Last Christmas, I made nuts, which, while tasty, where sticky and hard to get apart. The end result of making these nuts was a giant mass of nuts that seemed almost cemented together. This year, when buying my combo of pecans, walnuts, almonds and cashews, I knew I didn’t want a repeat of last year. Sure, they tasted really good, but candied nuts are supposed to be fun to eat, not hard work!

I flipped through Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table, looking for a meal to make that evening, and happened upon her recipe for sweet and spicy cocktail nuts. While I haven’t made many recipes from this book, I am an enormous fan of her baking book, and know that I can trust any recipe she puts out. This recipe sounded promising – the spice mixture of salty, sweet and spicy was just what I was looking for, and the use of egg whites told me that these nuts would not stick together with that shellacked veneer of baked sugar.

As to be expected, these nuts did not disappoint! They stuck together after baking, but were easy to break apart, and they stayed separate after being put in their jars. The coating stayed on the nuts, was crunchy and perfectly sweet and salty (but more sweet than salty). I would probably add a but more heat to them next time, as I couldn’t really detect any spice. I mixed the nuts in the egg mixture and didn’t do a great job draining them after (I didn’t do it at all, actually), so I think it took longer for everything to bake up and added to them sticking together, but it also meant more coating on each nut, and as I said, they weren’t difficult to break apart after baking.

I loved this recipe and will be using this egg white method for all future spiced nuts. It makes them light, crunchy and each nut is packed with flavour. The recipe below is Dorie’s, but I put my changes in italics. I doubled the recipe. It’s easy to test the spice mixture as you go along and add more of anything you feel is missing. I think these measurements are great suggestions, but everything should be to taste.

Sweet and Spicy Cocktail Nuts
from Around My French Table
Makes 2 cups

1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (I increased the salt)
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder (I used Mexican chili powder)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of cayenne (I increased this amount, and would increase it even more next time)
1 large egg white
2 cups nuts (whole or halves, but not small pieces), such as almonds, cashews, peanuts or pecans, or a mix (I doubled the recipe, and used almonds, pecans, walnuts and cashews. The cashews were actually my least favourite in the mix)

1. Center rack in oven and preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray or line baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper.

2. Mix sugar, salt, chili powder, cinnamon and cayenne together in small bowl. Beat egg white lightly with fork in larger bowl, just breaking up the white so that it’s runny. Toss in nuts and stir to coat them with egg white, then add sugar and spice mixture and continue to stir so that nuts are evenly coated.

3. Using fingers, lift nuts one by one from bowl, letting excess egg white drip back into bowl (you can run dipped nuts against side of bowl to get rid of last bit of egg white), and transfer to baking sheet, separating them as best you can. (I did not do this, but dumped everything onto my baking sheet)

4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until nuts are browned and coating is dry. (Mine took much longer to bake than this, but I checked them every five minutes or so after the 30 minute mark. They seemed a little sticky still, but they crisped up as they cooled)

5. Cool 5 minutes then transfer to another baking sheet, a cutting board, or piece of parchment paper, breaking them apart as necessary and let cool completely.

Canadian Thanksgiving just passed, and Soli and I had a small Thanksgiving dinner at our house for some friends and family, It was just nine people, but we felt like we had to make a ton of food, and a ton of food we made!

This butternut squash and celery root gratin is one of the dishes I made. I had never actually cooked with celery root, so I was excited to give it a try. It is a pain to peel, but a delight to eat, so it all worked out in the end. I really, really liked this gratin. I adore the taste of celery root, and it really stands out in this dish. It’s definitely something a little bit different from the usual gratin. The butternut squash, as to be expected, is sweet and a perfect compliment to the celery root.

The streusel is awesome too. I added more of everything in the topping than the original recipe suggested and am happy I did. The thyme gives the gratin that Thanksgiving, warm, homey taste, and I find the parsley added some freshness. Using panko instead of bread crumbs is important, as panko is so much lighter and more crispy.

