Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending a raw chocolate preparation workshop, which was presented by Naturally Naked Chocolates and included lots of raw chocolates, lots of friends and lots of fun.  I have to admit, I couldn’t wait for the weekend to arrive, as I am an avid raw chocolate enthusiast.  The thought of preparing my own healthy chocolate creations at home was enough to swell my heart until Valentine’s Day and beyond!

Unless you’ve been living under a giant bar of it, I am sure that you’ve heard by now that chocolate is actually good for you.  Let me clarify this a little bit.  When eaten in moderation, organic dark chocolates that contain at least 70% cacao and a minimal amount of other ingredients are actually good for you and offer our bodies many health benefits.  Of course, I’m speaking about cooked organic dark chocolate.  As far as raw organic dark chocolate goes, this sensational culinary delight is on a completely different playing field.

First of all, why would you possibly eat or want to eat raw foods?

1.  Enzymes.  Raw foods supply our bodies with energy, and this is because the enzymes that are inherent in the food, i.e., an apple, remain intact.  When this same food is heated over 118 degrees Fahrenheit, the enzymes contained in the food begin to die off, causing our bodies to use up enzymes that are present in our bodies (that could be repairing our liver, e.g.)  in order to digest the food that we are eating; thus, robbing us of precious energy;

2.  Detoxification.  Raw foods help to cleanse our body of unwanted toxins that we are exposed to on a daily basis via the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breath, the products we clean our homes with and/or the beauty products that we intentionally put on our skin;

3.  Immune System Strength.  Raw foods are full of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that help to truly nourish our bodies, which helps to create stronger immune systems and keeps us healthier.

Back again to why raw organic dark chocolate is on a completely different playing field. Raw organic dark chocolate incorporates all three of these elements into one delicious package.  As mentioned above, because it is not heated over 118 degrees, the enzymes in raw chocolate are preserved, which makes it better for your body.  It is reported that it helps to detoxify the liver and support healthy pancreas functioning.  It is high in in magnesium, sulfuriron, chromium, tryphtophan, as well as antioxidants, which aid in decreasing free radicals in our bodies, and also contains zinc, copper and manganese.  As if that wasn’t enough, it is absolutely delicious and is simple to prepare in the comfort of your own home!

During this past weekend’s exciting raw chocolate preparation workshop, Raw Chocolatier Judy Garneau instructed us on how to prepare several different raw organic chocolate recipes.  The workshop included taste testing, as well as some very hands-on preparation.  A sample of the recipes that we tasted and learned how to prepare were a basic raw chocolate recipe, a raw crunch bar, almond/peanut butter cups, chocolate chia crackers and cacao mousse.  Can you say YUM?!?  I could and did about fifty times during the two-hour workshop.

Judy Garneau has been kind enough to provide all of you with this quick and easy basic raw chocolate recipe through my Inspired Health & Happiness Blog.  Now it’s time to take a deep breath, roll up your sleeves and prepare some raw chocolate.  Remember to try your hardest not to eat the melted chocolate before it magically turns into delicious little treats.  :0)

Basic Raw Chocolate Recipe

Makes around 20 pieces (you will need a mold for the chocolates)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil

3 Tbs raw cacao powder

2 Tbs raw agave nectar

1 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean)

Pinch of Celtic sea salt

Dried fruit, nuts, shredded coconut, extracts, super foods, nut butters (optional)

***USE ORGANIC AND/OR WILDCRAFTED INGREDIENTS, WHEN AVAILABLE***

How to Prepare the Raw Chocolates:

1.  Make sure that the coconut butter is melted into oil (coconut butter is simply coconut oil in it’s unmelted form).

2.  Blend the raw cacao powder, raw agave nectar, vanilla extract (vanilla bean), pinch of Celtic sea salt and the coconut oil with a whisk in a bowl.

3.  Carefully pour raw chocolate mixture into molds (you can purchase molds for candies/chocolates online, check out a local craft store or get creative with some unused gadgets in your kitchen, i.e., small cupcake trays, shot glasses, etc.).

4.  Add any dried fruit (raisins, figs), nuts (chopped walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts), shredded coconut, extracts (mint, butterscotch, raspberry), super foods (maca, goji berries, chaga powder) and/or nut butters (almond, sunflower seed, peanut butter) into the chocolate that your just poured into the molds.

