I’ve had a penchant lately for anything peri-peri picante. Perhaps it was my friend enthusing about the delicioso food she ate in Portugal. Or maybe my daily dose of DuoLingo Spanish (porque espero visitar España en mis vacaciones) has piqued my interest in food that is muy picante.

Whatever the reason, this month I have chosen to share a recipe for Peri Peri Chicken Thighs, Chickpeas & Collard Greens. Not only does the spicy heat appeal to me in winter, this dish exemplifies what I love about all my favourite recipes. Namely:

• it’s a one-pan, all-in-one dish (no need to make anything on the side and less to clean up),
• using a pre-made spice blend gives maximum flavour for minimum fuss,
• it’s flexible (swap the chicken for fish/shellfish, or use only chickpeas to make it vegetarian/vegan),
• you can easily alter the flavour profile (use a Cajun, Moroccan, Mexican, Indian or Italian spice blend in place of peri-peri, for example),
• it’s quick enough for a workaday dinner but also interesting enough for company,
• it includes legumes which have a whole host of health benefits (more on that in this post) and
• it makes great leftovers for lunch (or even breakfast)!

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the recipe for Peri Peri Chicken Thighs, Chickpeas & Collard Greens. For those keen to make their own Peri-Peri spice blend, I have included a recipe for that as well. Or you can simply procure some (suggestions below).  And I invite you to read on, too, if right now you are thinking “What the heck is Peri-Peri?”

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I first posted my Gourds & Goblins Menu two years ago and my readers back then deemed it a treat. I’ve exhumed it this Hallowe’en in the hope that my newer subscribers will also find it a scream. If you are seeing this again, think of it as Hallowe’en and Groundhog Day all rolled into one.

My Gourds & Goblins Menu is a Jekyll & Hyde character.

The Jekyll version is served pretty much as described in the recipes. It’s a heaping harvest helping of carbo-comfort foods featuring a gaggle of gourds (namely pumpkin, butternut squash and zucchini). But with some sleight of hand and the spooky styling suggestions at blog-bottom, you can turn it ins-Hyde-out into a fiendish feast for your ghoul-friends! It’s double, double the fun without too much toil or trouble.

Served either way, my Gourds & Goblins Menu is devilishly good at disguising veggies.

Gourds & Goblins Menu

Apéritif: Classic Virgin Sangria (Served per the recipe, it is a harmless harvest cranberry cocktail. But we musn’t forget the word sangria means bloodletting in Spanish, so take a boo at the sinister sip tips below.)

Soup: Spider Web Pumpkin Soup (I’ve dusted the cobwebs off this one from a menu I put out in pre-pandemic times. For the harvest version, omit the spiderweb. But feel free to add curry powder or cayenne if you like it hellishly hot.)

Pasta: Vegan Mac n’ ‘Cheese’ (This is devilishly good served with a tempest-tossed “blood red radicchio and endive of the world salad”. The bitter leaves are a killer counterpoint to the richness of the pasta.)

Dessert: Dark Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes (For some, the thought of zucchini in cupcakes is scary enough. But if you dig the demonic decorating ideas down below you can make these double chocolate delights even darker. If you wish to spike the suggested whipped cream topper, I recommend heavenly Frangelico or the Devil’s rum.)

Whether cooking up the Jekyll or Hyde version, feel free to reach out if you have any questions, comments or grave concerns. I hope you enjoy goblin’ these recipes up!

Join The Nutritional Reset Community here to receive the recipes in the Gourds & Goblins Menu (as well as the recipes to come).

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My mom always warned me never to plant mint directly in my garden or it would take over. She was a fantastic gardener so I listened to her sage advice about mint and dutifully planted it in pots. However, over time (and admittedly due to some neglect this summer), my mint has jumped the pot and run rampant. And so my small garden is now in a state best described as mondo mint. I could invite every neighbour on my street for mojitos and I would still have great bunches of mint left over.

What, oh what, to do? Well, eat mint for breakfast, lunch and dinner, that’s what!

So this month I have included recipes to help do just that, plus a (non-mojito) libation…

• Nigella’s Corsican Omelette (the recipe is Nigella Lawson’s but, due to copyright, the photo is mine; as you might expect, Nigella’s omelette, just like Nigella, is more attractive)
• Beet, Grapefruit & Mint Salad (just add grilled chicken or your protein of choice and this makes a wonderfully satisfying lunch)
• Cold Noodles with Pork & Cucumber (most Asian-inspired dishes are elevated by the addition of fresh mint and/or basil; both herbs are from the same family, Lamiaceae, also known as Labiatae)
• Blackberry Smash Cocktail (I love blackberries as they are delicious, dramatic and not too sweet; this is a mocktail but I won’t tell if you add vodka or gin to it)

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the recipes. And then read on for more about my favourite ways to use mint and some of its benefits.  I  hope you enjoy how mint adds a refreshing flourish to each of these dishes!

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Summer is in full swing. We want to be outdoors enjoying the sun, not slaving over a hot stove. I get it. But salads every night can get boring. That’s why I love this Lemony Baked Cod with Zucchini & Mini Potatoes. Just pop everything into a baking dish and it practically cooks itself. And it’s a delicious way to enjoy summer’s bounty of locally grown zucchini.

This recipe is easy enough for a simple weeknight dinner. You can use lemon juice only (as per the recipe, and I admit one of my time-savers is to use organic lemon juice from a bottle, like this Sicilian one). But when I want a more rustic, colourful presentation, I’ll add in some thin slices of whole lemon before baking. In fact, if I want a really quick meal, I’ll often do just that and skip the capers and dill altogether (as shown in the photo here).

But when you prepare the recipe as written, it is sophisticated enough to serve to guests, especially if you use a mix of colours of mini potatoes, include yellow zucchini (or a mix of yellow and green) and bake it in an attractive casserole dish that you can bring right to your (preferably al fresco) dining table. The combination of olive oil, fish, herbs, capers and zucchini has a sunny Mediterranean vibe and would pair beautifully with a crisp, cool sauvignon blanc or Chablis. 😉

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the recipe for Lemony Baked Cod with Zucchini & Mini Potatoes. And read on for more about the health benefits of zucchini as well as for a simply refreshing (yet refreshingly simple) dessert suggestion!

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I love a gorgeous salad in summer. Fresh and crisp, they are super nutritious, easy to put together and leftovers make a great meal the next day (just don’t add the dressing until you serve it). The key is to include a variety of tastes and textures and enough protein to make it a meal. This Grilled Chicken & Chickpea Kale Salad is a fantastic example, with nearly 50 grams of protein!

I chose it because it highlights the humble radish and Ontario-grown radishes are abundant now. I recently received a beautiful bunch of French breakfast radishes in my local food box and this salad was their destiny. That said, salads make great canvasses for all manner of veggies. No radishes on hand? Just use whatever you do have. As long as it’s colourful and crunchy, you can’t go wrong!

And I encourage you to shop your local Farmers’ Market where you will find a variety of stunning radishes that will transform every salad into a work of art!

Sign up to my newsletter today to receive the recipe for my Grilled Chicken & Chickpea Kale Salad and read on for more about what’s ravishing about radishes!

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