You’ll notice there’s no cheese in this…And the gratin doesn’t need it! The cream adds all the richness it needs, and there’s no need to mask the stars of the dish, the squash and celery root. A definite winning side!

(Oh, and I had made it a day ahead of time, baking it about 10 minutes short of the suggested time, then reheated it slowly, and covered, in the oven before dinner)

Butternut Squash and Celery Root Gratin with Walnut-Thyme Streusel
Adapted from Chow.com

WALNUT-THYME STREUSEL
1 ¼ cups panko
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1-2 teaspoons (or to taste) kosher salt

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CELERY ROOT GRATIN
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 medium butternut squash (about 3 pounds), peeled, cut in half, and seeded
1 medium celery root, also known as celeriac (about 1 pound), peeled and cut in half
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick), plus more for coating the baking dish
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

STREUSEL
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until the butter is incorporated. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

GRATIN
1. Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with butter and set aside.

2. Pour the cream into a large bowl and set aside. Slice the squash and celery root into 1/4-inch-thick slices with a mandoline or sharp knife, placing the pieces in the cream as they are cut. Toss until well coated.

3. Melt the butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and season well with salt and pepper. Sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes; set aside.

4. Make the gratin by ladling a third of the squash–celery root mixture into the prepared baking dish, then seasoning well with salt and pepper. Top with half of the onions, then another layer of squash and celery root. Season the second layer with salt and pepper and cover with the remaining onions. Place the last of the squash and celery root on top and press down to create an even surface. Season with salt and pepper, then pour the remaining cream over top.

5. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the gratin. Bake until the vegetables are soft and the streusel is golden brown, about 40 to 50 minutes. Let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.

Gazpacho is one of the easiest things to make, and up in my top 10 favourite foods. If I had to pick my Desert Island foods, gazpacho would be one of them. I love the saltiness, the sweetness, the slight heat…and the way you just feel healthier after one bowl. When we make this, the massive bowl is gone in about two days…

This recipe makes a lot, so if you’re not like me and don’t want to eat three liters of gazpacho in one day, you may want to reduce it. However, it freezes well, so if you do make a lot, put the extra in the freezer.

I like the following recipe for a bunch of reasons. The watermelon is a great addition; it adds a lot of sweetness to the gazpacho, but none of the watermelon flavour. No need to add any sugar, which is something I usually do without any watermelon in the dish. It also adds a lot of liquid and more substance to the soup. Roasting the peppers and garlic is amazing – you can definitely taste the roast in the peppers, and the garlic is much milder and subtle. Also, roasting the peppers means you’re not adding any of the skin to the soup, which is important. Make sure you seed the cucumbers – they hold way too much water otherwise!

Next time, I’ll probably throw some parsley and basil into the party…

Gazpacho with Roasted Peppers and Watermelon

6-8 large, very ripe tomatoes, peeled and quartered
2 cups cubed watermelon
3 bell peppers (green, yellow or red), roasted and peeled
1 jalapeno pepper, roasted and peeled
4-6 stalks celery, peeled and chopped
2 English cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 bulb garlic, roasted and squished out
1 28-oz can tomatoes

The next ingredients should all really be added to taste…start with a little and add more as needed!

¼ cup red wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp hot sauce (or less, if you don’t like things spicy)
1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Put everything into one big bowl (non-metal, non-reactive)

2. Using a hand blender, combine everything until smooth.

3. Taste, decide what’s missing (maybe you want more lemon juice, more olive oil, more salt, a little bit of sugar…), add and blend again.

4. Let chill (at least one hour, preferably overnight) and devour!

This is probably my favourite lasagna recipe ever. It is simply the perfect lasagna…so much so that I made it twice within a two-week period. So what do I love about it?

I love how it’s packed with veggies – and it’s so easy to be able to use which ever veggies you want in it. I added a lot to it that wasn’t in the original recipe, and I know you can add whatever it is that makes your mouth happy. You can taste all the veggie goodness in it too – they don’t all just blend together in one tasteless lump, but each vegetable maintains a bit of crunch and a whole lot of flavour.

