I feel the cold, I welcome it, cuddling under soft blankets. With the change in the weather comes a deep craving for comforting, warm dishes and hearty meats, soups and stews. I have been surviving off soup the last few weeks because September is crazy and soup is cheap and easy.

I am receiving a steady stream of emails for new meal plans incorporating warm foods, which is good, our body requires seasonal foods. According to Chinese Medicine we are in the grounding stage of the year, meaning we require roots, tubers, garlic, carrots and ginger and less raw , cool foods. These foods help us to feel grounded and rooted. I’m stocking up on pumpkin, spices, tea, BPA free canned tomatoes and chicken stock. My favourite season, I am a natural at hibernating. Ava asked for her first seasonal bowl of oatmeal this week, even she has tuned into the changes and her energy has shifted. It make my heart sing for some reason when my children ask for nourishing food.

For those of you that love your slow cooker this recipe is for you. For those who don’t you can braise in the oven as well but the convenience of a slow cooker saves my life. This dish is amazing as leftovers the following day. Look for meaty short ribs, it may look like a lot when you purchase the ribs but the bones are tossed leaving fork tender meat and a delicious earthy sauce. I like to serve the leftover wine not used in the recipe with the meal so choose something you enjoy drinking.

Braised Short Ribs

Serves 4

• 5 – 6 pounds bone-in short ribs (preferably grass-fed)
• sea salt and pepper
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 Tablespoon anchovy paste
• 1/2 bottle red wine
• 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes (BPA free cans such as Eden Foods)
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon coconut aminos
• 1 portabello mushroom, diced
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped (fresh or dried)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 large spring rosemary, leaves chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• chicken stock or water
• fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
• cauliflower puree

1. Preheat the oven to 35o degrees F. Season the ribs with sea salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Brown the ribs in batches for 2-3 minutes per side. Set aside. Pour out all the fat from the pot other than 1 tablespoon, then saute the onion, carrots and celery until soft. Add the garlic and stir.
2. Create a well in the center of the pot, moving the vegetables to the side. Add the tomato and anchovy paste, stirring until caramelized, then stir into the vegetables. Add the red wine to deglaze the pan and cook until the wine has reduced by 1/2. Add tomatoes, mustard, coconut aminos, mushrooms and herbs.
3. Place the vegetables into a slow cooker and add the ribs. Fill the pot, nearly covering the ribs with chicken stock or water. Turn the slow cooker to low for 5 hours or high for 1 1/2 hours, low for 2 1/2. The ribs should be fall apart tender.
4. Remove the ribs from the liquid and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Scoop most of the fat from the top and discard. Puree the sauce with a hand held immersion blender. Pull the meat from the bones, discard the bones and fat, add the meat back to the sauce. Serve over cauliflower puree.

Cauliflower Puree

Serves 4

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons cream or full fat yogurt (or dairy alternative)
• sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

1. In a large pot, add the chicken broth and cauliflower and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and steam the cauliflower for 10 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and place the cauliflower into a food processor fitted with an S blade. Puree until smooth. Add the butter, sea salt and pepper and cream and blend again until the cauliflower is smooth and creamy.