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Watermelon, Lime and Coconut Cream Sorbet *BONUS* Watermelon Colada recipe
It’s that time of year again when the air here is bone dry and the sun’s rays seem too strong to be real. It’s amazing how much stronger the sun feels here in SoCal compared to my east coast roots. Suffice it to say I’ve gotten much more diligent with my sunscreen regimen! As we start firing up the grill and taking to the backyard I begin to crave fresh, fruity frozen treats. This watermelon sorbet is sweet and satisfying with a tang on the back end from the lime. This sorbet is a little slushier than the roasted apricot and peach sorbet which is still good but sometimes I like to add the top cream from some homemade coconut milk to impart creaminess. This is so so easy there’s no reason not to keep it in stock all summer!
As we were downing this delicious sorbet and sunning ourselves we realized it was time to booze this baby up! Included is the show-stopping watermelon colada recipe we whipped up with this sorbet. Uh-oh another six pack summer coming!!!
- 3 cups pureed seedless watermelon (cut into chunks and process in blender until smooth)
- juice of 2 limes
- 1/2 cup sugar (consider using less if the watermelon is very sweet)
- 1/4 cup light corn or tapioca syrup
- 1/4-1/2 cup coconut milk top cream (optional but awesome)
~ Bring lime juice, sugar, syrup, and 1/2 cup watermelon puree to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat.
~ Blitz remaining watermelon puree with coconut cream in blender. Whisk hot mixture in and chill until cold.
~ Spin mixture in ice cream maker for 10-15 minutes.
WATERMELON COLADA
- 1-1/2 cups coconut milk (first press if using homemade)
- 1-1/2 cup equivalent of watermelon sorbet OR frozen watermelon chunks and juice of one lime
- 4 frozen strawberries (plus extra to use as ice cubes)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 shots of tequila
~ Blitz all ingredients in blender, pour into glasses and plop a few frozen strawberries in as ice cubes.
ENJOY!!!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
I’ve been obsessed with these kinds of salads for many years, but it was just one of those things I left to the Vietnamese pros and never tried to make myself. Any recipe I’d see for one of these salads seemed to have way too many ingredients that I simply don’t keep in stock. I’m sorry, is my lazy showing? Well with the flames of summer licking at my heels I decided to suck it up and give it a go. It seems like a lot of ingredients at first but once you make it you realize it’s fairly quick and easy. This recipe also lends itself to being prepared in advance and thrown together or even stored in containers and brought to work. It’s definitely a good healthy boost for a busy day and a great choice for a summer dinner with friends when you’d rather socialize than be stuck in a hot kitchen.
The beauty of vietnamese noodle salad, aside from being cool and refreshing, is the delightful collision of taste and textures. Sweet, sour, spice. Crunch, chew, crisp. A stimulating array of shapes and colors (it doesn’t take a food photographer to appreciate these good looks;). It’s an all around sensory experience. Find an asian market in your area and get chopping;) You’ll be glad you did when it’s 100+ degrees and your too heat-tired to move!
DRESSING
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3 Tablespoons fish sauce (ie. nuoc mam)
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2-1/2 Tablespoon brown sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 1 thai chili or small jalapeno (seed the jalapeno), finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground star anise
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- tiny pinch cayenne pepper
SALAD
- 1-2 shallots, sliced into thin cross-sections rings separated
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- sea salt
- 1/2 pound bean thread noodles
- 5 radishes, sliced thin
- 3 persian cucumbers, sliced thin
- 1 cup broccoli stalks, sliced into matchsticks (I buy pre-cut from trader joes–can substitute cabbage)
- 1 cup carrots, sliced into matchsticks (also buy pre-cut)
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup mint, chopped
- 1/2 cup thai (or cinnamon) basil, chopped
- 3/4 cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
~ Mix all dressing ingredients together and whisk thoroughly. Can be made in advance and stored for several days in the refrigerator.
