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Cacao, Raspberry and Wild Orange Smoothie

September 30, 2017 by admin 8 Comments

The great thing about cacao smoothies is that you can pretty much smuggle all sorts of good stuff that kids wouldn’t otherwise eat disguised by the intense flavour of chocolate. My daughter never turns down a cacao smoothie for breakfast (actually neither do I) and she especially loves it when she gets to choose the toppings, giving her a little autonomy with her food.

If ever I attempt to say my daughter eats everything, she always corrects me and says she dislikes avocados, rhubarb and rocket leaves! Who could possible not like avocados?! Avocados, green leaves and broccoli sprouts are added to the faithful cacao smoothie now chocced full of nutrients for a happy, healthy breakfast. My daughter knows full well these foods are in the smoothie but she doesn’t care because the bowl tastes of an intense chocolate orange, sweetened with juicy raspberries!!

Broccoli sprouts are incredible, I remember when I first read about their nutritional health benefits, I knew I needed to add them to my diet.  Broccoli sprouts have been shown to be 10-100x more powerful than eating standard broccoli and the great thing is they are super easy to sprout and can be eaten raw, preserving all the nutritional content.  There are some really interesting studies looking at cancer prevention through the removal of airborne pollutants by the sprouts in heavily polluted China. They are slightly bitter in flavour, not dissimilar to watercress so they can be an acquired taste, I personally love this kind of flavour, my daughter not so much!  My favourite ways to eat them are in smoothies, pesto and even chocolate avocado pudding – sometimes we have to be a little creative with how we add food for children!  I think it’s important for children to eat the whole vegetable so they understand the flavour and texture but when you start introducing complex bitter flavours it’s a great idea to start with adjusting their taste buds slowly. You can buy already sprouted broccoli sprouts but it is much less expensive just to grow your own and it’s super easy by following the instructions here.

I also added 1 drop of wild orange essential oil to my smoothie, I do this frequently because the added supporting health benefits are incredible and because the flavour is so intense from only 1 drop.  N.B. Be careful with citrus oils in plastic containers as they do have the ability to break down petrochemicals so always add the drop in the bowl or glass and do not use oils that are not certified to be consumed internally!  If you would like to learn more about essential oils contact me here

 

Wild Orange Essential Oil health benefits

  1. High in antioxidents for overall good health
  2. Uplifting and energising
  3. Reduces feeling of stress, tension and anxiety

A healthy, nutritious start to the day, what’s your favourite smoothie ingredient?

5.0 from 4 reviews
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Cacao, Raspberry and Wild Orange Smoothie
Author: Vanessa Woozley
Prep time:  5 mins
Total time:  5 mins
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 2 sticks of celery
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 apple
  • ½ punnet of raspberries
  • ¼ of a cucumber
  • Handful of broccoli sprouts
  • ½ avocado
  • 1 tablespoon of raw cacao powder
  • 1 tablespoon of flax seeds
  • 2 tablespoon of pea protein
  • 1 cup of kefir (goat or dairy) or sub for nut milk of choice
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 drop of doTERRA wild orange essential oil or sub for the grated zest of an orange
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients into your blender, you will need to half the ingredients for a nutri bullet or ninja but mine went all into my vitamix.
  2. Decorate and enjoy.
3.2.2925

 

Filed Under: Breakfast, Chocolate, Recipes, Uncategorized

Chocolate Celebration Cake

April 3, 2017 by admin 16 Comments

It was my sister’s baby shower this weekend, I’m so excited to by Aunty Vanessa for the first time very soon.  In case you couldn’t guess it’s a girl, we haven’t quite embraced the gender neutral philosophy, because, well.. we love PINK!  We had four gluten sensitive attendees which gave me an excuse to go to town and bake – catering for others and not just Scarlett and I.  That being said, everyone had a slice and they all wanted the recipe so here it is…

I made a similar cake for my daughter’s birthday party, see the picture below, she had a Forrest School party in November and wanted a pink cake.  My daughter is gluten sensitive and I wanted her to be able to have a party where she could eat everything, we also don’t eat sugar (I’ll leave that for a whole other post) but I don’t believe eating healthily means deprivation and so this cake is for all those striving to eat in a healthier way but still want to be able to celebrate with everyone else. Cake fits into my 80/20 philosophy, I use healthier ingredients but I don’t eat cake every day, cake is my 20% indulgence!

