Pumpkin Chia Seed Snacking Bread

This bread was developed out of my love for pumpkin flavoured sweets but with the aspiration of avoiding the sugar crash of traditional baked goods. My mom is a wizard of making homemade muffins and tweaking them to be a bit more wholesome (reducing butter and refined sugars, adding in seeds and nuts). I wouldn’t go as far to say this is a “healthy” bread but it definitely has a bit more oomph to it to keep you going throughout the day, rather than a quick sugar rush. Delicious as a snack or as a sweet treat with tea. 

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Pumpkin Chia Seed Snacking Bread

15 mins active work, 60 mins baking

Recipe updated September 21, 2020 - changed the baking powder, baking soda and almond flour measurements and increased the oven heat to help the bread rise and create a less dense texture!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups of pumpkin puree (canned)

⅓ cup maple syrup

1 egg

¼ cup of coconut oil, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour 

½ cup almond flour

⅓ cup chia seeds

¾ tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Optional topping:

1 tbsp of sugar (preferably raw sugar or turbinado sugar - larger granules)

2 tbsp of pepitas (or other nut/seed - pecans, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds etc)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Prepare a loaf pan with a parchment paper “hammock” - the paper should line the bottom and the long sides.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, maple syrup, egg, coconut oil, vanilla)

3. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk to get rid of the clumps of almond flour (AP flour, almond flour, chia seeds, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg)

4. Pour the dry ingredients into the large bowl with the wet ingredients and gently fold in until fully incorporated. You don't want to overmix but you also want to ensure there are no dry patches of flour.

5. Pour into prepared loaf pan. You made need to spread it around to ensure it is even in the pan.

6. Sprinkle the top of the batter with your seed of choice, and sugar if desired.

7. Bake for 5 mins at 425F and then lower the heat to 375F. Bake for 55 mins. The loaf should be fragrant, and a cake tester comes out clean. You shouldn’t feel much resistance when you push the cake tester in and pull it out. If you feel resistance, leave it in for 5-10 more mins.

8. Cool on a rack for 30-60 mins until fully cooled.

9. Best served the day of but can be stored on the counter for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to 4- 5 days. Tastes delicious toasted the next day!

Candied Kumquats & the Perfect Cheeseboard

I believe the first time I had candied kumquats was at Bier Mrkt of all places. My parents were visiting Toronto and we had stopped in there for a beer and a snack. On their meat and cheese board was this delicious sweet, tangy, and somewhat bitter jam. After this first taste, it has become my go-to condiment to elevate a cheeseboard.

When making a cheese and meat board I try to make sure I have the following flavours and textures covered:

• Sweet - usually in the form of a jelly or jam, like these candied kumquats or fig jam

• Salty - prosciutto, speck, or another salty cured meat

• Spicy - genoa salami, chorizo, or another spicy cured meat

  • Or: hot pepper jelly (both sweet and spicy!)

• Briny - pickles, olives

• Smooth/creamy - goat cheese, Boursin

• Hard - aged cheddar, manchego (my favourite cheese!)

• Soft  - fresh sliced french bread or baguette

• Crunchy - crisp crackers, nuts

Kumquats usually come into grocery stores in Canada in March/April and can be found in the citrus area of your grocery store.

The kumquats pre-candy!

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Candied Kumquats

15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup of kumquats, washed (up to 1.5 cups)

½ cup white sugar

¼ cup water

Method:

1. Quarter your kumquats and remove any seeds

2. Add to a small saucepan with sugar and water

3. Bring to medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves

4. Turn down to low heat and continue to simmer until the kumquats become translucent and the syrup has thickened (it will thicken more when it cools)

5. Chill until ready to serve!

Roasted Brussels Sprout and Ricotta Crostini

When I travel for work one thing I can’t wait for is cable in the hotel room, and most specifically The Food Network. I love food competition shows and celebrity chef programming. A few years ago Giada de Laurentiis had a holiday special for hosting parties and she made these Charred Brussels Sprout Crostinis. I made them a few times that Christmas and they were always a hit. Over the past few years I’ve continued to make them, simplifying the recipe where I could find some shortcuts or simply didn’t have the ingredients on hand. Here is my take on Giada’s appetizer.

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Roasted Brussels Sprout and Ricotta Crostini

Original recipe: Charred Brussels Sprout Crostini by Giada de Laurentiis

30 mins

Tip: step 1-6 can be done ahead of time. You can store the ricotta and brussel sprout mixture in the fridge until ready to serve.

Ingredients:

3 cups of brussels sprouts, shaved or thinly sliced*

1 ½ tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ -½ tsp red pepper flakes, depending on your heat preference

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp maple syrup

¼ cup dried cranberries

1 container of extra smooth ricotta

½ tsp kosher salt

1 baguette, or your choice of bread, cut into ¾ inch slices

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the thinly sliced brussels sprouts with the olive oil, kosher salt, and red pepper flakes on the sheet and pop into the oven for 12-15 minutes. You want the edges to be crispy and almost burnt - that’s flavour!

3. Meanwhile, combine the apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and dried cranberries in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer for 5 - 7 minutes until has thickened. Set aside.

