MARKET HAUL SWEET POTATO FRIES WITH RAMP PESTO

Ahh, long weekends. How I love them so. For once, we decided to stay put, relax in the comfort of our own city and it felt great.

The four day weekend kicked off with cookies, drinks (possibly too many) with an old friend, and a really delicious dinner. On Saturday, we made a trip to the farmer's market and took in some really great live music. We don't often venture over to the farmer's market, but man was it a treat! Never have I ever stumbled onto baby turnips or ramps before, and I was so excited to get back to the kitchen. I made this giant bowl of goodness for lunch yesterday -- we grabbed 2 forks, 2 beers and just plunked ourselves on the patio. Long weekend perfection if you ask me.

BREAKFAST BOWLS WITH POTATOES, AVOCADO AND SOFT BOILED EGGS

This past week was one of those weeks where I was reminded that work deadlines are way less fun then spending time in the kitchen. That sometimes, netflix can't be a priority, and its okay if dinners become mindless concoctions of whatever is in the fridge.

When I woke up on Saturday and realized that I actually had the time to put together a hearty meal, I was giddy with excitement. I wanted something that was warm and satisfying, and easily eaten from the couch (because, this). I'm a recent convert to soft boiled eggs, and can't rave about them enough -- as good as poached, minus all the effort. This bowl throws itself together within half an hour -- perfect for slow weekend mornings and hungry bellies.

POTATO LATKE CASSEROLE (POTATO KUGEL) WITH CRANBERRY APPLESAUCE

I head home on Tuesday, just in time to catch the last night of Chanukah 'en famille,' followed by my grandmother's 90th birthday. Considering this time last year, it will feel great to spend some happy, celebratory time together as a family, filled with good food and wine, laughter and probably some highly inappropriate dinner table conversations. I can't wait.

With the last night of Chanukah and Christmas fast approaching, I wanted to post a recipe that could swing both ways -- ideal for Chanukah, but perfectly suitable as a Christmas side as well. Consider this dish to be a happy medium between latkes and scalloped potatoes. Don't get me wrong, I do love me a good batch of Chanukah latkes, but sometimes, just sometimes, I don't feel like smelling like a deep fryer for days on end. Potato kugel is very similar in flavour and texture to a latke, just a whole lot easier to make. Top it with a cranberry infused apple sauce, and you have yourself a perfectly festive holiday appetizer.

Wishing you joy, peace, and a whole lot of love. Happy Holidays xx

BLACK BEAN AND MILLET SALAD WITH A CUMIN LIME DRESSING

Around here, sunday afternoons always seem to play out in a similar way - I throw myself into the kitchen to prep lunches for the week, while a certain someone dives into the wonderful world of video games, or sunday afternoon football.

This past sunday however, after a wildly fabulous saturday evening, I found myself slightly unmotivated in the kitchen. This recipe, which has been sitting in my drafts for a little while now, seemed like the perfect solution in a moment of "eek, what do I make for lunch this week?!" Also, broccoli! I'm totally loving it these days -- crunchy, versatile and works equally well raw, steamed, sauteed or roasted -- the best!

BLACK BEAN AND MILLET SALAD WITH A CUMIN LIME DRESSING // serves 4

The beauty of this dish is that the ingredients can easily be adapted to whatever you have in the fridge, as the real star is the tangy cumin lime dressing. Don't have a sweet potato? Sub in some butternut squash. Not the biggest fan of broccoli? Replace with an equally crunchy veg, like brussels sprouts. Don't care for millet? Use barley, quinoa, or rice instead.

Preheat oven to 400.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup millet
1 cup water
2 medium sized sweet potatoes
1 T olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1 small head of broccoli, cut into mini florets
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
cilantro, to garnish

cumin lime dressing//
juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp maple syrup

What to do:

Dice the sweet potato into cubes. In a bowl, toss with 1 T olive oil, salt, pepper and cumin. Lay on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast for 30-45 minutes.

Dry toast the millet in a saucepan for a few minutes, until brown and fragrant.

Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off, and let the pot sit on the burner for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked millet, raw broccoli florets, and black beans. The warm millet will steam the broccoli slightly.

Make the dressing by combining the lime juice, oil, cumin and maple syrup in a glass jar. Shake well.

