Banana Carob Thickshake (Dairy Free)

We love dairy free banana thickshakes around here - they're creamy, delicious and filling. And living in Far North Queensland, we have plenty of bananas all year round to use in thickshakes and smoothies. I buy bananas by the bag full when they're over-ripe and marked down at the grocery store, for $1 or $2 per kilo. I peel them, chuck them into a plastic freezer bag and pop them in the freezer. Then whenever we want a smoothie, banana ice-cream, or a thickshake, I just slice some off while they're still frozen, throw them into the Thermomix and whiz it up! 

Recently I received an exciting package in the mail from The Australian Carob Co.,* and now I have a new favourite ingredient to add to my banana thickshakes - carob syrup! Wait, don't go away - I know carob gets a bad rap from chocolate lovers, but this carob syrup is like nothing you've tasted before! It's naturally sweet (the only ingredients are carob and water, which is a BIG plus for me) and it has a lovely flavour - not overpowering, just deliciously silky smooth and subtle. You can use it in drinks, as a syrup over ice-cream (banana ice cream would be good!), instead of sugar on your porridge, drizzled over pancakes, in cakes and carob brownies - it's delicious. My sister got hold of it and made a few hot carob drinks with it before I managed to get it back off her - she's on the Failsafe diet and can't have chocolate, so she loved this syrup. The Australian Carob Co. also produces raw carob powder, roasted carob powder and carob kibbles, and I was excited to hear that soon they'll also be bringing out a carob 'chocolate' which is said by taste testers to rival the best brands of chocolate in creaminess and flavour, and has no added sugar. Great news for Failsafers! Oh, and they're insecticide and pesticide free too, which is great. I'm pretty sure their carob powder would go well in my 'Almost Raw' Chocolate, if anyone wants to try their hand at making their own carob 'chocolate'...

So here's my thickshake recipe - it doesn't have a strong carob flavour, just a hint, and an extra bit of natural sweetness. Try it! I'm sure you'll love it as much as we do. And maybe even as much as our bird does...

It's very simple. First grind up some nuts on speed 9 until finely ground - I use a handful of raw almonds and a couple of handfuls of raw cashews. The cashews make it smooth and creamy, but you can use all almonds or all cashews if you like. (My measurements are approximate - alter to taste!)

Grind on speed 9 until fine:

- 50g raw almonds

- 100g raw cashews

Add the remaining ingredients and whiz it up on speed 9 for about a minute:

- 2 or 3 raw pitted dates (or dried dates will do)

- 350g - 400g frozen bananas (chopped in inch size pieces)

- 60g carob syrup

- water to cover (depends on how thick you like it)

Optional: For an extra carob-y thickshake, you could also add 20g of raw carob powder.

 

Amigo trying desperately to taste my thickshake!

* Note: This was not a paid post - although I did get a free sample, which was lovely of them... I just wanted to share what I thought about these products with my many health-conscious readers as I'm sure many of you will be interested to know about insecticide free, Australian carob products! To find a stockist near you, click here, or go to their Facebook page and ask there.

Yep, this thickshake is a favourite of the whole family -

even our Rainbow Lorikeet!

Chocolate (or Carob) Almond Smoothie

We often have smoothies for either breakfast or morning tea - they're great for energy, and a quick way to fill up hungry tummies. We don't use milk, just nuts and seeds with water to make nut milk, plus either fruit and ice, or chocolate or carob powder. The kids asked for a chocolate milkshake this morning, so here's my healthy version.

First, grind up in your Thermomix on speed 9 for about 10 seconds:

- 80g raw almonds

- 20-30g of seeds - pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, linseeds, chia seeds (opt)

Add dates and grind again on speed 9 for 10 seconds:
- 80-100g dates (depending how sweet you like it)

Add ice and grind another 10 seconds on speed 9:
- 2 trays of ice cubes (or more if you want it thicker)
 

Add other ingredients to the bowl, and blend on speed 9 for a minute:

- 600-800g water

- 30g raw cacao or carob powder

You'll probably end up with some chewy bits of dates at the bottom, so just scoop them out with a spoon and eat them - delicious!

For a chocolate (or carob) 'green' smoothie, add a couple of handfuls of baby spinach or butter lettuce, and some pieces of frozen avocado... I make this for the kids and they have no idea it has spinach in it! ;)

To make a chocolate (or carob) banana smoothie, you just use frozen chunks of banana instead of the ice - no other sweetener needed.
 

Make Your Own CHOCOLATE!

You're going to love me for this!!!

