Black Forest Pudding

Peak season for cherries is right now, so this is a great time to indulge in this beautiful red, flesh stone fruit.  They are not only a good looking fruit, but are full of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  The combination of sweet, deep red cherries with chocolate is a truly rich and irresistible treat.  I created this dish to give you all the pleasure of the Black Forest Cake without the hassle and not-so-good ingredients.  Cashews and dates are sweet and creamy when blended making a smooth pudding with chunks of juicy cherries.  You must give this tasty treat a try.




Ingredients:

½ cup raw cashews
¼ cup dates (approximately 8 dates)
2 cup fresh, pitted cherries quartered
½ cup almond milk
½ tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp cocoa
2 Tbsp chia seeds
Dash sea salt

 

1. Combine cashews, dates, 1 cup cherries and vanilla in food processor and process until smooth.  Then drizzle in the almond milk while processing. 
2. Transfer to bowl and add chia seeds to mixture and whisk.  Leave 5 minutes and stir some more.  This allows the chia seeds to not get clumped together and it thickens the mixture.  Fold in the other cup of cherries.
3. Place in small bowls or ramekins.  Top with a cherry.  Can add cocoa nibs to top as well.  Refrigerate 2 hours.  Makes 4 servings.

 
Note:  This is a great treat or dessert that you can make the day before as it keeps well in the refrigerator. 

 
Enjoy!

 
Whole Food Sneak Peak:
      Cherries

Cherries are a fleshy stone fruit available fresh in most areas from July to mid-August.  The cherry tree is prized not only for its fruit, but also the lovely blossoms and wood.

There are two main types of cherries: sour or “pie cherries and sweet cherries.  They can be red or black.  Cherries are popular in February as they are associated with love and romance ;)

They are high in Vitamin C (15 mg per cup) and have good amounts of Vitamin A, fiber, antioxidants and the B vitamins.  Potassium content is high; calcium and phosphorus levels are good; modest amounts of magnesium, manganese, copper and iron.  All these minerals make this juicy red fruit good for building the body’s blood.  Cherries contain anthocyanins (antioxidant), providing the red pigment in berries and helps blood vessels dilate.

Emerging evidence links cherries to many health benefits.  Cherries contain an antioxidant hormone called melatonin (released by your body at night, letting your body know its time to sleep) and may help you sleep better.  Tart cherries contain more of this antioxidant.  Melatonin also stimulates cell growth that can help your skin by protecting it from stretch marks and wrinkles. All the vitamin C helps build a strong immune system, as well as collagen (the main strength compound of your skin).  They have also been shown in studies to relieve pain (in gout). 

They are a good colon cleanser, as they enhance bowel motility.

Eat cherries fresh from the tree or farmers market for optimum flavor.  Cherries do not ripen after being picked, therefore select firm, plump, shiny cherries with green stems.
Store them in your refrigerator or freeze them.  Frozen cherries have a nutritional value fairly close to fresh cherries.  Don’t wash your cherries until you’re ready to use them.



 

  Coconut ‘Ice Cream’

I was paroozing through blogs looking for inspiration and came upon Choosing Raw blog and was intrigued by the banana soft serve recipe that Gena originated and by the words she used…..”100% raw, 100% vegan, 100% unprocessed, and 100% delicious. It's also kid-friendly and ridiculously simple to make." I gave it a try and LOVED it.  It tastes like ice cream!!! 

We were in Spain this spring and had the best coconut ice cream and I wanted to replicate it, but make it good for you.  When I discovered Gena’s Banana soft serve, I married the ideas and came up with a twist on Gena’s original creation…coconut ‘ice cream.’ If you are not a fan of coconut, please read on because the whipped frozen bananas can be eaten as is or as a base for any flavors you choose.

This is so tasty, easy, and  nutritious that I make it a ton.  I never tell people what it is until after and they are always amazed.  Now people have an alternative to dairy ‘ice cream’ without giving up taste or pleasure.

Ingredients:

2 bananas (3 if they are smaller)
Flesh of one young coconut
1/8 cup water (or coconut juice)
¼ cup unsweetened medium shredded coconut

1.      Open the coconut, drain the juice into a cup and set aside.  Using a spoon scrape all the coconut flesh into a container.  Chop up two bananas into chunks and add to the container.  Freeze (overnight).

2.      Place the frozen bananas and coconut flesh into the food processor.  Process for about five minutes, stopping intermittently to scrape down the sides and separate the clumps.  Drizzle in the water or coconut juice.  The mixture will get light, fluffy and creamy.  Add the shredded coconut at this point. 

3.      Eat immediately or put back in container and freeze for another hour to firm up to look more like ice cream, but not any longer than that or it will lose its creaminess and freeze.

 
Note:  You can make so many varieties of treats with Gena’s banana soft serve as your base, all you need is 2 frozen bananas and the rest is up to your imagination…chocolate, banana split, berry, peanut butter, toppings- cocoa nibs, fresh strawberries, raspberries, chocolate sauce, granola….whatever your heart desires J Just whipping up the frozen bananas on there own is hassle free, delicious and completely satisfying. 

Enjoy!

  Whole Food Sneak Peak:
 Bananas

Bananas are one of the most popular tropical fruits eaten in North America.  Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe (yellow, purple and red).  They are classified as either dessert bananas (yellow and ripe) or as green cooking bananas. 