Once the sweet potatoes are ready, add them to the bowl, along with the dressing. Delicately toss to combine. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

CELEBRATION SALAD WITH A LEMON-SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE

I attended my first engagement party this weekend, and in my opinion, engagements are definitely a cause for celebration! This engagement party was unique in that it was a potluck - Nona provided the pasta and crostata, while the guests were tasked to bring appis, salads and bevvies. When I sat down to plan my dish, I knew I had to include pomegranate seeds; not only because they are easy to find this time of year (and I love them), but because there is something about them that just screams CELEBRATION!! The rest of the salad threw itself together fairly easily, inspired by all of the thanksgiving recipes inundating the web these days.

much love to E+J, can't wait for november 2015 xx

CELEBRATION SALAD WITH A LEMON-SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE // serves a large crowd

I recently invested in a rimmed, non stick, baking sheet - goodbye parchment, hello perfectly roasted veggies. Just saying.

Preheat oven to 400.

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, diced
1 red onion, sliced
4 cups loosely packed red kale (or green), roughly chopped
4 cups loosely packed lacinato kale, roughly chopped
1 pomegranate, de-seeded
1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped in half
1-2 T olive oil
1/2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp paprika
s + p

lemon-shallot vinaigrette //
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
juice from 2 lemons
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
s+p

What to do:

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the sweet potato cubes with a drizzle (~1 T) of olive oil, the paprika and some salt and pepper. Roast for 30-45 minutes, flipping halfway through, until browned and crispy.

Line a baking tray with parchment. Toss the onion slices with the remaining olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until caramelized.

To make the vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine the kale with a 1-2 spoonfuls of vinaigrette. Use your hands to gently massage the kale and dressing. Set aside.

Toast the nuts in a small saucepan over medium heat. For the most part, the skins will fall off during/after toasting. Set aside.

Remove the veggies from the oven, and allow to cool before adding them to the kale. Continue to add the pom seeds and hazelnuts. Dress liberally, and toss well.

If  making ahead of time, add the pom seeds, hazelnuts and dressing just before serving.

Enjoy!

A VERY GREEN POTATO SALAD

I grew up eating my grandmother's potato salad -- skinless potato rounds smothered in a vinegar, dill and mayonnaise vinaigrette. Though I'm a huge fan of Oma's recipe, one can never have too many summer salad recipes in their back pocket. Potato salads are great for large crowds at bbqs, travel well for picnics, and keep well over night so they can easily be made in advance. Last summer, I found a potato salad I really loved -- warm golden potatoes covered in all the herbs. I was determined to find an equally delicious contender this year. This potato salad, if I can even call it that because really, its only 1/4 potato, hits all the right notes -- crunchy, tangy, herby, easily eaten as a side or main and equally delicious warm or cold. Definitely the detox I needed after such a fantastic weekend.

A VERY GREEN POTATO SALAD // serves 8-10 as a side

Heavily adapted from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day

Ingredients:

4 red potatoes, diced into 1/2"-1" cubes
2 handfuls green beans, cut into 1" pieces
4-6 celery stalks, diced small
1 english cucumber, seeds removed, diced small
2 green onions, roughly chopped
1/4 cup dill, roughly chopped

2 T whole grain mustard
2 T sherry vinegar
1-2 T olive oil
1/2 tsp brown sugar
dash salt and pepper

What to do:

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water, plus 3". Bring to a boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until fork tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the beans, celery and cucumber and toss into a really large bowl (trust me -- this creates mass volume).

In a small skillet, heat a dollop of olive oil over medium heat. Saute the green onions and dill for 2-5 minutes, until fragrant. Add to the bowl with the veggies.

In a small glass jar, combine the dressing ingredients and shake vigorously.

When the potatoes are ready, transfer to a colander and let drain to release any excess water. Once drained, yet still hot, add the potatoes to the bowl, dress and toss well. The potatoes will slightly steam the other vegetables, and absorb more flavour when hot.

Serve warm (or cold) as a side, or for dinner topped with a soft-boiled egg.

FINGERLING POTATO, LEEK + MUSTARD SALAD

Served warm or cold, this 'salad' is perfect for spring barbecues, park picnics, or a simple weeknight side. Its quick to prepare, keeps well, and is fully loaded with flavour. If you're wanting to eat this as a main, toss in a can of lentils before serving.

FINGERLING POTATO, LEEK + MUSTARD SALAD // serves 4-6 as a side

Ingredients:

15 fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
1 leek, halved lengthwise then roughly chopped
1/2 cup loosely packed flat leaf parsley
1 T mustard seeds
5 T olive oil, divided as described below
1 T white wine vinegar
1/2 T dijon mustard

What to do:

Place the halved potatoes in a large pot. Cover with water plus ~3". Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10-12 minutes until fork tender.

