditional Mulled Wine

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If you are looking for a festive drink to serve this holiday season, look no further than this recipe for my Traditional Mulled Wine. This sweet, spicy and warming drink is perfect for any holiday party! If you have never had mulled wine before, it is basically red wine that has been warmed with a variety of sugar and spices, often spiked with hard liqueur. Sounds dangerous right? It is! The exact recipe for mulled wine can vary depending on where you come from. Different recipes exist across Europe and throughout North American households. Key Ingredients You can use any dry red wine that you prefer. Since it is being simmered with spices, it doesn’t have to be high-quality or very expensive. I recommend using a Spanish red table wine for this type of recipe, similar to what you would use when making sangria. These table wines are easy to drink, low in cost, and still taste great. My recipe for Traditional Mulled Wine uses most of the traditional spices including cinnamon, star anise, clove …

Carrot, Ginger & Turmeric Soup

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The holidays are upon us and that means there will be lots of treats and rich foods to indulge in. While these foods should be enjoyed this time of year (tis the season after all), we don’t want to let our waistlines get too out of control. To avoid this, I have come up with this delicious recipe for Carrot, Ginger & Turmeric Soup. Not only will it keep your waistline trim, it uses all fresh, seasonal ingredients and it will keep you healthy all winter long! The Inspiration Behind the Recipe This recipe was inspired by a recipe for Ginger & Carrot Soup that I found in Vitamix’s cookbook. I love my Vitamix and use it every single day. I honestly don’t know how I lived my life without one! While the Vitamix recipe is delicious, I find that it is a little too “fresh tasting” as the recipe directs the cook to add raw carrots to the blender. It has that fresh carrot taste, and isn’t sweet like carrots should be. So, I …

Winter Spices

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Happy December, everyone! I can’t believe how fast this year has come and gone… but I can say that this year is going to go out with a bang! Amongst all the exciting events that are coming up, I am looking forward to all the delicious treats that are to come over the holiday season! If you follow me on Instagram (@seasonserveblog) you will know that for the month of December, I am bringing back my holiday blog series called AppyHolidays! For this series, I will be posting a fabulous holiday appetizer that you can serve at a holiday party that you may be hosting or to bring to a holiday party that you are attending this season. This has to be one of my favourite series on the blog since appetizers are my favourite part of any meal! In addition to AppyHolidays, I am also working on another festive blog series for December called The 12 Days of Christmas! If you are into food blogs, you will have probably seen other food bloggers run …

Soup Series: Beef Stew with Dumplings

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I couldn’t get through my #SoupSeries without including a meat-based soup. And while this isn’t a soup, I still think that this qualifies to be in the series since: 1) it’s warming, 2) contains rich broth and veggies and 3) makes you feel all cozy inside. So here it is, my recipe for Beef Stew with Dumplings. While soups and stews can contain both meat and veggies, they are a bit different. The main difference between a soup and a stew is consistency. Obviously a stew is thicker (i.e. not as watery) because it uses less stock or water in the recipe. Also, while others may not 100% agree with me on this, the size of the chunks of meat and veggies are much larger in a stew than a soup. I love biting into a big, tender piece of meat or carrot. It just makes it seem much more hearty, rich and filling! To make a great beef stew you need to build lots of flavour at the beginning when you are cooking the …

Soup Series: Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup

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Just like I mentioned in my Fried Cauliflower with Coconut-Curry Dipping Sauce post, I can’t seem to get enough of cauliflower these days. I love the dense and hearty texture of this cruciferous vegetable in the late fall and early winter. It just seems to really fill you up and keep you warm. Speaking of keeping you warm, you wouldn’t suppose this yummy veggie would keep you EXTRA warm in soup form? Hey, I’m looking for any heat I can get- it is the rainy season after all! So there it is, in all its cauliflower and garlicky glory, Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic soup! My partner and I had a version of this soup last spring at Artisan Eats Cafe on Bowen Island. It was so warm and comforting on this cold day, and that view was really amazing! I however, could have done without the semi-burnt toast and tons of cream in the soup. But from the first spoonful, I knew I had to make this at home! And clearly it was a very memorable …

German Sauerkraut

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Steins of beer, colourful lederhosen and dirndles, and folk music can only mean one thing…Oktoberfest is here! While I may not be in Germany to partake in these celebrations, I am celebrating at home with my recipe for German Sauerkraut! My German Sauerkraut (with an obligatory side of mustard) styled with flowers from Il Fioraio Florist, linen dinner napkin from Kaiko Design , and squash from Kins Farm Market!  Contrary to popular belief, Oktoberfest is not held during the month of October, rather in September. The festival is held annually in Munich and is 16 days long. I can’t even imagine how much beer can be consumed in 16 days LOL! With all that beer comes good food, entertainment, dancing and singing- sounds like a crazy party! If you are lucky enough to visit Munich during this fall harvest celebration, good for you! But if not, you can always celebrate at home with a few tasty German dishes and lots of beer (responsibly of course!). All in all, this recipe for German Sauerkraut HAS to be …

Rosemary Roast Beef with Red Wine Sauce

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Now, there’s nothing that says “I’m an adult” more than cooking yourself a roast beef. I mean- who does that besides moms and grandmas? Not any young adult I know! While cooking a roast beef can be a bit daunting, it is actually really easy as the oven does most of the work. Just follow these four tricks and you will have a nice, juicy roast- perfect for Sunday suppers! The first trick is to take the roast beef out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you want to cook it. Allowing the roast to warm up to room temperature ensures that it cooks much more evenly throughout. If the center of the roast is still cold, then it won’t cook evenly, leaving you with an overcooked outside and a rare middle. The second trick is to sear the roast before baking in the oven. After rubbing the beef with olive oil, seasoning with salt, pepper and dried rosemary, and stuffing it with garlic, I use a well-seasoned cast iron pan to sear the roast on …

Kabocha Squash Curry

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As we can’t seem to shake the cold here in Vancouver, I have been making lots of hearty recipes to keep me warm and full. I honesty feel like a hibernating bear being on the eat, sleep, and avoid the outside as much as possible-train. To keep me full and warm this recipe for Kabocha Squash Curry is just the ticket. Kabocha Squash is a variety of squash that originated in Japan. If you haven’t had it before, it tastes like a cross between a sweet potato, a pumpkin and chestnuts. If that doesn’t scream “best winter vegetable ever”, I really don’t know what does. Kabocha Squash has a tough green or orange speckled rind (so make sure you have a sharp knife to cut it with), but you can actually eat the rind as it is very tasty and nutritious. After trying this squash for the first time it instantly became one of my top favourites (maybe almost as good as butternut squash!). In this winter-friendly curry, Kabocha Squash is stewed with warm, spicy South-East …

What’s In Season: Citrus

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It’s surprising that in the dead of winter, tropical citrus fruits are in peak season. With the high-quality imports of oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, clementines, lemons and limes, we can enjoy a taste of sunshine at a relatively low price. Truly, for us Canadians who can’t grow citrus en masse, citrus season is a real blessing. Varieties Sweet Oranges: The most common of all citrus fruits. From every day varieties such as Valencia and Navel to the exotic Cara Cara, oranges are sweet and juicy. The majority of oranges that are imported to Canada come from tropical regions such as Florida, California, and sometimes Australia and Brazil. While they are available year round, the most flavourful oranges can be bought from November to April. Mandarins, Clementines & Tangerines: Much smaller than a regular orange, these little gems pack a flavourful punch and are the perfect on-the-go snack. While these three may look the same, there are some differences in terms of their origins and flavours. Mandarin oranges originated in China (hence the name Mandarin) and have a sweet …