Inspired Edibles

~ real food, balanced living ~

Matcha Green Tea Rejuvenating Smoothie

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green tea smoothie_blog

I did something completely different on the culinary front for Christmas this year.

I invited the family to vote on Christmas dinner.  I went about it by creating a menu with three categories: appetizer, main dish and dessert and listed three food options within each category.  The menu was circulated electronically and the boys were asked to vote quietly on their top food choice in each category (they would only find out on Christmas day which selections won).  In the event of a three-way tie in any category, mom would get the deciding vote, otherwise, majority rule. …

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Roasted Maple Sriracha Pecans

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roasted maple sriracha pecans_2

Despite some seasonal confusion (my heart is saying pine cones but my eyes are still seeing roses),  I have to say, this dual border fêting is working out quite well for us.

We gladly welcomed the five day American Thanksgiving break with some highly unstructured family time. It’s amazing how much fun you can have doing precisely nothing….

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Roasted Summer Plum Sauce with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

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Normally any home purchase is news and certainly worthy of celebration but this one feels especially sweet for our family (yes, we just bought a home!!).

When we arrived in the Silicon Valley almost a year ago now, little did we know that we would find ourselves in the middle of the most challenging real estate market in the US at the moment. A combination of very low inventory and a swelling population fueled by the booming tech sector (think: Google, Apple, Facebook, LinkedIn to name a few), set the stage for shamefully inflated housing prices, unprecedented bidding wars and the common phenom of all cash offers (along with a host of other miscellaneous shenanigans). We experienced free market enterprise at it’s worst, or best, depending on how you look at it.

So when the stars recently aligned and our family of six — dog and cat inclus — picked up the keys to our home last week, there were tears of joy from this mamma. Relieved, grateful and yes, deliriously happy to have our own patch of green.

All of our belongings from Canada are still sitting on a truck and we are working out of the original suitcases we came with last August. But here’s the funny part about that. You discover very quickly just how little you need to survive and to survive well.  I’m not going to pretend that I don’t think about my stuff from time to time.  I do.  But frankly, a lot less than I would have ever imagined.  The two things I miss the most? Our family photos and my books… sure, it will be nice to have my kitchen appliances back and an extra pair of shoes but all in all, if there’s anything this year has taught me is that we carry way more than we need. I’m overwhelmed at the prospect of fitting it all back into our lives. (And I’m not sure I want to).

Meanwhile, the aspect that I’m probably most excited about relating to our new home is the edible landscape. This subarctic gal is still shaking her head in disbelief at the beauty and utter wonder.

Care to see what’s growing in our backyard?

Let’s start here. You might recall this image from last week’s post…

A beautiful apricot tree!

My husband is a huge fan of apricots ~ he and the boys used to play a game of ‘catch the flying apricot with your mouth’ at breakfast time when the boys were young. This particular tree felt like it was meant for them.

Keeping our apricot tree company are two lemon trees…

One of them (pictured above) is doing quite well, with large, luscious lemons (we’ve taste tested them of course). The other lemon tree is rapidly producing miniatures — they’re very cute but we suspect the tree may need a little TLC and some pruning to focus it’s energy back to its natural growth pattern.  How fun to think that we might have an impact on the growth of a lemon tree ♡.

Further along the path, there is a mandarin tree (we have yet to determine the variety). Mandarins typically bloom in the winter but when I visited the property to shoot some photos, wouldn’t you know it, there was one fruit on the tree; just waiting to pose. Handsome devil!

And here is the crowning glory (in my view) and the subject of today’s recipe… a beautiful, bountiful plum tree!
It just takes my breath away every time I look at it.  I had no idea mature plums were covered in a dusty-white coating on the tree (the ones we find in stores have been rubbed off or polished).  The coating (an epicuticular wax) or ‘wax bloom’ protects the fruit and allows it to prevent moisture loss. (You could almost mistake me for a natural gardener).

Here’s another shot of one that I rubbed off with my thumb — looking more familiar.

And what about this fellow.  Any guesses?

We had no idea either.  It’s a pineapple guava tree (!!?) — I keep calling it a grapefruit guava (I confuse pineapple and grapefruit linguistically though not conceptually. I do however confuse dinosaurs and dragons conceptually, which is more concerning).