While the potatoes are boiling, heat 1 T olive oil in a frying pan on med-high heat. Saute the leeks for roughly 6 minutes, until slightly browned. Stir throughout to avoid sticking and even cooking. When ready, transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Using the same pan, heat 2 T olive oil and the mustard seeds over medium heat. Heat until the seeds begin to pop, then transfer to a glass measuring cup or small bowl (seeds and oil).

Add the remaining dressing ingredients to the mustard seeds: 1 T olive oil, vinegar, dijon and a dash of salt and pepper. Whisk well.

Drain your potatoes and transfer to the large bowl with the leeks. Toss in the parsley and the dressing and mix well. Be gentle so as to not destroy the potatoes.

SWEET POTATO HASH FRITTATA

Last year, for the oscars, my friends and I whipped up a batch of Miso-Maple Sweet Potato Tacos. They were so delicious that I knew I'd be making them again at some point. Earlier this week, we received a large bag of sweet potatoes from a friend. This obviously meant that all meals, until the bad was empty, would revolve around sweet potatoes - and naturally, I immediately thought of the tacos. I followed Jeanine's recipe to a T, so I'm not going to bother posting it, but I would HIGHLY recommend making them.

We had leftover miso-maple sweet potatoes, and I have been wanting to try a sweet potato frittata for a while now. Sunday morning seemed like the perfect opportunity.

SWEET POTATO HASH FRITTATA // makes enough for four as a main

Adapted from Cookie + Kate

Preheat oven to 425

Ingredients:

8 eggs
1/2 cup soy milk (any milk will do)
salt and pepper
dash of Siracha

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes (or leftovers like I had)
2 green onions, sliced length wise and thinly sliced
a handful of baby spinach
2 large spoon fulls of goat cheese

What to do:

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, s+p and hot sauce. Set aside.

In a cast iron pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat, and fry up the sweet potato cubes; stirring occasionally, cook for about 12 minutes.

Add the onions and baby spinach and cook a few more minutes until the spinach begins to wilt.

Remove the pan from the heat, pour the egg mixture on top, and sprinkle with goat cheese.

Transfer to the pre-heated oven, and bake for 12 minutes. Finish it up with 5 minutes on broil to crisp up the top.

Enjoy!

A SIMPLE POTATO SALAD

Back in July, my office hosted their annual potluck. I was blown away by the culinary talent that existed in an architecture firm. I tasted this potato salad that day, and knew I would have to recreate it when the time was right. Lobster BBQ was definitely the right time.

A SIMPLE POTATO SALAD // makes enough as a side for ~ 10 people

Ingredients:

4 large pontiac potatoes
6 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 bunch dill, finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
zest and juice from 1 lemon

What to do:

Cut the potatoes into chunks, put them in a large pot and cover with salted cold water.
Bring to a boil over high heat, cover with a lid and remove from the heat.
Leave the potatoes to sit, covered, for roughly 30 minutes.

Mix the remaining ingredients all together in a bowl.
Once the potatoes are cooked (test with a sharp knife - tender but not flaky), drain them, and add them to the herby mixture.
Toss well, making sure to coat all the potatoes.
Season with salt and pepper before serving.

FRITTATA + WAFFLE IRON HASH

Having fasted yesterday, this morning seemed like the perfect opportunity to make my first frittata; a hearty and healthy breakfast. One can throw a variety of different veggie/spice combinations into a frittata. Naturally Ella describes them fairly well over here.

Be creative and experiment with whatever you have lying in the fridge - you really can't mess this up.


FRITTATA //makes enough for 4

Preheat oven to 400.

Ingredients:

8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
s+p to taste

1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup slices mushrooms
1 cup chopped kale
1 tsp thyme

What to do:

Whisk together the eggs, milk, s+p.
In a 9" cast iron skillet, saute the veggies and thyme for about 5 minutes.
Add in the egg mixture and cook for 5 minutes until the bottom firms up.
Transfer pan into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until fluffed-up and golden on top. Feel free to broil for 2 minutes at the end to crisp it up.

WAFFLE IRON HASH // makes enough for 2

When I first read about this online, I was baffled...confused as to whether this would actually work or not. After testing it out this morning, this may become one of my new go to brunch side dishes; incredibly easy and the perfect crunch!

Ingredients:

2 medium size potatoes
olive oil
s+p

What to do:

Grate the potatoes and strain 'dry.'
Mix with enough olive oil to coat, salt and pepper.
Place on hot waffle iron until crispy.