Raw Superfood Fudge

 

Warning: this fudge disappears quickly!

(naturally sweetened with dates & stevia; gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free)

Here's a chocolate treat that you can eat guilt-free, which will help to control those chocolate cravings without overloading your body with sugar. It is not only raw and naturally sweetened, but full of antioxidants, vitamin C, protein, fibre, magnesium, immune system boosters and other nutrients to nourish your body. The raw cacao is a great pick-me-up, and I often find myself reaching for it after lunch when I need an energy boost. I tell my kids this is one sweet treat they can eat as much as they like of, which makes them pretty happy! (Although it's quite rich, so they never eat more than two or three pieces at a time.)

To maximise the goodness of this fudge, I've used two of Loving Earth's superfood powders. Rainbow Superfood Blend is quickly becoming my favourite superfood powder, because instead of opening lots of packets and jars and combining powders, I can just grab this one jar and scoop out a spoonful of maqui berry, acai, AFA, gubinge (Kakadu plum) and camu camu powders. It just simplifies things. I also add some extra maqui berry powder as this is a 'fruity' fudge! It gives it an extra depth of flavour, plus even more goodness. (If you're not sure what any of those are and why they're so good for you, click on the links to see an explanation, as well as ideas of how to use them.)

I also like to add dried, organic cherries to my fudge, or a couple of handfuls of goji berries. If you don't have any, you can either leave them out, or add some sultanas instead.

 

WIN a jar of Loving Earth's Maqui or Rainbow Superfood Powders!

Okay, so here's the exciting news... You have the chance to WIN one of the above superfood powders from Loving Earth!! They have kindly sent me some goodies to give away, so for your chance to win one of these amazing jars of goodness, just leave a comment on this post saying what you would make with it if you had some to try. There will be two winners drawn randomly in one weeks' time, on Saturday 20th October, 2012, at 5pm. The first winner will receive a 150g jar of Rainbow Superfood Blend (worth $44.90), and the second winner will receive a jar of Maqui Powder (worth $39.90). (This competition is only open to Australian residents - sorry to my overseas followers, but postage is horrendous these days! If you are desperate to try it, you can order online from Loving Earth.)

Okay, so here's my recipe for Raw Superfood Fudge ~ try it out, and don't forget to leave a comment! Enjoy :)

1. Grind up in your Thermomix on speed 9 for 30 seconds:
- 1 whole vanilla bean, snipped in a couple of pieces (no need to scrape out seeds)
- 100g raw cacao nibs

2. Add and grind on speed 9 for 10 seconds:
- 100g raw walnuts
- 100g raw cashews

[Note: nuts that are high in enzyme inhibitors (like walnuts) are easier to digest if they have been 'activated' - soaked, rinsed, then dehydrated. You can do this yourself, or you can buy them activated here. You can use regular raw nuts if that's all you have. Any combination of nuts will work - I like cashews & walnuts as they are oily, so they make a 'creamier' fudge.]

3. Add and process on speed 9 for a minute, or until fudge is smooth and begins to form a ball (as in picture below):
- 100g raw dates
- 80g coconut butter (make your own from dried coconut)
- 60g coconut oil (sometimes called coconut butter)
- 1 heaped tsp Rainbow Superfood Blend
- 1 heaped tsp Maqui Berry Powder
- 10 drops vanilla stevia or a pinch of green stevia powder (optional)
- pinch of Himalayan salt

4. Mix in on speed 3 for a few seconds:
- a handful of dried sour cherries or goji berries

5. Press mixture into a square or small rectangular dish (I use a Pyrex glass dish), and pop into the fridge to set. If you like, you can make the mixture into balls instead of squares. Keep refrigerated or it will soften and crumble.

(This is not a paid post, although Loving Earth did send me some samples and giveaways. But even if they hadn't, I would still link to them because I LOVE their products!! I think I should maybe just move into their warehouse...)