4. Once the brussels sprouts are out of the oven toss in a bowl with the reduced vinegar mixture.

5. Place the sliced baguette onto the same baking sheet and place into the 400F oven for 5-7 minutes until the bread has crisped  on the outside

6. Meanwhile stir the ½ tsp of kosher salt into the ricotta to add some extra seasoning. Cracked black pepper is also nice added here.

7. When you are ready to assemble, schmear ricotta onto the bread crisps, and then top with a spoonful of the brussels sprout mixture.

*to shave the brussels sprouts I start by cutting the end off the brussels sprout. I place this flat end onto my cutting board and slice as thinly as I can until I reach half way. At this point, I flip the half flat side onto the cutting board and start thinly slicing until I reach a quarter. At this time I flip again the quarter flat side onto the cutting board and thinly slice until complete. This method leads to some half slices, some quarter slices - that’s ok! It adds different textures.

Roasted Sweet Potato & Lime Dip

Last May, my dear friend and I travelled to Portugal for 2 weeks. We ate… a lot, and I’ve been so inspired by the food of Portugal since that trip. When we were in Lagos, we took a day long cooking class in the countryside (New Forest Lodge Country Cooking Class) and it was a dream come true. A day spent on an organic farm cooking with a truly lovely woman named Frances, making fresh bread and various dishes all while enjoying the fresh air and a glass of wine. It was relaxation at its finest. One of the first dishes we made was a sweet potato dip with fresh breadsticks. I kept referring to it as “guacamole with sweet potato”, because the ingredients are quite similar to a good guac. That day we used steamed sweet potatoes, but since returning home I’ve been roasting them. I find roasting reduces the liquid in the sweet potatoes and results in a sweeter, more flavourful dip. The key is to let the sweet potatoes roast until you see that caramel start to peek out of the skin.

My favourite way to serve this is with fresh tortilla chips, but store bought work all the same!

Above are images from our day in Lagos cooking with Frances - our beautiful breadsticks and the original Sweet Potato Dip!

Perfectly roasted sweet potatoes - oozing caramel

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Roasted Sweet Potato & Lime Dip

1.25 hours total

ingredients:

Dip:

¼ tsp red chili flakes (or sub in your favourite chili oil to taste)

½ tsp kosher salt

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 handfuls of cilantro, chopped (about ½ cup)

1 lime juiced, about 2 tbsp

2 medium sweet potatoes (~1 kg or 2 lbs)

1 tbsp of olive oil for finishing

Tortillas:

1 package corn tortillas (La Tortilla Factory Yellow Corn & Wheat are my favourite)

2-3 tbsp of coconut oil

Kosher salt

Chili powder (I prefer ancho chilli powder for extra smoke and heat)

Method:

Dip prep:

*you could roast your potatoes ahead of time and store them in the fridge until ready to make the dip. Steps 1-4.

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Wash your sweet potatoes and pierce repeatedly with a fork (this will prevent them from exploding) and place onto a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Place into the preheated oven and roast for 45-60 mins, until the potatoes are fork tender, caramel is oozing out, and the sweet potato almost looks like it is collapsing on itself.

4. Set aside and cool - cutting them open will speed up the cooling process (releases steam).

5. Once the potatoes have cooled enough to touch, scoop out the insides into a bowl and mash until smooth

6. Add in your chilli flakes (or oil), kosher salt, garlic, cilantro and lime juice.

7. Top with your favourite olive oil

8. Serve room temperature or chill until ready to serve!

Tortilla prep:

1. Heat a pan to medium-high heat and add in 1 tsp of coconut oil

2. Place in one tortilla and let it crisp (1 minute), until it starts to puff slightly

3. Flip to the other side, and cook until crisp (1 minute)

4. Transfer to a paper towel and sprinkle with kosher salt and chili powder while still hot (do your best salt bae, you want an even distribution and not too much, so sprinkle from a high height)

5. Repeat with all of your tortillas

6. Slice into triangles and serve with the drip

Spicy Feta Dip

I’ve lived in Greektown since moving to Toronto and I am so grateful to be living in a neighborhood with such a lively culture, not to mention delicious food on every corner. From Squareboy slouvaki to dinners at Pantheon ordering way too many appetizers and dips, I have many food memories from the last 4 years living on the Danforth. This recipe is inspired by Tirokafteri, an addictive spicy feta dip. I have been guilty of ordering this as take out for a solo snack on a relaxing Sunday afternoon. The below is my lazy version of this traditional dip, but is perfect when you are in a pinch for an easy appetizer for company. The flavours are unexpected and always go over well with a crowd! Bonus is that it comes together with only three ingredients.

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Spicy Feta Dip

Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients

400g of feta cheese

2/3 cup of sour cream (14% m.f.)*

3/4 cup pickled hot peppers, diced (I usually buy the jar of pickled banana peppers)

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 375F

2. Break the feta up into smaller chunks and pulse in the food processor until it becomes small crumbs. Add in the sour cream and blend until smooth.

3. Pour this mixture into a bowl and fold in the hot peppers.

4. Place in an oven safe dish and bake for 15-20 mins until heated through.

5. Broil on high for 1 minute to get a bit of colour on top. Let it sit for a few minutes to cool and set. Serve with greek pita..

*You could sub in greek yogurt for the sour cream but I prefer the higher milk fat of sour cream to hold the dip together.

** If you don’t have a food processor, you can also mix by hand - you just might not get as smooth of a texture