Haloumi: The Official Food of Australia’s Crappy Athletes

Photography by Asia Upward, Styling by Ali Nardi

Admittedly that post title is not technically %100 true. Haloumi is not the official food of anything other than the following salad recipe, and Australia’s athletes are not %100 crappy. In fact, only Australians, particularly the Olympic commentators seem to think their athletes are crappy.

I love living in Australia mainly because the quality of life here is so great. High work wages, free health care, good weather, lots of space, the list goes on. And because Australia has all of these high standards for quality of living, I find that frequently on occassion Australians whine get mildly upset when they don’t get something they feel entitled too. And no where has this attitude been more apparent then the consistently negative and critical coverage of their own athletes in the Olympics.

A typical interview tends to go something like this (fictional discussion based on my own perception of commentators interviewing athletes):

Commentator: “How does it feel to get fourth when you were so close to getting on the podium?”

Athlete: “I’m so proud. It feels great to get to be at olympics and I gave it my all.”

Commentator: “Yes, but how disappointing is it not to get gold?”

Athelete: “I’m just so excited at what I accomplished and I’m looking forward to the next olympics in 4 years.”

Commentator: “Ok, but how does it feel to totally suck for not winning the gold, which is the only thing that matters,” and so on a so forth.

I’ve also never witnessed Olympic commentators who are so eager to see fellow competitors fall, crash, or slip so their athletes can gain a spot on the podium. I mean, is that really how you want to win? Hoping your opponent takes a fall trying something daring and worthy of gold while you play it safe? I don’t think so, and I don’t think Australia’s Olympic athletes do either, but hey, I can only speak for myself…

So this post is in dedication to Australia’s Olympic Athletes who I think are doing a pretty swell job in the most prestigious athletic competition in the world. Chumpy might have gotten wiped out in border cross, but man is he good looking. And David Morris didn’t win the gold, but he dressed in bright yellow for his follow-up interview which is just as good.

Australia loves haloumi, they support haloumi, they believe in haloumi. They should probably start treating their athletes more like haloumi short of eating them, and make this awesome Haloumi, Rockmelon (Cantalope), Almond and Basil Salad instead. Cook time is minimal, so you don’t have to linger by the heat on a sweltering Melbourne day, and it’s super simple to prepare so you can reserve your energy for things like walking down the block, or getting the lid off your water bottle which you have probably refilled at least ten times when Melbourne is at it’s worst. I serve it as a main–it is refreshing and filling, and won’t bog you down. It’s definitely worthy of a gold :)

Ingredients:

• 12  1/3″ thick slices haloumi cheese (it’s the “meat in this dish” so i don’t skimp!)
• 1/2 rockmelon/cantalope, cut into bite size pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped or slivered almonds, lightly toasted
• 1/2 french shallot, thinly sliced
• a handful of basil, leaves picked and large ones torn
• a few handfuls mixed salad greens

For the dressing: Mix olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and sald and pepper to taste

1.Over medium high heat on the BBQ/grill, or on a grill pan or regular fry pan, cook  haloumi pieces in a bit of oil until golden brown on both sides (if doing this directly on the BBQ, just brush haloumi with oil). This only takes a few minutes on either side.

2. Combine remaining salad ingredients with dressing,  lay haloumi pieces on top and drizzle with a bit of extra dressing. Simple as that. Enjoy!

Avoid the Sugar Hangover! Gluten Free Peanut Butter, Cacao Nib, and Coconut Cookies

Photography by Kim Mennen and Jake Lowe, Styling by Ali Nardi

Notice: WordPress is having a mini meltdown and currently won’t recognize spaces between paragraphs. Sorry for the big block of text.

Last night I had my ladies over. We used to get together to exercise, but now, we mainly get together to eat and drink wine, which suits us all just fine…

I made a wholesome and really flavorsome classic for them: a lemon and rosemary roast chicken with roast spuds, sweet potatoes, garlic, and kale (I will try to post that recipe soon). My friend Alice is off the sugar Sarah Wilson style, and inspired by Alice, I haven’t been eating much processed sugar either. It’s usually just a bit of fruit everyday and that’s been the deal. I feel pretty good, and I considered this fact while deciding what to make them all for dinner.

We were all full and satisfied, but then my friend Amelia went into the kitchen, and returned with a box of gorgeous Greek pastries. So gorgeous, that even Alice crumbled. What was meant to be just a bite of each turned into a bit of a feeding frenzy, but lady style, so it didn’t actually look like a frenzy…. and before you knew it, there were only a few measly scraps left–which I ate for breakfast this morning to try and cure the terrible sugar hangover I awoke to this morning.

Sugar. It’s super addictive. I consider myself very lucky that I’ve never really had a sweet tooth, but a few months ago, I slipped into dangerously high sugar-eating territory, and it was a major effort to scale it back. I was addicted for a bit, and I don’t want to go back to that place. I always felt tired, bloated, and desperate for something sweet. It truly made me feel hungover in the morning, without the benefit of actually being drunk the night before..

