I really wasn’t sure what to name this deliciously multi faceted concotion of mine. Originally I wanted to follow in my ma’s footsteps and make traditional sloppy joes for Halloween (she used to make little pepper faces on the buns for us-so cute). The dilemma was that I didn’t want the whole bun deal. So of course the yams come in, caramelized yam slices soak up sloppy sweet spicy beef pretty well. But it was still incomplete, the messy appeal of a sloppy joe was lacking, so I created these crispy thin flatbreads that work wonders as makeshift utensils. Top that with fresh roasted salsa verde, avocado and colourful rainbow chard and you’ve got yourself a pretty classy dish, a sloppy jane indeed with a south of the border flare.
Happy Halloween! I dressed up as the cat in the hat, J wore a creepy mask and baby Mav was a little skeleton, we had our own dance party to Whitney Houston, the monster mash and Fresh Prince of Bel Air. J threatened to tape my singing ‘I will always love you’ so that our future kin can laugh at my desperate quaking voice. I so wish I could sing like Whitney. I wrapped a bunch of mini homemade oh henry bars for the trick or treaters but alas, no little princesses and vampires came a knockin’. I guess our place is a little out of the way, but it’s our first Halloween here so I wanted to have treats just in case. Oh well, they certainly won’t go to waste.
Preheat oven to 400F, Line a baking tray and place the sweet potatoes and tomatiollos on the tray. Bake for 40 minutes.
In a large skillet melt fat or oil and add onion and garlic, cook until the onion starts to turn golden.
Add chile, chipotle and beef. As the beef starts to cook, raise the heat and add the molasses, stir on high for 2 minutes and turn heat to low.
Add in worcester sauce,oregano,cumin,chili powder and salt. Cover and let simmer on low.
To make the salsa verde, take the roasted tomatillos and add them to a blender or food processor, in addition to one clove garlic, lime, and cilantro. Blend on high and set aside.
Combine Tapioca flour, coconut flour, water, cumin and salt until smooth, it should be quite thin.
Heat a frying pan with a bit of your favourite cooking fat or oil, dropping about ⅛th C mixture into the pan and swirling the batter around the pan each time for small little flatbreads. They take about 2 min. per side to get nice and crispy. Repeat until finished.
Remove yams from the oven and sprinkle with a tsp cane sugar, turn oven to broil and brown the tops for a few minutes.
To assemble, arrange yams around the edge, sloppy in the middle, and all the fix ins around the edges of your bowl.
A few years back I stopped watching television, it’s a time suck and I hate all the ads. But I still can’t help myself from watching cooking shows on you tube, and as you may be able to tell from the name of my website Naked Cuisine, Jamie Oliver, the original naked chef, is my all time super fave 10 year ongoing crush and inspiration. I’ve though about doing a Julie and Julia, momofukufor2-esque blog with only Jamies recipes, you never know, maybe someday. The other day I caught up on Jamie’s Ministry of Food show, where he highlights super simple recipes for people who may not think they are very good cooks. I never fail to learn a thing or two, really who needs cooking school when you’ve got the food network, especially with Heston’s new show, all the best shows seem to come out of Britain for some reason.
I wish all my favourite food bloggers had cooking shows, it would be so cool to see people in their home kitchens working their magic. I love the little videos that Green Kitchen Stories puts out and Perennial Plate travelling the world. What are some of your favourite cooking shows? Do you prefer reading food blogs and looking at photos over food video? Someone contacted me recently about a new iPhone app they wanted me to try where you make little cooking videos and post them a food gawker for video type website. I had to decline since I’m likely one of the last people on the planet without a cell phone. We actually just moved from an area where there wasn’t even service. They were going to put a cell tower on our friends land but there was massive revolt and hardcore hippies uttering death threats so I think they put a pause on the project.
This chicken is absolutely simple, perfectly cooked every time, and pretty classy too. It’s really easy to whip up the whole lot in under 20 minutes with a nice fresh salad. If you want to watch Jamie cook up prosciutto parmesan chicken check it out here. The method for perfectly cooked chicken is to make the chicken breast or thigh equally thick by bashing it under plastic with a rolling pin or other heavy object. It cooks a lot faster that way and comes out perfectly juicy every time.
4 boneless, skinless free range chicken thighs or breasts
½ C parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tbs olive oil
fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
Place one piece of chicken at a time in a ziploc bag, bash it with a rolling pin a few times so that it has an even thickness.
Lightly sprinkle parmesan on one side of the chicken pieces. Cover with layers of prosciutto so that the cheese is protected.
Heat a frying pan with a bit of oil, when its nice and hot put the chicken in, prosciutto side down and cook for 3-3½ minutes per side over med-high heat.
