The Hungry Squid

Sometimes, all you need is something simple, wholesome and flavorful to round out a frenzied weekend of cupcake baking and event execution. My mother and I whipped up a batch of this granola in under 10 minutes, and the finished product, baking and cooling included, was ready to consume in under 2 hours. It goes to show you that a few simple products – oats, unsweetened dried fruit, toasted wheat germ – can go a long way with just a touch of maple syrup and a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg. The end result was crunchy and nutty, slightly sweet and surprisingly delicate with the addition of coconut. Perfect with tea in the afternoon, or yogurt and coffee in the morning. Sunday granola Ingredients* -        3 ½ cups of rolled oats -        1/3 cup toasted wheat germ -        1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped -        1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped -        ¾ cup hulled unsalted pumpkin seeds -        2 cups assorted dried fruit (we used ch

In continuing with the theme of stuffed foods, M and I tried out a new recipe last night for stuffed sweet red peppers. Peppers are not my favorite vegetable – if I were to rank them they would probably be in the 50 th percentile, more enjoyable than white radish or turnips but not nearly as delicious as asparagus or broccoli. Regardless, they are tasty, and healthy, vehicles for an equally healthy and hearty filling, and to my surprise, this meal succeeded in redeeming the status of red peppers in my eyes. We used whole-wheat couscous, feta, zucchini, onions and cherry tomatoes, plus chickpeas for protein, which added an interesting dimension to the texture of the dish. The flavors came together really well, and we both agreed that it would be an excellent summer dish, especially if the peppers were barbequed to give them a deeper, smokier finish. In scouring blogs after dinner, polenta, corn, jalapeno peppers and cheddar cheese are another popular filling for red

Photo credit: M Giant shells are a largely ignored, but extremely delicious, member of the pasta family. They are a quick, versatile base upon which a dish can easily be built, and lend themselves to culinary adventurousness – intrepid chefs can fill them with any combination of ingredients they can dream up. Friday night, M and I tried our hand at shells and agreed on a simple recipe (read: a recipe that would let us watch ‘The Walking Dead’ sooner). This is definitely a keeper: satisfyingly spinach-y and cheesy without being too rich, with a light tomato sauce that adds a touch of sweet acidity that rounds the dish out nicely. A note: It was M’s idea to add mozzarella and broil the shells before removing them from the oven. For once, he was right. Baked spinach and ricotta stuffed pasta shells Adapted from Whole Foods Ingredients   -24 medium-large pasta shells (about 250 g of dry pasta), or 16 jumbo shells - 1 cup light ricotta cheese - 1 cup par

Food tip # 238(a): Always buy the right type of beans. Food tip # 238(b): Make sure beans are not rock-hard before adding them in copious amounts to a soup. Because that is precisely what I did not do, and what was supposed to be a simple, M-and-Epicurious-approved chorizo and white bean stew almost turned into a goopy, flavourless legume-y mess. This dish started out as a last-ditch attempt to save a half-cooked pot of onions, garlic, sausage and broth from the garbage can, and ended up being a surprisingly interesting and tasty stew/soup (stoup?). The dried shiitake mushrooms are optional, but I really enjoy their texture and the deep flavour that they give the broth. A large bag of fresh spinach is key; their freshness is the perfect foil to the smoky spicy sausage. This soup would be excellent topped with a dollop of sour cream and a glass of red wine - which is what I need after that culinary near-disaster. Sausage, spinach and wild rice stoup with thyme and mushrooms W