Making something like potstickers from scratch, and by hand, makes you appreciate your food so much more. I tell you by the time you are done kneading, filling, folding and cooking you will be calling your grandmother and thanking her for the labour that she put into each ravioli, or every dumpling she ever made you. Don’t get discouraged though, they are worth the effort and are a great oppurtunity to get a group of friends or the whole family involved.

This potsticker recipe calls for ground pork, but I have also made them strictly vegetable, and therefore vegan, by doubling the vegetables and tripling the cabbage, they are wonderful that way too. You can purchase a potsticker dipping sauce or you can easily make your own by mixing rice wine vinegar, soy, a touch of sesame oil and chili.

Similar in technique to zucchini fritters they do take a bit of time, but can easily stay warm and crispy in the oven while you do other things. This recipe makes quite a few cauliflower fritters, but not to worry the leftovers are also delicious, try them for breakfast topped with a poached egg.

The sauce has a decidedly middle eastern inspiration and could easily be served on coucous or with a salty feta cheese stirred in. Try it and see if you can add this to your regular rotation too.

Here is a wonderful Brussels sprouts recipe with lightly toasted walnuts, sweet shallots and lots of pungent lemon. What I love about this recipe is that if you do a bit of prep ahead of time – by steaming the sprouts and sweating the shallot – you are only a few minutes away from a fabulous side dish that you can serve with anything from an elaborate roast turkey dinner to a quick meal of grilled steak.

So with this sentiment, I made a fresh and easy Spring quinoa recipe, speckled with peas and asparagus and flavoured with fresh basil. Peas, asparagus and basil aren’t in season locally quite yet, but we are close. Last week, in protest of it all, I braved the drizzle and planted peas, chard, and spinach in my garden. I truly can’t wait until I can harvest from my own lawn, but until then I will use whatever I can get my hands on to enjoy the fresh produce of spring. Try serving this green vegetable quinoa with some grilled fish or roasted chicken.

I am not sure why coconut and squash didn’t occur to me as such natural friends until then, but they do now. This soup is very similar to my regular, go-to curried squash soup with the minor substitution of coconut, try it and let me know if you agree on this natural friendship.

This spaghetti squash recipe is a nutrient packed healthy side dish which still screams comfort food. Try serving it alongside some grilled chicken and a big salad, or alternatively throw in some black beans and pack it for lunch!

That crazy time of year has finally come to an end. There is no more running after last minute Christas presents, stressing over large scale entertaining and eating too much rich food. I am hoping that this all means you are looking for new quick recipes. Cacio e Pepe is a classic Italian pasta recipe from Rome, it’s about salty cheese and lots of spicy pepper.

After you have eaten a bowl your tongue should tingle slightly from the sharpness of all the pepper. Be careful when you add the cheese that your pan isn’t too hot – otherwise you will find it has reformed into a skating rink of cheese at the bottom of your pan. Oh, and my last piece of advice? Consume immediately, even the act of taking photos can lose some of that precious sauce.

Looking for more easy pasta recipes? Check out some of my favorites!

In this easy pasta casserole, roasted squash puree is stirred into a sage-tinted bechamel and tossed with cooked pasta and blue cheese. A short ten minutes in the oven to soothe the blue cheese into meltiness and you have a slightly sweet macaroni and cheese with a lot less calories! What a way to use up leftover squash.

Although the season begins in July, I find that October is when this ruby vegetable is at its highest demand in my house. They are wonderful served alongside hearty braised meat dishes or tossed and roasted with other root vegetables.