The former owner tells us that for every one delicious pineapple guava fruit, there are twenty or so horribly sour, inedible ones. So it’s a bit of a game to see who can get the good guava! We can hardly wait to discover this fruit and so much more… every time we visit, we seem to uncover something new.  We have never been so excited and motivated to learn!

We have a month or so of renovations ahead of us (currently underway) with a projected move-in date of late-July/early-August.  The summer posting schedule will not doubt be hit-and-miss but, it is summer after all, so let’s all enjoy it!

I hope to be back to regular posting sometime in September.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On to today’s recipe…

So simple and full of deliciousness!  The plum sauce need not be reserved for dessert — though it’s mighty delicious enjoyed this way and seemed suitably festive. The first time I made this sauce in fact, my husband and I ate it with seared scallops (delish!).  It also pairs beautifully with yogurt and mixed in with morning oatmeal or smoothies.

I hope you enjoyed the mini-tour of our backyard and stay tuned… if I’m feeling brave, I may post some interior reno photos. We’ll see how it goes!

Wish us luck ;-).

Roasted Summer Plum Sauce with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Roasted Summer Plum Sauce with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

For the Plum Sauce

  • 10-12 juicy, ripe plums, skin-on, pitted and roughly cut in half
  • 4 Tbsp (60 mL) orange juice
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL) (or to taste) honey or pure maple syrup
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) balsamic vinegar
Serves 4
Nutrition & Cooking Notes:
  1. Sweet, juicy and nutritive, plums are low on the glycemic index and offer a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and fibre.  Plums also contain calcium, magnesium and plant-based iron. These dark-skinned lovelies are rich in phenols that offer a protective effect against oxidative damage (they operate as antioxidants) helping to reduce the risk of disease.
  2. Ripe plums are the way to go here — tart, hard plums will not render the same results. The plums should have some comfortable give when you gently press on them.
  3. This plum sauce need not be reserved for dessert (though it’s mighty delicious used this way) — the first time I made this sauce in fact, my husband and I ate it with seared scallops (delish!).  It also pairs beautifully with yogurt and mixed in with oatmeal or smoothies.

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 F.

  1. In a spacious bowl, combine orange juice, honey or maple syrup and balsamic, whisking to combine.
  2. Add plum segments to the juice mixture and gently toss to combine.  Allow plums to sit in the juices (mixing on occasion) for at least 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  You could also use an unlined baking dish if your prefer, provided there is sufficient room for the plum segments to roast without touching each other.
  4. Remove plum segments, one by one, from the juice bowl and place on the baking sheet such that they are not touching.  (if you need to, simply use two sheets or work in batches). Drizzle any remaining juice over the plums.
  5. Roast the plums in the oven for approximately 12-18 minutes (depending on the heat of your oven) until the plums have started to break down with juices flowing.
  6. Carefully remove tray from oven and allow it to cool before transferring the plum segments (and any transferable juices) to the blender or food processor.
  7. You can remove the skins from the plum segments at this point (you will be able to roll them off easily) but I don’t recommend it.  The skin is where all the flavor is and once blended you won’t be aware of it in the sauce (it leaves only the tiniest bits of chewy deliciousness). 
  8. Blend the roasted plum segments until the plum is well broken down and integrated into a nice smooth and consistent sauce.
  9. Carefully transfer the sauce into a serving dish and enjoy with food of choice, for example: ice cream; frozen yogurt; regular yogurt; on cereal; with a smoothie or with fish/seafood.  Any leftover sauce can be kept in a covered container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
  10. I have a number of ice cream recipes on the blog if you wish to make your own but this particular recipe is all about the plum!
© Inspired Edibles

 

Lemon Chia Seed Pudding with fresh berries

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I’m not sure it would have been his personal request but this is how we decided to start Father’s Day in our home.

A cool and refreshing lemon pudding that’s tasty enough to enjoy for dessert – any time of day!  My husband is a big fan of citrus puddings, jams, jellies, tarts and desserts generally, so it seemed fitting to celebrate his day with this little spin on traditional pudding.

[Sidebar: when I mentioned to my husband that my friend Sandra (oooh that Sandra…) whipped up a batch of homemade fudge ice cream for her husband on father’s day, my hubby’s response was that he still liked my chia pudding best — smart man].

Our eldest son, a distance runner, introduced me to Chia Fresca about five years ago when he was 11-years-old.  He had just read the book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall which explores the world’s greatest distance runners and their secrets to success.

