Sexy, Nourishing Food with Chef Amber Caudle

Chef Amber Caudle has released her cookbook Sexy, Nourishing Food for your body, mind, and soul.

Amber Caudle  is a spiritually-led chef, host, and author who believes that food nourishes us from the inside out. 

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She is also the CEO and co-owner of Source Collab, a hospitality group made of her restaurants Source Café Hermosa Beach and the newly launched Nine24 Kitchen in Manhattan Beach. Chef Amber loves to find the simple and natural, yet delicious and nutritious alternatives to old favorites that anyone can enjoy.  She combines her drive to use food to heal the mind and body with her classical culinary training.  At Source Collab, Chef Amber leads the culture and creative operations of all locations and oversees the team. Source Collab’s mission is to nourish every aspect of life throughout their brands.

Chef Amber also hosts Wholicious, which is available to stream on YouTube here. In this conscious cooking show, she shares her expertise in the field of holistic, wholesome food and cooking with segments on journaling, meditation and more.

Amber is currently working on HUNGRY – Why I f*ucking eat, how I became honest with food, my body and myself, which shares her authentic journey of how she became honest with food, her body, and herself.

Amber’s  first cookbook, Sexy Nourishing Food, is available now.  Order it here!

Take a sneak peak at two of Amber’s mouth-watering recipes below!

Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad

Makes 6 servings 

I love the comforting nourishment of this warm salad. Searing the brussels sprouts allows them to caramelize, bringing out exceptional flavor. Their dark-golden caramelized color is lightened up by the bright pesto, so the color of this salad is earthy and beautiful. The combination of textures and the flavor of the pesto is what makes this dish a standout on any table. – Chef Amber Caudle

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, halved with the ends cut off 
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup dried apricots or other dried fruit
• ½ cup roasted pistachios
• 1 cup pistachio pesto (See Recipe Below)
• a few cilantro leaves for garnish

Pistachio Pesto

• 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped 
• 1 bunch of parsley, chopped 
• 1 cup activated pistachios 
• ¾ cup olive oil 
• ½ cup torn basil leaves 
• juice from 2 oranges (about 6 tablespoons) 
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped 
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 1 teaspoon sea salt 
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 

METHOD

HEAT the coconut oil and Brussels sprouts in a large sauté pan over high heat. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring every few minutes to keep the sprouts from burning. 

FOR the Pesto, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes.

REMOVE the Brussels sprouts from the heat. Transfer them to a bowl and add the pesto and dried fruit. Mix everything together so the pesto is well-incorporated, and top with pistachios for a crunch. Serve warm.

Combining the pistachios with the fresh herbs creates a unique flavor I just love. The fact that pistachios are high in antioxidants and help maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels makes me happy, too. – Chef Amber 

Photo Credit – Hailee Repko CNW Agency

Protein Pancakes 

MAKES 10-12 Pancakes 

INGREDIENTS

Pancakes

• 2 ½ cups gluten free flour 
• 3 tablespoons flax meal 
• 2 tablespoons baking powder 
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• ¼ cup vanilla pea protein powder 
• ½ teaspoon sea salt 
• 2 bananas 
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 ½ cups hemp seed coconut milk or whatever milk you have on hand 
• 1 cup water 

Almond Butter Syrup

• ½ cup water at room temperature 
• ½ cup creamy almond butter at room temperature 
• ¼ cup maple syrup at room temperature or ¼ cup monkfruit sweetener 
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Cinnamon Coconut Pecans: 
• 1 cup activated raw pecans 
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted 
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup 
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• a pinch of sea salt 

METHOD

TO make the pecans, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Whisk the coconut oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, and shredded coconut together in a small mixing bowl. Toss in the pecans and stir until they’re coated. Pour the coated pecans onto the parchment-lined sheet pan, spreading them so they’re not in large clumps. Bake for 25 minutes then remove from the oven. 

FOR the syrup, whisk together the water, almond butter, maple syrup or monkfruit, and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl until they’ve combined to make a smooth syrup that will drizzle easily. 

FOR the pancakes, whisk together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the bananas, coconut oil, vanilla, and coconut milk in a high speed blender, and blend until smooth.