Food on the Table

My dear friend gifted me black garlic that her and her mom cultured over a period of two weeks. It has an incredibly unique flavour that is sweet, tangy, syrupy, earthy and umami with hints of molasses & balsamic. The texture is soft, almost jelly-like. It’s soooo good! AND...because of the process it goes through, many nutrients are elevated, providing anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogenic, and heart protective effects. Black garlic may have originated in Korea over 4000 years ago which was developed as a medicine. While in our modern day, it is very much a culinary delight. If you can get your hands on some or better yet, make it yourself...you won’t be disappointed. Thanks @linder.ng

We’re almost a few weeks into 2021 and Wow. Truth that we are truly living in historic times. Enveloped in a global pandemic, environmental decline, growing white nationalism across the globe..I could go on. I am also reminded that when the grime rises, it’s an opportunity to clear it out. I can relate it to a bone stock if you’ve ever cooked one. As the liquid comes to a boil, all of the impurities rise to the top and we scoop it out, left with a pot of pure nourishment. Co...uld this be what’s happening globally and individually? I suppose time will tell. Let’s keep doing the work my friends and remove that which is no longer serving us. Let’s do this 2021 Here’s a simple, nourishing and delicious soup recipe packed with greens, that will support your beautiful being. Might even help to get a few of those extra holiday toxins up n’ out Creamy Greens Soup Ingredients: 2 tablespoons coconut oil 1 onion, diced 2-3 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons ginger, grated 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional) 3 cups broccoli, cut into florets 1 teaspoon sea salt Black pepper 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water 1 cup cashews 4 cups tightly packed greens (chard, kale, spinach, beet greens) 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons lemon juice Directions: Heat a large soup pot on medium high heat. Add coconut oil. Cook onions for 4-6 minutes until they soften. Stir in ginger and garlic, cook for another 2 minutes. Add broccoli, salt & pepper, stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in stock or water and cashews. Bring to a gentle boil then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Add greens and cook for another 2-3 minutes until they wilt. Stir in cilantro and lemon juice. Remove pot from heat. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup into a creamy consistency. Or use a blender and blend soup in batches until nice and creamy. Serve warm and enjoy the creamy, goodness! #simple #nourishing #delicious #soup #newyear #blacklivesstillmatter #wecandothis

Here’s another sweet little DIY Holiday gift, except these ones are NOT edible! Drop one of these cuties into your bath and watch it fizz and melt luxurious oils and release beautiful scents to amplify your bathing experience Cocoa Butter Bath Melt... 2 ounces cocoa and/or Shea butter 3.5 Tablespoons baking soda 2 Tablespoons oatmeal, ground (optional) 1.5 Tablespoons citric acid 10-15 drops favourite essential oils Dried Flower petals / herbs (optional) Some of my favourite blends: Ylang ylang, orange & Lavender Orange, cinnamon & clove Peppermint & spearmint Orange & vanilla Melt cocoa butter in a double boiler. In another bowl, mix remaining ingredients together. When oil is melted, slowly pour into the dry ingredients. Mix well then place into preferred molds. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Pop out of molds and use right away or wrap them up and gift to loved ones For 8 Edible DIY Holiday gifts, follow the link in my profile.

Yellow broth is one of my favourite things to sip on, besides my morning coffee . I sauté garlic and ginger in coconut oil for a few minutes. Then add turmeric and black pepper grinds for about a minute. Most spices are fat soluable so giving them a quick sauté will help to release the nutrients. Also, incorporating black pepper with turmeric helps to enhance the absorption of the curcumin (compound in turmeric) into the body. Then add the broth to heat and voila! This cup of love is loaded with nourishing fats, compounds that support the gut and immune systems, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal nutrients, absorbable protein and a whole lot of flavour!

In case you’re looking for a delicious grain-free, keto friendly stuffing this weekend! I’ve prepped this dish and will bake later this eve. Serves 4-6 Ingredients: 1 Tbsp cooking oil (coconut, avocado)... 1 onion, diced 4 celery, diced 1 shallot, diced 8 mushrooms, diced 2 bay leaves 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 apples, diced 6 dates, pitted & chopped cup pumpkin seeds cup walnuts 2 eggs, lightly whisked 1/2 cup Parmesan, shredded (optional) 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped or 1 Tbsp dry 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1 Tbsp dry 1 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped 3/4 cup white wine (optional) alternatively use 1 Tbsp white wine or apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup chicken or veggie stock or water 1 teaspoons unrefined sea salt Fresh cracked black pepper Directions: Preheat oven to 375'F Heat a large saute pan. Add cooking oil. Saute onion, celery, shallot, mushrooms and bay leaves until they begin to soften, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 min. In a medium bowl, mix apples, dates, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, eggs, Parmesan, rosemary, thyme, sage, wine (or vinegar), stock, salt & pepper. Marinate for 20 to 60min. This step can also be prepared the night before to save time. Keep refrigerated. Add marinated ingredients to the onion mixture, mix well. Place in a 9 inch x 13 inch baking dish and bake for 25-30min until golden brown Serve with the rest of the fixings and enjoy!

