WordPress informs me, that it is our 6 year anniversary! What better occasion for such a divine little cardamom plum and berry tart such as this. I’ve really only been actively blogging for closer to 6 months, but the intention has always been there, I was just too shy all those years. Now here I am, baring it all, showing the world my gluten-free delights and stories about baby poo. They say the magic happens right outside your comfort zone, which strikes a chord on my heart strings. My imagination has doubled in size since I started Naked Cuisine, I’m always dreaming up the next best recipe to make your tastebuds smile. So thanks for reading, it makes me really happy 🙂
Today’s recipe is inspired by my friend Irene who I got to see today for the first time in years, it was really fun catching up, life changes so quickly but reconnecting with old friends always feels like no times passed at all. I remembered her love for cardamom, a spice which I don’t use much anymore because of J’s distaste for it. However, he is mad. Cardamom is a little green gem of deliciousness, the worlds third most expensive spice by weight only outdone by vanilla and saffron. The most amazing spices always have such brilliant flowers. You’d almost think this delicious tart was inspired by the cardamom flower, a striking resemblance. Some sort of subliminal affair.
“Flower of cardamom” by Reji Jacob
If you don’t have access to saskatoon berries you can substitute blueberry and even just use all plums. I really like a silky smooth, almost jam like filling so I strained the plums in a cheesecloth, feel free to skip this step if you like the tart peel and seeds of the berries.
1 C fresh or frozen berries (saskatoon, blueberry or blackberry)
3 Tbs coconut sugar
8 cardamom pods, seeds removed and crushed OR 1 tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ C toasted coconut (optional)
Instructions
Add plums and berries to a saucepan and cover on low for about 5 minutes.
Add coconut sugar,vanilla and cardamom and leave to simmer for another 5 minutes.
In a food processor or high-powered blender add almonds, raisins,salt and coconut oil. Blend until mixture is thick and uniform.
Press crust evenly in a springform pan ideally or a pie dish, coming up about an inch on the side of the pan. Set aside.
In your blender or using a hand blender puree the plums and berries. Push through a cheese cloth and combine the strained liquid with 2 Tbs coconut oil.
Spread the plum sauce evenly on your crust and place in the fridge to set for at least an hour.
Top with toasted coconut flakes.
3.2.1311
Happy to be a member of the rebel score over at fight back fridays on the food renegade, check it out!
The title for this entry could have been really long. Like it could have been miso ginger sesame marinated grilled eggplant and zucchini with vegetable fried rice, because that’s what it is for real. But it sounds a bit daunting and I certainly don’t want to scare anyone off, because you should make this dish. Even if you don’t love eggplant, you will love eggplant marinated in other delicious tastes. Eggplant is akin to a sponge, it just soaks up whatever you immerse it in, making for a versatile little vegetable. It’s beauty epitomizes the nightshade family, that deep purple skin which makes eggplant the most gothic and mysterious of vegetables (ahem, I mean fruit). For many years I feared this mysterious creature, but now I embrace its dark allure, in all of it’s variations.
Strips of grilled yellow zucchini make this dinner plate appear as night and day and since you’re going to be left with quite a bit of tasty marinade, you may as well make fried rice and call it a meal. A very vegan friendly, garden spotlight of a meal.
You can’t go wrong with a 2 in 1 sauce, you could even mix in a bit more oil and use it as a salad dressing, but the fried rice is smashing alongside grilled veggies.
We brought a few things to our new place and tried to go camping the other day. Our spot ended up being full so we slept on the floor of our new home. Days later, still sore, I got into some familiar old yoga poses today alongside baby Mavi. Of course it didn’t last long and I ended up blowing zerberts and nursing the voracious bean sprout little peanut ( I know my pet names all have to do with food :P). Which got me thinking about dedication. How many things can you truly be dedicated to at once? There was a time when I was passionately dedicated to my yoga practice, and in my heart I know I will get back to that someday. The replacement is more important and the dedication deeper when it comes to my little man. It doesn’t matter so much where our devotion lies, more so that it exists, that there is something we pour our soul into expecting nothing in return. This zeal is what makes life worth living, and we all have our different callings, our dedication grows with ardor in an ideal world. Can you imagine if we all got to live our lives based on what we care most about, if money were no object. What would you do? I think I would grow food, and host large dinner parties every weekend for all to enjoy, you’re invited 🙂
Mix together coconut amino or tamari, sesame oil, sesame seeds, honey or sugar, miso and ginger.
