From the Blog:

You guys have probably figured out by now that I love me some fats. Fats are an integral part of our diet – they are a slow burning and long lasting energy source, help with inflammation control and management, improve cognitive function, contribute to heart health, and are integral to hormone balance. In fact, every single cell in our body is made up of something called a phospholipid bilayer (lipids being fats), and therefore are a major component to literally the structure of our entire body and existence...

Enter the following incredibly simple, and seriously tasty delight that, with an All-Clad immersion blender, takes only a few minutes to make. Plus, it’s free of grains and gluten, dairy, refined sugar, eggs, and is completely paleo and vegan friendly. Best part of all, you can whip it up the day before so that it’s all ready to go when the dessert course arrives and you’re a rummy eggnog or two deep...

I’m a big fan of flavour, and one of the best ways to infuse some pizazz into your foods is with a dip, dressing, or sauce. Chutney is one of my favourite sauces. Calming to spice, uplifting to savoury, there’s nothing this sweet and tangy taster can’t do! And there are endless directions you can go in in terms of making it your own. Many people think of mango when it comes to chutney, but as long as you have some sort of fruity base and vinegary buddy, you’re on your way to chutney-ville...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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)...