The buttercream (frosting) I tried to keep quite authentic to how a real cake tastes. Although neither Scarlett or I tolerate dairy very well, butter and ghee seems to be fine for us so I make the icing with butter but you could use ghee (butter with the problematic proteins removed).  You could use palm shortening which is often used in paleo baking but please make sure it is sustainably sourcd as many rain forests are being destroyed for this product.

The cake has a chocolate buttercream centre and if you don’t want a pink cake you could cover it in the chocolate buttercream all over.

If you like pink like us, you can alter the different shades of pink with the amount of beetroot powder you use, I used 1 teaspoon for my daughter’s cake and nearer 1 tablespoon for the main picture cake.

Any leftover cake, I find freezes really well and I take out a slice for my daughter to have at other celebrations.

 

 

5.0 from 5 reviews
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Chocolate Celebration Cake
Author: Vanessa Woozley
Prep time:  15 mins
Cook time:  30 mins
Total time:  45 mins
Serves: 12
 
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup of coconut flour
  • 1 cup of extra virgin olive Oil
  • 9 Eggs
  • ½ cup of cacao powder
  • ¾ cup of maple syrup
  • Pinch of Sea Salt
  • ½ Teaspoon of vanilla powder
  • 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar
  • Chocolate Buttercream for the Centre
  • ¼ cup of unsalted butter or ghee at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon of cacao powder
  • Icing / Frosting
  • 1 cup of butter or ghee at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder
  • 2 teaspoons of coconut flour
  • ¼ cup of maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon of beetroot powder
Instructions
  1. Use a hand whisk to blend the eggs
  2. Add the olive oil, maple syrup and blend further
  3. Carefully stir in the flour, cacao powder, vanilla powder, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar, sea salt
  4. Take two 8" sandwich tins, (I use the tins with the release bottoms, much easier for turning out).coat in a small amount of olive oil and sprinkle with coconut flour ensuring it's well distributed to ensure that the cake releases easily.
  5. Divide the mixture between the tins and give them a gentle bang on the worktop to ensure the mixture is flat on top for stacking.
  6. Put in the oven at 180 degrees for 30-35 minutes
  7. Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a cake rack.
  8. For the buttercream, whisk all the ingredients together and when the cake is cool spread evenly over the middle and then cover the cake.
3.2.2925

 

Filed Under: Chocolate, Dessert, Recipes, Uncategorized

Raw Cacao Chocolates

January 22, 2017 by admin Leave a Comment

cacao-1

I make these chocolates far too frequently, I make them if you come to one of my essential oil classes, I often make them as a gift and I indulge when I have that chocolate urge.  I’ve always been a chocoholic but these days I’m very fussy about the type of chocolate that I eat.  Processed chocolate that you eat in the shops tastes nothing like unprocessed, pure cacao nor does it offer any of the same health benefits (see below). You can also remove the guilt by not eating the ton of sugar in regular chocolate and instead opt for healthier alternatives like maple syrup, raw honey or a little coconut sugar (make sure you grind it first to a fine powder or your cacao will be gritty).

I always get compliments about this chocolate but the real secret is in the essential oils I use, not only do they offer an intense flavour but they also support your health too. Peppermint helps support digestive health and can enhance focus and concentration. Wild orange can help to improve your mood and boost your immune system.  Please don’t use oils that do not clearly state they are for internal use so if you don’t have any, then consider adding a little grated ginger or some orange juice with a little of the grated rind, you could even try a sprinkling of cinnamon.