Superfood Trail Mix Clusters (Nut Free)

 

 

Superfood Trail Mix Clusters

 

Well, it's back to school tomorrow for the kids here in Queensland, and we've been tossing around lots of healthy lunch box ideas here on my Facebook page. While we were chatting, I remembered I'd been meaning to come up with a trail mix my kids would like... they're not too keen on the usual nuts and sultanas ones. So I dashed off to the kitchen and emptied half my pantry onto the bench, had a bit of a brainstorm, and this is what I came up with. Instead of a traditional trail mix, I made the mixture into little clusters, as I think it's easier to eat this way.

I used superfood berries and dried cherries instead of sultanas; seeds and shredded coconut instead of nuts; and Cacao Crunch instead of chocolate chips. (Cacao Crunch is cacao nibs rolled in a liquified form of the roasted nibs, then rolled in panela (Rapadura) - so yum! Very lightly sweet, but chocolatey and full of antioxidants!)

Cacao Crunch

For a great energy boost, munch on a small handful of these... but beware, don't eat them before bed, or you won't sleep! (I know this by experience...lol)

If you don't have the berries and cherries, just substitute with whatever you have - dried apricots or peaches chopped in bits, sultanas, currants, etc. I would suggest you try the goji berries and goldenberries, though, if you possibly can, as they're lovely and tart and SO good for you! (And again, very high in antioxidants!)

Here's some of the ingredients I used in my trail mix clusters...

 

 

Goji Berries, Cacao Crunch, Goldenberries, Organic Dried Cherries, Coconut Butter (homemade from shredded coconut) and Organic Shredded Coconut (all available from most health food stores or online)

 

 

Goldenberries, goji berries and Cacao Crunch - yum!

Superfood Trail Mix Clusters (Nut Free)

1. First, make a batch of coconut butter and remove to a jar or bowl. Or if you like, you could use bought coconut butter. (You'll need 150g.) I don't mean coconut oil, I mean dried coconut which is ground up to make a paste (like a nut butter) which sets hard as it cools. (Keep coconut butter in a jar in the cupboard - it gets too hard in the fridge.)

I used coconut butter I already had in a jar, and just chopped it up a bit with a knife so it was all crumbly. (See photo below)

 

 

2. Weigh coconut butter into Thermomix bowl:

- 150g coconut butter

 

3. Add remaining ingredients to Thermomix and mix on reverse, speed 3, for about 10 seconds or until well combined:

- 15g shredded dried organic coconut (or coconut flakes), unsweetened

- 35g goji berries

- 50g Cacao Crunch

- 40g Goldenberries

- 60g pepitas

- 30g sunflower seeds

- 60g dried organic cherries

- 50g coconut oil (extra virgin)

- 10 to 15 drops vanilla liquid stevia (or plain), or to taste

 

Mixture should be damp, and sticking together, like this:



 

 

3. Pour mixture out onto a tray and flatten a bit with your hands. Pop it into the freezer for a bit, until coconut oil solidifies.

 

4. Break apart gently into little clusters. Place handfuls into little ziploc bags and keep them in the freezer to put into lunchboxes, or to grab as you run out the door for an on-the-go snack.

 

 

 

Note: If the weather is hot and there's no cold pack in the lunch box, these clusters may fall apart. Don't worry, they can just be eaten crumbly like a 'normal' trail mix, too. :)

 

 

Variation:

 

Instead of letting mixture set on a tray in the freezer, press mixture firmly into chocolate molds, then freeze for a while. Pop them out of molds and keep in a bag in the freezer.

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Steamed Chocolate Raspberry Mudcakes with Raspberry Coconut Cream

Here's a deliciously simple recipe you can whip up at short notice... I made it tonight on the spur of the moment, and thought I'd better share! (Especially since there's going to be a riot on my Facebook page if I don't!!) You can make them either with gluten free flour, or spelt flour. They are dairy free and vegan and nut free, so that should keep quite a few of you happy! :D

The mudcake recipe is one I posted ages ago, with a recipe for orange sabayon. It's here: Steamed Chocolate Mudcakes with Orange Sabayon.