That being said, I never planned and still don’t plan to quit sugar completely, and by sugar, I mean fructose. I don’t like extreme dieting. I love almost all foods, and to cut out sugar completely would be cutting out a lot more than just the sweetness. It would be cutting out experiences, not to mention always being the difficult one at the dinner table– or any table for that matter.

The problem was just that I was having sugar way too often–like with every meal, and that didn’t feel so hot…

I read Sarah Wilson’s e-book, I Quit Sugar, and there were some strong points in there, and it definitely helped me cut down big time. But that point that stood out to me the most is that she drinks a cup of warm milk while sniffing incense when she wants a treat– and that sounds fairly dreadful to me.

I like to enjoy a hard cider or two on occassion when I’m out with my friends. I clearly enjoy Greek pastries once in a while. I like making birthday cakes for me friends, and enjoying them with them. And I’m certainly not going to miss out on eating a gelato here and there throughout the summer.

So sugar is in, but only when it is really worth it. I stay away from it unless I am eating a proper dessert that accompanies an occasion. The Greek pastry event was a bit over the top, but again, experiences! It wouldn’t be as much fun to share a stick of celery around the table. But that’s one night. And the rest of the week will have to be pretty clean (with the exception of Thanksgiving, which is  free-for-all in my book.

Maybe I should have mentioned at the top that this is not a post that is trying to keep you off the sweets over the holidays. I have no place telling you what you should or shouldn’t eat. I’m just letting you know what I enjoy. Really, what I am trying to say is: I think it is ok to eat bad stuff, as long as it’s usually and mostly eating good stuff. (And Thanksgiving is only once a year…)

One way I manage to do this is by keeping treats that are low in sugar and packed with protein and good fats in the house, like Tahini Date Refrigerator Snacks.  This week, I’m talking about Peanut Butter Cookies– really good ones, with mostly good stuff in them apart from 1/8 cup honey. They are gluten free, and have some delicious optional extras in them. They are based on a recipe from Elana’s Pantry–she does great desserts– but I’ve cut the sugar in half, made a few other changes, and added some extras to keep you full for longer and add some more interesting flavor.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter, Cacao Nib, and Coconut Cookies

Makes about 12 cookies

• 1 cup almond meal
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1/8 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 1 tblsn cacao nibs
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded or dessicated coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 180 C and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine almond meal, salt, baking soda, and shredded coconut in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, beat peanut butter, honey, butter and vanilla extract, until light and fluffy.
4. Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients, and beat until well combined. Stir in cacao nibs and chopped peanuts.
5. Scoop dough 1 tablespoon at a time onto lined baking sheet and press down with a fork.
6. Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Melbourne is Immune to Global Warming: Sesame Zoodles

Photography by Kim Mennen, Styling by Ali Nardi

It’s obvious at this point that Melbourne doesn’t feel like giving its people a break. We love you Melbourne, but you don’t seem to love us back. It’s spring, and you are still throwing weather tantrums. It’s immature, and inconsiderate and I expect it to stop. Everyone is cranky and depressed, and I’m hitting that point too. Luckily, because we aren’t in NYC, no one is calling it, “weather prone depression,” but really we all have a touch of it. So cut it out. It’s just plain rude.

I’ve gone ahead and made something springy anyway. I’m sick of slow cooking, and roasts. I don’t want to play with my oven tonight. I want to embrace the fresh veg of spring– gosh, I don’t even know what spring means anymore. What-eh-ver.

I was skeptical about zucchini noodles–a.k.a.”zoodles”– for a long time. While on a somewhat Paleo stint I scoffed at the idea. I LOVE pasta. It is hands down one of my favorite foods ever. I wasn’t about to disgrace pasta by trying to recreate it with a zucchini. I was just going to have it once as a while, not as a a small treat, because I’m incapable of eating small portions of pasta. (I allow myself an occasional pasta binge.)

Then someone I knew got hold of a “zoodler” and I became a believer. This little gadget is simple, but efficient, and the zucchini comes out in a very satisfying spaghetti cut. It isn’t spaghetti, but it isn’t so far off, and you could just think of it as a totally different food that happens to go well with pasta/noodle sauces. I’m pretty into them, and have to make them often to justify spending nearly $40 on a piece of plastic.  I keep them raw when using them so the flavor is more neutral. If you sautee them, you will end up with a stronger zucchini flavor, but that will work for some dishes. It all depends on personal taste.

So here it is: Sesame Zoodles. This recipe, adapted from Zygot Bookworks & Cafe originally published in Bon Appetit Magazine,  is a veggie-packed, no-cook recipe that absolutely reeks of spring. It’s misses a lot of sore spots as it’s dairy free, free from processed sugars (you’ll need to purchase “no-sugar added”/ all natural peanut butter if you are avoiding sugar), gluten free, vegan and raw, but still tastes really good… Take that Melbourne!

I’ve been making this for years using udon noodles, and now I use zoodles with it. You can really add whatever veggies you like. With the sauce, some people prefer it more peanut buttery or thicker/thinner so feel free to play around with the soy sauce, vinegar and stock, but these ratios are what I like.

