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Hard to believe spooky season has arrived. Out go the Blue Jays and in come the Maple Leafs and Raptors. We still have a bunch of nice weather ahead, including those crisp fall mornings where a cup of coffee and a cozy sweater on the porch is about the best way to spend 20 minutes.

One question I get asked a lot is about how much starch/bread/rice etc I cook. If I’m trying to watch my weight I reduce the starches and increase everything else. So for me; the proteins/veggies first and then colour in the margins with starch and carbs. The menu this week is a great example of prioritizing proteins and veggies. The Roasted Sausage dish is great over pasta, or on it’s own. It’s also nice in a very messy sandwich. The chicken paprikash could be put with perogies, or dumplings, or pair with some boiled or mashed potatoes if desired. Zucchini soup and crusty bread, and stir fried beef and broccoli with some noodles or steamed rice. The salad could be put with any of the mains. 

Conversely, these all stand on their own without the starch. If you’re watching your carbs the macro breakdown would be as below. As needed you could trim the fat a bit by reducing oil, or using lighter options

All this to say that when putting a menu together start with the stuff you need: proteins and veggies, and add the other stuff on top.

Roasted Sausage and Peppers with Double Fennel: Courtesy of Chef Michael Smith this is a great dish when I want an easy dinner. It sneaks in fennel which caramelizes on the pain and becomes sweet and delicious. 

Chicken Paprikash: One of Brie and I’s earliest dates was to “Country Style Hungarian Restaurant” in the Annex (since gone sadly) and a saucy paprika laden sauce over chicken is a warming way to anyone’s heart. 

Vij’s Staff Zucchini Soup: If you’ve got a bunch of zucchini in the fridge this is a great way to use it up. A very comforting bowl of soup. This one you can’t really freeze because of the dairy, so eat it up!

Stir Fried Beef and Broccoli: I ate a LOT of mediocre stir fry in University, I wish I knew about some of the tricks I know now! Every time I make this the kids remark that brocolli is the best part because the ‘trees’ soak up all the sauce. 

Green Salad with apples, cheddar and pumpkin seeds: The rule is that to get people to eat salad throw some goodies (cheese, apples) and a bright dressing on it.

Good Morning Friends,

A fun menu ahead. Inspired by my neighbourhood. With Greektown to the West, and Little India to the South and some solid Persian Middle Eastern food in-between, and of course this particular area was very Italian as well. This is how I like to cook, lots of different flavours and textures. 

I’m doing some video now! I’ll be posting some cooking stuff to Instagram in the hopes of reaching a wider audience. Have a gander at @the_chris_ball I’m trying to keep them short and snappy. Will try and avoid the driving in my car ranting about stuff trope; mainly because it’s hard to stir and drive…

1. Creamy Butternut squash Pasta – Another sneaky vegetable inclusion. Pan roasted butternut squash gets turned into a creamy sauce and put over pasta with crispy sage leaves and walnuts. 
2. Pork or Lamb Souvlaki with Pitas – Grilled and served with pita and homemade tzatziki sauce and greek rice.
3. BBQ Za’atar Rotisserie Chicken – Still nice enough to get the BBQ going. I spin this over the the charcoal BBQ with a nice herbal Za’atar spice blend and finish with a squeeze of lemon. Great on salads. 
4. Mulligatawny – This is such a good fall soup. I learned about this soup from Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi episode… It’s ground beef, fall spices, apples and parsnips. Kid Approved. 
5. Traditional Greek Salad – One of my kids hates olives, one of my kids doesn’t like feta. I assemble the salad and let them add the each. Everyone wins! This works with the BBQ chicken as well as the souvlaki. 

Good Morning Friends,

Hope everyone enjoyed their meals this week. That peanut butter udon with broccoli has been a family favourite for many years and is enjoyed with family but also stealing a few bites from an container with the fridge door open (I won’t tell).

This week’s menu keeps thing simple by incorporating veggies into each dish. They can all be paired with the zingy salad to balance things. We’re clinging to summer but moving toward cooler temperatures. 