The cheese filling! I loved the combination of ricotta and cream cheese. I’m sure many people, especially lasagna purists, will find this addition strange, an abomination against true lasagnas everywhere, but it really is fantastic. It gives a smoothness and a bit of tartness, which plays perfectly with the sweet tomato sauce.

This does take a little time to make, since there’s so much chopping, but the end result is worth it. You probably get about 18 servings of vegetables in one piece, so you can feel virtuous eating it as well.

Garden Goodness Vegetarian Lasagna
adapted from Paula Deen
Printable Recipe

VEGETABLE FILLING
2 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1/2 cup thinly sliced parsnips (or squash)
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup frozen spinach, thawed
2-3 tablespoons olive oil

SAUCE
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup sliced fresh basil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)

CHEESE MIXTURE
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt

8 oven-ready, “no cook,” lasagna noodles
8 slices provolone cheese, thinly sliced (I used emmental the last time, worked great!)
2 cups shredded mozzarella

1. Combine all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Place about 1/3 of the veggies in pan and cook until slightly tender. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat until all the veggies have been lightly cooked.

2. Combine crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, garlic, oregano, bay leaf, sugar, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

3. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, ricotta, eggs and salt. Stir together.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

5. Spread 1/3 of the sauce evenly over bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Place 4 uncooked lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Do not overlap noodles. Spread 1/2 of cream cheese mixture over noodles. Cover cheese mixture with 1/2 the vegetable mixture, more sauce, and top evenly with slices provolone cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers with 4 noodles, rest of the cream cheese mixture, vegetables, sauce, and remaining cheese. Place in oven for 35 minutes or until lasagna is hot and bubbling

Let lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Here’s another savory recipe, this time for the vegetarians among us. I followed Handle the Heat‘s recipe exactly, and these muffins turned out just perfectly. They’re easy, tasty and really visually stunning!

They get a salty kick from all the chunks of feta, and the soft flavour of the roasted red peppers counteracts the saltiness. The basil is quite strong in these muffins, and so the flavour works wonderfully. The muffins themselves are moist, with just a bit of crumb. There is nothing I didn’t like about these muffins. I love savory muffins as a snack in the afternoon; I don’t often crave sweet stuff at 2pm, but I definitely crave the salty, and one of these fits the bill. They’re also great as a bread to serve alongside dinner. I froze half of them, and would pull one out every now and then to bring as part of my lunch, so they definitely freeze well.

Highly, highly recommended!

Feta, Basil, and Roasted Red Pepper Muffins
adapted from Handle the Heat
Yield: 12 muffins

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup jarred roasted red bell pepper, patted dry and chopped into 1/4-inch dice
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk
1/4 cup (2 ounces) olive oil
1 large egg

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and position an oven rack in the center. Lightly coat the muffin tin with melted butter, oil, or high-heat canola-oil spray., or line with paper muffin liners.

2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the feta cheese, roasted bell pepper, and chopped basil. Set aside. Pour the buttermilk into the measuring cup. Add the olive oil and the egg and whisk together until well blended.

3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the well and stir gently with a spatula. Mix only until there are no more streaks of flour or pools of liquid and the batter looks fairly smooth. A few small lumps scattered throughout are fine – they will disappear during baking. Gently fold in the feta cheese mixture until evenly distributed in the batter.

4. Use the large ice cream scoop or 2 soup spoons to divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops feel firm and a skewer inserted into the centers comes out clean. Transfer the muffin tin to a rack and let cool for 5 minutes.

5. Gently run a thin knife or spatula around each muffin to free it from the pan, lift out the muffins, and transfer them to a rack to finish cooling. Serve warm or store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen for 1 month. Reheat room temperature muffins in oven at 375 for about 8 minutes or in microwave.