If we pretend it’s warm, maybe it will actually become warm…

Sesame Zoodles (adapted from Zygot Bookworks & Cafe)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 tblspn balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 2 cloves garlic (or more), finely chopped
• finely chopped red chilli to taste (optional)
• 3 spring onions/scallions thinly sliced plus extra for garnish
• 2 cups shredded nappa cabage
• 1 head bok choy, well rinsed and thinly sliced
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, julienned
• melted coconut oil or oil of choice to coat zoodles
• 2 tblspn sesame seeds plus extra for garnish
• about 3/4 zucchini per person to be made into zoodles–this recipe makes enough for 3 or 4 people.

1. To make the sauce, combine the first 5 ingredients, as well as the chilli if using. Make your zoodles and coat with a little bit of oil in  a large bowl. Add remaining vegetables and coat with sauce. Add sesame seeds. Garnish with extra sesame seeds and spring onions

Start the Week Right: Tahini Date Refrigerator Snacks

Photography by Kim Mennen, Styling by Ali Nardi

Clearly these are balls, but I’m too immature to use the word balls in the title for one of my posts…

I have been eating terribly lately! Lack of time means less making food at home, which means more eating out, which means eating a lot more junk, which means–you get the point. If I don’t take some time to make some healthy snacks to have in the house, and keep my fridge and pantry stocked with good stuff, as opposed to loading the freezer up with pizzas (it’s been known to happen), a vicious cycles begins. And I don’t think I’m alone…

I become addicted to the bad stuff, and lose interest in the better tasting homemade stuff, that also happens to be so much healthier, and make me feel so much better physically and mentally. I become sluggish, achy, and kind of cranky.

But then it becomes a bit too “icky” and I wake up one morning ready to start getting it right again. Today was a Monday, which I think is a great excuse for a fresh start. I ate good things all day, and then Anders gave me and my workout buddy a free personal training session (along with an elderly Chinese woman named Lily who came over to practice her English and then slipped her way into our training session). No, I am not a health nut who lives my daily life that way, but I try. Often, a workout just means I can then go have a greasy cheese burger after so I break even if you know what I mean, but I’m trying to get better at seeing the habbits in my life through for longer–not giving up burgers, or icecream–just having them less frequently. And I know having good snacks in the house helps me with this effort.

Anyway, the benders don’t really bother me that much, as long as I know I can squeeze my way back out of them, and button my pants again without it being too much of a struggle. The lack of time to make healthy food though is really still an issue at this juncture in my life, so finding some good, healthy, tasty snacks that aren’t too time consuming and don’t require me to turn on an oven can be tricky.

So thank goodness for Mona Hecke, author of The Lunchbox Revolution, and a former colleague who passed her “Protein Blast Balls” recipe onto me.  A kid’s lunchbox really is a great inspiration, as the point is healthy stuff without it tasting dull. I admit, I haven’t purchased her book and given it a good look, but based on how much I love this recipe, and the great feedback I received when I made them, I reckon it’s probably worth investing in.

There is no cooking, chopping, shredding, or even rinsing. You just need your ingredients, a measuring cup, and a food processor, and your ready to go. The whole process from start to finish is a quick 10-15 minutes, depending on how obsessive you are with getting those balls to look perfect. Your could also go with log shapes, or even squares. The choice is yours…. They last in a container in the fridge for ages, and you really only need one when you are after a pick me up. They are gluten free and dairy free. These are dense and delicious. The recipe calls for protein powder, which I realize isn’t something everyone has lying around. I only have access to it because Anders dabbles with the stuff… It ups the protein content of course, but it’s not gonna hurt anyone if you take it out.

Of course, I have made a few changes, apart from just changing the name…

• I’ve taken out the agave, which I, and my fellow tasters, feel is unnecessary. The dates are definitely sweet enough on there own, and I don’t prepare food with agave. If you feel the need for extra sweetness, I recommend using honey instead, or adding a pinch of stevia.
• Instead of almond meal, I’ve gone with LSA, which adds a bit more nutritional complexity.
• I replaced goji berries with dried cranberries, because I prefer the taste, but also because they are a a bit out of my budget at the moment, and the budget for the rest of my life…  Also, someone I know will be eating these is allergic to them.
• And finally, instead of just coating them in coconut, I recommend coating some in cacao powder.

Seriously good snacking grub…

Tahini Date Refrigerator Snacks

Adapted from The Lunchbox Revolution

Ingredients (Makes about 20 balls):

• 1 cup LSA
• 2 tbsp protein powder (optional/ vanilla protein works best for this recipe)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup shredded or dessicated coconut, plus extra to coat
• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 10 medjool dates, pitted
• Tahini to bind–I used roughly 1/3 cup
• cacao powder to coat (optional)

Place everything into a food processor and blend until well ground and combined. Add tahini by the tablespoon until ingredients bind together. Shape into balls and roll in dessicated coconut or cacao. Store in fridge in an airtight container.