There is a passage in Born to Run dedicated to the wonderful power of iskiate– otherwise known as chia seed.  The author speaks at great length about the nutritional value of chia and its long history as a revered, sacred food in Mexico.

“Chia was once so treasured, the Aztecs used to deliver it to their king in homage. Aztec runners used to chomp chia seeds as they went into battle and the Hopis [tribe] fueled themselves on chia during their epic runs from Arizona to the Pacific Ocean.”

After reading this passage, my son promptly grilled me about chia seed and then politely requested (or something like that) that we procure some on the double.  And so a chia tradition was born in our home.

[Sidebar 2: Unlike the other 3 members in this family, I am not a natural runner (no matter how much chia I might consume). I bump and grind and fight for every inch. I also come with a long and well-practiced list of excuses should anyone care to listen to them. But the person who quietly listened and still managed to motivate me to get out there and prepare for my first 10K almost twenty years ago now, was my husband.  On the days when I really (really) didn’t want to go out and join the jolly fellow on his regular runs, he would simply say “we’ll just go for ten minutes. If you’re done after ten minutes, we’ll come back, no questions asked.”  Of course, every runner knows that getting out the door is the toughest part. Once you’re out there, it’s never ten minutes. Like I said, smart man].

This is the same patience, gentle persistence and wisdom he has brought to raising our sons.  He’s our guy and he’s pretty awesome.

5.0 from 2 reviews
Lemon Chia Seed Pudding with fresh berries
 
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A delicately sweet and refreshing lemon pudding that works well for breakfast, snack or dessert!
Author:
Serves: Makes 2 puddings approximately 1 cup/250 mL each
Ingredients
  • 1 cup milk variety of choice
  • ½ cup unsweetened plain Greek yogurt (I typically use 2% fat)
  • 4 generous Tbsp chia seed
  • juice of one lemon
  • zest of one lemon + more for garnish
  • 4 Tbsp honey or pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp pure lemon extract, optional
  • raspberries and basil or mint for topping, as desired
Instructions
  1. In a generous sized mixing bowl, combine: milk, yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey or maple syrup and lemon extract if using. Add chia seed and whisk ingredients well before carefully transferring the pudding into serving dishes of choice.
  2. The recipe renders approximately 2 cups/500 mL of pudding so you can divide into two, 1 cup/250 mL portions or four half cup/125 mL portions, as you wish.
  3. Cover the puddings with wrap and carefully place in fridge for at least 20-30 minutes before enjoying (See Notes on pudding texture and appearance below).
  4. Just before serving top the puddings with additional lemon zest (if desired), berries and a sprig or two of basil or mint.
Notes
Breakfast, Snack or Dessert: I served this pudding for breakfast - it was cool and refreshing and just right on a warm California morning but you could equally enjoy it for snack or dessert as you wish.
Chia Seed: Chia seeds offer plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, fibre, antioxidants and an impressive array of minerals. Unlike flaxseed, chia does not have to be ground to be bioavailable (ie: to be absorbed and usable by the body). Chia is also highly 'hydrophilic' meaning that its seeds absorb water/moisture beautifully to create a mucilaginous gel that's ideal in desserts, puddings and jams. Flaxseed has a similar nutrition profile to chia (with slightly less fibre, omega-3s and minerals per serving) but flaxseed has the added benefit of containing lignans - plant compounds believed to be protective of breast health - which chia does not. Chia is more expensive than flaxseed but due to the highly concentrated nature of its nutrients on a gram per gram basis, a small amount of chia goes a long way. You can find chia seed at any health food store and many larger grocery stores.
Pure Lemon Extract: Pure lemon extract is a great way to intensify lemon flavor in desserts - it is simply lemon concentrate that does not contain any added sugars. I find the juice and zest from the lemon combined with the honey/maple syrup just the right combination for my taste but, if you want a slightly more pronounced lemon flavor, this is a great option.
Pudding Texture & Appearance: The longer you allow the chia to sit in the pudding mixture, the more moisture it will absorb, the larger and more visible the chia seed granules and the more set/thick the pudding will become. A 20-30 minute sit should give you some nice gelling but more of a milky texture (a bit reminiscent of tapioca pudding). A two hour or more sit (you can leave it over night to enjoy the next morning/day) will deliver a thicker texture while bringing more visibly large chia seed to the surface, so you can decide on the texture and appearance you prefer.
Make-Ahead Option: You can make the chia pudding the evening before, store it covered in the fridge and enjoy it the next day.