5.  Set in freezer for 20 minutes.

6.  Enjoy!

Helpful Hints:

To melt the coconut butter into oil you can put the jar of coconut oil in a warm spot (if you have a dehydrator, this works fantastic) or you can use a double boiler (I make my own using two heat-proof glass bowls and some boiling water, as pictured above).

To pour the raw chocolate mixture with ease, I poured the warmed chocolate mixture into a Pyrex measuring cup that has a side pouring spout.  This made for easy pouring, otherwise, it can be a little messy (lucky raw chocolate tastes delicious, even if you make a mess!).

When adding in extracts to your molds, add only one drop.  Definintely in this instance, a little goes a long way.

To ensure that your chocolates come out like chocolates, make sure that you freeze the molds right away after pouring the chocolate mixture into them.  If you wait, the coconut oil may separate from the rest of the mixture.  It will still taste delcious, but the oil will turn white and won’t look the same as chocolately chocolates.

You will need to keep your raw chocolates in the refrigerator, as raw chocolate melts quicker than cooked chocolate at room temperature.

A little bit of chocolate goes a long way. These raw chocolates are very rich, and I have found that it only takes one or two little pieces to satisfy my hunger for raw chocolate.

To your health and happiness!

Brazil Nut Cantaloupe Milk

Wow.  This has been a fabulous year for buying fresh, local produce, and the season isn’t even over yet!  This past week I got my hot little hands on a beautiful locally-grown organic cantaloupe, and I was psyched…  A couple years ago I found a recipe to make a version of a cantaloupe nut milk, which was totally delicious.  I looked for the recipe online and have not been able to find it, so I have invented one of my own.  I believe when I made it before the recipe called for raw almonds.  This one is obviously (as you can tell from the name of the recipe) using raw Brazil nuts, which are wonderful, too.

Raw Brazil nuts are loaded with selenium (2550 mcg, to be exact), which is an essential trace mineral that acts as an antioxidant in our bodies.  It works with vitamin E in our bodies to protect cell membranes from damage caused by free radicals.  It also helps assist with normal fetal development during pregnancy, aids in cell growth, helps ensure proper thyroid function, and if that isn’t enough, it helps bind heavy metals and may reduce toxicity from mercury contamination.  Brazil nuts also contain protein (19.0 g), calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese, to name a few.  Basically, they are amazing nutritionally for your body and are an excellent addition to a healthy diet.  My honey and I enjoy a couple of raw Brazil nuts in our lunches every day, and even my dogs love them as a snack. 

(After I originally posted this article/recipe, my wonderful friend and veterinarian, Dr. Kyla Dillard, sent me an email on Facebook.  She let me know that feeding my dogs Brazil nuts occasionally is absolutely fine.  As an aside with regard to nuts and dogs, she informed me that Macadamia nuts can actually kill dogs, and not a lot of people or veterinarians actually know this.  As a HUGE dog and animal lover, I wanted to pass this on, just in case you are not aware of this tidbit of information that could save a dog’s life.)  :0) 

Besides being a delicious melon, cantaloupes contain dietary fiber, niacin, Vitamin B6, folate and are a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and potassium.  In addition, cantaloupes are mildly anti-inflammatory, which is fantastic news for anyone that has inflammation in their body.  That’s all good stuff right there, and all the more reason to run out and buy a cantaloupe right now!  Plus, you’ll need one to make this amazing and simple recipe.

This easy Brazil Nut Cantaloupe Milk is very filling and delicious.  A full glass of this milk actually fills me up for a couple of hours, which is awesome.  It always amazes me how much nourishing food that feeds your body fills you up, and this is no exception to that rule.  You can enjoy this milk by the glass, use it as a base for a smoothie or even freeze the Brazil Nut Cantaloupe Milk in popsicle molds and enjoy some delicious and sweet popsicles.  However you choose to consume this delicious treat, I truly hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

One side note… When I am making any kind of nut milk, I tend to make a lot at one time.  I do my best to make enough so that it will last myself and my honey for a couple days.  If this recipe is too much for you, you can cut it in half and make half the recipe.  As you will notice in the pictures, I store my nut milk in the refrigerator in large glass containers that I bought years ago online by Googling “large glass containers.”   If you do not have a juicer just yet, try bidding on one on eBay — one of my best friends just bought an only-used-once essentially brand new juicer from a seller on eBay for $35, and she absolutely loves it.  You can purchase a nut milk bag online or at your local health food store.  I have had mine since 2001, and it is still going strong. 

