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So, it's June...Summer arrived so quickly! My blogging has been terribly neglected however my intent with today's Strawberry Full Moon is to write a blog at least once a month because the truth is, I'm almost always cooking up some new thing in my kitchen and I absolutely love to share delicious, healthy food with people and celebrate seasonal eating. Really, the two go hand-in- hand so naturally. Please have faith in me to keep these blogs coming... :-)
So, let's talk about #JERF....#just eat real food...How hard is that, really? What do we mean by real? First thing, no artificial preservatives, no refined sweeteners, nothing processed, right? ...When it comes to dessert it can seem difficult to take out all the processed and "fake" foods because we have come to rely on them as staples (refined sugar and white flour are perfect examples). Refined sugar and white flour, both highly processed and bleached, are the backbone of the cupcake industry, along with products like Crisco for frosting or the perfect flaky crust. Sugar and flour are highly addictive, of course, and learning how to bake and eat without using them is worth the time and investigation. Other artificial additions -like rainbow sprinkles can make food really fun for kids, but there are so many natural ways to decorate that can add dimension, nutrient-dense nutrition, and flavor (some of my favorites in the decorating category are cacao nibs, coconut flakes, and goji berries) -the creative use of ingredients and combinations are endless.
There's nothing like a good warm spicy soup when it's cold outside -and it only took you 30 minutes to get it on the table! Here's one such soup...a sure bet when you're pressed for time and trying to clean out the refrigerator.
Much of my ingenuity and creativity in the kitchen simply comes from WORKING WITH WHAT IS ALREADY THERE and right in front of me. This may be one of my favorite strategies in cooking and in life -the practice of using what is already there/here. ...
Ok, early morning recipe writing happening now...because I want to get this out to you for the weekend! Dreaming up this recipe in my head was a lot of fun and whether your seasoned at cooking or still green, I recommend that you follow your feeling about the foods, flavors, and visuals that will bring you the most satisfaction and leave you feeling nourished and energized.
The Golden Cauliflower Flatbread recipe caught my eye on Dr. Mercola's blog: http://recipes.mercola.com/cauliflower-turmeric-flatbread-recipe.aspx. I bought the cauliflower at the beginning of the week (when I do my shopping) and then thought about making it for three days (this often happens...) On the third day, I reread his recipe and realized it called for 2 cups or riced cauliflower not 2 pounds -oops! (I had carefully weighed the cauliflower in the market to be sure I got the proper amount :-) ) SO when I had oh, about 6 cups more riced cauliflower than needed, I got my creatives on and the whole pizza just built from there.
It's been raining here in Berkeley for days...a welcome wet grey raindrop symphony for our Northern California soils. I'm a lazy baker at best, so take baking cues from me with a grain of salt. That being said, if I try or create a recipe and it works out, I'm confident it will also work out for you! So, I'm taking cues from my friend Nancy @UrbanKitchenApothecary -who's all the way across the country in NYC-it snowed, she baked..I figured the Bay Area version of snow is rain...it's raining here...so I'll try baking. Tahini Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread....
