• Heat the chicken broth in a medium-size pot over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic and light soy sauce.
• When the broth starts to boil, add the white part of the napa cabbage and mushrooms (if using enoki mushrooms, add them later). Cook for 4 minutes, until the white part of the cabbage starts to soften.
• Add the green part of the napa cabbage and tofu and continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes. If you are using enoki mushrooms, add them now.
• Add the chicken bouillon powder (or salt), white pepper, and drizzle with sesame oil. Adjust seasoning by adding more salt if needed. Serve hot.

Make squash puree

• (Optional) If making puree from uncooked squash – Cut the squash into large bite-size pieces. Fill a steamer with water and bring to a boil. Place squash on a steaming rack, skin side down. Cover pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn to low heat and steam until the squash can easily be pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. Transfer squash to a plate to cool. Scoop the squash flesh from the skin and add it into a large bowl. Smash into paste.

Make the squash cake

• Mix together the flour and pumpkin spice mix. Slowly blend glutinous rice flour into puree, about 2 tablespoons at a time. Whisk with a pair of chopsticks (or a fork), until flour is fully incorporated. Add more flour and keep mixing, until the flour becomes difficult to blend. You may nee to use more than the 250g to get the right consistency (there is a video on the blog, linked above, which is very helpful to refer to). Dust both hands with rice flour. Knead the dough together with one hand until it forms a consistent and soft dough. The dough should be easily picked up by hand and should stick to the bottom of the bowl a bit. Pick up the dough and use both hands to press and knead the dough for another 5 minutes to blend the rice flour in well. The surface of the dough should be smooth and you shouldn’t notice any stray flour on or inside the dough.
• Put bread crumbs in a tall plate or a bowl and set aside.
• To prepare the filling, scoop 2 teaspoons of red bean paste and shape it into a small ball using your hands. Repeat until you’ve made 16 red bean filling balls.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, then divide each of those parts into 4 small pieces (about 41 g per dough piece). Shape each small piece into a dough ball with both hands.
• To make squash buns: Hold a dough ball in one hand and use the other hand to press it into a flat, round shape, about 2” (5 cm) in diameter. Place the red bean paste in the center. Wrap the dough around the filling and pinch the edges together to seal the filling, forming a ball again. Gently press the ball until it is shaped like a mini pancake, about 1/2” (1 cm) thick.
• Place the buns in the bread crumbs, pressing gently so the bread crumbs coat the surface. Flip to coat the other side. Process the rest of the dough in the same manner to make 16 total cakes.

Cook the squash cakes

• If using stovetop: Heat 1/2” (1 cm) oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook in batches by placing a few cakes into the skillet. Fry over medium-low heat for 2 minutes, until the bottom side turns golden brown. Flip the buns and fry the other side over lowest heat for another 2 minutes. Check the bottom side of the buns after 1 minute. If the color has already turned brown, turn to low heat, and allow to sit for another minute. Transfer to a plate to cool.
• If using an air fryer: Preheat the air fryer for 10 minutes at 350°F (176°C). Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper. Place the cakes into the basket without overlapping and leave a bit of space in between. Spray the top of the cakes with a generous amount of oil. Cook for 6 minutes, until the top becomes golden. Take out the basket, flip, and spray with oil. Air fry for another 4 minutes until the top becomes golden crispy, and the pumpkin cakes have slightly ballooned.
• Let the cakes cool slightly before serving. Serve hot or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw the cakes before reheating. You can reheat the cake in a 300°F (150°C) air fryer or oven until the cake is warm throughout. You can also reheat them on the stove top by adding a bit of oil into the pan, covering the pan, and reheating over low heat.

Roasted squash and tomato spread

• Preheat oven to 400. Toss squash and tomatoes in olive oil and salt on a rimmed baking sheet. Allow to bake until tomatoes and squash are soft and starting to take on colour, about 20-30 minutes.
• Transfer to a bowl, and roughly mash with a fork. Add the balsamic and taste to adjust seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.

Sandwich assembly

• No instructions needed for this, really. But start by cutting the loaf in half (as if it were a hamburger bun). An optional step is to then use your hands to remove some of the "innards" from the bread, creating a bit of a hollow. This will make the eating slightly less messy, since the ingredients will then be more "nestled" but it's not required.
• Spread mayo (or butter) on both halves of the bread. Be generous as this is a protective layer that will help prevent your bread from getting too soggy.
• Spread basil pesto on top of mayo (we just did on the bottom half), then spread the roasted squash and tomato on top. Add bocconcini, bacon, and a generous amount of greens. Slap on the top, and you're set! We had a large loaf and cut it into 5 good-sized pieces. Serve with salad if desired.

PREPARATION

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Generously brush a 9-inch round cake pan with oil.
• In a blender or food processor, finely chop the carrots by pulsing about 6 to 10 times until minced. Add the sugar and pulse until just combined, about 30 seconds. Add the oil and eggs all at once. Pulse until the mixture is combined and looks a bit foamy, 30 seconds. (You can also do this step without a blender or food processor: Grate the carrots into a medium bowl using the fine side of a box grater. Add the sugar, eggs and oil, and use a whisk to combine.)
• Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, and, using a whisk, mix until just combined. Gently mix in the sour cream and pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan. Bake until the sides pull away slightly from the edge of the tin and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes.
• Move the cake to a baking rack set in a sheet pan and let it cool slightly in the pan, about 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the baking rack and let cool completely.

