Some Seasonal Snacks

Last month I felt a little bit guilty because I neglected a lot of my duties to work on cranking out more frequent blog posts. This month, on the other hand, I feel a little guilty because I seem to have neglected my blog a bit!

You see, the problem with me is that my mind is constantly filling up with ideas, recipes, images. I get buried under them eventually and then the result I end up with is, well... nothing. I think it is about time that I find a better way to organize my thoughts and priorities. There is just too much to do in such little time!

The post I have come up with here is a rather weak attempt at a compromise for having been absent from my blog for some time. It is somewhat a collaboration of several intriguing finds that I have encountered at the local grocery store lately. Stuff like black radishes, blue sapphire popcorn and of course the gem of a fruit- the pomegranate.

If you don't have the time to spend in the kitchen, these snacks are the type of things you can whip up and still use some unique, flavorful, fresh, and maybe even adventurous ingredients. With Thanksgiving arriving in a few days, I am excited to finally be able to actually cook up components of a meal. Hopefully I can find a way to actually execute the recipe ideas I have come up with and share those with you shortly.

Rustic Bread with Black Radishes and Sea Salt (GF)

serves 4

4 slices of gluten free rustic bread (see A Woodland Inspired Feast post)

Kerrygold butter

3 to 4 black radishes

coarse sea salt

1. Spread a little butter over each slice of bread. Thinly slice the radishes. Place a few rounds on top of the butter on each slice. Season generously with salt.

Mole Spiced Royal Blue Popcorn

serves 3 to 4

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoons salt*

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/4 cup blue sapphire popcorn

1. Combine sugar, salt, chili powder, cocoa powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl.

2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Add popcorn, and cover. Cook, shaking pot frequently, until corn has finished popping. Add to bowl of spices, and toss.

*the salt does not stick to the popcorn as well as the other spices. I read that if you blitz the salt in a coffee grinder or spice mill, it creates more powdery crystals which stick better.

Pomegranate, Coconut, and Clementine Smoothie

serves 3 to 4

1 cup of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice*

1/4 cup of freshly squeezed clementine juice

6 ounces plain coconut yogurt (I used So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk)

2 cups coconut milk (I used So Delicious Original Coconut Milk Beverage)

1 tablespoon honey

1. Place all of the above ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. Serve chilled with ice, if you like.

*I juiced a pomegranate using a traditional hand citrus juicer. 1 large pomegranate= about 1 cup juice

All of the above recipes from the kitchen of Cirque du Souffle :)