Aloha homies, I’m really excited today, I got to share an article on Real Foodies of my top 1o most affordable super foods. If you’ve ever checked out the super foods section at your local health food store you’ll know many of those rare earth delicacies don’t come cheap. But fear not, even if you don’t have elk antler velvet in the budget there are plenty of affordable, amazing super foods that have just as many superpowers.
Is pulled pork a superfood? Well I sorta think so, it sure gives you heaps of protein and energy. I’d never made it until a few weeks ago, we had a housewarming party and I made these pulled pork lettuce wraps and they were a hit. So I made them again and I wanted to share with you guys, I do realize my posts have been pretty ‘meaty’ lately…I hope you don’t mind. I will bring a little more balance to the table very soon, paleo brownie bites anyone? The pulled pork recipe comes from momofuku, slightly altered and the homemade bbq sauce is my own creation. We also made little gluten-free pizzas with the leftovers and they were superb with a nice glass of red wine. There’s something really therapeutic about shredding pork, I just can’t put my finger on it. P.S. The balance of easiness to deliciousness with this just topples, its SO easy and you could totally do without the BBQ sauce for an even easier take, but seriously would you want to?
Rub down your pork butt with the salt and sugar, let it sit 6hrs or overnight.
When your ready to cook it, brush off excess salt and sugar, preheat oven to 300F and let the pork cook for about 6 hrs. or until it's tender and pull able.
Turn oven up to 500F, remove the pork and sprinkle with ¼ C additional sugar for a crunchy caramelized crust. Return to oven for 10 minutes
Using 2 forks just tear in to that bad boy, rip it all up, smother it in BBQ sauce and plunk it into a crunchy lettuce leaf.
To make the BBQ sauce: Add fat, onion and garlic to a hot skillet and cook until slightly browned.
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. For a really smooth BBQ, you could blend it all up with a touch of stock or water. This makes about 1 C worth of sauce for smothering on your pulled pork.
Lets be real, I like curry any time of year, but there is something extra grand about a rich, full bodied Thai curry when the snappy weather starts to hit. Especially one with juicy ginger infused meatballs and creamy coconut chile lemongrass gravy. Dull cloudy days call for meals like these, with some pillowy jasmine rice, or if your weird like us, leftover Thanksgiving mashed potatoes. Unfortunately there was no turkey on the thanksgiving scene, since 2 people and a baby hardly qualifies for turkey feasting, a humble roast chicken gladly took its place. Though I suppose the real Canadian Thanksgiving is today, so technically we celebrate all that we are grateful for with this divine Red Thai Meatball Curry, and I tell you, it is worthy! Um, and guess what, on a side note, I built a table, yes the one beneath this meatball wonder meal. The only other thing I’ve ever built was a birdhouse, when I was 10. I think I may just have a new obsession, the chop saw, the gratification of slicing doesn’t end at vegetables, oh no, wood is just as fun. Building things is my new favourite fall activity, It’s surprisingly gratifying. Plans for a boot rack, bedside table and bookshelves are officially in the works.
7 Remedies For the Autumn Blues
Tea- drink tea, under a tree and watch the leaves fall to the ground on their way to becoming fertile soil for the oxygen giant to continue growing.
Snuggles- Find your lover, friend, child, cat or dog and cozy up under a warm blanket. There’s nothing like a good cuddle for boosting oxytocin (the love hormone) and making you feel a zillion times better.
Have a piece of pie- Welcome to pie season, where the apples and pumpkins almost seem to bake themselves. Even if you don’t normally make pie, try! This paleo pumpkin cheesecake looks epic!! (even though it’s not pie…)
Soak up the sun- Even though it’s a little more chilly out, it’s still important to get outside and absorb as much sunshine vitamin as you can. This is the time of year when our Vit.D banks are starting to dwindle, with shorter days and less skin exposed it might be a good idea to start supplementing.
Reflect- Autumn is a great time for reflection, look back on the last year and jot down what your grateful for, ways you want to improve, favourite moments from the last year. Don’t be critical of yourself, instead shift into a positive place where you can see that everything happened for a reason (even if you don’t know it yet).
Listen to the tunes you forgot about all summer- Or try an awesome playlist on songza, spine tingling piano serenades, celestial love, so many good ones.
Make some comforting curry and infuse your house with good smells!
I almost called this recipe Pate Chinois, which is the Quebecois equivalent to Shepherd’s Pie that I grew up eating at least once a week. Of course a rare few would know what I’m talking about, and really this comforting casserole is more than Pate Chinois, and more than Shepherd’s Pie too. It’s loaded with fresh shucked sweet corn, delicata squash,fresh tomatoes, purple potatoes, sage, aged cheddar cheese and tender lamb, all locally procured and stunningly seasonal. Oh I’m in love with purple potatoes, they taste just a little more purple, if that makes any sense! Delicata squash is true to its name, delicate and buttery.