Cheers to all the great Dads, role models and mentors in our lives, past and present.  You make a huge difference.

Homemade Tzatziki with California Greens

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I’ve had a continuous supply of homemade tzatziki going in the fridge now for the past month or so. Every batch I make seems to disappear faster than the one before, so ongoing production has become necessary (I can’t prove it but I suspect that the cucumber vendors at the market have started price fixing on me).

Exquisite in its simplicity, tzatziki is a seasoned Greek sauce made from yogurt, cucumber, garlic and lemon. (A heavenly marriage if ever there was). Light and creamy, tangy and garlicky, satisfying and delicious, homemade tzatziki is truly a summer favorite.

This delightful sauce is served cold and often in the company of grilled meats such as the classic souvlaki but there’s no need to stop there.  You can enjoy tzatziki on virtually anything.  Pair it with fish, eggs, a variety of salads, as a base in sandwiches and wraps or simply indulge by the tablespoonful!  The creamy nature of this yogurt-cucumber dip is also perfect for dunking fresh chopped vegetables or delicious pita wedges.

On a hot California day, some homemade tzatziki on flatbread with plump sprouts, a generous handful of greens and silky avocado is all I need for lunch.

Homemade Tzatziki with California Greens
 
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Prep time
Total time
 
Serves: About 3 cups
Ingredients
  • For the Tzatziki Dip
  • 1 English cucumber (or 2 ish smaller garden variety cucumbers), peeled and finely diced, seeded or not (see Notes)
  • 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
  • 3-5 cloves of garlic, smashed, salted and finely chopped
  • 4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest
  • 2 tsp coarse ground dijon mustard (the wet kind)
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 2 Tbsp fresh chopped dill or parsley
  • 1 Tbsp fresh chopped mint
  • Good pinch sea salt and coarse black pepper to taste

  • For the Flatbread & Toppings
  • 1 cup sprouts of choice, I used clover
  • ½ cup microgreens or any greens!
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 8 flatbreads of choice, I used Open Nature sesame flatbread
Instructions
  1. In a roomy bowl, mix together yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon, mustard and honey, whisking/ mixing with a spoon to combine (do not be tempted to use a blender, it will ruin the tzatziki - you want a nice chunky consistency without excess water).
  2. Add herbs as well as salt and pepper to taste, sample and adjust seasonings as desired.
  3. Spoon a couple tablespoons of tzatziki onto crackers (or surface of choice) and top with fresh sprouts, greens and avocado. You can also enjoy on virtually anything that comes off the grill!
  4. Store any remaining tzatziki in a sealed container in the fridge. It will keep well for up to 5 days ish.
Notes
To seed or not to seed: Most tzatziki recipes will advise removing seeds which I used to do however, I have made this recipe so many times and have found that the seeds work just fine - just finely chop the cuc/s and don't be tempted to use a blender to mix (hand mix only to retain chunky consistency that is not too watery).
Seasonings: The seasonings for tzatziki vary quite a bit. The most common ones you'll come across are fresh dill, parsley and mint. Sometimes a dash of oregano powder is added. I have also subed herbes de provence (dry) on occasion. You can play around with these herbs to determine what you like best.
Why Greek Yogurt?: I favour Greek yogurt for its exceptional protein content (and gorgeous texture). All yogurts, regardless of milk fat content, begin the same way - by adding bacterial cultures to milk. Greek yogurt begins this way but it soon departs from other yogurt brands in that the milk is strained to remove the liquid whey. According to manufacturers, this process of straining means that as many as four pounds of milk are required to produce one pound of Greek yogurt. The resulting product is a far more concentrated source of protein (from casein) and a thick and creamy texture characteristic of Greek yogurt (regardless of fat content - even zero fat Greek yogurt has a gorgeous creamy-like texture reminiscent of sour cream). You will pay more for Greek yogurt but I think you will find that you get what you pay for.
Micro greens: I marvel at the array of fresh and beautiful greens that surround us here in the Golden State. Local micro greens that are said to have originated here. Smaller than baby greens (they are really tiny and delicate yet perfect in their formation) micro greens provide a spectrum of leaf flavors, from sweet to spicy and peppery. They are also known for their diverse colors and textures adding not only flavor but visual beauty to sandwiches, salads and recipes generally. You'll occasionally find them in grocery stores when seasonal and usually at markets.

