This decadent dark chocolate espresso cake is grain/gluten-free, refined-sugar free, dairy-free, egg-free (in fact it’s totally plant-based), and therefore hopefully pleasing to a number of your brunch guests with dietary considerations. And the mocha flavour goes smashingly with a latte, espresso shot, or even Bailey’s and coffee (hey, this is a no-judgement zone), as the feasting comes to a close. Best part of all, you can make it the day before and let it set in the fridge overnight so it’s ready to go without a fuss as the stunning centrepiece of your sweet-treat side table...
Read moreTurkey Meatballs with Apple, Cranberries, and Walnuts
I've always wondered why we reserve the killer combo of cranberry and turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Aside from the occasional turkey sandwich, most people are limited in their exposure to this nutritious and delicious bird. Famously known for its abundance of tryptophan - an amino acid that has been time and time again linked to improved cognitive function, muscle and tissue growth an repair, enhanced sleeps, and of course it's positive effects on mood balance (it's basically nature's anti-anxiety "drug") - turkey is packed with protein and is incredibly satiating. Plus it's rather easy to find in free-range form...
Read morePakora Fritters
Many people don’t realize how easy fritters are to make until they try them. They're so versatile, and provide a tasty and seemingly impressive side to bring to dinner parties and potlucks. Fritters also make great batch-cooking snacks, whereby they refrigerate and freeze easily, ready to go when you need a little somethin’-somethin’ at the flick of an oven nob...
Read moreSpiced Spatchcocked Chicken with Apricots, Prunes, and Olives
As you may recall in my post about roasting chickens, I’m a big fan of cooking up the whole bird instead constantly buying only the popular cuts. For more on why this is, read the full thing here. But if you’re thinking to yourself, “I’m hungry now” and simply can’t wait an hour and a half for your clucker to cook through, this might be a solid option for you...
Read moreMushroom, Baby Kale, and Chicken Sausage Pasta
There’s something almost sacred about certain types of mushrooms. I remember when I was at cooking school in Paris, discovering the thrills of experimenting with freshly foraged chanterelles for the first time, and feeling like I could never go back to a generic white mushroom ever again. And with all the incredible varieties of edible fungi, I luckily don’t have to (unless I so choose). Portobello, shitake, maitake, enoki, button…there really are endless directions you can go in, and endless flavours, textures, and even specific nutritional properties to play around with...
Read moreSpiced Sweet Potato Loaf
The fall baking frenzy has officially begun in the Whole Happy kitchen! To be quite honest, I bake a tonne all year round (if you haven’t already noticed, coming up with alternative baked good recipes is one of my favourite things to do), but there’s something special about baking during this season. Perhaps it’s the inherently warming and comforting nature of baked goods that lend so well so that cozy fall vibe. Perhaps spending time indoors when the whether gets colder and wetter doesn’t feel so bad when you have something sweet and aromatic wafting from the oven. Or perhaps it’s because autumnal produce lens so well to sweet treats like pumpkin spice muffins, apple cinnamon pudding, and spiced plum cake, and as I’m sure you can guess…sweet potato loaf...
Read moreRoasted Butternut Squash Puree with Maple Candied Walnuts
This simple yet satisfying side is a real showstopper, and provides a nice alternative to regular old mashed potatoes, or candied yams at your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Better yet, butternut squash boasts a bevy of nutrients including potassium (important for bone health, and adrenal function), vitamin B6 (mood and energy enhancing, and immune boosting), and folate (great for heart health, cognitive function, and reproductive health)...
Read moreSimple Roast Chicken with Lemon & Herbs (Plus Carving Tips)
Roasting a whole chicken may seem daunting at first. I mean, you hear countless stories regaling the horrors of roasting the infamous Thanksgiving turkey, popping any whole bird in the oven should be a task reserved for the brave! But I promise you, roasting a chicken is nothing like roasting a turkey. And in all honesty, roasting a turkey isn’t that hard either, but we’ll touch on that another day…
Read moreRoasted Parsnips with Turmeric & Thyme
With their hearty texture and almost floral sweetness, parsnips are one of my favourite fall-time foods. They boast a variety of health benefits including a solid serving of fibre, a generous dump of folate, ample amounts of vitamin C, and a delightful dose of potassium – all things that are good-for-you and glorious all year-round, but particularly in the fall when colds become more common and dreary days bring upon some seasonal blues...
Read moreLeftover Coffee Loaf
I’ve made chocolate cake with leftover coffee before, but wanted to make something a bit denser and loaf-like that would pair well with some melty butter and a warm beverage of sorts. Plus, I was missing the baking soda and a portion of the almond flour from my Chocolate Espresso Cake recipe and had some leftover coconut cream on hand that I was itching to use up...
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