I have a hard time eating during these hot summer days. It’s all smoothies, kombuchas and coconut water most of the time, until the cool air shows itself after dusk and a feast forms to fill the whole days necessities. Not exactly the healthiest regimen, I know if anything we require extra fuel when the sweat is flowing most of the day. Luckily sugar snap peas are in season, along with broccoli, cucumbers, radish (yes, still rocking the radishes), zucchini, and baby beets! Veggies and dip at the beach, yes please MMM. So any Aussies who can tell me the ingredients in that uber popular forget the name super yummy beet dip? Seriously, I wish x2 that we could get that shiz, but I know I can make it to, if only I remembered the name. This dip creation is equally delicious and full of beautiful bloody red beets, roasted italian ribbed zucchini and salty fresh goat feta. Fresh dill, of course, a beets best friend. This Roasted Beet, Zuchinni and Feta Dip is a gorgeous addition to any spread, happy potluck food, and super easy to eat in the hot sun. Picnic anyone? (more…)
Grown up scrambled eggs, Italiano style. Inspired by piles of fresh basil and oregano, a hunk of great chorizo and fresh cheese curds. The seasons first broccoli are out, Italian ribbed zucchini and sweet little baby onions. All of these delights, sautéed in butter, lightly seasoned with black pepper, just allowing the raw flavours of everything to shine. A nice local cheese curd mixed in with slow cooked eggs alongside a pile of summers bounty. Yes please, this perfect breakfast awaits, and it’s way better than an omelette. (more…)
So often I hear people say they can’t afford to eat well. Food becomes a distant priority for many as opposed to mortgages, bills, gasoline…the list goes on. It’s true, the banksters can’t sick collections on you for having an empty stomach. What’s also true is you’ve only been given this one body, and if your healthy, you’re happy, productive, and more equipped to live up to your true potential. But people give up. There’s too much confusion surrounding what’s considered “healthy”. People think products labeled “natural” “low fat” or “sugar free” are healthy solutions – when in reality nothing could be further from the truth.
Lets simplify and put it all in to perspective, eating well doesn’t have to be complicated, you don’t have to break the bank, or be an amazing chef. There are ample solutions to equip anyone with an arsenal of money saving tips and tricks.
Summertime, and the livin is eeeeeasy. Yeah I just planted that ear worm, luckily it’s a groovy tune,. Where to start, life is rolling fast, we are trying to soak up as much sun as humanly possible with a small infant. The little love went on his first camping trip to special Bannock Point over looking the gorgeous Slocan Lake. It was so awesome to swim in the crystal clear fresh water, bask in the hot sun like seals on a rock and sleep under the stars. Not to mention our delicious campfire curry and sweet potato hummus breakfast skillet, soo good. I think we’ll be doing a lot more camping this summer, may as well make the most of being free from work!
Escaping to be in nature is basically an instant zip zap over to my happy place. Even though I live amongst the trees and the bees, it’s exciting to explore the natural beauty near and far.
“We have such a brief opportunity to pass on to our children our love for this Earth, and to tell our stories. These are the moments when the world is made whole. In my children’s memories, the adventures we’ve had together in nature will always exist.”
“Prize the natural spaces and shorelines most of all, because once they’re gone, with rare exceptions they’re gone forever. In our bones we need the natural curves of hills, the scent of chapparal, the whisper of pines, the possibility of wildness. We require these patches of nature for our mental health and our spiritual resilience.”
If you ever want to spoil yourself in the best way possible, take a little trip to one of natures gems and keep it simple. The second best way to spoil yourself is to buy some good chorizo sausage and put it in, um, everything.
These Chorizo & Smoky Salmon “Macos” (a word I may have just made up) are absolutely so darn perfect and lacking NOTHING regardless of that tortilla mumbo jumbo. Savoy cabbage leaves are perfectly sturdy, with a great crunch, but you could also use regular cabbage or swiss chard. If you don’t have chorizo, bacon would be a nice substitute . Crisp radish and zippy red onion are ideal, it’s a beautiful thing when food unites to create perfection.
4-6 savoy cabbage leaves, thick stalks removed and thinly sliced
2 wild sockeye salmon filets
1/4 cup thinly sliced chorizo sausage
1 tsp + 1 tbs coconut oil or bacon fat
1 jalapeño, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
bunch of radishes, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
handful of finely chopped cilantro
a few pieced of smoky gouda (optional)
2 tsp cajun seasoning-
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
liberal amounts of fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
Sprinkle the cajun seasoning and black pepper on salmon filets.
Heat 1 tbs coconut oil or bacon fat in a pan. Add salmon skin side down. Cook for about 3 minutes per side depending on thickness (the ones I used were quite thin)
In another pan heat 1 tsp of oil and add to that the chopped cabbage stalks, jalapeño, garlic and chorizo. Cook until cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes.
Assemble the macos by layering pieces of salmon, chorizo jalapeño mixture, red onion, gouda, radishes and cilantro. Garnish with lime wedges.
J’s birthday was on Sunday. My passionately strong souled love with the softest cancerian tendencies. Alive another year, every one better than the last. Of course I had to make him deliciously unhealthy foods on his day. Though not terribly unhealthy. We had a fresh abundant salad with a toasted almond and herb vinaigrette, arctic caribou meatballs in a apricot cumin glaze,garlicky hummus and ciabatta,sweet potatoes and this “hot mess” cheesy dip filled with garlic, kale, onion, cherry tomatoes and of course cheesy goodness with fried wonton crisp. To top it all off I made a birthday pie, yes you can do that! J’s always bugging me to make him a berry pie, so I hooked him up with a raspberry-saskatoon-mango butter crust oh.so.yummy. pie!
So back to the hot mess cheesy dip. When we were doing the Whole 30 I stumble upon this recipe at the white on rice couple. Those guys could make a pile of haggis look good they are so talented. This dip was all I wanted in the whole world, it just oozes delicious comfort in its every molecule. Those fresh tomatoes they popped on top YES! Pucker! (As Jamie Oliver would say) I switched up the recipe a touch by adding some garlic and kale, plus I skipped out on the cream cheese and stuck to just monterery jack.
enough cherry tomatoes to plunk on top of your dish
and handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
one package wonton wrapper
1/4 cup sunflower oil for frying
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F
In a oven proof deep baking dish (I used a typical fondue pot) about 6inches in diameter mix together the mayo, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, kale and cheese.
Top with cherry tomatoes and another sprinkling of cheese
Bake for about an hour until the top is golden brown.
For the wonton crisps, heat oil in a frying pan, add wonton wrappers a few at a time, frying until golden. Allow to drain on paper towel. Repeat for as many crisps as you want.
This is a luxurious dip to share with friends and family. Or to just gobble up all on your own, whatever, you only eat cheesy dip once in awhile rightttt? Or maybe cheesy dip is your go to staple food. Who knows. Wouldn’t be so bad would it?
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.