If you don’t have molds, you could even turn it into a chocolate slab like this one

cacao-3

Reasons to eat pure cacao:cacao-2

  • It is one of the highest dietary sources of magnesium (70% of the population is deficient and it is required for over 300 enzyme reactions in the body), in fact if you are strongly craving  dark chocolate it can be a sign you are magnesium deficient.
  • Studies have shown that it is higher in antioxidants than blueberries and Acai.
  • It has been shown to protect the skin against sun damage because the flavanols increase skin density and hydration.
  • Epicatechin the flavanol which gives cacao the bitter flavour (incidentally removed from commercial chocolate) has been linked to improving insulin sensitivity and potentially preventing cardiovascular disease.
  • It’s been linked to reduced rates of coronary heart disease.
  • It is a prebiotic so it has been shown to feed your good bacteria in your gut microbiome, which is shown to be the key to immunity.

Do we need any more reasons?  Just choose your cacao wisely!

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Raw Cacao Chocolates
Author: Vanessa Woozley
Prep time:  5 mins
Cook time:  15 mins
Total time:  20 mins
Serves: 26
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of cacao buttons or 100g of cacao butter
  • 3 tablespoons of cacao powder
  • 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup to desired sweetness
  • 2 drops of wild orange doTERRA essential oil
  • 2 drops of peppermint doTERRA essential oil
  • A pinch of sea salt
Instructions
  1. Heat the cacao butter on a very low temperature on a bain marie NB it is important to not overheat the cacao butter so take your time melting the butter and take off the heat if it is melting too quickly
  2. Add the powder and maple syrup and whisk quickly to incoraporate
  3. Split the cacao into 2 amounts and add the essential oil
  4. Pour into chocolate moulds and refridgerate for an hour
  5. Pop out and devour!
3.2.2925

 

Filed Under: Chocolate, Recipes, Uncategorized

Wild Cranberry and Seed Chocolate Covered Slices

February 13, 2016 by admin 4 Comments

cranberry-seed-slice

These are the perfect treat for those who are following a GAPS, AIP, SCD protocol.  These are what I made for my daughter when she couldn’t tolerate eggs and had birthday parties to go to.  Sugar free, vegan, nut and egg-free these cater for most people suffering with food intolerances.

The cranberries give an incredible sour flavour to the bars and there is very little sweetner in these but I challenge you to eat only one (or is that just me!).

 

base-of-cranberry-seed-slic

4.0 from 1 reviews
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Wild Cranberry and Seed Chocolate Covered Slices
Author: Vanessa Woozley
Recipe type: Raw Food
Prep time:  15 mins
Total time:  15 mins
Serves: 16
 
Ingredients
  • For the Base
  • ½ cup of pumpkin seeds
  • ½ cup of sunflower seeds
  • ½ cup of desiccated coconut (additive free)
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons of wild dried cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon of coconut flour
  • 1 tablespoon of raw honey or maple syrup for a vegan version
  • For the Chocolate Topping
  • ½ cup of cacao butter
  • 3 tablespoons of cacao powder
  • 1 tablespoon of raw honey or maple syrup
  • 3 drops of wild orange essential oil (optional but please only use therapeutic grade oils suitable for internal use, see here for more details)
Instructions
  1. For the Base Save back 1 tablespoon of the cranberries and add the rest to a food processor and blend until a fine crumbly texture. this may take several minutes depending on the power of your processor.
  2. Add in the other tablespoon of cranberries for more texture.
  3. Press firmly into an 8 inch brownie tin lined with grease-proof paper and chill in the fridge
  4. For the topping Gently warm the cacao butter on a bain-marie, melting gently
  5. Stir in the cacao powder until combined
  6. Remove from the heat and add the sweetener of choice and the essential oil (optional)
  7. Pour on top of the cooled base and return to the fridge to allow it to harden before cutting into squares.
3.2.2925

 

Filed Under: Chocolate, Dessert, Recipes, Uncategorized

Flapjack Squares

April 28, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

energy-squares

I’m always looking for delicious, easy to prepare food that’s portable and these are dangerously moorish!  The best bit is I’ve packed them full of healthy fat and some, dare I say it, superfoods.  These are perfect if you need an exercise pick-me-up or something to tide you over to the next meal.  They’re also great to take out for children as a snack.  They’re naturally sweetened and take about 10 minutes to prepare.

