When I was in India of all places I fell in love with shakshouka. Eggs poached in a spicy, smoky tomato sauce with peppers and mmm. It’s a dish often eaten in Tunisia, Morrocco, Egypt and Israel and there are many variations. From the addition of spicy sausage, to salty local cheeses, potatoes, beans, and on and on. There are some really good versions of the dish in Northern India that I found, so many Israeli people travel there and it is common to see their cuisine mixed in with the local fare. Which is a blessing when you can’t stomach another curry.
Greetings from my the muffin section of my brain, a part that I never knew existed. Until these babies popped into my head, all part of my ploy to coax Jake into eating less goodies. And myself too, though I’ve never been a fan of ‘the muffin’ typically leaving you to feel like a muffin, nor am I a fan of muffin as a term of endearment, nope I’ll stick to buttercup, or sweetikins thanks. However, things are changing, these actually give you energy! They are light yet high in protein and nice and moist. Probably kudos to our fatty friend the avocado. If you want something sweeter you could add a bit more coconut sugar or honey but I think these are just right.
Yesterday was our last day of epic sunshine before a spell of rain will hit for the next week. Luckily we got to spend it playing in the sun and eating a delicious meal with wonderful friends. Giselle, (who you would never believe is a grandma until you hand her your crying baby and he chills right out) she has a pond. In that pond she has an abundance of wild watercress that someone planted there 80 years ago. It’s amazing how one ingredient can excite me so much, it’s like a high, this euphoric excitement that doesn’t dissipate until something worthy of it’s loveliness is created. The cress was all congregated in the middle of the pond impossible to get at. But you know what impossible really means? Giselle sure does, she jumped right in there, up to her waist in gunk, to harvest the coveted plant that made this salad possible. I’m possible.
So this watercress stuff, you may be able to find it at a pond near you. It grows all over the US, southern Canada, Asia most places in Europe. Be sure to only harvest from clean water sources. Here is a good video if you’d like to learn more about this water loving plant.
Watercress has a slightly spicy slightly bitter taste to it so I paired it with some savoury sweetness to mellow things out. Crunchy candied walnuts and pumpkin seeds added good contrast to the cress and red onion kept things zingy. The dressing was a puree of apricot, lemon, parsley and oregano.
5 dried apricots, rehydrated in hot water for about 10 minutes
4 Tbs olive oil
Salt & fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
In a sauce pan combine water and coconut sugar until melted, on low medium heat add nuts and seeds until all water has evaporated and they are enveloped in thick caramel. Take off heat and place onto an oiled plate to cool.
Combine watercress,dandelion,sorrel,celery,cranberries,red onion & avocado in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a blender add oregano,parsley,garlic,lemon juice,apricots, olive oil, salt & pepper and puree until smooth.
Dress salad just before serving. If you have wild violets growing around you they are edible and a beautiful garnish.
I have a real love/hate relationship with kale. Lets just say, there was a time when I overdid it, I mean kale.in.everything. It got old, I couldn’t even bear the sight of it at the end of harvest season, but waste not, want not. Yes, and it was this salad that reunited us and turned it all around. Because kale is big and bold and it needs a creamy tangy counterpart to overtake it. Or else, it can kind of overpower, especially when raw. I recommend thinly slicing the kale into little ribbons so that they are absolutely covered in the creamy caesar goodness. (more…)
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.
