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.
Do you like to smash things? Weird question perhaps, but certain things are good for smashing, like plates at a Greek wedding, or smashing the world record for the most Pi places memorized, or smashing new potatoes and roasting them in chili garlic butter. If that last option sounds appealing to you, try these chili garlic smashed potatoes, I promise you will love them, I don’t feel it’s possible not to. You could smash the plate afterwards too, but I happen to like this plate and what a mess that would be!
Little beauties, little buttery delights just plucked from the ground. The skin of new potatoes just peels away so easily from its flesh, resulting in a crispy skin with a supple interior. A farm down yonder a few miles grew these treats as well as lamb bratwurst that just blows your mind. There is something so enrapturing about eating a meal that’s 100% local, or even coming close. In such a world where most of our food is imported and transported across the continents, it’s special and secure feeling to eat food grown close by. What doesn’t make sense to me is that I can get walnuts from California for a lower cost than walnuts from my next door neighbour. I guess it’s just all the more push to start growing our own food if that option is there.
Add potatoes to the boiling water and cook for 10 mins. until just soft
In a bowl of ice water, immerse the potatoes allowing them to cool
With a flat spatula or the side of a knife apply a bit of pressure to the whole potato until it starts to flatten, careful not to smash them too hard ( red potatoes tend to fall apart easier than yellow fleshed)
Melt butter with garlic and chili
Lay potatoes on a baking tray and coat with this mixture.
Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes finishing on broil for a few minutes
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.
Thick hot day, the kind that melts you and makes everyone feel heavy. Lets go for a walk up to a friends, he suggests. Are you mad? I’m not walking anywhere but the beach. Yes, that kind of day. Even the car hating little one sleeps soundly. The kind of day where all you can do is try and keep it all together, and not fall asleep at the wheel. And come home to crave smoky BBQ ribs and brownies for dessert. But not just any old ribs, and certainly no typical brownies. Chug onwards, and give up on sleep, it’s for sissies anyway. The pressure of the harvest is on and mid-vortex-internet-suucubus overtaking you, a thought, that those saskatoons will fade before you know it, and their plumpness begs to be picked. Proud of my speed, you learn to pick fast when your baby is screaming and mosquitos feast upon your flesh. 4 L bucket – 7 minutes, I think it’s time to quit my day job.
I’ll tell you something, this is the first time I’ve ever made ribs of any kind. I saw these local organic baby back ribs at the market and in a rush just grabbed them (my brain doesn’t work on logic at the market) hardly knowing at all what to do. My mom made ribs for us, they were good, but not this good, sorry ma. I did my homework, checked out some rib recipes around the net and got the basic gist that low and slow is essential, and like all things, a good sauce. I wanted something classic, yet refined, out of the ordinary, yet still lip smacking good. The berries call to me, and I remember their plump abundance sitting on the counter, waiting to be transformed. This sauce consists of ample saskatoon berries which could be swapped out for blueberries, shadbush or huckleberry. Along with raspberries, and some black raspberry (a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry). Feel inspired to use whatever is most available to you, the more wild, the better. Even cherries would work well in this recipe.
Be prepared to never want these bumble berry BBQ ribs to end, don’t be like me and use only 1 rack of ribs for 2 people, I could’ve easily eaten a full one to myself. J was literally ticked that I only made 1 rack, but how was I to know they’d be so good. Beginners luck I suppose…
1 scotch bonnet pepper, very finely minced, or a habanero or jalapeño for less intense spice
1 Tsp coconut oil or other fat
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300F.
Combine spices for the cajun seasoning, salt and pepper.
Cover the ribs with your dry rub mixture. Optionally you could let the ribs absorb the spices overnight.
Cook, covered with foil for 2 hours.
Add the berries and water to a small pot and heat to a simmer until the berries have released their juices.
In a separate pot or pan, heat the oil and add to it the garlic and onions, sauté until translucent and aromatic. Add the paprika, Worcester sauce,vinegar and the hot pepper.
Strain the berries in a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, add the juice to the other pot with the onion.You can use the berry pulp in smoothies or baked good.
Bring the mix to a simmer and turn off.
Heat oven to broil and uncover ribs from the foil, smother them in BBQ sauce and broil for 5 mins.
Okay so there are a zillion different paleo brownie recipes out there folks, but trust me, this one is the simplest. Simple is good. Simple is chewy in the middle and crispy around the edges. Simple is almond butter, not tapioca, arrowroot and flax made into an egg swirl. Yes this recipe is sure to delight the simplest of happy folks.
