Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Cherry coconut porridge

I have yet to find my rhythm. 
As someone who likes to know how the movie ends before seeing it, and who takes joy in creating routines and organising, my current completely random and spontaneous days make me feel as though my head is spinning. My daughter, bless her, is a very irregular kid; trying to mould her into a schedule is like trying to shape dry sand - frustratingly difficult. 
Because I can never truly know what to expect on any given day, things like blogging have once again become luxuries that I can barely scrounge up enough time for. So, once again, this will be the last post for now. 

However, I still manage to post daily on my Instagram account. So feel free to follow that :)  - http://instagram.com/greedygourmand





Cherry coconut porridge

1.5cups oats
4 tablespoons chia seed
3-4cups of coconut drinking milk
3 tablepoons raw cacao
pinch of stevia
coconut shavings
cherries (fresh or frozen)
dark chocolate shavings
maple syrup

Combine oats, chia, coconut milk, cacao and stevia in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then simmer over lower heat until oats are cooked.
Pour into a bowl and top with coconut shavings, cherries, dark chocolate shavings and maple syrup to taste.


Monday, April 1, 2013

Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce


“I sit beside the fire and think 
Of all that I have seen
Of meadow flowers and butterflies
In summers that have been

Of yellow leaves and gossamer
In autumns that there were
With morning mist and silver sun
And wind upon my hair


- J.R.R Tolkien

Here we are, nestled within my favourite season; wrapped in toasty sun-kissed arms, the crisp air tickling our cheek as we inhale the scent of freshly sprinkled dew upon emerald blades of grass. I tend to spend the largest amount of time dilly-dallying in nature during Autumn; I find the air itself invigorating and each day seems to be filled with the most wonderful of possibilities. 

Today I happened to witness the sweetest of moments. Whilst seeing her daddy off to work, my littlest one sat down upon the step where her feet chanced to brush against the tip of a golden leaf. After she took a moment to observe the situation, our front porch was filled with sounds of crackles and tinkling laughter as she delighted in crunching the fallen leaves beneath her chubby toes. My husband, who was still in the driveway, asked me if I had shown her how to do that. '"No," I replied. "Hmpf, I guess some things are just in our DNA'," was his response. I considered that a lovely thought; perhaps we are born to  find joy simply in the stomping of  rustling leaves.

prep time: 5mins. (do all other prep while eggplant cooks)
cooking time: 55mins.
total: 1 hour.

taste: 3-4/5. This one didn't appeal to all.

I personally, thought it was lovely, especially as it took very minimal effort to make. I liked the smoky eggplant against the sweet pomegranate, warm spices and tangy buttermilk. 

The others however, didn't think it was anything special. Their main gripe was that they thought the eggplant was too soft (which could be remedied with less cooking) but they also thought the flavour profile was a bit dull. I think perhaps the buttermilk might have mellowed out the other flavours for them.

would I make it again: Unfortunately no, seeing as though the others weren't sold on it.

recipehttp://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Eggplant-with-Buttermilk-Sauce-365110

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Instagram

For sneak peeks into my world of food and what makes it to my belly, check out my instagram:

Friday, March 15, 2013

Friday, March 8, 2013

Dark chocolate cheesecake with hazelnuts


Hello.

I spent what felt like an eternity watching the hair-thin black line blinking impatiently on my screen as if tapping its feet and saying 'Well? Write something!' So this is how it begins.

One hundred and sixty seven days have passed since I last clicked publish and snapped my last photos. I feel like a forgotten object, tucked away in the attic, coated in dust; the knowledge of blogging only a distant shimmering memory. The trepidation of returning swells within my belly with the nagging seeds of doubt scattered at my feet. 
Should I?..Shouldn't I?...Can I?..Oh, why not.
So here I am, for now, as long as I am able, perhaps less frequently than before but up again nonetheless.

Greedy Gourmand is back in the kitchen.

The idea of trying to recount all that has passed since our last encounter makes me feel as though I am tumbling down a neverending rabbit hole - the memories are simply too many to type. So instead, here is a small segment from last week, or as I prefer to call it:


Valentine's Half Birthday

When we decided to have a child, the thought of creating new family traditions whirled through my brain, one of which was the celebration of our children's half birthdays.  There would be an individual theme for each child, half a birthday cake and candle, a very merry half birthday song (the Madhatters unbirthday song re-worded), and their favourite breakfast culminating in a small get together with grandparents.
For Valentine, whose half birthday falls in March, I thought a Madhatters tea party would be fitting (inspired by the March Hare). 
On a gloriously sunshine soaked day we gathered at a park, wore our happiest hats, brought our largest Cheshire grins and gorged on pizza, iced tea and dessert. As Valentine is still young I only organised a few games such as the Caucas Race (guests run around in a circle, and when you shout 'stop' the last one to sit down/run to the middle is out) and Find The Golden Key; prizes were jams, cookbooks, teas and cups. It was great fun to be silly.Her half cake was a Paleo Chocolate Cake so that she could enjoy it too. 

And now I leave you with a very merry dessert.

prep time: 20mins to get cheescake in oven.
cooking time: 1hour to cook and 4hours to chill.
total: 1hour and 20mins plus 4 hours chill time.

taste: 4.5/5. The second cheesecake I have fallen for.

This one pleased almost all - there were a few strange people who thought this cake was just too decadent for them - well have a sliver and give me a slab, I'll happily eat the lion's share. The filling is sweet with a cocoa warmth and a slight tang. It's smothered in a dark, sinfully yummy ganache that's spiked with a hint of sweet nutella and then speckled with roasted hazelnuts and a sprinkling of sea salt. You have sweetness, bitterness, saltiness along with some crunch and fudge - this cake is a keeper.

would I make it again: Y-E-S.