1. Chicken Pot Pie – Done a bit lighter than usual; with milk instead of cream, and only one crust instead of top and bottom. Green peas throughout, this is a sneaky healthy meal that freezes well for emergency dinners. 
2. Vij’s Beef and Rapini with Cumin Curry – We love Vij’s cookbooks and this is a great way to enjoy rapini’s lovely bitterness balanced with a warming but not spicy curry. Super on its own; or paired with a bowl of basmati rice. 
3. Pork Tenderloin with Pan Mushroom Sauce – This recipe is so good my own mother stole it and makes it for guests all the time. Another good candidate for freezing.
4. Spiced Squash and Red Lentil Soup – A riff on Allison Roman’s recipe; I use garam masala as the main spice for a great bowl of soup that tastes great reheated; don’t forget that dollop of yogurt at the end.
5. Kale Salad With Pomegranate And Candied Nuts – A perfect fridge salad because kale doesn’t get soggy and only seems to get better when the dressing permeates. 

Hey Everyone. Still getting into the cadence of writing and publishing. This is the menu that was delivered to my Private Cooking clients. Customizations include increasing portions or omitting certain items.

One theme you’ll see from me is pairing rich with bright and acidic items. This helps to keep the meal balanced and not too heavy.

Peach Panzanella Salad

• A nice bright salad to pair with any of the mains but substantial enough for lunch
• We’re in the last gasps of Peach season and tomato season so feel up your baskets while you can.

Salmorejo (Tomato) Soup

• Served cold with the serano ham on top
• This is an Andulisian recipe that my wife and I discovered in Seville, Spain. On a blistering hot day we enjoyed this chilled soup on the patio.

Maple-Soy Glazed Salmon

• This one is always a crowd pleaser and my kids love it. People are often intimidated by cooking fish but baking is easy especially when this only has a quick marinade, and the fattiness of salmon stands up to being cooked a bit more the risk of overdoing the fish is minimized. Cook till it just starts to flake a bit.

Udon Noodle W Broccoli

• Peanut butter sauce = always a huge hit. Can be served warm or cold as well. Steam or blanch the broccoli until just crispy and your kids will eat this one because the broccoli “trees” soak up the sauce. If you don’t eat peanuts; this also works quite well with tahini.

Charcoal Grilled BBQ chicken

• Eat on it’s own with a side or shred and add to the Smoke Show Salad for a great lunch. I love to BBQ and this comes off my kamado with a glaze of BBQ sauce that’s smokey but not too smokey. I like to use amchur (dried mango powder) to give the rub some zing.

Smoke Show Salad

• A riff on a Mandy’s salad, everyone loves adding tortilla chips to salads for crunch. A nice cilantro and cumin dressing some some smokey Hot Sauce.

Ground beef & roasted cauliflower tacos with Limey Slaw

• This is a long way from the mushy cauliflower you may have had. By roasting it with taco seasoning you end up with a really nice meat substitute that adds some heft to the beef while keeping the taco a bit lighter. The coleslaw adds crunch and acidity.

Back to school, or as many call it The Start of Cold and Flu season is upon us. My own kids were out and off today with nary a hiccup. I hope you all had similarly easy mornings coaxing your sleepy kids from their beds.

It’s not a time for New Year’s resolutions, but it does feel like every September brings with it the need to get “back on track”. For me, that usually means dialing in my diet again, and embracing the simple routines that make our lives easier.

One new thing I’ll be doing weekly is this blog. I’m playing around with the format a bit, but each week you’re going to get some thoughts from me and also my weekly meal plan. These come from my clients I cook for, and could be coming to you if you so desire (LINK). I’ll try to link to a few recipes and provide some guidance. Plus there will be jokes.

Have a great week!

Elotes (Grilled Mexican Street Corn)

• Serve chilled with extra cilantro and a shot of your desired hot sauce
• Add pulled pork on top if desired

Pulled Pork with BBQ Sauce

• Serve on it’s own, in a burrito/taco or on a bun
• Freezes well; re-heat over low heat on stove or in microwave

Grilled Nectarine Salad with Toasted Walnuts and gorgonzola

• Serve from fridge with walnuts on top and some of the crumbled cheese
• If not a fan of blue cheese this would be good with some parmesan flakes

Chicken Korma

• Warm naan bread in oven or in a skillet with some oil
• Make a wrap with the meat and add cashews, cilantro, and your favourite hot sauce (They’re Messy!)