Welcome to my crazy world of real food cooking ...

Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants. -- Michael Pollan

I wish I could take credit for that because I think it sums up how we should eat. Simply -- eat stuff that really is food, instead of stuff that is food like substance. The supermarket is almost entirely food-like-substances, and, my friends, you should probably never ever eat them.

Fortunately, there is a world of deliciousness out there, and it can all be had in a way that not only doesn't harm your health, but in a way that benefits you hugely.

I think it's important to eat stuff that satisfies you, that keeps your blood sugar stable, and that gives you stuff your body really needs to run optimally.

But baby, it's gotta taste good.

I really like getting experimental in the kitchen. I love cooking, I love layering flavours, and I love coming up with really super yummy food. I have very strong opinions about what constitutes food, and there are a lot of things I won't touch in the kitchen. Bottom line? Pretty much everything I make is ridiculously good for you even if it tastes decadent. Although there are occasional big fat cheats ... but even those stick to real food, my friends.

For food that is usual gluten free, usually free of cane sugar, usually super low on the glycemic index, full of protein, fiber, flavour, and excellent energy, join me and Alice down the rabbit hole.

Every recipe on this blog is my own original effort and idea, so please pass 'em on, giving credit where credit is due.

Many thanks, and come back often. I'm really glad you are here!

:)

Monday, 2 May 2011

Chunky Vegetable Chickpea Stew -- Continuing Crockpot adventures


What? Another chickpea crockpot adventure? Sound boring? Well, it tastes different. And I'm not just saying that. The large quantity of celery, the lack of sweet potato, and the addition of nutritional yeast (get yer B12s boys and girls) give it an entirely different flavour. 

I was very short on time, so with the exception of the garlic and onion, I rough cut the veggies into quite sizeable chunks (it was time for my son's nap and I was fighting the clock). The tomatoes are a mixture of on-the-vine and grape (think 'very intense flavour'), and there was an eleventh hour addition of cauliflower and a twelfth hour addition of spinach. The results are a brighter, richer flavour, less mellow but very very tasty.

In fact, as Hendrik would say, it tastes like more.

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 1/2 tbsp garlic, finely minced
3/4 cup onion (1 med), finely chopped
2 cups celery, roughly chopped
1/12 cups carrots, roughly chopped
300 g vine tomatoes, roughly chopped (approx 2 cups)
300 g grape tomatoes, cut in half (approx 2 cups)

3 cups chickpeas

1 tbsp sea salt
1 1/2 tbsp marjoram
1/2 tbsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
black pepper
2 tbsp nutritional yeas
1/2 tsp chili pepper

250 g cauliflower florets, chopped
150 g chopped spinach


directions:

1. put the oil in the crockpot and turn it on before you begin chopping, to give the oil a chance to melt. Set the crockpot for 6 hours on high.
2. add the garlic and onion and give it a quick stir in the oil to coat.
3. layer the celery, the carrots, the tomatoes, and the chickpeas.
4. sprinkle the seasonings on top
5. after 4 or 5 hours, stir in the cauliflower
6. when the heat goes off, add in your spinach, and stir well to distribute.

Voila. Serve, enjoy, save, freeze, etc!






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