I got tired of trying to find healthy chocolate with no dairy, no soy (or soy lecithin) and no refined sugar... so I took my friend Cheryl's advice and made my own. (Thanks Cheryl!) I used a recipe for carob chips from that wonderful cookbook "Nourishing Traditions," (by Sally Fallon) and converted it for the Thermomix. If you don't have a Thermomix, melt it in a double boiler, stirring constantly until the Rapadura is dissolved. (You will have to first grind the Rapadura to a fine powder in a blender.) You can eat this chocolate on it's own, or cut it up small to use in healthy chocolate chip bikkies (cookies). Of course, you can use carob instead of cocoa if you'd rather.

(I know coconut oil is expensive, but it's still cheaper than buying 'healthy' chocolate. I buy my coconut oil from my bulk wholefoods co-op, so it's about half the price of what you pay at the health food shop.)


* Homemade chocolate update!!  I now use this recipe for "Almost Raw" Chocolate - it's smoother and very rich and delicious!! *

1. Mill in Thermomix on speed 9 for 30 seconds, or until very fine (or use blender):
- 50 to 70 grams Rapadura (depending on how sweet you want it)

2. Add, and melt at 50 degrees, 4 mins, speed 3:
- 250 grams coconut oil (cold pressed)
- 40 grams cocoa powder (preferably a good organic one)
- 1 Tblspn vanilla extract
- pinch of fine sea salt

3. Line a large rectangular baking tray with baking paper (or greased parchment paper), and pour chocolate onto paper. The chocolate should be very thin, or else it will separate too much. Place carefully into freezer for about 20 minutes, until set. Cut into squares or bars or break into chunks, and keep it in the fridge in a ziploc sandwich bag, if you can keep your family away that long!

I think it's best to make this when the kids are in bed, or you won't have much chocolate left to put in the fridge... although mine heard my loud 'rejoicing' that the chocolate had worked, and jumped out of bed to try it - so rejoice quietly!

Variations: Add some orange peel to the Rapadura before milling it, for orange chocolate; or some peppermint essence; or maybe some coffee beans... let me know what variations you come up with!

Carob Cake with Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free Icing

Hi everyone - I'm finally getting around to posting a recipe! We're actually on holiday at the beach, which is why I've been so slack. This cake can be made with either cocoa or carob (use a little more if cocoa). There's also a couple of suggestions for sweeteners - if you've never heard of Rapadura, see here. I sometimes use butter, sometimes olive oil, sometimes coconut oil - you can substitute it for whatever you usually use. You can make it either with spelt or gluten free flour (or wheat of course, but I don't use wheat).

I use grams for most of my measurements (because the Thermomix has a built in scale, and that's how you cook with it), so I've converted them to ounces as well, but not to cups - sorry!

The icing (frosting) is really yummy, and so healthy! If you can't have soy, maybe you know of another type of carob buttons you could use. I've suggested a recipe for homemade soy-free carob chips here (with comments).

If you'd like some carob 'candy' recipes, my friend Angie has a website with some: there's Carob Candy Squares, Carob Sesame Balls, Carob Fruit Candy (contains milk powder, but you could substitute with soy milk powder), and Carob Clusters. Yum!

Happy baking!

Carob Cake

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Grease / line a 20cm square pan or small ring tin.

2. Melt butter/coconut oil (Thermomix: 2 mins, 60 degrees, speed 4):

- 120g (4.25 oz) butter (or oil)

3. Mix together all ingredients (including melted butter/coconut oil) in Thermomix or food processor for 30 seconds (speed 5 in Thermomix, med-high speed in food processor):

- 100g (3.5 oz) rice-almond milk

- 2 eggs

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 150g (5.3 oz) spelt flour (or 120g (4.2 oz) gluten-free flour)

- 4 level tsp baking powder

- 30g (1 oz or about 3 heaped Tablespoons) carob powder

- 100g (3.5 oz) raw honey or 120g (4.2 oz) Rapadura or 60g (2 oz) Rapadura + pinch of Stevia powder

4. Pour into cake tin and bake in centre of oven for 25 - 30 mins, or until knife inserted in cake comes out clean.

5. Eat warm, dusted with powdered Rapadura, or cool and top with carob icing.

Carob Icing (Frosting)

(based on one from the Fit for Life Cookbook, Marilyn Diamond)

1. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients and warm over med-low heat while stirring continuously with a wooden spoon (or Thermomix - 2 mins, 60 degrees, speed 2).

- 3 Tablespoons coconut oil or butter

- 1/2 cup carob chips

- 1/4 cup honey (or rice malt syrup)

- 1/4 cup rice-almond milk

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

2. Drizzle and spread over cake - it will get firm as it cools.

If you have some left, you can keep it in the fridge and spread it on toast - it's yummy! Try adding crushed hazelnuts for a healthy substitute for Nutella!