Blueberry-Apple Skillet Cake (Clafoutis)

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Lately, my boys have been on a cinnamon raisin bread roll.  They come home from school, drop their bags and head straight to the kitchen – something they do fairly often. (The kitchen part I mean.  Have you heard the rumor about teenage boys eating all the time? It’s true).

Anyhow, every time the boys pop a couple of pieces of cinnamon raisin bread into the toaster, my husband asks if there’s apple pie in the oven (always hopeful).

The irony is that I used to make pies with some frequency when my eldest was a newborn.  It was before the internet age and all the great online resources that currently exist for new moms.  So, I’d watch reruns of Martha Stewart and bake lattice pies while my son napped in the afternoon.  I found it so relaxing, therapeutic even.

But alas, life changes, schedules shift and dough isn’t rolled, layered and crimped as often.

And that’s why this little skillet number is such a dream. 10 minutes is all you will need to prepare this tasty dessert and experience that hypnotic apple cinnamon aroma throughout your kitchen and straight into your heart (and you’ll actually be able to say there’s a apple dessert baking in the oven!).

The scant flour, lack of traditional leavening agents, eggs and generous fruit filling make this rustic dessert more like a variation on clafoutis, or pancake, than a traditional cake. There is a certain density that concentrates the flavors and what you lose in height (puffiness) you gain in generosity of taste. The focus is on the delicate sweet flavors of the fruit rather than the flour that would normally be experienced with traditional cake.

So there you have it.  A warm, skillet-baked dessert that falls somewhere into that nebulous space between a cake, a pancake and a clafoutis.  But most definitely not, a lattice pie.

Got that?

Blueberry-Apple Skillet Cake

Blueberry-Apple Skillet Cake (Clafoutis)

  • 3 Tbsp (45 mL) coconut oil or butter
  • 1 large apple, peeled and sliced into pieces
  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) palm sugar (or sugar of choice)
  • 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) light spelt flour (or flour of choice)
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) milk of choice
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh blueberries
  • sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar for topping if desired
Serves 8 (Nutrition Information based on 1 serving)

Nutrition & Cooking Notes:

  1. I used a 10-in skillet and I think that’s the outer limit sizewise.  Anything larger and you will end up with an overly thin dessert.  If you only have larger skillets, I recommend using 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cup flour.
  2. If you want to use a gluten-free grain (such as buckwheat, teff, millet, amaranth, quinoa) or a naturally gluten-free flour (such as coconut, chickpea or almond), I recommend adding a pinch (1/2 tsp) of baking soda to the mix to assist with leavening.  If you add more than a 1/2 tsp, you will likely get more of a cake consistency but depending on your preference (whether you prefer the pancake/clafoutis style or a puffier cake style) this may not be a bad thing.
  3. If you want to experiment with a more traditional cake-style rise for this dessert, increase the flour to 1 cup and add 1 tsp baking powder.  I did try it and it worked like a charm although I preferred the taste (and the look) of the original recipe better.

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 F.

  1. Warm a 10-in (ideally) ovenproof skillet over low-medium heat and add butter or coconut oil to melt.  Tilt the skillet (or use spatula) to coat entire surface of skillet.
  2. Add apple pieces to skillet and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Stir to combine.
  3. Allow apple pieces to begin softening, tossing them for a minute or so ~ be sure to soak in the delicious aroma ;-) 
  4. Sprinkle the apple pieces with sugar, stirring again to combine and remove skillet from heat.
  5. Meanwhile, in a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together: milk, eggs and vanilla.  
  6. Add flour and salt to the wet mixture, whisking to combine.
  7. Pour batter over skillet apple mixture.
  8. Sprinkle the top of the batter with blueberries.
  9. Place skillet in oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cake is golden around the edges and starts to lift.
  10. Carefully remove skillet from oven and allow the dessert to cool for a few minutes before cutting and serving. 
  11. Sprinkle with a little bit of powdered sugar if desired and serve with a dollop of fresh cream or, as is preferred by the boys in this house, vanilla ice cream.
  12. Enjoy.
© Inspired Edibles