Mom’s Artichokes, Flannel and Boomboxes

Photography by Asia Upward, Styling by Ali Nardi

First, a shout out to my buddy Asia Upward, who is so much fun to work with (plus I love her dog, Bear). She really knows how to photograph food and she has done some really lovely work for this blog. To see more of her work check out her website: Porkchop Photography

Whilst wandering through the Victoria Markets last week pretending I wouldn’t make my way to the borek stand and have my customary cheese and spinach borek straight from the oven (and straight from the hands of the borek nazi lady herself, who still doesn’t recognize me after the countless borkes I have purchased–it adds to the experience) I noticed that there were quite a few artichokes about the place, and I got excited and a bit nostalgic.

I love artichokes, and I really enjoyed eating them when I was a kid and my mom used to make them. They are in season in Victoria, and naturally that meant I would be eating them soon. By that, I mean I naturally expected them to be prepared for me soon–by my mom. And then it hit me. I have never cooked an artichoke! Okay, there might have been that one time in Italy after the artichoke fair in Rome, but did I actually prepare the bundle of chokes we brought back, or did I just sip 3 euro wine and sit on the windowsill watching my friend prepare them before eating them?

In any case, it was due time, cause mom is all the way back in Brooklyn and who else is going to make me artichokes? I wanted to make them the same way she always did when we were kids: simple, delicious–when you pull the leaves off and tear off the meaty bottoms with your teeth, then scoop the choke from the heart and eat the heart and a bit of the stem. So I called her, and she gave me the rundown, which I have passed on here.

After Asia Upward photographed the artichokes, we ate them, and Asia had a rush of nostalgia, cause sure enough, her mom used to make them the same way. And that’s when we realized artichokes are totally a 90’s thing. Perhaps they aren’t instantly recognizable as 90’s trend– the boombox, flannel, Pearl Jam–but that’s the decade they brought us back to.

So go grab some Artichokes at the market and and enjoy a blast to the past, and maybe plan to watch an episode of My So Called Life after dinner. I would portion two artichokes per person as part of a bigger meal. I served it up with a simple spaghetti with a bit of chilli flakes, parsley, and parmesan, and some bread to soak up the garlicky artichoke oil.

Mom’s Artichokes

Ingredients:

• Artichokes (or two per person)
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic per artichoke, sliced not too thinly
• salt and pepper to tast
• olive oil
• water

Remove the really tough leaves from the artichokes and using a knife, peel the tough skin off of the heart and stem (leave about 2 inches of stem). Gently pull back petals a bit and push garlic slices down in the crevices. Place artichokes in large deepish pan in a single layer. Add equal portions of olive oil and water to the pan until you have about 3/4 an inch of liquid. Place a lid on the pan and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer (if the lid isn’t super snug or has a small airhole, seal the top with a layer of foil and then place the lid on). Allow to simmer for an 1 1/2 to two hours depending on how tough your artichokes are, turning occasionally (be gentle so the leaves don’t fall off). You should able to pierce the heart (right above where the stem meets the choke easily).

Your chokes are done and ready to eat! Just peel the petals off and pull of the tender bit of the pettle off with your teeth. Discard the rest of the pettle (it’s nice to have an extra bowl on the table for discarded leaves). When you get down the the spikey choke, scoop it from the heart, and enjoy the heart and the upper bit of the stem.

Flourless Pistachio Spice Cake

The best-worst thing I have been asked since being in NYC so far? “Excuse me, how do I get to ground zero?” I don’t have to explain the issue with that one. Other than that it is great. Weather is gorgeous, the food is great, and the people aren’t too cranky. My favorite bite so far was a really simple but beyond delicious Sicilian Panel Sandwich (i’m pretty sure the sandwich bit is the Italian American twist)– fried chickpea fritters  with a dollop of fresh ricotta and grated pecorino on a crispy light bun. I certainly couldn’t get away with a meal like that on a regular basis, but when I do eat something blatantly unhealthy, I go all in. And it’s not so often I get to spend time with my dad, who is a bit of an expert on the truly great yet hipsterless grub spots in Brooklyn. So when I am home, almost anything goes in the food category if I’m out for a meal.

Like I said though, I can’t or rather know I shouldn’t eat like that all the time, but I still crave the “naughty foods.” But you know my theory– If it’s gonna have bad stuff in it, make sure to add the extra good stuff too. And it’s just starting to get chilly enough to turn on the oven in NYC, which is the perfect reason to make this next recipe.

This is a Flourless Pistachio cake based on a recipe from Spice Trip: The Simple Way to Make Food Exciting by Stevie Parle and Emma Grazette. It’s a massive book and although it’s not particularly original–it’s more abut comfort food, with extra spice thrown in– it’s great way to get inspired in the kitchen. There are some cool spice-based health remedies in there as well.