~ Heat coconut oil in a small saucepan and fry shallot in oil until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Keep an eye on them as they burn quickly. Transfer with slotted spoon to paper towel on a plate. Reserve shallot infused oil for another use. Let cool then sprinkle with sea salt.
~ Prepare noodles according to package directions. For the noodle width in this photograph, cover noodles with boiling water for 15+ minutes or so until tender but not mushy. Strain noodles and coat with coconut oil to prevent sticking. Can also be prepared in advance and stored in refrigerator for several days.
~ Combine remaining ingredients (all the veggies and herbs) except the peanuts in a large bowl. Pour dressing over and toss to coat. Add noodles and toss again. Top with the peanuts and enjoy!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
Sometimes I look in the fridge and realize that I am straight up vegetable crazy! I go to make dinner and I’m met with a fridge stocked to the gills with veggies and cheese, but not much else. Time to get creative! I had some beautiful little patty pans (the UFO looking baby squash) and shitakes as well as some staples we always have year-round like avocados and cherry tomatoes (it’s a rough life in this climate;). You really can’t go wrong with a quesadilla but this mash-up recipe was much more impressive than I had imagined and now we’ll be making it all the time! Necessity (and hunger) is the mother of all invention!
This recipe is chock full of veggies and healthy fats. You can adjust the amount of cheese to your liking and using non-fat yogurt instead of sour cream is a much healthier alternative and tastes just as good if not better! It is lighter health-wise but certainly not in flavor! The shitakes add an incredible steak-like quality to the quesadilla making for a exceptionally “meaty” vegetarian meal. Good quality, firm shitakes are key here. If you have an asian market nearby they are usually THE place to find large, firm, hearty shitakes for shockingly reasonable prices. Shitake mushrooms are ridiculously good for you, often referred to as medicinal mushrooms because they boost the immune system, help protect the heart, and have an astonishing amount of bioavailable iron. What’s not to love?!
- 3 small patty pan summer squashes, sliced into matchsticks
- 4 large shitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
- 1 Tablespoon+ smashed garlic
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 2 sprouted grain tortillas (I like Ezekiel brand)
- 1/2 cup grated cheese, I use half extra sharp cheddar and half dubliner
- large handful cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 avocado, sliced
- large handful cherry tomatoes, halved
- plain yogurt, to drizzle
~ Heat olive oil in large skillet, add garlic then veggies and saute until tender. Salt and pepper to taste.
~ In large skillet, layer one tortilla, half of the cheese, veggies, other half of cheese, cilantro and remaining tortilla. Cook 3 minutes or so on each side.
~ Plate and cut quesadilla then top with avocado, tomatoes and drizzles of yogurt.
ENJOY guilt-free!!!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
After the seasonal parade of citrus at the farmers’ market comes that fateful day when my bleary Sunday morning eyes snap open wide at the site of lovely stone fruits on the tables. Hooray!!! Summa summa summa tiiiiiime! I went a little bonkers in my excitement and bought way more peaches and apricots than we could consume fresh so it was time to get a little creative. Roasting the fruit is key here as the process creates a rich, complex sweetness and prevents the juices from making the sorbet icy. This is one of the creamiest sorbets ever! Next time I might add a splash of coconut cream as well.
- 4 apricots
- 4 peaches
- juice of one lemon
- 1/2 cup sugar (if fruits are very sweet decrease sugar)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup dried jasmine flowers
- pinch dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried ginger pieces (OR 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger)
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
~ Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
~ Bring sugar, water, jasmine, rosemary, and ginger to a boil to dissolve sugar. Stir, remove from heat and steep covered for 10 minutes. Strain syrup through sieve or cheesecloth.
~ Roast apricots and peaches on a baking sheet in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Let cool then pit.
~ Puree fruits, syrup, lemon juice, and almond extract in the blender until smooth.
~ Spin in ice cream maker.
