Raw Cacao Ice Cream

Since discovering the raw vegan coconut ice cream at our local health food store, I must admit, I've been going a little ice-cream crazy! When they were continuously sold out of these delicious tubs, I thought it was about time I tried making my own.  (Not to mention, Santa was also very good to me this year and gave me an ice cream maker for Christmas)

So here I present to you, raw cacao, chocolate ice cream! I poured the mixture into small heart shaped silicone moulds for something a little cuter in regards to presentation, but obviously this isn't necessary.

Makes approx 1L

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup raw cashew nuts
15 medjool dates
6 tbsps cacao powder
3 1/2 cups filtered water
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Soak cashew nuts in a bowl of water for around 5 hours or overnight.

Once soaked, transfer the cashews to a high speed blender. Add the water and blend on high for around 45 seconds.
Add dates and blend for a further 30 seconds on high speed.
Add cacao powder, cinnamon and vanilla extract and blend on high for at least 60 seconds.
Transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker, and make as per your ice cream makers instructions.
Transfer the ice cream to a large container and freeze until you're ready to eat :)
Thaw for about 20mins prior to eating.

❤ I love making a quick chocolate sauce using raw cacao powder, coconut oil & honey, to drizzle over the top.

❤ Coming up next will be my husband's creation - Raw Vanilla Ice Cream, which I must say, is probably even more delicious than this one  ;-)

Durian, the King of Fruit

Ever heard of or tried a Durian? Well I hadn't until just recently.  Said to be the king of fruits, and native to South East Asia, the name comes from the Malay word duri, meaning "thorn".

 

With an average weight of around 1.5kg, you'll immediately recognise a Durian by it's tough, spikey outer shell,and enormous size. Handling the monster shell can be quite a challenge, but once you are able to split the different compartments open, you'll find a soft yellow fleshy, fatty fruit - somewhat like avocado in texture (rich and smoothe), and similar to custard.

1/4 of the whole fruit.

The Durian is high in sulfur (MSM) - which is what tends to give it a stronger smell, rich in Vitamin E, and contains high levels of amino acid Tryptophan, which raises the levels of seretonin (mood enhancing chemical) in the brain.

I highly recommend taking a trip to your local fruit & veg store or market and trying one of these amazing fruits! The more you eat, the more you crave! Great in salads, or used in yummy cakes, I'll definitely be experimenting with "nature's custard" a little more in the near future... :)

Buckwheat Pancakes

Ok, so I can't take credit for this one. Hubby came up with the idea of these pancakes, ever since wanting to try buckwheat... and I have to say, it got the 2 thumbs up from me.  Since I'm a fruit lover, I topped mine off with banana and strawberries, along with coconut flakes & coconut butter - hello taste explosion in your mouth!  Great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner... these pancakes are wheat, dairy and sugar free.

Even though buckwheat is not a grain, and technically a fruit seed (related to Rhubarb), it's probably not a good idea to go overboard on buckwheat if you're following a strict Paleo diet. Buckwheat has a fairly high glycemic index, despite being lower than actual grains, and is high carb. Nice to have every now and then though, as a change from veggies, fish/meat ;-)

Ingredients:
1 cup buckwheat flour
1 egg
Almond Milk (or milk of choice)
Pinch salt
2 Tbsps olive oil
Coconut Oil
Organic Maple Syrup
Strawberries & Banana (or fruit of choice)
Coconut Flakes

Method:
Grind hulled buckwheat into flour, using a grain mill.

Grease frypan with oil, and preheat.

In a bowl, combine the buckwheat flour and egg together. Add pinch salt, splash of almond milk, olive oil, and enough water to make the mixture into runny, pancake consistency. Mix well.

Pour batter into frypan, cook for about 1 - 1 1/2 mins on each side, or until golden brown.

Serve immediately.

Top with coconut butter, coconut flakes, organic maple syrup, strawberries & banana!

2

Vanilla Bean Coconut Macaroons

I always have coconut in the house, it's my new favourite go to food! Whether it be in the form of butter, oil, or shredded - coconut is packed with nutrients. Not only is it high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidents, fatty acids & fiber, it is also rich in immune boosting lauric acid which is converted by the body into monolaurin, having powerful antifungal, antibiotic, antiviral properties.

Anyway, enough about all of those wonderful health benefits ;-)  I've been wanting to make coconut macaroons for a long time, and finally got to it this afternoon! Here I present: egg & sugar free macaroons (raw or baked)! Crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside.