This has not been my healthiest winter. I am one of those people who rarely get sick or hurt, but the past few month or so has taken away that bragging right. In the last thirty days, I managed to suffer from a bile attack, sinus infection, hacking cough, burnt eyeball, wisdom tooth extraction, and hacking cough #2 (not great to have with fresh stitches and a bout of canker sores along the gums). Add to this list of miseries that it is currently -26C with the wind chill (-14F). Not great stuff to be talking about on a food blog….but the reason why is that I think I may have found the meal that can at least pacify all these ills: rich, saucy mushroom bourguignon.

In the middle of winter, achy with coughs and a cold, mouth sore and tender, there’s nothing better than soft mushrooms that have simmered in a thick sauce of red wine, broth, fresh thyme, and onions. The mushrooms are tender, juicy and bursting with flavor. The sauce is decadent, and easily vegetarian if you use veggie, onion or mushroom broth (we have found the best organic bouillon cubes that come in every flavor you could want). The red wine really shines through, the chunks of carrot and pearl onions are sweet, and the thyme the idea herb. Serve atop a bed of egg noodles, settle in on the couch under a blanket; it suddenly doesn’t feel so cold out and everything starts hurting a little less.

Obviously, I’m in love with this dish – highly recommended! It’s also versatile, so add the mushrooms you like, throw in some potatoes, add a bay leaf or two. The only things I would suggest you ensure you do is use good enough red wine, as its taste does shine through (and really, you want to be able to tolerate drinking a few glasses of it yourself – you need something to keep the spirits up while putting this together), and to use fresh thyme. You would never miss the meat that’s not in here, and if you’re a vegetarian, you would relish in that that fact!

Mushroom Bourguignon
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 or 3 large Portobello mushrooms, cut in ¼ inch slices (don’t include the stems)
1 ½ pounds cremini or button mushrooms, cut into ¼ slices.
1 carrot, finely diced
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup full-bodied red wine
2 cups beef or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch (you may not need all of this, or you may need a little more. Start slowly and stop when it’s thick enough!)
1 cup pearl onions, peeled (thawed if frozen)

Egg noodles, for serving

Sour cream and chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

1. Heat the one tablespoon of the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a medium Dutch oven or heavy sauce pan over high heat. Sear the mushrooms until they begin to darken, but not yet release any liquid — about three or four minutes. Remove them from pan.

2. Lower the flame to medium and add the second tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the carrots, onions, thyme, a few good pinches of salt and a several grinds of black pepper into the pan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.

3. Add the wine to the pot, scraping any stuck bits off the bottom, then turn the heat all the way up and reduce it by half.

4. Stir in the tomato paste and the broth. Add back the mushrooms with any juices that have collected and once the liquid has boiled, reduce the temperature so it simmers for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are very tender. Add the pearl onions and simmer for five minutes more.

5. Combine remaining butter and the flour with a fork until combined; stir it into the stew. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 more minutes.

6. If the sauce is too thin, combine the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of hot water. Add the mixture in small increments to the pot, until it reaches the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7. To serve, spoon the stew over a bowl of egg noodles, dollop with sour cream (optional) and sprinkle with parsley.

I still have a few desserts to write about from the holiday season, but just like everyone else in the food blogosphere, it seems I’ve been craving foods with a few less calories and a bit more nutritional value. So Everybody Likes Sandwiches’ idea of a crunchy, fresh broccoli slaw seemed like a perfect one! One of my favourite lunches when I was in university was a couscous salad with chicken-broth soaked couscous, raisins, raw red onions, parsley and lemon, so I knew I would love the tastes in this, and I knew my body would love all the healthy stuff.

I altered the recipe a little. I doubled everything, since I decided to make this a cauliflower and broccoli slaw. I toasted the almonds, and used raisins (which I had soaked in some hot water) instead of dried cranberries. I used sour cream, but you could also use Greek yogurt. There really aren’t steadfast measurements for the dressing – it’s really all about personal taste. I put down a general idea of the measurements I used for the dressing, but you can consider it just a starting point. What a little more tang? Add some lemon! Need something a bit sweeter – up the mayo or the honey. I just kept adding ingredients and shaking it up until I was happy with the end result.