One large banana contains 4 g of fiber and about 20% of your daily Vitamin C and Vitamin B6 and 480 mg of potassium (1/4 of your daily requirement).

Bananas are helpful for morning-sickness!! They are bland and good on a queasy stomach.  An “old-wives” tale says to eat a banana after vomiting to re-balance fluids as they are good source of minerals (magnesium and potassium) and vitamin B6 (which helps regulate your sodium/potassium levels). 

This would be of particular interest to athletes who use them to quickly replenish their electrolytes. Bananas also provide a sustained and substantial boost of energy  for a work-out due to its natural sugars and fiber.  The potassium in bananas also aids to lower high blood pressure. 

Bananas can be used in desserts, breads, breakfast cereals, sandwiches, as ‘ice cream’ banana soft serve or on its own….all ways are delicious.  They would be a great addition to your diet any time of the day.      

.

  Chewy Fruit n’ Nut Morsels

These delicious morsels are nutritionally dense – packed with dried fruit, seeds, nut butters and warm spices.  These are a great snack to tide you over until your next meal or a yummy treat for lunches or anytime of the day.  One of the main ingredients is sunflower seeds which are rich in trace minerals and several vitamins important for good health. 



Ingredients:

½ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup dates
½ cup prunes or apricots/figs
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut (plus an extra ½ cup to roll balls in)
¼ cup oats
¼ cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp peanut butter
3 Tbsp almond butter
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cocoa
Pinch nutmeg

 

1. Cut up dates and prunes and place in food processor.  Add sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut, oats and half the maple syrup.  Process until the mixture is as fine as possible (3 minutes). 
2. Transfer mixture to large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly (may have to use hands!).
3. Form into small balls, approximately the size of a walnut.  Roll balls in coconut until completely covered.  Place in fridge to firm up. Makes 20-24 balls.

Recipe inspired and adapted from the yummy vegan, coco orb balls.

Note:  You can switch up the type of seeds, dried fruit, nut butters and spices, in the same amount, to suit your taste buds.  For example, you can use all sunflower seeds, dates, figs and all peanut butter in one batch and then the next time you may want it more chocolatey with different fruit and seeds, so you add sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dates, apricots, more cocoa (1/4 – ½ cup) and cinnamon.  This will give you a variety of nutrients and new flavors to enjoy with each new creation.  See what delicious combos you can come up with. 

 
Enjoy! 

  Whole Food Sneak Peek:
 Sunflower Seeds

There are hundreds of sunflower seeds in the center of each sunflower that open bright yellow towards the sun.  Sunflower seeds have been used throughout history as a medicine (used as a diuretic, to avoid constipation, soothe ulcers etc.).  For people with blood pressure problems, unsalted, raw sunflower seeds are high in potassium and low in sodium, which is a balance much needed by most of us with so many salty foods available – 1 cup contains more than 1,300 mg of potassium and only 4 mg of sodium. 

It also has been used to enhance energy.  Sunflower seeds are high in Vitamin E and are antioxidant rich.  They are 25% protein, have good fiber content, rich in B vitamins and have good levels of zinc, iron and calcium.  The vitamin D that gets stored in these sun-filled seeds helps the uptake of calcium. 

Sunflower seeds are a nutritious addition to salads, cold soups, breads, cookies or casseroles, sandwiches and dressings.  Soaking sunflower seeds overnight will make them more digestible and alkaline forming. 

 

Frozen Chocolate Almond Bliss

This easy-to-make cool treat is a delicious and healthy choice for any hot summer day.  It is a great alternative to ice cream novelties. 

  1/8 cup honey
  1/3 cup almond butter
  3 bananas
  2 Tbsp cocoa
  2 Tbsp water
  1/3 cup slivered almonds, save some to decorate top (optional)
  3-4 tsp raw cacao bliss (optional)

Put the honey, almond butter, bananas, cocoa and water in food processor and process until smooth.  Add slivered almonds and pulse 3 times.  Pour in mini muffin tins.  Put 1/8 tsp of raw cacao bliss in middle of each cup, then decorate with almond slivers.  Makes 15 servings.

Freeze for a minimum of 2 ½ - 3 hours.  Use butter knife to gently remove treats.  Store in freezer safe container for an easy, delicious treat! Enjoy!

Note:  you can replace the almond butter with peanut or cashew butter if you like and if you don’t have a food processor you can mash the bananas with a potato masher and mix the rest of the ingredients with a mixer or spoon until smooth.

 

  Whole food sneak peak:  Almonds

Almonds have one of the highest nutrient levels of all nuts – particularly high in vitamin B2, fiber and antioxidants.  They are also a source of protein, vitamin E, essential fatty acids, calcium, magnesium and zinc. 

When almonds are soaked it makes them more nutritious! It makes their vitamin levels increase and removes their enzyme inhibitors so the enzymes secreted during digestion can do their job.  This makes them more easily digested.  Almonds become softer to chew and their flavor is pronounced. 

Almonds can be soaked over night or for 12 hours for best results.  Once done soaking, rinse with fresh water, drain and keep in glass container for up to a week in the fridge. 

Almonds are a worthy addtion to your diet.