For this raspberry version, just sprinkle some raspberries in the bottom of your silicon cupcake molds, pour the chocolate batter over (only to just over half way), and steam for 20 minutes at Varoma temp, speed 2.

While cakes are cooking, freeze a tin of coconut cream, unopened, without shaking it up. This is just so the thick cream rises to the top and gets firm - it doesn't need to be frozen. You'll also want to pick out enough whole raspberries for on top of the cakes, and set them aside.

When cakes are done, let them cool while you make the raspberry cream.

Raspberry Coconut Cream

Weigh into the Thermomix bowl and mix on speed 5 for 10 seconds:
- 80g of frozen raspberries

Add:
- 30g pure maple syrup
- 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- 150g thick coconut cream (scooped off the top of the tin of cream)

Mix on speed 5 until just combined. It's nice to have it a bit swirly, not just completely pink.

Top the cooled cakes with raspberry coconut cream, a raspberry, and some grated dark chocolate. (I used a 65% cocoa chocolate which is dairy free.)

Recipe makes 14-16 cakes.

 

If you love these little teacup and saucer silicon molds, you can buy them here!

Buckwheat & Almond Crepes (or Wraps)

Buckwheat & Almond Crepes

filled with Strawberries & Vanilla-Cashew Cream

This morning I decided to make crepes out of buckwheat and almonds for breakfast. They were the best I've ever made! The secret? Partly the recipe (which was one I made up on the spur of the moment, knowing the basic ratio for crepe recipes), and partly the way I cooked them. I couldn't wait to share the recipe on Facebook, but I held back a bit of info so I'd have something to blog about... lol!

I don't know about you, but I've always found crepes a bit of a pain to make. Unless you have a good crepe pan, they can get stuck, or tear when you try and turn them over. So this morning I decided to save time and effort, and, well, CHEAT!! I cooked them in my sandwich press. :) It worked SO well that I won't cook them any other way now. It was really, really easy. No messed up crepes, not even one! This really is the simplest, quickest way to make crepes EVER.

This recipe is obviously gluten free; practically grain free (since buckwheat is not a grain); and it's also dairy free. (It's not egg free, but I'm thinking it could be if you used chia seeds instead of the eggs, and increased the amount of water a little. I'll try that soon and let you know how it goes.) The ground up almonds plus the water make the 'milk' for the recipe. It just so simple. I love recipes that really get back to the basics, and this is one of those.

These crepes are also perfect to use as savoury wraps; just leave out the vanilla. Gluten free wraps are generally awful - they are dry, and crumble when you try to wrap them around your food. But these crepes are soft and pliable, and are fine the next day so you can make them ahead. I also find these ones don't go soggy like the last gluten free crepes I tried to use as wraps, so that's another big plus! So make up a batch, and keep them in the fridge in a sealed ziploc bag, ready for school lunches - much cheaper and healthier than bought gluten free wraps, and they taste lots better.

Oh, and by the way, you can cook them longer and they'll turn into crisp 'wafers', which you can cut into wedges and serve with ice cream! Such a versatile recipe :) Hope you like them!

Buckwheat & Almond Crepes/Wraps

Soaked method:

1. Soak buckwheat and almonds in water, with vinegar, in a glass bowl (covered), overnight:

- 150g buckwheat, hulled

- 100g raw almonds

- 450g water

- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2. Next morning, blend soaked buckwheat and nuts in the soaking water on speed 9 for 2 minutes, adding a little water if needed. The mixture should form a vortex while blending - if it doesn't, it's too thick and you need to drizzle in water until it does. You should be able to see the metal top of the blades while it blends.

3. Add remaining ingredients and blend again for 1 minute, speed 9:

- 3 large eggs

- a pinch of salt

- 2 tsps vanilla extract (leave out if making savoury wraps)

- 45g macadamia oil (or other light flavoured oil)

4. Leave the batter to sit for 15 minutes in a cool spot, or in the fridge. It will get a bit thicker, so check it to see if you need to add any water. It shouldn't be as thick as pancake batter. (You can always add more water after the first crepe is made, if it's too thick.)

