I have a hard time eating during these hot summer days. It’s all smoothies, kombuchas and coconut water most of the time, until the cool air shows itself after dusk and a feast forms to fill the whole days necessities. Not exactly the healthiest regimen, I know if anything we require extra fuel when the sweat is flowing most of the day. Luckily sugar snap peas are in season, along with broccoli, cucumbers, radish (yes, still rocking the radishes), zucchini, and baby beets! Veggies and dip at the beach, yes please MMM. So any Aussies who can tell me the ingredients in that uber popular forget the name super yummy beet dip? Seriously, I wish x2 that we could get that shiz, but I know I can make it to, if only I remembered the name. This dip creation is equally delicious and full of beautiful bloody red beets, roasted italian ribbed zucchini and salty fresh goat feta. Fresh dill, of course, a beets best friend. This Roasted Beet, Zuchinni and Feta Dip is a gorgeous addition to any spread, happy potluck food, and super easy to eat in the hot sun. Picnic anyone? (more…)
J’s birthday was on Sunday. My passionately strong souled love with the softest cancerian tendencies. Alive another year, every one better than the last. Of course I had to make him deliciously unhealthy foods on his day. Though not terribly unhealthy. We had a fresh abundant salad with a toasted almond and herb vinaigrette, arctic caribou meatballs in a apricot cumin glaze,garlicky hummus and ciabatta,sweet potatoes and this “hot mess” cheesy dip filled with garlic, kale, onion, cherry tomatoes and of course cheesy goodness with fried wonton crisp. To top it all off I made a birthday pie, yes you can do that! J’s always bugging me to make him a berry pie, so I hooked him up with a raspberry-saskatoon-mango butter crust oh.so.yummy. pie!
So back to the hot mess cheesy dip. When we were doing the Whole 30 I stumble upon this recipe at the white on rice couple. Those guys could make a pile of haggis look good they are so talented. This dip was all I wanted in the whole world, it just oozes delicious comfort in its every molecule. Those fresh tomatoes they popped on top YES! Pucker! (As Jamie Oliver would say) I switched up the recipe a touch by adding some garlic and kale, plus I skipped out on the cream cheese and stuck to just monterery jack.
enough cherry tomatoes to plunk on top of your dish
and handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
one package wonton wrapper
1/4 cup sunflower oil for frying
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F
In a oven proof deep baking dish (I used a typical fondue pot) about 6inches in diameter mix together the mayo, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, kale and cheese.
Top with cherry tomatoes and another sprinkling of cheese
Bake for about an hour until the top is golden brown.
For the wonton crisps, heat oil in a frying pan, add wonton wrappers a few at a time, frying until golden. Allow to drain on paper towel. Repeat for as many crisps as you want.
This is a luxurious dip to share with friends and family. Or to just gobble up all on your own, whatever, you only eat cheesy dip once in awhile rightttt? Or maybe cheesy dip is your go to staple food. Who knows. Wouldn’t be so bad would it?
Yesterday our friends gave us a tour of their huge, epic garden. I couldn’t believe the rows of radishes, compared to my little teensy garden space. Then they brought us over to a little nook where wild asparagus was growing. Asparagus is a regal and mighty plant which grows furiously amidst a mash of strong willed weeds. If I had a vegetable puppet show, asparagus would play the intellectual, savvy friend that everybody needs to have.
There was a time when I was a raw vegan, yup, shocker. I’ve always been a bit of an extremist, but that phase didn’t last long. I even took a course to become a certified raw nutritionist. Certainly I gleaned some valuable information, especially when it comes to super foods and herbs. Maybe raw foodism is a bit extreme but there’s no denying it works for some types of people in certain climates. It would be a different story living in Hawaii or Indonesia, but even then, traditional peoples would’ve still eaten some flesh, perhaps raw fish, or wild board. Attaining all the necessary components for a healthy body on a raw food diet is mighty tricky, though it’s easier when you know what your doing. Often people pick up on the fad, think they are doing something great for their health, and in the end become really ill. The same could go for any extreme lifestyle choice. If there isn’t balance, everything topples. There are also circumstances where profound healing of many illnesses, cancers, diabetes and heart disease, just to name a few, can occur when adhering to an organic raw food diet. Dr. Gabriel Cousens at the Tree of Life Centre and Hippocrates Health Institute, offer retreats to cleanse the body of illness with programs designed and guided by professionals. Definitely helpful as things get tricky when you’re the only one in the sailboat. My journey eating raw didn’t last too long, but it was a nice cleansing time where everything is simplified.
Today is just another one of those days where I really shouldn’t be on pinterest looking at any food that isn’t ‘whole 30’. For some reason all I want is a donut. I don’t even eat donuts, unless pregnant. AH! I just don’t want to eat another piece of dried fruit. There’s no sugar in the house aside from a little container of cinnamon sugar that is sounding mighty appealing. Oh dear, I hope this starts getting easier. (more…)
Today I thinned some of the arugula and swiss chard in my garden. The result of this is heaps of delicate, delicious little gems also known as ‘micro greens’. These are the epitome of cute vegetables. One of these, beside my baby boys face and no adorable puppy snuggling a pigeon can compare in cuteness. On top of that, little bitty micro greens make a fine salad, from something most people toss to the side! The radishes were also ready for harvest, big cherry bells full of spice. Purslane starting to crawl it’s across all shady spots, a common weed, filled with succulent omega-3 goodness. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to dig my hands in to the earth. Something in my soul just feels so completed, so content, so filled with wonder and hope for the future. Gardening can seem daunting to some, but I feel it is a really therapeutic and fulfilling use of free time. My dream is to someday have a huge garden with so much extra to give away. That’s what it’s all about, sharing the bounty, spreading the seeds.
Hey I'm Chantelle, my alter ego would be a mermaid if I wasn't such a terrible swimmer. I love writing authentically and cooking in my pyjamas. My favourite pastimes include eating avocados, travelling the world and hanging out with a toddler.