ENJOY!!!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
We all know we should be eating more fish in our everyday diets, but for some reason I don’t seem to incorporate that much into my diet. I’m not sure why this is given how quick and easy it is to make a weeknight fish dinner. I enjoy the flavor of fish so I’m a bit of a minimalist when it comes to its preparation. Salt, pepper and a quick, fresh homemade relish or salsa fits the bill for me. Wild trout is one of the few fish that contains a good amount of omega-3 essential fatty acids, which are crucial to balancing out our omega-6 to omega-3 ratios. Other omega-3 fish include wild catfish and wild salmon. Farm raised fish contain more overall fat than their wild counterparts but less usable omega-3 fats so GO WILD!!! Farm raised is touted as the sustainable choice, which is a serious issue, but the inferior feed they give their fish as well as issues with farms contaminating the ocean and killing wild fish are proof that it’s not actually sustainable yet.
This recipe is great on it’s own and really lends itself so some succulent food photography. If you’d like to bulk it up, a simple light white wine sauce (included below) tossed with some pasta and torn up trout is really tasty. I made the leftovers this way last night and my husband said “wow, we really eat a lot of gourmet meals on weeknights now.” Ha! It’s so easy it’s just silly.
FISH
- 4 rainbow trout filets, skinless and de-boned
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 8 or so sun-dried tomatoes in oil, diced (check out my homemade sun-dried tomato recipe)
- 1 scallion, sliced
- few sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- juice from half a lemon
- olive oil
LEMON WHITE WINE SAUCE (optional for serving with pasta)
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- salt and pepper
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- juice from half a lemon
- small hand full of finely chopped parsley
~ Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet. Salt and pepper both sides of fish and cook at medium-high heat for a couple minutes per side or until fish flakes easily. Remove from heat and keep warm.
~ Toss sun-dried tomatoes, scallion, thyme, lemon juice and lemon zest with a little drizzle of olive oil in a bowl. Serve each filet topped with a generous spoonful of salsa.
LEMONY WHITE WINE SAUCE
~ Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add shallots and saute for a couple minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil. Simmer vigorously until liquid is reduced by half. Turn off heat and stir in butter to melt.
~ Whisk in lemon juice, lemon zest and parsley.
~Toss pasta with sauce and serve with shredded/bite-sized chunks of fish.
ENJOY!!!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
I was at the farmers’ market this weekend when a woman said “Oh my gosh I just love these!” out of the blue. I looked at her because I was the only person in earshot of her exclamation and saw her holding up some cute little root veggies with tops that resembled mustard greens. “What are they?”, I asked. She told me they were baby turnips, much cuter than grown-up turnips for sure, and they were delicious. So needless to say I bought a bunch, or two or three! 
Though the green tops may look mustard-y, their flavor is much more mild and they are very tasty pan sauteed with a bit of butter and salt and served with these roasted nuggets of yum! These little suckers are sooooo stinkin’ delicious with a mustard vinaigrette. I already had mustard on my brain so I went with it.
Easy, healthy, delicious…does it get any better?!
- 1 bunch baby turnips (about 6 or so)
- 1 clove garlic, slivered
- 1 teaspoon seedy whole-grain mustard
- 1 scallion, minced
- 1 Tablespoon parlsey, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 Tablespoon white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
~ Preheat oven to 425 degrees with a baking dish inside. In a bowl whisk together vinegar, mustard, scallion parsley and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
~ Cut turnips in half lengthwise through the stems. Toss with remaining 1/8 cup olive oil, slivered garlic and season with salt and pepper. Spread evenly on the preheated baking dish and roast for 20 minutes or so until tender, turning halfway through.
~ Toss turnips with vinaigrette.
ENJOY!!!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
Spring is here at long last, and with it has brought the beloved spring pea back to my table. I LOVE fresh spring peas as you may remember in last year’s tortellini with spring peas recipe. This time around I had some leftover spiral ham from our Eastover celebration. Eastover is where all the best foods of Easter and Passover share a table in delicious bliss with our various denominations of friends. As unconventional as it may seem to have a giant ham next to your matzo ball soup, I assure you it is an unparalleled festivity of flavors!
