Susan, Author at Rhubarb and Cod

Butterscotch Dipped Oatcakes

January 30, 2025 No Comments

Growing up oatcakes were a celebrated treat, particularly the ones dipped in dark chocolate. I had no idea until I moved out of the province that oatcakes are considered an iconic Nova Scotia delicacy. I also had no idea that they were a riff on Scottish oatcakes, which are essentially the same only not as sweet. Nova Scotia oatcakes are not particularly sweet either, especially when you compare them to cookies. They have more of a salty, sweet vibe, so don’t go into this expecting oatmeal cookies. Oatcakes are more toothsome, less sugary, and far more substantial. I often describe them as breakfast cookies to the uninitiated. But because oatcakes are not quite a cookie, they do benefit from a little zhuzhing. That’s why I made these Butterscotch Dipped Oatcakes – everything delicious about the original dunked in butterscotch icing, drizzled with dark chocolate, and sprinkled with salt.

Curries, Grains & Legumes, Vegetarian

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Curried Chickpeas

January 17, 2025 No Comments

Jump to Recipe

We’re only halfway through January and I’m starting to crack. I’m far from a winter fan and this January has been well and truly winter. Winter didn’t creep in, it busted in like the Kool-Aid man. But I can’t do anything about it. Winter is going to winter, so I’ve resolved to cook at home in my slippers until this nonsense clears up. Today’s Baked Sweet Potatoes with Curried Chickpeas and Swiss Chard is one of my favorite things I’ve made so far. This dish features sweet potatoes baked to silky perfection and filled with tender chickpeas and Swiss chard swimming in a korma-esque sauce. The potatoes are finished with a dollop of yogurt, chili flakes, and a sprig of fresh cilantro. This is real deal, January-ready comfort food, so let’s dive in.

Breads & Rolls, Grains & Legumes, Vegetarian

Tomato White Bean Bake with Rosemary Biscuits

January 12, 2025 No Comments

Jump to Recipe

Every January I attempt to clean up my act. I feel the need to simplify my diet focusing less on cheese and more on, you know, vegetables and stuff. This is never an attempt to lose weight, it’s more an attempt to make chiller meals and generally feel more nutritionally balanced. Well, clearly 2025 didn’t work out that way because my first recipe of the year is decked out in biscuits. I don’t know how to explain this. I’m not sure I want to explain this. Comfort food just feels right at the moment. This year started with a snarl so I responded with this Tomato White Bean Bake with Rosemary Biscuits. Sometimes you just have to be soft when the world feels hard and there’s nothing softer than a fluffy biscuit.

Cakes, Chocolate, Dessert, Frozen Desserts

Chocolate Spice Cake with Cranberry Sorbet

December 31, 2024 No Comments

Jump to Recipe

One last hit of chocolate to close out 2024. This year has been a tough one but it hasn’t been without its sweet moments – today’s Chocolate Spice Cake with Cranberry Sorbet for instance. But like the year that is nearly done, this dessert doesn’t deliver unadulterated sweetness. The cranberry sorbet is tantalizingly tart, the chocolate cake is deep and dark with a slightly bitter hint of coffee. As in life, there’s a fair amount of complexity to counter the sweetness. So without further ado, let’s whip up this rather delicious metaphor.