5. Preheat sandwich press. When it's ready, pour in the crepe batter, making sure you only make the crepe half the size you want it, as it will spread. (You can of course cook these in a crepe pan or frying pan instead of a sandwich press. You'll need a little oil or butter in the pan for each crepe. I would use coconut oil or ghee.)



6. Gently close lid and allow to cook until ready (about a minute, maybe a little more). If you want crispy 'wafers', cook until brown. (Don't worry if your crepes are a little bit crisp around the edges when you remove them - they soften up as they cool.)

7. Place crepes on a plate as you cook them, covering with a tea towel to keep warm. Leftover crepes can be stored in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few days.

Non-Soaked Method

(for those of you who are in a hurry to make these and can't wait!)

1. Grind up the dry buckwheat in your Thermomix bowl on speed 9 for 1 minute:

- 150g buckwheat, hulled

2. Add almonds and grind for another 20 seconds, speed 9:

- 100g raw almonds

3. Add remaining ingredients and mix for 30 seconds on speed 9:

- 3 large eggs

- 450g water

- pinch of salt

- 2 tsps vanilla extract (leave out if making savoury wraps)

- 45g macadamia oil

4. Cook as per instructions above.

I like my crepes filled with fresh strawberries and vanilla-cashew cream, and drizzled with a little pure maple syrup... How do you like yours?

Chocolate Espresso Brownies and Chocolate Pistachio Brownies

 

Chocolate Espresso Brownies with Vanilla Cashew Cream

{grain free, dairy free, gluten free, nut free (without the cream), naturally sweetened}

 

You're probably thinking, 'Why is she posting ANOTHER chocolate brownie recipe?? She's already posted Marike's Coconut Flour Brownies, Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies, Nut Butter Chocolate Swirl Brownies, Flourless Chocolate Brownie Cookies, and even Waffle Iron Brownies!!' Well, I just can't help myself - I love brownies. And I'm always chasing the elusive recipe for the perfect, healthy, naturally sweetened brownie! Besides, so many people on Facebook begged me to post this after I shared the above photo that I thought I'd better do it, before there was a riot!!! ;-)

 

So for all my fellow chocoholics, here's my latest gluten free, dairy free, nut free, naturally sweetened brownie recipe - let me know what you think. My recipe testers declared it perfect after my first batch, and wanted me to blog it immediately. I did make it once more though, just to check I had it right the first time... although I made the second batch into Chocolate Pistachio Brownies. YUM! So if you aren't keen on the espresso idea, try the pistachio variation below instead. And if you can't have chocolate, you could use carob powder instead of cacao.

 

These brownies are actually a lot better the second day. When they're hot, they're lovely, but the flavour isn't as rich, and the texture is lighter. So if you can bear it, let them sit for a day (covered, just at room temperature), and they'll become moister and fudgier and richer tasting. (If you're like me, only about half of them will get to this stage, though. Ha ha!)

 

Don't forget to check out the Chocolate Pistachio variation below, too.

 

Chocolate Espresso Brownies

 

Preheat oven to 180C.

 

1. Roughly chop chocolate and weigh into Thermomix bowl, with coconut oil:

- 160g dark, dairy free, sugar free chocolate, chopped (I use 65% Valrhona, or Green & Black's 70% cocoa chocolate, or Rapadura sweetened chocolate)

- 60g coconut oil

 

2. Cook chocolate and oil for 3 minutes at 50C, speed 2.

 

3. Add remaining ingredients, and mix for 5 seconds on speed 5. Scrape down sides of bowl and re-mix if needed.

- 1 1/2 tsps ground espresso beans (organic de-caffeinated preferred)

- 4 eggs

- 40g coconut flour

- 80g coconut sugar or Rapadura

- 1/4 tsp green stevia powder, or 20 drops liquid stevia

- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

- 1/4 tsp fine Himalayan or Celtic sea salt

 

4. Pour mixture into a square baking dish greased with coconut oil, and bake at 180C for about 25 minutes, or just until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Don't overcook.