A tale of manifestation…Last night J was talking about how he really wanted a thermos. This morning we awoke to the neighbours clearing out their garage for a yard sale, they were bringing out a BBQ to sell which we jumped on. Totally excited to start making all things grilled! We checked it out and realized it’s a thermos brand BBQ. Moral of the story, be specific with your wishes, however, awesome things happen with non-specificity as well. It’s like asking for a trip to London and suddenly winning a trip to London,Ontario…ha.
We delighted in the wholesome and wholly nourishing Shepherd’s Harvest Pie amongst the giant Maple trees, slowly shedding their leaves. Baby Mav adores leaves, they are his favourite thing in the whole world, no toy could compare. Except maybe the books he is presently pulling off the shelves to chew on. A lot can happen in one year, we’ve moved 5 times, had a baby, started this website and learned a million things in the process. A quote that I love about Autumn;
The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let the dead things go.
Embracing change and growth has never felt so good. How grateful I am to share all of this wonderment with you, life is just filled with magic in the simplest of things. Like a piece of pie, with many hidden treasures.
3 small purple potatoes (or regular), very finely sliced
2 Tbs butter or ghee
⅓ C cream or coconut milk
splash of preferred oil (for frying onions and garlic)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot or white onion, finely chopped
1 lb ground lamb (you could substitute ground beef)
8 sage leaves, finely chopped
2 corn cobs, use a sharp knife to shave off the kernels
½ delicata squash, seeds removed and cubed
4 small tomatoes, sliced
⅓ C finely shredded aged cheddar
1 tsp sea salt
generous amounts of fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F
Boil water and cook the red potatoes until they are really nice and soft.
Heat a skillet and add your oil, onions and garlic, cook until translucent, add ground lamb and sage, cover until lamb is fully cooked.
Drain water from the cooked potatoes, saving a few tablespoons worth. Add butter and cream with a generous amount of sea salt and cracked pepper, stir until smooth.
In a deep casserole dish (I used 8x12) add an even layer of cooked lamb, next add the corn, squash and tomatoes. Cover with mashed potatoes, pressing evenly into all the spaces. Top with a layer of sliced purple potatoes.
Bake at 350 for half an hour.
Add the cheese and broil for a few minutes until nice and golden.
Oh yes, this salad is a rainbow of yum- crunchy, zingy, and super satisfying. There are times when I look in my fridge and think I have nothing and it’s like this separate section of my brain chimes in and goes, but wait, you have cabbage, you have leftover roast chicken, you have sesame seeds and carrots, you have yourself an epic Korean style salad! Have I ever told you how much I love kimchi? It seriously is one of my favourite fermented foods, the delightful umami flavour is hard to compare to anything else. You can buy it at most asian markets and health food stores and if you haven’t tried it I urge you to give it a go. Making it from scratch is a little more involved than a basic ferment like sauerkraut but well worth it! I have a recipe for making your own kimchi here, check it out.
I’m not going to lie…the cabbage you see has been waiting to be used for some time now. Thankfully cabbage lasts a long time, because I tend to use it sparingly. Then there are times when the satisfying crunchy nature of cabbage is the only thing that will do. I like to break it down yo’ by really getting in there and massaging the dressing into it, along with the kimchi, this helps make it easier to digest and really helps the umami flavours work their magic.
2 C cooked chicken torn into bite size pieces (I used leftover roast chicken)
4 C purple cabbage, shredded
4 C napa cabbage, shredded
3 medium size carrots, grated
½ C kimchi
2 Tbs sesame seeds (preferably toasted)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
1 small chile, deseeded and finely chopped, OR 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp lime juice
½ tsp fish sauce
1 tsp tamari or coconut aminos
1 Tbs rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp coconut sugar or honey
1 green onion stalk, finely chopped
2 eggs, fried to your preference (optional)
Instructions
Combine cabbages, carrot,kimchi and sesame seeds in a large bowl and set aside.
Mix together garlic, ginger, chile, lime juice, fish sauce, tamari, rice wine vinegar, olive oil, sesame oil and sugar, whisk together until well slightly emulsified (you could also do this in a blender)
Add half the dressing to cabbage and massage it in with your hands until cabbage starts to soften.
Fry your eggs and warm up your chicken in a frying pan with some of the leftover dressing.
Top with chicken, a fried egg, green onion and a generous drizzle of dressing.
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.
