You, me, four ingredients (!) and a bottle of wine, sound like a good date?
In honour of love, post valentines day love, I challenge YOU to make these for someone just.because.
Yeah, I’m a bit of a rebel…
I’m also a little sugar addict, yes I try and make healthy-er treats, but I know a sugar is a sugar is a sugar. Time for a little spring cleaning here soon folks. Whole 3o time? Perhaps I’ll wait it out see if it snows one last time, I’m guess it will, and I’m guessing cupcakes will be in order to quell those winter-almost-spring doldrums. Any plans for spring cleansing? Is it even spring yet?
These little truffles of love are absolutely the creamiest most closest thing to eating pure nutella out of the jar that you can get. Except that I didn’t actually use nutella, as it’s filled with a whole bunch of questionable ingredients.
Instead I started with making a butter from roasted hazelnuts and when it got really smooth and creamy I added melted dark chocolate and some coconut cream, a little bit of raw honey to sweeten the deal. Easy right? You could make this post valentines treat for your lover, your neighbour, your cat…okay maybe not your cat, in about 30 minutes. Ta da!
Oh and if you want something a little more involved but still reminiscent of eating nutella out of the jar, check out my homemade ferrero rochers, or better yet my homemade nutella!
2 C roasted hazelnuts, ½ C crushed and reserved for coating the truffles
¾ C dark chocolate, melted over a double boiler
3 Tbs coconut cream or milk
1 Tbs raw honey
Instructions
In a high powered blender or food processor, blend the hazelnuts until smooth and creamy, you may have to scrape the sides throughout.
Add coconut cream and honey to melted chocolate and incorporate.
In a large bowl combine hazelnut butter with chocolate mixture and pop in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
When the mixture is workable but not too soft, scoop 1 Tbs onto a piece of parchment and roll into a ball, coat with extra crushed hazelnuts and repeat.
Let the truffles set in the fridge for an hour or so before indulging.
So…it’s almost the official day where we celebrate all things love with all things high fructose corn syrup.
I gotta say I’m a bit of a cynic when it comes to V-day, I mean really roses and chocolates on one day of the year?! Hallmark and cheap candy and so much PINK, bleh.
But at the same time I can’t help but use any excuse to make treats, and I do have fond memories of scooby doo and smurf valentine cards from 12 year old boys making my heart go pitter patter way back when. My momma would always give us sweet little cards too, which was really sweet. I think I’ll carry on that valentines tradition and just skip the cinnamon hearts and those weird chalk memo hearts, sorry but…those are nasty.
Any excuse to make a sexy meal is great news too, I love how people get all into the juicy steaks and fancy lobster dinners. But again, these should really be a common occurrence, in a perfect world. I love this roundup of super lovey dovey meals to please your man that the lovely Elizabeth at three beans on a string compiled, check ’em out here.
If you want a special little treat without any weird corn syrup solids and all that junk, give these raw creamy chocolate tarts with caramel hazelnut crust, god that’s a mouthful, but they are so freaking good I didn’t want to skip any points in the description. My winter sweet tooth is the worst, the lack of fresh salads over time translates into a deep craving for all things chocolate. These are worth it, and one little tart is plenty to satisfy, if you have the will power to have just one. These are no bake, but not completely raw unless you opt to use raw hazelnuts, in which case, soak for 6 hours before hand. I used roasted hazelnuts, but I still say they’re raw tarts, as you don’t have to bake them (please forgive me rawtarians).
Raw Creamy Chocolate Tarts with Caramel Hazelnut Crust
Author: Chantelle
Serves: 12
Ingredients
¾ C date paste or mejool dates,pitted
1 C roasted or raw hazelnuts, if raw soak for 6 hrs. prior to using
½ tsp sea salt
1 C raw cashews, soaked for 6hrs.
1 Tbs+2 Tbs coconut oil
2 Tbs coconut butter
2 Tbs raw honey or maple syrup
2 Tbs water
1 raw chocolate bar or ½ C chocolate chips, melted over a double boiler.
Instructions
In a blender or food processor add hazelnuts, dates,one Tbs coconut oil and salt, pulse until thoroughly combined.
Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers and scoop about 1 Tbs mixture into each, press crust down evenly.
Rinse out your blender or food processor and add drained cashews, 2 Tbs coconut oil, coconut butter, honey and water. Blend on high until super smooth.
Top each tart with a dollop (tsp) melted chocolate
Allow tarts to set for 2hrs. before indulging, if you can wait that long!
3.2.2885
How do you feel about valentines day? I hope you all get smothered with love, hugs and kisses, but I hope that for you everyday!
I can’t believe I’ve never posted this recipe as it’s a steadfast staple in our house. Some would refer to this breakfast pizza as a frittata, but I think breakfast pizza just sounds better and feels more fun. I usually make these on days where something a little more special is in order, it’s perfect when you have friends over for brunch.
The ingredients are highly variable, I usually just throw in whatever is on hand, some sort of meat is always nice but these breakfast pizzas are lovely with just pure veg. A sprinkle of your favourite cheese on top and a pop under the broiler et voila. Skip the cheese if you’re not into it, it’s hardly needed with a flavourful dish as this.
I must say this mornings breakfast pizza fuelled me for a die of to do list accomplishments and motivation to, erm, clean the bathroom. Everyones most hated chore, I’m sure… Nothing like a great breakfast to set the pace for your entire day. Pretty sure the littles would adore eating anything related to pizza for breakfast, right? Give it a go and lemme know!
Jalapeno Chicken Breakfast Pizza with Sweet Potato Crust
Author: Chantelle
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 Tbs bacon fat or coconut oil
1 large sweet potato, grated
½ red or white onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp sea salt
1 C cooked chicken, chopped
6 eggs, combined
1 C grated aged cheddar or other cheese (optional)
2 green onions, finely chopped (for garnish)
raw slices of red onion (for garnish)
slices of lime
Instructions
Heat a medium sized skillet, melt the oil or fat and add onion and jalapeño, when the onion is starting to brown, add grated sweet potato and cover for 5 minutes on med-low.
Stir the sweet potato and add in smoked paprika and salt. Cover again and turn heat a little higher to get a crispy golden crust.
Sprinkle chicken over the cooked sweet potato and pour the egg mixture over top, tilting the pan around so the egg layer is even.
Cover and let the egg cook for about 3 minutes.
Turn on the broiler in your oven, top with grated cheese and place under the broiler for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and the eggs are fully cooked.
Serve with fresh green and red onion and a piece of lime to squeeze over top (it's really good!)
I really think your going to thoroughly enjoy this creation, my friends. Seriously, if apple pie walked into a bar, met a caramel apple, fell in love, these bars would be their babies. Yep, that’s my best analogy of the day, except these babies are a million times easier and way healthier than either of the latter apple treats.
So if you like easy, delicious, high protein treats, without any added sugar you’ve come to the right place.
The base for these bars is really similar in texture to a thick chewy caramel. I’m curious if I could somehow maguiver it around a whole apple and stick a twig in it for paleo friendly caramel apples. This invention just might have to happen.
Yesterday I went for a long drive to the neighbouring village to visit some friends. There’s a dead zone where no radio stations work and I drove in sweet stillness enjoying a crisp fresh apple. Grateful for the moment of quiet and peace with the solitary sounds of a crunching orchestra of sweet and refreshing delight. I don’t know about you, but this is the time of year where I start craving fresh fruit, dreaming of plump berries freshly picked, and sweet juicy peaches. Apples will have to do for now, as none of those luscious fruits are any good out of season. Groundhog says 6 more weeks of winter, we’re almost there, before you know it this blogs pages will be brimming with juicy fruits and vibrant greens!
Until then, enjoy the delightful sweetness of an apple enveloped in this caramel goodness, yum.
Oh God, I gave my baby sugar, have I created a monster?
I was enjoying one of these delicious cookies and he was screaming his face of with jealousy, I just had to give him some, and after that he was as content as could be.
