Interview Series Part 2: Abbey Sharp, RD
Photos and recipe from abbeyskitchen.com
I am delighted to bring you guys the second installment of my interview series! This week, I am pleased to present to you, Abbey Sharp.
Abbey is a culinary dietitian and foodie (among many other things) who I have been following for quite some time. I love Abbey’s emphasis on taking pleasure in our food and making it clear that eating well does not have to be boring and bland. She also has a great focus on the sociology of food, connecting it to aspects such as culture and identity.
The combination of her philosophy, nutrition videos, and delicious recipes make Abbey’s website an absolute go-to for me. Some of you may already know Abbey from her various television and magazine appearances, but today I am going to share with you some facts you probably don’t already know about her!
Where do you live?
Toronto, ON
Where would we find you on a Friday night in your city?
Likely at one of the city’s top restaurants. I’m a total foodie and love to eat out after a long week of cooking meals for my hubby and I AND recipe testing all day.
What inspired you to start your business?
When I graduated as a RD, I knew that I wanted to work in media. I had a theatre and acting background and I wasn’t ready to just give that up entirely. I also loved food and knew quite a lot about it (that’s why I got into dietetics in the first place!) So a few friends encouraged me to start a blog which very soon became my full time job.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
I’m a perfectionist and total Type A, and in school, I used to drive myself crazy with pressure. My dad once told me,” If you put always expect yourself to be on that pedestal, you will have no where left to grow.
What is the one food you could eat all day, everyday?
Ohhh that’s tough. Probably figs (if they’re good and ripe). I don’t think I would ever get sick of fruit. Or cereal- I love carbs.
Where do you find inspiration and what are your favorite blogs to follow?
I actually find most of my culinary inspiration from dining out all around the world in amazing restaurants. Often I come home from traveling and have a ton of recipe ideas I want to try that riff off of things I ate in restaurants. I also have a few blogs I love like my girl Davida at The Healthy Maven.
Describe the best meal you’ve ever had.
I’ve had a lot of amazing meals all over the world in many Michelin star restaurants. It’s hard to pick a most memorable, but it was probably at The Fat Duck in Bray, UK. It’s a very whimsical, Alice in Wonderland-like restaurant with surprises you could never expect. All of the dishes had their own little story, and were tied in some way to nostalgia. Being an Alice fan (like OK, I’m obsessed), my favourite was this mad hatter’s tea party inspired dish with a glass teapot that was delivered to us with I believe a poached quail egg and a few other things. They also brought a ticking box of pocket watches to us. The pocket watch (coated in gold) was plopped into our tea pot and a boiling water went on top. It melted the pocket watch into flecks of gold and bullion. On the side was a wonky topsy turvy hat with tea sandwiches on it. I was in Alice heaven.
You have many many recipes on your blog, but if you had to pick just one to share as your favorite, which would it be?
Such a hard question. But my family’s favourite- and one of my personal favourites are my Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. They are divine! (See recipes below)
Abbey, Thank you so much for sharing your inspiration and letting us into your kitchen! I can’t wait to see what you’ve got coming up next for us. For now…I’m gonna go whip myself up a batch of these 🙂
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Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Cups with Banana & Dark Chocolate
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 regular cups, or 50 mini candy cups 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: North American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
There are few things that go better together than chocolate and peanut butter. You will love Abby’s version with banana in the mix!
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 ripe banana, diced
- ½ cup natural peanut butter
- 2 tsp. coconut oil, melted
- ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
- 200 g Green & Blacks Organic Burnt Toffee Dark Chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- Fleur de sel, for garnish
Instructions
- In a small food processor, puree the banana, peanut butter, 2 tsp. coconut oil and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Place the chocolate and 2 tbsp coconut oil into a medium sized glass bowl and set it over a small saucepot filled 1 inch up with water. Bring the water to a simmer and slowly stir the chocolate until it melts. Remove from the heat.
- Using a small spoon, carefully spoon a thin layer of the Green & Blacks Organic Burnt Toffee Dark Chocolate onto the bottoms of 8 regular sized silicon muffin containers or 50 very mini sized silicon molds. Place the molds onto a baking sheet and transfer to the freezer to harden for at least 5 minutes.
- Once set, make a ball no wider than the diameter of the muffin or candy mold and press it on top of the chocolate base, being careful not to touch the sides of the mold but also to try to make as flat a surface as possible. If using a regular sized mold, I recommend a heaping tablespoon of filling, and if using the mini candy molds, more like ½ teaspoon.
- Using a small spoon, very gingerly pour the chocolate down the sides to envelope the filling and on the top to fully cover the peanut butter. Transfer to the freezer to fully set- at least 20 minutes.
- Right before serving, sprinkle the cups with a pinch of fleur de sel and enjoy. These can be made well in advance, but are best enjoyed within 15 minutes of removing them from the freezer.
Enjoy!
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