Here’s the low down: I have fully acknowledge my sugar addiction, it’s there, no more denying it. Partially I blame pregnancy and all the cravings that you easily say yes to because well, obviously, it’s what baby wants! Right? Hm. Well when hormones are all awhirl it’s just hard to say no. Now the lingering sugar addiction is no longer serving us (me and Mavarek hub) – so I’ve decided to do the WHOLE30 and i’m bringing mister “organic gummy bear” junkie aka my partner Jake along for the ride. Not that he’s super stoked about that but I’m the cook and I won’t be catering to his/my forbidden desires during this experiment. C’est la vie, oui?
Ok so for anyone who isn’t familiar with the whole30 dealio here goes. Basically for 30 days we cut out all potential triggers for ill health. That means no sugar (not even honey), no dairy (this will be tricky since we <3 our raw milk), no grains and of course nothing processed full of junky junks. Sounds awesome right?! Just plenty of good quality free-range meats, local organic vegetables, fruits and some nuts, seeds and healthy fats. A chance to quash those addictions that give us the belly gurgles, knix the habits that cause insomnia, and enlighten our minds to see where our attachments lie. That last point being the biggest one. Since we all need to eat to live, there’s a lot of emotions that come along with our nourishment. Comforts, attachments, delights, regrets, it all ties in with our food choices. Practicing a whole foods, clean approach, that really is as close to an ancestral diet as we get in modern times, and can help shed some light on us.
Putting it out there people : Join us if you will on this Whole 30 challenge, you can do it! We can all support each other and I will be posting a whole30 friendly recipe everyday. Starting June 1 lets learn a few things about our whole beings and feel really REALLY good.
The reason I love pizza so much, is because it’s like a blank canvas, where you can create anything you can imagine. Really the combinations are endless, more than any other type of food. I mean, you can’t have fruity pasta, but fruity pizza YUM. Or revamping any ethnic dish to be in pizza form, pad thai pizza, jerk chicken pizza, greek salad pizza. My favourite pizza though is spicy perogi pizza, which is a carb explosion of potatoes and classic pizza dough bathed in spicy goodness and b-b-b-bacon. You never feel too hot afterwards though, it’s one of those meals that leaves you feeling hungover the next day. This pizza problem is alleviated with the invention of this amazing grain and gluten-free pizza dough by The Domestic Man. How’s about you go here for the recipe and to check out his amazing blog laden with wonderful recipes of all healthy varieties. The recipe does contain dairy but you can substitute it with coconut milk and nutritional yeast. I just used a nice raw parmesan and some organic spicy cheddar and my belly felt just fine afterwards.
Todays pizza creation included a smoky yam & bacon version and a truffle, rosemary, oyster mushroom and fresh watercress version.
My first attempt at creating a grain-free, sugar-free, delicious bread to replace our sunflower sourdough. Success! It’s flavourful, moist, pretty dense, soaks up Shakshouka and egg yolk quite nicely. My bread man loved it and it whipped up in a pinch. I think we’re on to something. (more…)
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.
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.