Of course I healthied up their recipe a bit. I started by cutting the sugar in half (trust me, you won’t miss it). I also used coconut oil instead of butter and added cardamom to the recipe. I baked it in a much smaller cake pan than the one the recipe calls for (which i have provided measurements for below) and the result was a much taller cake with a crunchy outside and a slightly undercooked inside. This actually translated into a beautiful creamy texture on the inside and a nice firm shell with the called-for layer of pistachio crunch on the bottom. It worked. That being said, I am sure it is just as delicious when done in the original pan.

The original recipe is served with greek yogurt with orange zest. I have added those to the ingredient list below, but we all like it on it’s own (about 6 different people demolished tasted this cake).

This would go great with some fresh mint tea or even a bit of desert wine…

Flourless Pistachio Spice Cake

Adapted from: Spice Trip: The Simple Way to Make Food Exciting by Stevie Parle and Emma Grazette

Ingredients:

• 150 grams ground pistachios, and 75 grams coarsely chopped pistachios
• 200 grams almond meal
• 120 grams coconut oil, soft but not melted (or softened butter)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 110 grams brown sugar (about 1/2 cup packed)
• 250 grams Greek yogurt (extra to serve)
• 1 tbsp freshly grated nutmeg
• seeds from 5 green cardamom pods, ground in mortar and pestle.
• Orange zest for yogurt (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 180 C. Grease and line an 8″ (20 cm) spring form pan with baking paper (I use a 6″ pan). You can use a smaller cake tin to make a higher cake as in the photo above. Just adjust baking time appropriately.
2. In a medium bowl, beat coconut oil with an electric beater until smooth. Add ground pistachios, almond meal, and salt, and beat to blend. If chunks of coconut oil form, just work mixture with your hands to knead out any lumps. Press half of the mixture evenly into the pan.
3. To the remainder of the mixture, add eggs, sugar, yogurt, and spices and beat until mixture is smooth. Pour mixture into cake tin and scatter chopped pistachios on top.
4. Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean and the cake is fairly firm if you press the top. If you make a higher cake in a smaller cake pan, make sure to cover the top of the cake after 45 minutes with foil so the top doesn’t brown too much.
5. Allow to cool and serve with greek yogurt mixed with orange zest (optional). Keep leftovers refrigerated (I actually prefer this cake cold from the fridge).

Almost Vicki’s Ancient Grain Salad

 

Photography by Kim Mennan, Styling by Ali Nardi

 

The worst part of jetlag is the boredom. Being awake at all those odd hours with no one to pester but the cat. No matter which country I am in, this time difference business really gives me the sh*ts. Maybe we should revert to a nocturnal lifestyle in Australia? Of course I am thrilled to be back in NYC for a visit, but these first few days are always a little trying.

Lucky for me, a laundry list of must-do’s has piled up, including putting out this blog post with a recipe someone has been eager to get (you know who you are), so I don’t really have an excuse not to be productive during these odd hours.

About a month ago, when Anders and I had both hit sheer exhaustion after working without a break for we-lost-count amount of days and the cold weather just kept hanging on, we both took a day off and headed to a new friend’s country property for a mini-get away. Vicki Jackson and her partner Simon have a gorgeous little plot in a quirky town with just a post office, a pub, and some endearing little leftovers, like an old out-of-use gas pump in someone’s front yard where the gas-station used to be.

Vicki and Simon were fantastic hosts, and Vicki is a vegetarian chef and author of the Squirrels Vegetarian Cookbooks. She has cultivated an impressive veggie garden, and cooks from a wood-fired stove, which really brings it up a level. When she says she uses whole foods, she means it.

As you may have guessed, Vicki prepared an outstanding veggie meal for us and one dish was a real stand out: her Ancient Grain salad. I don’t know exactly what Vicki puts in hers, but after interrogating her at the table, I attempted to re-create it, or rather make something similar and as tasty, and I am pretty happy with the results. I added a few extras: seeds and buckwheat– but the rest is really all Vicki. This is a lose recipe and the tartness can be adjusted to taste. I like it fairly zingy. You could add almond slivers or an extra grain or take out the barley and add more lentils to make it gluten free. If basil is in season throw it in. It’s a good one to play with.

Vicki’s walnut maple pie was also insanely good, but it’s probably best I don’t know how to make that one…

Almost Vicki’s Ancient Grain Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 cup dry green or brown lentils, soaked, cooked and cooled
• 1/3 cup dry buckwheat, soaked, cooked and cooled
• 1/3 cup dry barley, soaked, cooked and cooled (omit and add extra lentils and buckwheat for gluten free)
• 1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 1/4 cup sun flower seeds
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 red onion or small shallot, finely chopped
• a few generous handfuls of fresh parsley and cilantro/coriander, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat’s cheese (omit for dairy free)

For the dressing:

• 1-2 tblsp pomegranate molasses or tamarind paste
• zest and juice of one lemon (add in lemon juice gradually to adjust to taste)
• generous tsp honey
• a few tblsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Toast cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan over low heat until dry and fragrant. Cool and grind in a mortar and pestle.
2. Combine spices with the following 8 ingredients and gently fold in cheese
3. For the dressing, whisk ingredients until well combined (taste as you go) and add to the salad. Enjoy as a side or a vegetarian main

One Thing Aussies Don’t Take the Piss Out of: American Punkin’ Pie

Photography by Kim Mennan, Styling by Ali Nardi

First, I want to give a big thank you to photographer Kim Mennen, who has done some gorgeous photography for For the Love of Cabbage. She is super talented, and I am thrilled to have her on board! So thank you Kim!  To check out some of her other work, go here.