We love goji berries in our house, if you’ve not tried one, they’re more intensely sweet than a raison and I love them on yoghurt for breakfast or even a few on my salad.  They’ve been used in Chinese medicine for centuries for high blood pressure, eye health, diabetes but more recently have been shown to increase metabolism and boost energy levels so perfect when you need a hit of energy in the day.

Cacao nibs are the creme de la creme of chocolate, these are cacao beans that have been roasted, separated from the husks and broken into nibs so with very little processing.  If you eat them from the bag they almost taste more like a nut than chocolate but add them to naturally sweetened goods and the wonderful chocolate flavour comes through.  More places are now selling these wonderful pieces of chocolate, I get mine online but many supermarkets now stock them too.  This is chocolate that you have permission to eat with absolutely NO guilt attached because they are full of minerals, fibre and antioxidants and provide a very healthy saturated fat.

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Energy Squares
Author: Vanessa Woozley
Prep time:  10 mins
Total time:  10 mins
Serves: 16
 
Quick go to energy snacks packed full of healthy fats
Ingredients
  • ½ a cup of desiccated coconut
  • ¼ cup of pecans
  • 1 tablespoon of almond butter
  • 3 tablespoons of coconut oil (melted)
  • 1 tablespoon of goji berries
  • 1 tablespoon of cacao nibs
  • 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds
  • 4 dates
Instructions
  1. Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until a rice grain consistency
  2. Pour contents into a parchment lined small cake tin, i used a brownie tin and smooth out so even. You could alternatively roll into balls and place on a plate.
  3. Refridgerate for at least 1 hour so the coconut oil hardens, then take out of fridge and cut into squares and place back in the fridge or freezer ready for eating.
3.2.2310

Filed Under: Chocolate, Recipes, Uncategorized

Gooey Chocolate Nutty Squares

April 18, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Choco-squares

This is the perfect sticky, gooey bit of yumminess that you want for Easter.  They don’t require any baking and if you and your family want to avoid refined sugar these are the perfect substitute.  These were made in the quest to find something that my daughter could eat instead of an Easter egg.  Due to the special diet healing her eczema, she is unable to eat any refined sugar, sometimes this is challenging but the consequences for her are worth all the effort and when I offer up these she doesnt seem to mind!

These are super rich and very chocolatey so cut them up small and try not to devour them in one sitting.  I usually freeze a few as soon as I make them so I’m not tempted.

I use organic raw cacao in my recipes, you could substitute with cocoa which is more readily available but as previously mentioned here it doesn’t have as many health benefits as cacao which is an unprocessed chocolate so if you get the chance, order some online and make your chocolate baking even healthier.

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Gooey Chocolate Nutty Squares
Author: Vanessa Woozley
Recipe type: Chocolate
Prep time:  15 mins
Total time:  15 mins
Serves: 18
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup of cashews
  • 1 cup of medjool dates
  • ¼ of macadamia nuts
  • 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon of raw cacao
  • ½ a teaspoon of vanilla powder or extract
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 1 large bar of dark chocolate (I used pure cacao but an 85% would work as well)
  • 3 tablespoons of coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon of raw honey
  • 2 tablespoons of flaked almonds
Instructions
  1. Cover the cashew nuts in water and leave to soak for an hour
  2. Cover the dates in boiling water and leave to soak for an hour
  3. Drain both and add to a food processor with the melted coconut oil, cacao, vanilla and salt and process until you have a smooth paste, incorporating when needed, this takes 3-4 minutes
  4. Add the macadamia nuts and pulse until roughly chopped
  5. Tip into a parchment lined small baking tray and smooth out with a palate knife
  6. Melt the dark chocolate on a bain-marie and add the honey and coconut milk and pour on top of the base smoothing out
  7. Toast the flaked almonds in a dry frying pan, flipping lightly until golden brown and decorate on top of the chocolate.
  8. Refrigerate for a couple of hours and then lift out and cut into squares to devour.
3.2.2310

 

 

Filed Under: Chocolate, Dessert, Recipes

Chocolate Pudding

February 21, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

chocolate-pudding

In most modern diets avocados are a “no-no” but these fruits are packed with health giving qualities, they are full of fat but more importantly monounsaturated fat that can easily be used for energy.  My philosophy has always been whole foods as nature intended so don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.  They are also one of the safest fruits to buy non organically as most experts believe that pesticides cannot penetrate their tough skins.