Add eggplant and zucchini to a ziploc bag and add marinade. Let this sit for 1 hour to overnight.
Heat for grill to 425F, grill pieces of eggplant and zucchini 3 minutes per side.
For the fried rice
Cook basmati in 2 cup water or as per instructions on the bag.
In a wok or large frying pan add sesame oil and onion, when the onion starts to brown add the egg and scramble, add vegetables and half of marinade. Cover and let the veggies steam for a few minutes.
Add rice and the rest of marinate, mix it all up and raise the heat to high for 2 minutes to finish and evaporate any excess moisture. Garnish with chopped basil.
Summer is the season to invent delicious new salad dressings. The bounty of veg is just too much to stick with the go-to “salad hug”, everything needs to be complimented, just so. Bring out the best of those juicy little cherry tomatoes, a little salty zing to that fresh cucumber, a breath of fresh air to those beets that’ve been underground, until now. It can’t hurt to add a touch of good asiago or parmesan cheese to the mix, something about balsamic just begs to be indulged with cheese. Roasted sunflower seeds are your ally when it comes to making something amorphous taste rich and full. This recipe for creamy sunflower seed balsamic dressing is vegan (if you don’t put cheese in your salad!) and paleo but you’d never know it, for real. It’s a trick of a dressing that even the pickiest child should love.
Colorful salad components will vary based on what’s in your fridge. Mine consisted of kale, baby lettuce greens, shredded beets & carrot, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, quick pickled radish and asiago cheese. It was gooooood. The next day I had just a big bunch of greens with this creamy balsamic and an egg on top, yum. The recipe makes 500mL or 16 oz. worth of dressing, which lasts for quite a few salads. Unless your like me and enjoy more dressing than actual vegetables sometimes…
Yesterday was a little trip to our new home in Kaslo. Things I noticed: everyone was fishing- this is a good sign, the neighbours across the street had a visitor who road their horse over and tied it up beside the front door (we should go back to that mode of transport, how fun would that be), people like babies (phewf) and basically the best view from a swing set on the planet (wish we had a photo), there are plenty of medicinal and edible plants everywhere. Looking forward to nestling in to a gem of a place.
1/2 C water (maybe a bit less depending on how thick you want the dressing)
generous amount of fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
Heat a skillet on high for about 1 minute, turn the heat to low and add sunflower seeds to the pan, let them get nice and brown, this only takes a few minutes, make sure to stir them around so they're all evenly toasted.
Allow the seeds to cool.
Add all ingredients except water to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, adding water as you go to achieve the desired consistency.
Nom nom nom, these bars will blow your mind with textural supremacy! They are like a raw nanaimo bar, without all the junk. Seriously, they’re so loaded with goodness that you won’t even need more than one. Well, maybe just one more. Raw treats are my thang, especially in summer when the house is already an inferno oven. We just pack a few of these to the beach everyday and we’re good to go.
Ahh that beach, we are so fortunate to live within steps of the Slocan River, it’s a place most people come to vacation. All day long we bask in the sun and swim in the eddy, watching the various drifters floating down on tubes with cases of beer in tow. The float is about 3 hours, going through a few rapids but mostly calm, peaceful waters to guide you along. I haven’t gone this year, pretty sure it’s frowned upon to bring a 5 month old baby on a float down the river, but he really does love the water! Last night I dreamt that baby rolled off a table, ah the lovely dreams of a new momma.
For the crust: Melt all the coconut oil in a double-boiler or small saucepan if you aren't desiring a fully raw product. In a blender or food processor add almonds, coconut flakes, ½ C of coconut oil, 2 Tbs cacao and the dates or raisins. Process until mixture is thick and well blended, use a tamper in your blender to make sure it's evenly mixed.
In a 9x13 inch baking dish, spread a layer of crust mixture evenly and pop this into the fridge while you make the cream layer.
Wash out your blender or food processor and add to it the drained cashews, ¼ C coconut oil, ¼ C coconut sugar or honey, lemon juice, water and salt. Blend until super creamy and smooth.
Layer this creamy mix over top of the crust and pop it back in the freezer while you make the ganache.
Mix together 2 Tbs cacao, with ¼ C coconut sugar and ¼ C of the melted coconut oil. Pour the ganache over top of the creamy layer and pop it in the fridge or freezer for at least an hour before cutting and serving.