Now onto to that Punkin’ Pie….

Thanksgiving in Australia has been a bit of a dud so far. It’s my least favorite holiday politically, but far and away my favorite holiday for the food and it’s always a hard one to be away for. The food, however, is incredibly heavy, and it is crazy hot here in Australia by November. Understandably, I don’t want to spend all day sweating it out like the would-be-turkey in the oven in the summer.

So since my time here–(over a year and a half! cray cray….) I have been sneaking snippets of a the traditional thanksgiving meal into my everyday cooking. By snippets, I mean going straight to the best part: The Pumpkin Pie (although I am quite partial to sweet potato with marshmallow as well– yeah i know it sounds weird but it is seriously good).

Pumpkin Pie isn’t “a thing” here, and it’s almost funny how excited everyone gets when I make it. It is an American novelty, as is the way I say “coffee” apparently. Luckily, it lives up to the hype and everyone loves it. So I’m providing the recipe here–perhaps a bit late as Spring is upon us, but the weather is still a bit nippy. And since this one has coconut in it and it’s great cold from the fridge, why shouldn’t pumpkin pie be a hot weather food? I’ve managed to turn it into a breakfast staple at ours…

I don’t muck around with the concept of pumpkin pie too much. It’s one of those things that is great as is, and in my opinion, attempts to jazz it up just don’t really make it any more special than the straightforward version. So my approach to the pumpkin pie was to make it healthier, while making it taste as similar to the original, which was surprisingly easy. It is dairy free, gluten free, and if you are counting honey as Paleo, it’s Paleo as well.

It’s one of those cases where the back of the can got it right. I defer completely to LIBBY’s Famous Pumpkin Pie recipe, cause that Libby knows what she’s talking about. I just toggled a few things:

• -The condensed milk gets switched out for coconut milk to make it dairy free and add the benefits of coconut
• the sugar gets swapped out for honey
• I use steamed pumpkin (squash), or sweet potato, or a combo of the two instead of the canned stuff (which honestly isn’t that bad…)
• And the crust is a protein packed and healthy gluten free almond meal and coconut crust

I tried almond meal based crust recipes and had to make a few tweaks to get it to a good place, but I’m feeling good about this one, which is based on a recipe from Elana’s Pantry. It doesn’t deliver the same firm texture as a traditional crust, but it tastes great and gets a nice gentle crunch around the edges.

I’m not a huge fan of healthy versions of desserts that don’t taste like they should. I’d rather just not have dessert at all if it doesn’t taste like a dessert. And that’s why I’m sharing this pie recipe. It is right on the mark. I suggest serving it without letting everyone know you’ve adjusted it, so the skeptics won’t go in biased.

As they say here, this dish is a cracker!

Eat it for Breakfast Pumpkin Pie

Adapted from the recipe on the back of the can of LIBBY’S canned pumpkin/ Crust adapted from Elana’s Pantry

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• standard 9-inch pie dish
• 1 1/2 cups almond meal
• 1/2 cup dessicated unsweetened coconut
• ½ teaspoon good salt
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

For the filling:

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups mashed pumpkin (squash) or sweet potato (start with 1 1/4 lbs to get 1 1/2 cups– peel, steam, and mash with fork)
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup honey (if you like less sweet, subtract 2 tblspn)
• 1 cup coconut milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 F/ 175 C
2. For the crust: In a bowl, combine almond meal, dessicated coconut, and salt. Add egg and coconut oil and mix to blend. Use fingers if needed. Press into a pie dish and blind bake for 12-15 minutes, until firm. Allow to cool completely.
3. For the filling, mix ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Pour into cooled pie crust. Place on baking tray and bake for 60-70 minutes or until center doesn’t jiggle. Allow to cool completely.
4. In cooler weather, just leave it out for a few hours. In warmer weather, pop into the fridge for a few hours. Then serve with whipped cream, or if avoiding dairy, whip up some coconut cream.

Unemployed? Have a Cookie

Photography by Asia Upward, Styling by Ali Nardi

My housemate really likes ice cream. We have a freezer full of it. Sure, it’s his ice cream, but it’s right there, and it’s not just one brand and one flavor. It’s a whole selection. Damn you Tom!

I repeat, it’s his ice cream. But like I said, there was so much of it, and right there! I cracked the other night and stole far more than a modest scoop. Then I felt like the horrible housemate who steals food, and excessively apologized the next morning. I started with, “I did something bad,” which is up there with “Can we talk,” as a phrase that fuels anxiety. It was a poor sentence to start with. I could see the color drain from his face and feel those unpleasant butterflies fluttering around in his ice cream coated belly. He was thoroughly relieved when he realized I was just talking about ice cream.