What You Will Need To Make The Milk

Blender, Juicer, Large Bowl, Nut milk bag, Large Glass Container (for storage)

Ingredients:

1 large cantaloupe

14 cups of filtered or spring water

2 cups raw Brazil nuts

2 Tbs vanilla extract

Raw organic agave nectar (to taste) or stevia (to taste)

2 pinches of Celtic sea salt

***USE ORGANIC OR WILDCRAFTED INGREDIENTS, WHEN AVAILABLE***

How To Make the Brazil Nut Cantaloupe Milk:

**You will make the Brazil nut milk in two batches, then add in the fresh juiced cantaloupe.**

1.  Juice the cantaloupe using a juicer and set aside;

2.  Add 7 cups of water and 1 cup of raw Brazil nuts to your blender and blend thoroughly;

3.  Strain the blended nuts and water through your nut milk bag into a large bowl, then pour the strained liquid back into the blender.  Set aside the pulp of the Brazil nuts that is remaining in the nut milk bag (you can use the pulp to make raw cookies and/or the pulp makes a great addition to morning smoothies);

4.  In the blender, add to the strained liquid 1 Tbs of vanilla extract, a pinch of Celtic sea salt and agave/stevia to taste.  Blend thoroughly;

5. Repeat to make another batch of Brazil nut milk;

6.  Now to put it all together:  Add the fresh cantaloupe juice to the two batches of  Brazil nut milk, mix thoroughly and enjoy!

To Your Health & Happiness! 

Berry Cherry Freezer Pops

I have three short words for you:  Hot, hot, hot!  It’s been extremely hot and muggy in my neck of the woods lately, which prompts me to look for fun ways to cool off, and for me, that always includes food.  Last week I purchased a whole bunch of organic strawberries, blueberries and cherries and was contemplating all the ways I could prepare them.  I could eat them whole, put them in my smoothies, make a sorbet, a raw ice cream, a cold berry soup or invent something that I haven’t eaten in years… Popsicles!  Guess which one I picked?  Well, actually, I picked four of my six choices; the Popsicles made it to the blog.  :0)

Last week my honey (and official taste tester of all of my creations), Peter, was away for a couple of days.  I was so excited for him to come home… not only because I missed him, but because I thought the Berry Cherry Freezer Pops would be a nice cool surprise for him after a long drive in this heat.  The people that personally know me know that I can be a bit enthusiastic about things when I am excited about something… hehe  True to my form and enthusiasm, Peter had a Berry Cherry Freezer Pop in his hand within five minutes of him walking in the door.  I watched him carefully as he enjoyed his treat.  When I asked for his ”official” opinion, he said he absolutely loved it!  And that’s truly a good thing, because I made a bunch of pops.  

We’re not big sweet eaters, Peter and I, unless you are counting raw dark chocolate, so the berries alone tasted sweet enough to us.  We decided amongst ourselves that the halved frozen cherries added a fabulous texture to the pops, and the hint of mint and lime is a nice flavor to experience.  Even though we love them just the way they are, I wanted to make sure that everyone would enjoy them.  That’s when we began talking about children.  I always keep in mind my best friend’s son, Dominic, when I am making desserts.  I think, would Dominic love this and gobble up this healthy food if Nancy put it in front of him?  I am thinking he would love these.  Even though I considered the Dominic Factor and thought about leaving the recipe alone, Peter suggested to me that if I was making the pops for kids, I might add a few tablespoons of raw agave nectar to sweeten it up.  That is totally optional and up to you and your family’s taste buds. 

The great thing about these pops is that they’re simple to prepare and are loaded with nutrition, not artificial sweeteners, colors and other nasty unmentionables like most store-bought desserts.  There’s nothing like a homemade dish, and that includes Popsicles…    :0)

Ingredients:

4 cups strawberries

3 cups cherries,pitted and halved

2 cups blueberries

1 cup coconut water or 1 cup filtered/spring water

1 medium lime, juiced

6 fresh mint leaves, roughly sliced

1 small pinch Celtic sea salt

3 Tbs raw agave nectar (optional)

***USE ORGANIC OR WILDCRAFTED INGREDIENTS WHEN AVAILABLE***

Appliances/Special Tools:

Food Processor

Popsicle Molds

********************************************************************************************************************************************************

To Make The Pops:

1. Process the strawberries, blueberries, coconut water, lime juice, Celtic sea salt (and optional raw agave nectar) in food processor until smooth into Berry Cherry Soup.