Truth is, no one can resist cookies like these, there’s no measuring, no dough sitting in the fridge for an hour before you can use it. Literally you just throw 4 or 5 ingredients together (depends whether you want chocolate or not) and presto, chewy, rich and moist cookies. I’m not much of a traditionalist baker so these types of cookies are totally my thang.
Making almond butter is really easy, and can save quite a bit of money considering how expensive it can be, especially organic. I always buy raw nuts in bulk quantities to make things more affordable. Good food can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. You can easily make any nut butters in a good food processor, but I’ve got a vita-mix so that’s what I’m going off, the trick to making smooth almond butter in the vitamix is to not process too many almonds at one time. Around a cup of roasted almonds is usually all I do in the blender or it tends to overheat and shut down.
Spread raw almonds on a baking tray and roast until golden and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Toss them around the pan at the midpoint so they don't burn.
When the almonds have cooled, add half to the vitamix and blend until you achieve a coarse mealy texture. Add salt.
Next you'll want to keep the vitamix on just below medium speed and use your plunger to push the almond meal down the sides until you start to get a really smooth butter. The longer you blend the smoother your butter will be. Repeat as many times as needed for however many batches you want to make. Roughly 2 cups raw almonds will equate to about a cup of almond butter.
There you have it, pretty easy and definitely better than store-bought. Isn’t it the worst when you buy almond butter and you can tell its been sitting on the shelves for a little too long, major bummer. Plus the smell of roasted nuts is almost as great as the smell of freshly baked cookies.
Reinventing the wheel is fun, I really enjoy creating new versions of an old classic in my kitchen laboratory. Has it been done before? Maybe. But for me, it’s new, it came out of my imagination and this is how all great things were born!
Oh my, I’m getting a little carried away. Most new creations occur for me because of this- I hate when food goes to waste, it gets under my skin and I feel horribly guilty and terrible every single time I have to throw food in the compost (hey, at least its going back to the earth). This repugnance to wastefulness all started when I travelled to India and saw just how little people live off, and oh how those living in poverty cherish even the smallest morsel. Arriving back to Canada, broke ass and needing a job asap I worked in a high end restaurant as a server (though my heart is in the kitchen). The amount of food left on plates destined for a fate in the trash can (of course, no compost) it was really gut wrenching. Though probably illegal, I would have my own little doggy back which I would take home,ahem, for my dog. I didn’t last very long and after this embraced cooking over serving, with my trusty compost bucket always at my side.
The moral of the story.
The kale in the fridge was getting past its prime and my brain wanted to make curry for dinner. Don’t get me wrong I love kale…sometimes…but I didn’t want any leafyness in the curry, I wanted smooth and creamy luxuriousness sans leaf. Palak Paneer is one of my favourite indian dishes, if you aren’t familiar, paneer is a type of indian cottage cheese and its cooked with curried creamed spinach, the texture and satisfaction this dish brings makes it a beloved classic. This creamy kale and chicken curry basically emulates the texture of palak paneer but instead of paneer chunks I’ve used chicken. If you’re fully paleo you can omit the heavy cream and cream cheese and opt for coconut cream, the result isn’t quite as rich but deliciousness nonetheless.
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tbs bacon fat or coconut oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs garam masala
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 bunch of kale, roughly chopped (remove the stems for a smoother sauce)
¼ C cream cheese
¼ C heavy cream OR omit dairy for ½ C coconut cream
½ tsp sea salt
Instructions
In a large skillet melt fat and add onion, ginger and garlic to simmer, when onions are translucent add cumin seeds and garam masala, let this cook together for a few minutes on med.
Add the chicken to the skillet and cover for a few minutes.
Put a pot of water on with a steamer preferably for the kale. Steam until just tender but still bright green, about 3 minutes.
Puree the steamed kale in a blender or food processor with the cream or coconut cream.
Add to the skillet and stir in cream cheese until melted if your using it.
Salt and enjoy alone or with basmati rice, coriander and plain yogurt.
3.2.2885
And remember kids, don’t let your eyes be bigger than your belly, tee hee.
I don’t know, am I alone in this? Does wasting food grate your nerves like it does mine? I know those of us with kiddos are probably frustrated about this. What do yo think?
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.