I’m unemployed. It’s a state of being that I personally find really challenging, especially after leaving a perfectly good job. But, I simply had to move to Melbourne, and I don’t regret that. And starting over is kind of habit of mine, except for the past almost three years, instead of flying solo I’ve got a start over buddy whose beard looks like haven for birds at the moment (it suits Melbourne though).

There is of course the honeymoon period, where everything is new and exciting, and honestly, my interest in Melbourne hasn’t worn off in the slightest, and I am genuinely thrilled to be here. There is just the fact that I will eventually need an income if I want to stay, and I definitely want to stay.

So now just simply isn’t the time to go cold turkey on sweets, or I could end up dipping into something much worse as the psychological effects of starting over yet again and being unemployed slowly but steadily chip away at my self-esteem.

I know, it’s not to the most interesting or dramatic vice, but god forbid I revert back to my smoking days. I lost track of how many times I had to quit to truly kick my addiction to those delicious cancer sticks, and for the past few years it has been breezy. I have maybe two a year just for the nostalgia factor, and the next day I feel hung over and shitty.  I couldn’t go back if I tried. My body won’t let me, not to mention Anders would hound me the same way I hound him about eating bacon EVERYDAY. And I am grateful for that (not the bacon part, just the rest).

Yeah, being unemployed can suck, and that’s nothing new. Depending on where you are in your life and what your goals are, it can be a good experience too, if you can motivate to go do some cool things with your new-found free-time that don’t cost anything. Currently I am working on building defensive forces against the negatives of unemployment by constantly distracting myself with projects.

But the negativity still managed to slip in. In fact, I feel like I cause a lot of my own grief over not having a job.

For example: I feel rejected even when I’m not applying for jobs! This is the most ridiculous contradiction I experience. Even if I am actively NOT looking for a job, I still feel like no one wants to hire me. What? That one just makes me angry at myself, and it is probably annoying to read. You might be thinking I need a good slap and a shake. I don’t blame you.

Another thing: Being unemployed is an excellent conversation killer, but I could easily eradicate this problem by simply lying. When people ask you, “What do you do?” meaning “what do you do for a living?” and not what do you do in your spare time for fun (unless you are in San Francisco, where it actually means, “what do you do that makes you happy”), they often get uncomfortable when you can’t provide them with an answer. If you are speaking to a gainfully employed individual, chances are you are making them feel like unemployment is contagious, and they must exit the conversation post-haste to save their own pay check. So instead of saying, “Oh, I’m currently looking for a job….” or “Yeah, things are a bit slow right now….” I could be saying I teach Norwegian lions how to speak Spanish, or even better, I could say I am an Internal Project Manager Analayst Engineering Consultant. I guarantee no one will actually ask me details about that one.

To cope with the “U” word, and that fact that I am back to having one friend within over 500 miles (shit that’s far, and true!–Anders alone has to act as my BFF, boyfriend, personal butler, and therapist all at once) , and so I don’t attempt to overcome the challenge of un-quitting smoking,  I indulge in sweets and watch The Biggest Loser in moments when I feel like throwing in the towel. Those are the bits I am willing to share with you at least. But I like to think I am being clever about it. I’ve been steadily baking sweets that aren’t going to harm me too much, and might actually help me on both the nutritional and psychological front. And ultimately, they prevent me from pilfering Tom’s ice cream.

I do this by cutting out the flour (my usual MO) and adding some extra nutritional bits in there. There is a flourless chocolate chip cookie recipe from The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods by Sara Forte with lovely photos by Hugh Forte that I  keep coming back to. (They also have a blog by the same name with loads of recipes.) It uses almond flour and is so easy and delicious, and it ain’t that bad for me (so I let myself have way to many which bring me back to square one). It is without a doubt my favorite flourless recipe so far, and one of my favorite recipes in general. I have adapted it just slightly by adding espresso and chia seeds for flavor and texture and to keep my energy levels up.

Chocolate Chip Chia Espresso Cookies

Adapted from: The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods

Yields 22 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups almond meal
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ tsp espresso powder
• ¼ cup chopped dark chocolate
• ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tblspn chia seeds (optional)

• 1 large egg
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter or coconut oil (or oil of choice), melted
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat over to 375 F/ 190 C
2. Mix first 7 ingredients in a bowl as well as chia seeds if using.
3. Beat egg until doubled in volume and foamy. Whisk in butter and vanilla (make sure butter has cooled so it doesn’t cook the egg!)
4. Mix wet ingredients into dry and allow to stand for 10 minutes
5. Wet hands, and roll dough into balls the size of a large marble (about 1 tblspn dough per cookie). Place dough onto ungreased baking tray and flatten dough balls with palm.  Bake for 7- 10 mins. (Almond meal tends to brown fairly quickly, so it’s best to make these small so you don’t end up with a burnt outside and undercooked inside)

The Jew-Factor: Just Follow the Matzo Crumbs… Passover Carrot Cake

Photography by Asia Upward, Styling by Ali Nardi

Except there are no matzo crumbs.