3.2.1311
Real food rules! Check out more awesome tip & tricks and recipes on fight back friday.
You had me at golden beets, darling. Rare gems which only show themselves for such a short window of time. They overwhelm me with their golden hue, to be turned into a multitude of lip-smacking creations. I want to shred them to top my salads, juice them to give me zesty energy, slice them thinly to show their stripes to the world, roast them and allow their sweetness to burst forth. Since I only had 3 golden beauties, I chose the latter option, because roasted beets alone are wonderful, but combined with roasted cauliflower to form a perfect summer golden beet soup, they really shine. Hot or cold, this soup is divine, I served it chilled since it was such a hot day and we enjoyed it with bumble berry BBQ sauce smothered roast chicken, which was really something. This super simple soup has side effects of: contentment, you are what you eat syndrome, and sunshine spewing out your every orifice. Ok maybe not that last one.
Stunning, right? If your ever wondering what to do with beet greens, well you’ve come to the right place. Just a few ideas…
Lightly steamed with some butter, salt, pepper and lemon
Stir fried in sesame oil and copious amounts of sesame seeds
Blended into a nourishing smoothie with berries, banana and yogurt
Finely chopped and fried with garlic to stuff a piece of chicken or an omelette
Raw in salads
And now, a tiny monologue…for any friends who care to hear my life ponderings.
What I’m realizing lately, is that everything gets better with practice. From taking care of a baby to communicating effectively in our relationships to photography, to washing the dishes. The parallel of practice is change. We can never stop practicing, because we and all things around us are constantly changing. One hurdle may be overcome but the natural progression of things simply brings us to the next obstacle. Natures design for our elevation, also exists to humble. I’ll take a piece of that pie, and come to realize that we are always learning, growing, shrinking, changing, and it’s okay if some lessons take time. Sometimes I think it’s not good enough, I need to be better. But I stop and ask the question, am I doing my best? Is that not all I can ever do? Yes, that’s all we can do, and everything, in time, gets easier.
I’m grateful to have this blog, this space, to write and share my passions with all of you lovely readers. Le sigh, life is good.
Ps. This pesto is great with scrambled eggs, zucchini noodles, or with some lemon and olive oil for a proper salad dressing.
Golden Beet & Cauliflower Soup with Parsley Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Author: Chantelle
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
3 golden beets, cut into 1 inch chunks
½ a head of cauliflower, broken into florets
2 carrots
½ tsp sea salt
some fresh cracked pepper
1 tsp+1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 cup coconut milk
1½ cups water
½ tsp tumeric
bunch of parsley, stalks removed
4 small garlic cloves or 2 bigger ones
½ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup olive oil
1 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F
In a roasting pan combine the beets, cauliflower and carrots coat with 1 tsp sesame oil and salt + pepper. Toss to coat. Roast for 30 mins.
In a blender or food processor add pumpkin seeds, parsley, garlic, olive oil and sesame seeds and blend until well combined. Set mixture aside.
Add the roasted vegetables to your blender or food processor with coconut milk, water and turmeric, process until you achieve a smooth and creamy soup.
Top with pesto, fresh cracked pepper and sesame seeds.
Yeah I know it sounds weird and sort of nasty but trust me, my friends, these sweet potato brownies are sooooo good! Believe me, I was skeptical, I’m one of those people that thinks marshmallows on mashed sweet potatoes is a thanksgiving abomination. However, the old saying rings true, what ever grows together, goes together. Yams and cacao come from the same places and they mingle just beautifully. You will be able to fool your homies with these stellar, moist and healthy brownies. Instead of sugar we are using naturally sweet dates and no need for heavy cream and butter because the smooth sweet potatoes cover that department too.
A cool wind blew through the mountains today, carrying memories of those long days spent wondering what the wind was. I crunched some leaves as I sat beside the river and remembered my affinity for such things, simple pleasures. Memories of this wind only brought me back to a simple time where the future and the past didn’t exist. I look at my baby boy, and I remind myself constantly, all I have is this moment, this moment is all I have. When my nose floats over his head and catches that most sweet smell. It won’t last forever, he won’t let me smell his head when he’s a grown man, or maybe he will if I do a good job.
I am doing a good job in life, if I can taste every bite, without worrying what the next bite is going to taste like.
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.