I really loved this salad, and I felt virtuous eating it too! The crunch is satisfying, the almonds add great texture, the raisins are little bursts of sweetness, the hot sauce adds a subtle kick, and the dressing it tangy and sweet, so I really never got bored eating up a whole bowlful. Plus, it’s so fast to put together, it makes for an easy dinner side dish or a really healthy and quick lunch for days to come.
The important thing to remember about this dish is that it’s not a salad, with big pieces of broccoli and cauliflower, but really like a slaw, with little pikes – it should be easier to eat with a spoon than with a fork.

Sweet & Tangy Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
adapted from Everybody Likes Sandwiches
Printable Recipe

1 large head of broccoli
1 large head of cauliflower
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 c roasted (or simply toasted) almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 c raisins (or dried cranberries)
4 tablespoons sour cream
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
juice of 1 lemon
couple of dashes of hot sauce
1 tablespoon honey
salt & pepper to taste

1. Chop the cauliflower and broccoli into a rough slaw. Dump into a medium sized bowl along with the red onion, almonds, and raisins.

2. Put the remaining ingredients into a small jar with a lid and shake. Taste & adjust seasoning if necessary.

3. Pour onto salad and toss until everything is coated.

When I first saw this dish on Smitten Kitchen, I fell in infatuation. When I made it the first time, I fell in love. This dish is heaven to me…not only is it bursting with the rich flavour of roasted tomatoes and basil, it has an this amazing mixed texture of juicy tomatoes and soft bread, along with a crisp crust of parmesan cheese. Add to this the fact that this recipe calls for very few ingredients and takes hardly any time or effort to put together, and you have a winning dish!

The first time I made this was at the peak of tomato season. We had bought a bucket filled with later-summer plum tomatoes, along with a massive bouquet of basil, so what better dish to make? We ate it all in one night and consequently took no photos, which is why I’m only writing about it now.

Of course, this is best made with in-season tomatoes. However, I gave it a try again this Christmas, with a mix of those terrible winter tomatoes, a few expensive Italian tomatoes, and a can of crushed tomatoes. It wasn’t quite the same – but it was still excellent. Roasting the tomatoes brings out flavour, so even those watery wintery ones can still exude a bit of flavour. I used about half a can of crushed tomatoes (so 14 oz), and it was perfect.

I definitely recommend using ripe, sweet, flavourful tomatoes. However, this dish is still excellent with mediocre tomatoes. The sugar adds this fascinating sweetness, the toasted bread gives the dish substance and texture, and the basil brings it all together.

This is one of my favourite side dishes ever, and I think everyone should put it in their regular recipe rotation! My apologies about the photos – it tastes far better than it looks, and really, it looks way better than I photographed.

Scalloped Tomatoes
adapted from Ina Garten

5, tablespoons olive oil (separated in 3 tbsp and 2 tbsp)
2 cups (1/2-inch diced) bread from a French boule, crusts removed (any bread will do though – I’ve used baguette and just plain white bread. I also left the crust intact – no reason to waste good bread!)
16 plum tomatoes, cut 1/2-inch dice (about 2 1/2 pounds) (really, any tomato will do. Read above for my variations!)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienned basil leaves, lightly packed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I only used about 1/2 cup and that was perfect for me)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12 inch) saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and stir to coat with the oil. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the cubes are evenly browned.

3. Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. When the bread cubes are done, add the tomato mixture and continue to cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the basil.

4. Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish. (I used a deep dish, and it was great. Feel free to use any 8-cup vessel you have!) Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Serve hot.

One of the dishes I made for our Christmas dinner was a jalapeno pepper pie. It’s a nice, crustless quiche-like frittata dish that packs a little spicy punch and has the flavours of Mexican cuisine thanks to all the fresh cilantro. Roasting the jalapeno peppers first brings out their sweetness, though they still have a great hint of spiciness.