Being a Jew in Australia is both comical, and a little difficult to swing.

Here’s an example of the comical: Many Aussies assume that because I am Jewish, I am an expert on the Jewish religion– even though I am more of a Jew by heritage if you catch my drift. A friend wrote Anders an email when she returned from a trip to NYC: “While we were in New York, there were all these Jewish people dressed in traditional clothing going into these makeshift rectangle rooms. I think they were celebrating something? And the young boys were going around asking people if they were Jewish. Does Ali know what they were celebrating???”

The Difficulties: It’s not that I feel unwelcome or anything. It’s just that there isn’t really much of anything Jewish going on if you are a “casual Jew” like myself (something like a half-blood from Harry Potter, who grew up celebrating all Catholic and Jewish Holidays but never really tied any religious significance to either). So it’s hard to keep up with Passover, Yom Kippur, Chanukah. It’s also difficult to find egg noodles to make kugel with, and this is the real tragedy of it for me.

Being a Jew has always been a bit like wearing an accessory in my case–something I identify with to a certain extent and enjoy having as an extra flourish, but not something that I defined myself by…. until that is, I started living abroad and until I met Anders. In New York I am one of many who get called out while in the NYC subway: “Are you Jooeesh?” Here, it’s more of a novelty, because I am the only Jew most of my Aussie friends have ever encountered, or rather, known personally. And whether or not I chose to tell people doesn’t make a difference, as Anders has made it a well-known fact. It’s cute… sort of.  I didn’t understand how widespread the word was until people were leaving bacon just off of my plate (I do not keep kosher for the record). My favorite bit though is when Anders told his father I was Jewish before his father met me, and he said “Well don’t hold it against her!”

But like I said, no one I know has an issue with it. For the most part, they just didn’t grow up with it as part of their lives. During December holidays in Brisbane, there was no such thing as saying “Happy Holidays!” It’s just, “Merry Christmas!”

Bottom line: it’s good that people have a curiosity to know what it’s all about. I just wish I knew so I could tell them!

I feel like I should participate a bit in this inherited culture though, even without mom and dad and the olds here to organize Passover. I gotta represent! So this year, I have decided to do a mini Seder on the second night of Passover (tomorrow). In Brisbane, finding Passover products just wasn’t happening. But now we are in Melbourne, where the possibilities are endless (and the laksa is amazing!). Sure enough, there is Carlisle St. in Saint Kilda, an area that feels a lot like Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, about 45 minutes away from me via bike. So I took my wheels on an adventure yesterday, and got the necessary bits for passover. Matzo meal to make matzo balls, matzo bread (this is also nice to have in the house to snack on), and red horseradish (my favorite). The rest I can find at Vic markets tomorrow.

I also made a Passover Carrot Cake (flourless) that we can enjoy at the mini Seder and throughout the week, because I like having something sweet around that is nutritious enough to eat as a meal. I’m not a big fan of chocolate, and the typical flourless chocolate cakes at passover are too sweet and heavy for my taste, but I love a good carrot cake.

I’ve adapted this recipe from Elana’s Pantry. I’ve spiced it differently, added dried figs, and since I originally posted this, I have altered the frosting, as her cream cheese frosting didn’t really do it for me and can now give you an awesome cream cheese frosting recipe! Also, I simply don’t use gave in my food.

Instead of doing a two-layer cake, I do a one layer cake, and then make the rest into cupcakes, or do them all as cupcakes as a sweet snack to have during the  week– no frosting when going for the snack idea! (You might notice two are missing in the photo. Photographer Asia Upwards dog Bear got to them when we turned our backs for a second!)

Note: This cake is flourless (almond-meal), and can also be made dairy free by swapping out the melted butter with your oil of choice (I recommend coconut oil, or the original recipe calls for grape seed oil).

Flourless Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from Elana’s Pantry

• 3 cups blanched almond flour (DO NOT use Bob’s Red Mill. It is too coarse)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 5 eggs
• ½ cup honey or agave nectar
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 3 cups grated carrot
• 1/2 cup raisans
• 1/2 cup chopped dried figs
• 1 cup walnuts (plus a few extra for decoration)

Frosting

• 1 cup creamcheese (about 250 grams)
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 stick (115 grams) butter, softened
• 1/4 cup honey

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Grease two 9 inch cake tins, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.
2. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, using your fingers to break up any clumps of almond meal.
3. In a seperate bowl, mix together eggs, honey and melted butter. Stir in carrots, raisans, figs, and walnuts.
4. Mix wet ingredients into dry, and divide batter evenly into cake pans.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. If the top starts to brown too quickly, cover with foil. Allow to cool before removing from cake pans.
6. For the frosting: With an electric beater, beat cream cheese until smooth in a  medium bowl. Add butter and honey and beat until smooth and fluffy. In a separate bowl, beat cream until you have a nice thick whipped cream (don’t let it go to butter!). Combine with cream cheese mixture. Store in Fridge for up to a week, and store in freezer after that. To revive it, just beat it til smooth again.