FOR TOPPING

(option 1)

• While the cake cools, make the brigadeiro topping: In a small saucepan, combine the sweetened condensed coconut milk, cocoa powder and salt. Stir with a whisk over medium-low heat until the cocoa powder is fully incorporated. Increase heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture forms large bubbles and thickens, about 12 to 15 minutes. It should fully coat a heatproof rubber spatula and drizzle off in a slow stream. Remove from heat and allow the topping to cool completely, stirring frequently to prevent a skin forming on top, and until the brigadeiro topping streaks when stirred and is thick and fudgy, about 25 to 30 minutes.
• Spread the cooled topping over the cake, swirling the topping over the center and allowing it to drip over the edge. Let it set slightly, about 10 minutes, then shower a handful of chocolate sprinkles over the top. Cut the cake in wedges to serve.

(option 2)

• Add the chocolate powder, sugar, butter, and water to a small non-stick pan.
• Over medium heat, stir the mixture continually until it starts to boil.
• Once it boils, keep stirring for 1-2 more minutes, and as soon as the sauce starts to let go of the bottom, remove it from the heat.
• [We didn’t try either of these this time! But I’ve had this cake with the sauce and it was GREAT – don’t know which of these options is best, but let us know which one you try!]

• Place the tomatoes on a large serving plate or in a bowl. Add the garlic, the basil leaves, 1 teaspoon of salt and a big pinch of black pepper. Toss to combine and set aside.
• To make the vinaigrette, combine the chile crisp, rice vinegar and soy sauce and whisk to combine. Taste and if it needs more saltiness, add ½ teaspoon more soy sauce.
• Heat a large (12-inch) nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium high for 1 to 2 minutes until very hot. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil and, working in batches, add the dumplings, flat-side down, and cook until the bottoms of the dumplings are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately add about ¼ cup of water to the pan, just enough to cover the base of the dumplings, then cover and cook until the water has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. (If your dumplings contain meat, cook for an extra 1 to 2 minutes, or according to packet instructions). Transfer the cooked dumplings to a plate and continue cooking the remaining dumplings. (If you prefer to steam the dumplings, see Tip.)
• To serve, place the warm dumplings over the tomato salad and drizzle with the chile crisp vinaigrette. Toss very gently. Serve either while the dumplings are still warm or at room temperature.

• Heat the oven to 250F. Arrange the tomatoes cut-side up in a roasting tin, drizzle with some olive oil and season. Roast for about an hour. We did this alongside a massive roasting batch of halved cherry tomatoes for freezer storage. Those kept roasting for a bit longer, but these came out just as they were getting soft and the skins were looking nice and wrinkly. Set aside in a covered bowl to cool.
• Cook the onions in a medium ovenproof frying pan or cast iron with the 2 tsp olive oil over a medium heat until they start to caramelise, about 8 mins.
• Once the onions have softened, add the peppers and season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and cayenne. Peel the skins from the roasted tomatoes, then add these to the pan of onions and peppers along with all the resting juices.
• Crush the tomatoes roughly with a wooden spoon and cook for 5 mins over a medium-high heat. Add the wild garlic or spinach and wilt for a minute, then remove from the heat. Tuck the bread pieces in amongst the mixture, then create three gaps for the eggs using the spoon. Crack the eggs into the gaps, crumble over the feta and grate over the halloumi. Drizzle with some extra olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of red pepper flakes. I threw some fresh cherry tomatoes in there too for an extra pop of tomatoey goodness.
• Turn the oven up to 375 and bake the shakshuka for 12-15 mins. The eggs should be cooked but runny in the middle, and the feta, halloumi and bread should be crisp and golden. I definitely overbaked the shakshouka pictured and it ended up a bit dry, but it was still DELICIOUS.
• I added some fresh basil on top, and could probably have added cilantro and/or green onion as well! It's a very flexible flavour palette.

• Bring a pot of liberally salted water to boil. Toss in beans and allow to cook on a simmer until just tender with still a good bite and colour, about 3-5 minutes.
• Allow to cool enough to handle, and cut beans in half or thirds.
• Toss all ingredients in a salad bowl. Salt and adjust other seasonings to taste. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cool.

• Gently heat your water/broth on the stove in a separate pot. Keep warm.
• Add the arborio rice, stir, and cook for about 1-2 minutes to toast the rice. Add the white wine and stir until fully absorbed.
• Add ½ cup of the broth/water and stir. When the rice absorbs all of the liquid, continue adding more broth/water one ½ cup at a time, while stirring, until all the liquid is used up.
• Stir in the tomatoes and cook for about 2-3 minutes. They will release some liquid as they start to cook down.
• Add the remaining 1 ½ teaspoons of salt and season with black pepper. Give the risotto a taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. While tasting, take note of how done the rice is. When the rice is cooked through but still al dente, it’s done. Stir in the parmesan if using.
• Remove the risotto from the heat and vigorously stir in the remaining ½ cup of olive oil.
• Spoon the risotto into bowls, drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with basil. Serve immediately.

• To make the simple syrup: combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, with the lid on (but vented). Strain into a jar, label, and store in the fridge. This should last at least a few weeks.

  To make the slushie: combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until the ice is broken down and it starts to take on a slushie consistency. Taste and adjust lemon juice/fennel simple syrup as needed. Pour into cups and enjoy!

• steam the beans and cook the corn if you're adding corn
• chop everything up and throw it in a bowl together!
• you can dress the whole thing or each person can create their own mix of olive oil and balsamic and salt etc.

• Make the dressing: In a food processor, purée the carrot, ginger, olive oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, onion powder, a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon cold water until as smooth as possible, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Dress the salad: Place the lettuce leaves in a large serving bowl. Add a couple of tablespoons of the dressing and toss, then add more as needed to evenly coat. The salad should be lightly dressed, not drowned; don’t use every drop of dressing if you don’t need to. Taste for seasoning, adjusting with more salt as desired. Top the salad with the mint leaves and serve immediately.