It’s not a complex dish (taste or preparation wise) and takes no time to make it. If you like frittatas, you’ll probably like this; after all, what’s not to love about cheese and jalapeno and eggs? I think this would make a great breakfast dish, though I don’t recommend making it beforehand hand then reheating…I think it would be much better fresh out of the oven!

Jalapeno Pepper Pie
adapted from She Wears Many Hats
Printable Recipe

8 jalapenos
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/4 – 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (depending on your love for cilantro)
5 eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 400°F.

2. Chop the ends off the jalapenos, cut length wise, de-seed and toss with a little olive oil, place on a baking sheet, cut side down and bake in a 400°F oven for about 15 minutes.

3. While the peppers are roasting, shred your cheeses.

4. Prep the cilantro, by rinsing and giving it a quick rough chop.

5. Next beat the eggs together along with the cream, salt and pepper.

6. When the jalapenos are finished roasting, reduce oven to 325°F, and let the jalapenos cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, peel the skins off of the jalapenos. They should easily peel off, if not cover with a kitchen towel, bowl or aluminum foil and let steam for another few minutes. Once the jalapenos are peeled, chop them up.

7. Place the chopped jalapenos in a single layer in the bottom of a greased pie plate, followed by the shredded cheeses, then the cilantro, and finally the beaten eggs with salt and pepper.

8. Bake in 325°F for about 40 minutes. Serve warm.

As promised, a seasonally-appropriate dish! When I saw the recipe for a vegetable cobbler on Ezra Pound Cake’s site, I knew I had to make it. I loved its simplicity, as well as the great amount of vegetables in it. What a great vegetarian dish; it’s certainly hearty, and packed with flavour. It’s especially wonderful because you can add pretty much any vegetable you have sitting in your fridge, as well as any spice you tend to like. Versatile, healthy, cheap and comforting – does food get much better than this?

I really loved this. My biscuits were a bit tough, but once they soak up all that vegetable gravy, they were perfect. I liked the tang of the yogurt in them, and the fresh thyme over the top added a lot. This also makes a lot of food, and served us well for at least two lunches each and one dinner. It’s the ideal winter comfort food and makes for a filling main course or a good choice for a side dish.

Hearty Vegetable Cobbler
adapted from Ezra Pound Cake (original from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics)
Printable Recipe

Feel free to substitute the vegetables in the recipe for your favorites – the recipe below lists the veggies I used, but really, any veggie you can chop up can easily find its place in this dish. sliced celery, cut-up asparagus spears, diced red bell pepper, diced butternut squash, cut-up green beans, etc.

VEGETABLE FILLING
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or butter)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onions
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 teaspoons dried savory (or thyme)
1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (I like my stuff with a bit of heat!)
4 to 5 cups sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cups peeled and chopped butternut squash (or sweet potatoes)
2 cups chopped potatoes
2 cups peeled and chopped carrots (or parsnips)
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups vegetable stock
3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (the original also includes 1 cup of frozen peas, but I hate those things)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of hot sauce (optional, but I added it)

BISCUIT TOPPING
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (or any herb you have on hand)

VEGETABLE FILLING
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 X 13-inch baking dish.

2. Warm the oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the onions and garlic, cover, and cook on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the salt, savory, crushed red pepper flakes, mushrooms and mustard. Cook until the mushrooms start to release their juices, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the squash, white potato, carrot, celery, black pepper and stock, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are just tender.

5. Stir the dissolved cornstarch mixture into the simmering vegetables, stirring constantly. When the liquid starts to thicken, mix in the corn, soy sauce and salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed (I had to add more salt and pepper then called for). Add dash of hot sauce.

6. Pour the vegetables into the prepared baking dish, and set aside.

BISCUIT TOPPING

1. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter and buttermilk or yogurt. Combine the wet and dry ingredients with as few strokes as possible to make a soft dough (I think I overstirred, or didn’t have quite enough liquid…my biscuits were a little tough)

2. Drop the biscuit batter over the vegetables in the dish in six equal mounds. Sprinkle the thyme over the dough.

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of a biscuit comes out clean. Serve immediately.