 

5. When brownies are cooked, take them out of the oven and bang the dish down on the counter a few times, to make them denser and less 'fluffy'. Allow to cool (if you can wait!) and serve with vanilla cashew cream or vanilla honey coconut cream (without the lemon juice).

 

 

Variation - Chocolate Pistachio Brownies

 

Follow recipe as above, but omit ground espresso beans and add instead:

- 80g raw pistachios

- 1 tsp ground cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

 

Sprinkle the top of the brownie mixture with a little more cinnamon and cardamom before baking.





Huevos Rancheros and Vegetarian Nacho Sauce with Kidney Beans

 

Huevos Rancheros for one!

{Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free}

 

Okay, lots of people are asking for this recipe, so here it is. This is actually two recipes in one, as I use the same sauce for both recipes. Huevos Rancheros (or 'Ranch Style Eggs'), and Vegetarian Nachos.

 

Huevos Rancheros are great for a hearty, protein-rich breakfast, or for a quick dinner when you really don't feel like cooking. Or pretty much any time in between. :) Basically, for those of you who are wondering, they are eggs poached in a spicy, Mexican style tomato sauce. Kind of like a salsa, but a little more soupy. I add kidney beans to mine, but they're optional. As the eggs poach in the simmering sauce, it will thicken up, so the end result is more like a cooked salsa with poached eggs.

 

I use the same sauce for nachos, only I don't add water. I make the sauce in my Thermomix, and it's so, so easy and quick. If you keep a couple of tins of kidney beans and a bag of plain (preferably organic) corn chips in the cupboard, and always have tomatoes and eggs on hand, you'll never be stuck for a quick meal or two.

 

Here's both recipes, starting with the nacho topping:

 

 

Nachos with Kidney Bean Topping (and Avocado Cheese)

{Recipe for avocado cheese still in the 'tweaking' stage...}

 

 

Vegetarian Nacho Topping with Kidney Beans

 

1. Place in Thermomix bowl and mix on speed 5 for 5 seconds:

- 1 onion, halved

- 2-3 cloves garlic

 

2. Add oil and saute for 2 minutes, 100C, speed 1:

- 30g olive oil

 

3. Add and chop for 5 seconds on speed 6:

- 400-450g fresh tomatoes, halved (4-5 tomatoes)

 

4. Add and cook for 5 minutes, 100C, speed 1:

- 160g tomato paste

- 2 Tblspns Rapadura or 1 Tblspn honey

- 1/2 to 1 tsp chilli powder (depending on how spicy you like it)

- 1 tsp cumin powder

- 1 tsp coriander powder

- 1 tsp dried oregano

- 1 tsp smoked paprika

- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

- 1 tsp vegetable stock paste OR salt to taste

 

5. Add beans and cook for 2 minutes, 100C, reverse speed 1:
- 2 tins of kidney beans, drained & rinsed

Serve over the top of corn chips or fried/baked corn tortillas; top with dairy free sour cream and guacamole if you like.

OR

Use the sauce to make Huevos Rancheros!
(I often make nachos, then use the lefover sauce for Huevos Rancheros for one or two people.)

Huevos Rancheros

1. Pour sauce into a heavy based frying pan. (I use my big Scanpan if I'm making this for the whole family, or my small cast iron skillet if it's just for one or two.)

2. Add a little water, so the sauce is a bit soupy and will be able to simmer, and won't just bubble and spit and stick to the bottom of the pan. (Depends on how much sauce you're using as to how much water to add - I just guess.)