Anyway, for this recipe I used my leftover spiral ham, wiping off the brown sugar and cinnamon glaze before making the stock. Of course ham hocks work beautifully as well, but after tasting the faint hint of cinnamon from the glaze in the soup I think I’ll add a pinch of cinnamon next time I use ham hocks. It was pretty awesome!
This soup is delightful warm or cold and is absolutely delicious without any dairy, making the crème fraîche a tasty option but not necessary by any means.
Also your house will smell amazing while the stock simmers. I made the stock a day ahead and refrigerated to make the soup the next day because it takes awhile to cool. If you are a better planner than I am you can absolutely do it all same day.
BROTH
2 pounds meaty smoked ham hocks (or the leftover spiral ham in my case)
1/2 sweet onion, halved
3 small celery stalks, roughly chopped
pinch of cassia cinnamon, optional (if using hocks)
1 head garlic, unpeeled halved horizontally
1 dried bay leaf
8 whole peppercorns
8 cups water
SOUP
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint, plus some torn leaves for garnish
Two 16-ounce packages of baby peas, fresh or frozen
Extra virgin olive oil
dollops of crème fraîche, to taste
BROTH
~Throw ham, veggies, peppercorns, bay leaf and water in a large pot or dutch oven. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer with the lid on for 3+ hours until the meat is so tender it nearly falls from the bone. Allow it all to cool in the juices until the ham can be handled. Remove the ham and tear meat into bite-sized pieces. Discard bones, fat etc.
~ Strain stock through a sieve and discard solids. The meat and stock will keep in the fridge for a couple days or up to a month in the freezer. For me, this made exactly enough stock for the soup.
SOUP
~ Melt butter in the stockpot until frothy, then saute onion with salt and pepper until soft, about 10 minutes.
~ Add wine and bring to a boil until the alcohol burns off and the liquid is mostly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add chopped mint and 4 cups of ham broth and bring back to a boil. Add peas and simmer until peas are tender but not mushy. 5 minutes or so if frozen, less if fresh.
~ Blend soup in batches until smooth. Retunr to pot and add ham chunks simmering gently for a minute to allow the flavors to develop. Season with salt to taste. Be careful as the amount of extra salt needed will depend on how salty the ham is.
~ Ladel into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, torn mint leaves, and small dollops of crème fraîche.
Blend the pot’s contents, in batches, until smooth. Return all the bright-green pea puree to the large pot, add the ham pieces and carrots, and cook at a very gentle simmer for about 5 minutes, just to let the flavors mingle and heat the ham. Have a taste, and season with salt. How much you need to add will depend on how salty the ham hocks are.
Add a generous drizzle of olive oil, several twists of black pepper, and the torn mint leaves. then add the crème fraîche in little blobs here and there, so everyone will get a bit. Serve the soup in the pot, with small bowls alongside.
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
Today I have a deliciously light take on a fairly heavy dish. I’ve never been a huge fan of chicken piccata because I’ve always felt it was too rich with all that butter and the thick sauce. With summer around the corner I’m looking to find lighter alternatives to denser, not-so-healthy chicken dishes. Chicken is the meat we eat most around here and we all know how boring it can get!
This recipe is full flavor with crisp lemon imparting a lovely freshness. Don’t worry, we didn’t ditch all the butter keeping just enough to impart a creamy richness to the sauce. Do you have a favorite summertime chicken recipe? Don’t forget to share it!
- 2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts halved horizontally into 4 cutlets
- 1/2 cup flour, divided
- salt and pepper
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- olive oil
- 1/4 cup finely sliced shallots
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup chicken broth, divided
- 2 Tablespoons fresh meyer lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons drained capers
- one handful coarsely chopped fresh parsley
~ Using a mallet or heavy skillet, pound each cutlet between 2 sheets of strong plastic wrap. Place 1 teaspoon of flour in a bowl and set aside. Use the remaining flower to dredge the chicken until evenly coated. Season cutlets with salt and pepper.
~ Drizzle olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan and sauté about 4 minutes or so on each side until done. Remove for pan and keep warm in warmed oven.