2.  Place the mint leaves on top of each other, roll together, roughly slice and stir into the Berry Cherry Soup.

3.  Halve the cherries and remove the pits, fill your Popsicle molds with the halved cherries, then add the Berry Cherry Soup to each mold containing the cherries (use a butter knife to help you get the Berry Cherry Soup all the way down to the bottom of the Popsicle molds so that you do not end up with air pockets).

4.  Freeze pops.  They are ready when frozen.  Enjoy!

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************

Useful Information & Helpful Tips:

1.  If you are short on time or you don’t want your hands to look like you got into a scuffle, you can purchase frozen cherries, as it takes a little bit of effort to pit them.

2.  Experiment with using different varieties of fresh mint leaves; for example, spearmint, peppermint, chocolate mint, etc…. Check out your local health food store or farmer’s market if you are not already growing your own fresh mint.  If you do decide to plant mint, make sure you plant it in its own pot.  When planted in the ground, mint tends to expand in size and take over the surrounding area quite quickly.  :0)

3.  Add two tablespoons of raw cacao powder or raw cacao nibs for a chocolately version of the Berry Cherry Freezer Pops! 

Fun Facts About The Ingredients:

“A new University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center study suggests that blueberries may help reduce belly fat and risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome.”

“Although strawberries can be included in all manner of salads, appetizers, and desserts, to get the best benefit, eat them raw, as they contain a full day’s supply of vitamin C.”

“Emerging evidence links cherries to many important health benefits – from helping to ease the pain of arthritis and gout, to reducing risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Cherries also contain melatonin, which has been found to help regulate the body’s natural sleep patterns, aid with jet lag, prevent memory loss and delay the aging process.”

“Mint is a good appetizer and promotes digestion, due to its typical aroma. It also soothes stomach in cases of indigestion, inflammation etc.  This aroma of mint activates the saliva glands in our mouth as well as glands which secrete digestive enzymes, thereby facilitating digestion.”

Make it a WONDERFUL day! 

Simple Tomato Cucumber Salad

While wandering through one of our local farmer’s markets the other day, I was impressed by the sea of fruits and vegetables that came in all colors of the rainbow.  I was lucky enough to stumble upon a bunch of different types of organic cucumbers at an incredible price; some were shaped a bit funny– like the burpless ones, the pickling cukes looked spectacular, and the regular old cucumbers were crisp and scrumptious.  After I filled my bag with this fabulous produce, the friendly farmer was gracious and said to me, “Thank you for buying organic,” to which I replied, “Always.”  He smiled at me, I smiled at him, and I was on my way home to make something cool for dinner during this heatwave we’ve been experiencing.  I love farmer’s market season… :0)

I am guessing that most people are at least familiar with making or eating a tomato cucumber salad.  The salad that I made with my farm-fresh produce came out so delcious and was so simple to make, I figured that I would post it, in case there is someone out there who hasn’t tried making this sensationally simple salad before.  For those that are familiar with this easy-to-prepare dish, I hope this will inspire you to get into the kitchen and create a tasty meal for you and the ones you love.

Basic Ingredients:

3 large cucumbers, sliced or diced (whichever YOU prefer)

4 roma tomatoes or 3 large vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced or diced (whichever YOU prefer)

1 small red or white onion, diced

1 large avocado, diced

2 garlic scapes, sliced, or 1 clove of garlic, pressed 

A handful of fresh basil, chopped

Extra-virgin olive oil

A large pinch of Celtic sea salt

***USE ORGANIC OR WILDCRAFTED INGREDIENTS, WHEN AVAILABLE***

 To Prepare The Salad:

1.  Slice, dice, chop and/or press the cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, avocado, garlic scapes/garlic and basil; place in a glass or ceramic bowl. 

2.  Drizzle the olive oil over the mixture (use your judgment as to how much olive oil you want in your salad) and throw in a large pinch of Celtic sea salt.