3. Turn stove on to medium heat and warm sauce until it's bubbling. Turn heat down to a simmer and let it simmer for a minute or two.  Make indents in the sauce with a large spoon, and crack eggs into the sauce. I usually use 2 eggs per person, so again, it depends on how many you're cooking for.
- 2 eggs per person

{Note: if you can have cheese, you might like to grate some cheese over the top of the eggs. I skip this step - they still taste great without the cheese.}

4. Place a lid on the pan and allow the eggs to poach in the sauce for a minute or so, depending on how you like your eggs... I only cook mine briefly, as I like them gooey, like this:

But feel free to cook them longer if you don't like them gooey. :)

5. Huevos Rancheros are traditionally served on a fried corn tortilla, but I generally have them by themeselves for breakfast. Or if it's dinner, I'll serve them over some plain corn chips, with a green salad on the side.

So simple! Enjoy :)

 

Raw Vegan Chocolate Mousse

Today I had a very happy accident! I started to make my green chocolate smoothie for the kids for morning tea, but decided to change it around a bit (as I do), but before I could add the water, THIS happened...

 

Creamy, chocolate deliciousness! How? What?? I couldn't believe it! I grabbed a spoon out of the drawer and popped some into my mouth, and started to squeal and do happy dances all over the kitchen... it's amazing!!!

 

It's like chocolate cream only creamier. It's a mixture between a mousse and a semifreddo. The flavour actually reminds me of the Milo ice-cream I loved as a kid, only better! (Did you love that too?) So don't be put off by the quirky ingredients and lack of sugar - even the fussiest will love this one... unless they find out it has avocado in it - shhhh. ;-) And no, it's not just the usual vegan chocolate mousse made from avocado and cacao powder. You'll see.

 

I made it twice today, because the first time I was just chucking things in willy-nilly, intent only on getting some raw spinach and avocado into my 9 year old, and I didn't really take much notice of how much of everything I used. So when it became the most awesome chocolate concoction ever, I decided I'd better make it again and write down the amounts. So here it is, after much teasing on Facebook and Instragram - my deliciously decadent, sugar free, dairy free, egg free chocolate mousse! (And don't worry, I didn't add the spinach, so it's not as scary as you may have at first supposed.)

 

 

 

 

{P.S. Some would argue that it's not really 'airy' enough to be a 'mousse', and maybe I should have called it a Vegan Semifreddo... but I was in too much of a hurry to eat it to worry about the perfect name. I'm sure you understand.}

 

 

Raw Vegan Chocolate Mousse

 

{Serves 6}

 

1. Grind up the raw cashews in the Thermomix on speed 9 for 10 seconds:

- 150g raw cashews

 

2. Add ice and grind on speed 9 for 20 seconds:

- 350g ice cubes

 

3. Scrape down bowl with spatula; add vanilla, cacao and dates, and grind on speed 9 for 30 seconds:

- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

- 30g raw cacao powder (I used Loving Earth cacao powder & it's very strong - if not using Loving Earth brand, you may need 35g)

- 100g dates (or to taste)

 

(I used regular dates which were semi-frozen, and I think the texture of these contributed to the thickness of the mousse. If you use fresh dates, it may turn out a bit softer, but you can add more ice to thicken it if you need to.)

 

4. The mixture will be a bit lumpy at this stage, especially if you are using dried dates instead of fresh dates. Scrape down the bowl and lid with the spatula, and keep blending on speed 9 until you get a smooth, creamy mixture. It will take at least another minute.

Chocolate mixture after blending, and before adding the avocado

5. Scrape down bowl again, and add avocado. This is actually optional - without the avocado, you'll still have a lovely, thick, chocolate cashew cream as in the photo above. The avocado does make it thicker and creamier though, so don't be afraid to try it!
- flesh of 1 ripe avocado (make sure the avocado is a nice one - no bad spots, or it'll have a slightly bitter taste)

Note: If you find your mousse is not thick enough (it won't stay swirled up into a peak), add another handful of ice and reblend on speed 9 for 1 minute, until smooth.

6. Spoon into small dessert bowls and enjoy! You can freeze this for later - half frozen it tastes like the most divine soft serve ice-cream ever... If you freeze it until it's solid, you'll need to thaw it a bit before using again.