~ Drizzle a bit more olive oil into the skillet and swirl. Add shallots and sauté for a few minutes. Add garlic and sauté for about a minute, stirring continuously. Add wine, bring to a boil while scraping the pan to deglaze. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is mostly evaporated.
~ Add 1/2 cup broth to the skillet. Cook until liquid reduces by half, about 5 minutes or so.
~ Meanwhile, add the remaining 1/4 cup of broth to the reserved bowl with the teaspoon of flour and whisk until smooth.
~ Stir flour slurry into skillet and cook until sauce thickens to desired consistency. For my desired consistency it’ll take about a minute.
~ Remove from heat and stir in meyer lemon juice, capers, and 1 Tablespoon butter.
~ Spoon sauce over chicken cutlets and sprinkle with parsley.
ENJOY!!!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
I LOVE breakfast!!! I am a card carrying member of the “breakfast for dinner” club and regularly make frittatas for dinners with friends. I’m trying to convert everyone into breakfast coveting fiends. Bwahahahahaahaaha!!! Truthfully though, I love frittatas as a way to pack the incredible edible egg with loads of delicious and healthy veg (not to mention the wonderful wonderful cheese;) Frittatas are so easy and tasty it’s amazing that we don’t eat them everyday. Somehow they always taste better than the scrambled egg alternative and look so much more beautiful.
Here’s a lovely and delicate frittata recipe that can be easily adpated with different veggies and cheeses. This time I made an individual serving so as not to waste any since I was flying solo today but the recipe below could serve 4 or so people with a nice side of salad, fruit or toast.
- 1 zucchini, sliced crosswise on a mandolin
- 1 leek, sliced
- 1 pat butter
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 chopped cilantro
- 8 large eggs, beaten
- 1/3 shredded manchego cheese
- salt and pepper
~Preheat oven to broil with the rack at the top third of the oven.
~Melt butter in large oven safe skillet, add sliced zucchini and leeks and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.
~Beat eggs in a large bowl, mix in cheese and sauteed veggies. Salt and pepper to taste.
~Heat olive oil in the large skillet and swirl to coat pan. Pour egg mixture in and cook at a low heat until the center of the frittata is just about set, 10 minutes. While cooking, occasionally run a spatula along the edges.
~Transfer skillet to oven and broil for 5 minutes or until the top of the frittata is lightly browned.
~ Cut and serve from the pan or invert frittata onto a plate.
ENJOY!!!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
The winter air is a brutal foe. The dry cold coupled with the heater running leaves skin damaged, dry and sometimes cracked. This is especially true if you spend time on the mountain skiing or snowboarding in the blistery winds. When my skin gets dry and chapped I turn to homemade remedies, most of which are entirely edible, so I don’t have to worry about what I’m putting on my body. Time to get that moisturized, glowing spring skin on!
This recipe is insanely easy and incredibly soothing and healing. Calendula oil is a wonderful anti-inflammatory for sensitive skin, including people with eczema or psoriasis. It can facilitate the healing of wounds and help increase collagen to help prevent and heal scars. I’ve also heard it’s great for healing and soothing diaper rash but can’t attest to that!
I use a slow, cold infusion method because heating the oils and calendula can damage some of the healing properties as well as cause the oils to go rancid sooner.
Oh, and did I mention it’s BEE-YOU-TEE-FUL while it steeps in your window?! A very lovely client of mine noticed it glowing prettily and asked what it was. Here it is!
- glass jar
- dried calendula (pot marigold)
- pinch dried rosemary
- carrier oil of choice, I use jojoba or extra virgin olive oil (sweet almond, macadamia etc. would all be great here)
- few drops essential oil if desired, I like chamomile for additional soothing properties
~ Fill the jar 3/4 of the way with calendula flowers and add a pinch of rosemary
~Pour carrier oil over the flowers more than covering the flowers
~Add a few drops essential oil, seal jar and leave in sunny warm window for a few weeks.
* Use a carrier oil you can use on your face (non-comedogenic) so you can slather it everywhere without worry:)
ENJOY!
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