3.  Stir the salad,then it sit and marinate for at least 15 minutes.

4.  Enjoy!

******************************************************************************************************************************************************        

          *  If you look closely at the picture of my Simple Tomato Cucmber Salad, you will see a few extra ingredients swimming around in the salad.   I happened to have some raw shelling peas in my fridge, and I added those to my salad.  Other ideas would be to add some diced red bell pepper, chopped daikon radish or even some cubed summer squash or zucchini.  Be adventurous and try adding in additional raw veggies.

          *  Another ingredient that makes a fabulous addition to this salad are sprouted mung beans.  Sprouts of any kind are super nutritious, delicious, and some of the freshest food that you can eat!

          *  Try adding in a tiny bit of nama shoyu or umeboshi plum vinegar for a saltier taste.  You could even sprinkle the salad with dulse for some extra nutrition.  If you are adding any of these three ingredients, be sure to omit the Celtic sea salt, as they already contain salt.

          *  Add in a dash of cayenne pepper, a sliced jalepeno pepper or red pepper flakes for a spicy twist.

          *  Drizzle a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar over the salad for a special treat!

Have an inspired and delicious day!

Marvelous Marinated Mushrooms

Do you love mushrooms?  Do you love easy recipes?  If so, this is a match made in heaven:  You + Marvelous Marinated Mushrooms!

I attended Living Light Culinary Arts Institute back in 2002, and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.  I had been vegan for three years and decided to go 100% raw at the time that I attended LLCAI.  Simply put:  I needed to have options in my diet.  In all honesty, I love salad… especially my Laurie’s Special Salad salad (which is spectacular!)… The truth is, salad every day just wasn’t cutting it for me.  I truly desired healthy, nutritious and delicious food to feed my body.  Living Light Culinary Arts Institute provided me with the exciting and diverse training that helped me to accomplish my goals.

While I attended LLCAI’s Associate Chef’s Training program, I learned so much about food (in general), food preparation, presentation, storage and even the effect that our dietary choices have on our bodies and the environment.  I would highly recommend attending any of their programs/classes to anyone…  LLCAI will change your life… Seriously!

With that said, I feel I must share with you the fact that I adore mushrooms… portabello, porcini, chanterelle, shitake, enoki, reishi, maitake and even plain old white button mushrooms!  The only catch is, I don’t care for raw mushrooms.  It was music to my ears when I heard that I could make raw “cooked” mushrooms.  Thank goodness for creative people inventing easy and delicious recipes!

Marvelous Marinated Mushrooms is based on a recipe from Living Light Culinary Arts Institute.  I do not remember the quantities that I learned eight years ago, so I do it my way now…

Ingredients:

A bunch of mushrooms of your choice – one type or a combination of more than one (portabello, porcini, chanterelle, shitake, enoki, white button)

Nama shoyu/tamari

Extra virgin olive oil

***USE ORGANIC OR WILDCRAFTED INGREDIENTS WHEN AVAILABLE***

 Preparation:

1.  Chop the mushrooms into small cubes and put into a glass bowl.

2.  Drizzle olive oil over the mushrooms (make sure the oil coats all of the mushrooms)  and stir.

3.  Drizzle nama shoyu/tamari over the mushrooms (make sure to coat all of the mushrooms) and stir.

4.  Cover and allow to marinate until the mushrooms are tender, stirring once every hour.  The salt in the nama shoyu/tamari is what “cooks” or tenderizes the mushrooms. 

5.  Once the mushrooms are dark, reduced in size and tender, they’re done.

6.  Enjoy!

***********************************************************************************************************************************

One of my favorite things to do with this recipe — besides eating the mushrooms plain out of the bowl — is to use them as a salad topping.  It gives a salad substance and makes it out-of-this-world delicious!

*************************************************************************************************************************************

A Few Interesting Facts About Mushrooms…

There are over 38,000 types of mushrooms on this planet; some are edible and some are highly toxic.

Mushrooms are full of B vitamins, such as riboflavin and niacin, minerals, such as selenium, copper and potassium, and protein.

Mushrooms have been an essential part of Chinese medicine for centuries.

Mushrooms are commonly used in Japanese, Chinese and European cooking.

Make it an AMAZING day!