Clearly I'm not one for rounded macaroon perfection. Eating them is more my thing ;-)
Makes approx 18

Ingredients:
3/4 cup almond flour
1 1/2 cup organic shredded coconut
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey (+ 1 tablespoon raw honey)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean pod
pinch salt

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 90 degrees.
2. In a bowl, combine the almond flour & shredded coconut.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the coconut oil, honey, vanilla extract, vanilla bean, and salt until well blended.
4. Add the honey mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir until it forms a 'dough' like mixture. I prefer to use my hands.
5. Gently press macaroon dough into tablespoon sized balls, and place on baking sheet, until all the mixture is used up.
6. Bake in oven for 45-50mins.
7. Allow the macaroons to sit for 15mins before transferring. They are quite delicate when still warm, but should be crunchy on the outside & soft and chewy on the inside when cooled.  Chilled macaroons are even better! :)

Mango, Passionfruit & Coconut Chia Pudding

Summer is well and truly on its way, and what could be more refreshing than the combination of mango, passionfruit and coconut? I love all of these amazing flavours, but it's even better made into a nutrient rich, chilled Chia seed pudding!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons chia seed
2 tablespoons organic shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon agave nectar (or sweetener)
1 mango (diced)
1 passionfruit

Method:
Combine almond milk, chia seed, vanilla, and agave nectar in a bowl.
Gently mix in the coconut, 1/2 mango, and 1/2 passionfruit.
Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
Once chilled, top with leftover mango & passionfruit.

Yum!

Chocolate Dipped Truffles

I was busy in the kitchen the other night making a batch of the original & delicious raw chocolate balls, when I pondered to myself "hmm... now how can I make these taste even chocolatier?" (because clearly my sweet tooth is never sweet enough). It was then that I spotted an unopened tub of cacao butter, and decided I would make a dipping chocolate for the truffles! You can use this dipping chocolate for any kind of truffle (yep, I plan to put some more yummy truffle recipes up soon). And best of all it's very easy to work with & hardens up perfectly.

As well as being rich in Vitamin E, essential fatty acids, magnesium and sulfur, cacao butter also has more antioxidant flavanoids than blueberries, black and green tea, and red wine!

Makes enough for approx 30 chocolate balls.

Dipping Chocolate Ingredients:
1 cup cacao butter, finely chopped
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/4 cup agave syrup (or any other sweetener)
1/4 tsp vanilla
pinch celtic salt

Method:
Place cacao butter in double boiler pan (or metal bowl) over saucepan of boiling water to melt the butter. Remove from heat just before all the pieces have melted.
Stir in the rest of the ingredients, until smooth.

Take each individual truffle ball, and dip into melted dipping chocolate using a toothpick. Allow excess melted chocolate to drip off, before placing on a tray lined with wax or parchment paper (if you stick them straight onto a plate, when you try to take one off it will lose the bottom layer of the chocolate... not ideal).

Garnish with shredded coconut or finely chopped nuts before the chocolate hardens.

Voila! Your very own raw chocolate truffles.

I just had to take a bite.. ;)

❤  For those that prefer a slightly less rich, but sweeter chocolate, feel free to add in a little honey to taste.

❤  Also, if you don't have access to cacao butter or prefer not to spend money on it, you may use a raw, organic dark chocolate and melt it down instead.

Kale Chips

I've heard about Kale Chips for a little while now, but never really had the Kale in the house to begin with. So this weekend we were able to source some from the local markets, and what's the first thing I do with it? Not make a boring old salad... but make chips! The wonderful thing about kale chips is that the bitter taste is no longer so overpowering. They really are like chips! You keep going in for more. As they say.... once you pop you can't stop!

Kale is potent source of vitamins A,K, C, fiber and carotenes. It also contains 45 different flavanoids with a variety of anti-inflammatory & antioxidant effects.

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
Celtic sea salt
Olive Oil/Garlic infused oil

Method:
Pre heat oven to 130 degrees. Wash the kale, and dry throughly.
Remove stems, and roughly chop the kale leaves into large-ish pieces (they shrink when in the oven). Toss with olive oil in a bowl, and sprinkle with sea salt.
Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 20 mins until crisp.

❤  Crunchy tips: Make sure the kale is dry. Try not to overlap the leaves on the tray. Bake at a lower temperature for longer (think Dehydrator).