Plums in curry? I know what your thinking. Yes, the beloved stone fruit is a really neat accompaniment in a savoury fully bodied curry. The acids in the fruit make the dish pop. Not that it’s loaded with plums, there’s really a small amount compared to the size of the curry. Small subtleties, just like the small things in life, count a lot when it comes to food. (more…)
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.
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.