I know you have that friend who grows the hugest 10lb zucchinis that win every year at the fall fair. Maybe you are that friend. In any case, this is the time of year where there is more than enough zucchini going around. What elso to do than to make zucchini chocolate cake, the children will never know, muahaha. This cake is so epic, Sonia never ceases to amaze me with her indulgent paleo creations and the photos are to die for! I just want to pick that cuisinart up right now and lick it clean.
This is a great secret of many a health nut out there, avocado and chocolate are stunning together. The creamy richness and healthy fats in the avocado, take the cocoa to the next level, plus you’ve just created a powerhouse of nutrients. Pretty sure that’s what Mike was going for when he created this delightful summer treat. I would eat this in all it’s variations- popsicle, pudding, fudge, you name it.
ps.haha “Just imagine what would happened if ice-cream was served during Congress hearings. No more
contentious public battles; only bargain and compromise. Politicians for sure wouldn’t be able to talk so much with their mouths full of ice-cream. ”
Some people hate chocolate and orange, and some love it. Personally I’m in the latter category and proud of it. If someone gave me a box of these gorgeous little truffles I would either run away and eat them all, or share with all chocorange haters and convert them instantly. Cause these aint no Terry’s Chocolate Orange folks.
These are lovely and filled with an air of celebration. Imagine these were what children brought to school on their birthdays? How awesome would that be. I was driving home today and a few young girls in the community had a cupcake stand, gah, cutest thing ever.
Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk? Good God, tell me you’ve tried this. Tis the goo of the gods. But really all sorts of grandma style recipes calling for condensed milk can now be converted or “paleoized” as the primal desire would state. This giant cookie bar is magic because it contains all good things, nuts, seeds, coconut and chocolate layered to perfection.
I remember the first time I had nutella (who doesn’t?) it was a revelation in my hazelnut free world, and supposedly healthy! The amount of backpackers I’ve met who always carry a jar of nutella with them is astounding. There’s just something about the combination of chocolate and hazelnut that makes people go bonkers. Nutella has been around since the 60’s, can you tell me which came first, ferraro rocher or nutella? This paleo version is a new and improved junk-free version. Love it.
Quintessential chocolate chip cookie recipe-check! These are so yummy, and super simple, again almond butter showing it’s amazing prowess in making chewy perfect treats. The flaked sea salt is not only beautiful but pries out all those rich flavours for our taste buds to fully experience.
Dang, what a splendid way to enjoy summers blackberries. Without added sugar and totally vegan and paleo, this would be a perfect summer birthday cake. Fudgy oozy gooey goodness doesn’t always come easy when GF and vegan but these guys nailed it, with cute baby eating chocolate photos and an avocado chocolate icing to boot.
Creamy cashew goodness on the inside wrapped in a magic shell of crunchy chocolate lovin’. These bars are super easy to whip up, and amazingly nutritious. Did you know a handful of cashews is the therapeutic equivalent to a dose of prozac. Good reason to enjoy the awesome ice cream bars.
This is the sort of thing I would devour after an epic yoga session or high intensity workout. High protein, enzyme rich, easy to digest and energizing. These babies are loaded with sunflower seed butter and pumpkin seeds which are high in zinc. If you’ve ever been to GNC and seen those ZMA (zinc,magnesium,B6) supplements, these bars equal the whole food equivalent.
Um, holy eff. Fabulous dairy free, vegan, and oh so gorgeous. With the power vested in me I officially rename Michelle the un-Dairy Queen because this is way better than any typical banana split. Plus it’s free of added sugar!
A sweet little spinoff of chocolate covered strawberries, these little red jewels are filled with a luxurious avocado and banana sugar-free chocolate sauce. Easy to make and a great nosh to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Raspberries are everywhere right now, and we need to stuff our faces with them while we can. Since razzies and chocolate are meant to be together, this full power, dreamy recipe for layered chocolate raspberry slices should be one of your go to raspberry recipes.
These uniquely flavoured crunchy roasted spicy chocolate cashews would be an excellent addition to any trail mix. Everyone’s a sucker for flavourful roasted cashews.
What are your fave chocolate recipes? Let me know, I love hearing from you 🙂
Want even more amazingly delicious and super clean real food dessert recipes?
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.