Hey folks, If you need some inspiration for homemade gifts this holiday season, I gotcha! Head over to my blog for 8 Edible DIY Holiday Recipes. There’s nothing like using your heart & hands to make a gift for a loved one. Plus, they’re affordable, practical, beautiful AND edible! https://foodonthetable.ca/blog/8-edible-diy-holiday-recipes

I’ll admit, baking is not my forté, so when I do bake, I like to keep it REAL simple. These festive cookies meet my criteria of Simple, Nourishing and Delicious. They’re gluten free, contain minimal ingredients, and can be modified to a vegan version by replacing the egg with a chia egg. White Chocolate & Cranberry Cookies ... 2 1/4 cups almond flour 1/2 cup coconut sugar 1/2 tsp baking soda Pinch of salt 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted 1 egg (or chia egg for vegan option) 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 teaspoons orange zest, and or 3-5 drops food grade orange essential oil 1/2 cup white chocolate chips 1/2 cup dried cranberries Preheat oven to 350’F. Line or grease a baking sheet. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl. Mix all together then fold in chocolate chips and cranberries. Spoon 1tbsp per cookie onto baking tray, place in oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned. Remove from oven and cool. Eat, repeat, enjoy Styling and photo by @naomimacd & @vairdy_photography

I call this a Choose your own Adventure Bowl. So easy to prepare, options are endless and prepping at the start of the week makes for a quick n’ easy lunch or dinner. To hydrate my retreat ladies on this hot & hazy day, I made a Lemon Ginger Switchel and Chocolate Mint Iced Tea harvested from my wild n’ crazy garden. #personalchef #retreat #nourishing #culinarynutritionist #delicious #wholefoods #eatyourveggies

We haven’t been on here much lately because we’ve been soaking up the summer but I’ll assure you, Chef Tracy and I have been cooking up a storm for our clients! If you need a little extra help with meals this Fall, be in touch and we’ll hook you up with a stocked fridge of yummy, nourishing goodness! Also...I’ll be teaching more cooking & nutrition classes online this Fall, so stay tuned. Better yet, sign up for my monthly newsletter with updates, recipes and more, I’ll even send you a cookbooklet (pdf) with my top 14 Mains! #personalchef #holisticnutritionist #culinarynutrition #nourishing #delicious @keto2.a.t

I’m SO excited for dinner tonight! I’m going to turn this into a lil Stirfry with shallot, garlic, ginger and some spice. My dear client gifted me with a delicious batch of dhal which will make a lovely accompaniment. This is my comfort food.

I can’t e-scape the feeling that change is in the air. I ordered 5lbs of scapes from my CSA (community supported agriculture) program plus about 50 from my garden. 5lbs of scapes is A LOT in case ya didn’t know We’ve had bbq’d scapes, roasted scapes, scape pesto,sautéed scapes, lacto-fermented scapes, scape salad dressing, scapes in salads, Stirfry’s, Pilaf’s and stews. I finally finished the bag today and started another batch of lacto-fermented scapes. I’m official...ly scaped out. Well...not really, they’re so damn good! #scapes #garlic #summertime #harvest

My mom taught my brother and I from a very young age that things were going to be different for us because of the colour of our skin. This is something that black kids and poc learn early, so non BIPOC kids should be learning this too if we truly want things to change. I hope as a parent or care giver you’re starting AND continuing to have these conversations. One talk isn’t going to cut it, it must be ongoing...like it was for my bro and I. I got my ticket. Looking forward to this talk. Being inclusive is not enough, we must teach our kids to be anti-racist. Let’s keep this momentum going. #blacklivesmatter #educateyourkids #educateyourself

Thank you to everyone that joined me on my virtual sauerkraut making class. In total you donated $501.62 which was split between two local Vancouver organizations: Emergency Black Community COVID19 Fund and the Grandview Woodland Food Connection. I will be offering this class by donation again. I’ll keep you posted on the date. Thanks for your support