I wanted a more complex potato side dish for a special steak dinner I was making for our anniversary. I came across the concept of “punched” potatoes traditional to Portugal. While standard potatoes are usually used, I tried it with sweet potatoes and loved the results.

One time when I was making halwa, I noticed that I didn't have enough carrots, nor did I have any pumpkin purée which I often use in combination with the carrot to do this recipe. I had some extra cooked quinoa kicking around and thought I would see if it would work.

I wanted a higher protein, plant-based dip for a carb-up that doesn't use chick peas or beans that require soaking ahead of time. Whipping up tofu gives a similar consistency to Greek yogurt when combined with a non-dairy milk, so I made that the base the added roast beetroot for flavour and colour.