This is one my favourite desserts, pair it with some raspberries or blueberries it’s amazing, it takes minutes to make and has only 4 ingredients.

chocolate-pudding2

Quite a few people I have spoken to don’t like avocados, personally I don’t know why, they’re my favourite item in any salad but the texture is probably an acquired taste and certainly children can sometimes be put off.  This chocolate recipe is a perfect way to ensure your children receive all the benefits of an avocado.

I probably make this pudding about once a week for my daughter and I, I’ve even been known to sneak in a few extra ingredients when she was being a fussy eater, like spinach or alfalfa seeds, she’s never known the difference!  Dark chocolate will disguise the taste of just about anything and luckily she shares my addiction.

Quick tip – You must use a ripe avocado for this recipe, this will ensure you have a lovely creamy texture, if it’s slightly under-ripe it ends up being grainy.

Reasons why you need to eat more avocados..

avocado3

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Chocolate Pudding
Author: Vanessa Woozley
Recipe type: Chocolate pudding
Cuisine: Chocolate
Prep time:  5 mins
Total time:  5 mins
Serves: 2 - 3
 
Easy peasy chocolate pudding to make when you have the urge for chocolate.
Ingredients
  • 1 ripe avocado, peeled and deseeded
  • 1 tablespoon of honey
  • 2 tablespoons of cocoa or cacao
  • 1 can of coconut cream or the top of the coconut milk
Instructions
  1. Put all ingredients into a blender and mix
  2. Serve with a few of your favourite fruit or just on its own.
3.2.2265

 

 

Filed Under: Chocolate, Recipes

Chocolate slab with sea salt

February 13, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

chocolate-slab

 

Ahhh the decadence of chocolate!!  Not many days go by when I don’t treat myself to a piece of chocolate.  I’ve transitioned over the years to healthier chocolate and when the quality of your chocolate improves so do the health benefits, yes you heard me right, chocolate can actually be good for you.

The higher % of cocoa beans you have the more antioxidants and minerals it contains.  Dark Chocolate also contains high levels of phenylethylamine, the chemistry of LOVE (think pulse-quickening excitement!), which is why it is pretty addictive and really is the food of happiness.

If you’ve always chosen to eat a big bar of Cadbury’s, then you’re likely missing out.  You probably want to try a 60% dark chocolate to start and as your tastes evolve you soon get used to the richness.  It’s pretty difficult to finish a whole bar of dark chocolate and believe me I’ve tried.  Small adaptations to your chocolate over time will have a big impact on your health but as your tastes change you’ll eventually end up finding Cadbury’s too sweet.

Eventually you might even be able to eat just pure cacao – no sugar added and unrefined, this superior chocolate is packed with goodness, including the highest dietary source of magnesium, great for nerve and muscle function and even improving sleep.  You could start with cacao and add your own version of sugar so some raw honey, maple syrup or a little liquid stevia are all healthier alternatives to refined sugar.

Improve the quality of your chocolate and not only do you reap health benefits but it literally becomes a guilt free pleasure.

Here is an interesting fact.. the oldest recorded living woman Jeanne Calment, lived to 122 years old and ate 1 kilo of chocolate a week!!

So make a chocolate slab and experiment with toppings, I use macadamia and walnuts because they contain the highest quantities of healthy omega 3 fats but you might also like to try some of the following

  • Almonds
  • Brazil nuts
  • Cashews
  • Raisins
  • Pine nuts
  • Apricots

Or you can even use some fresh ingredients if you’re going to eat the chocolate straight away

  • Bananas
  • Raspberries
  • Blueberries
  • Mango
  • Apple
  • Raisins

In mexico, where chocolate originated, it is used frequently in savory dishes so you could even try it with some cayenne pepper or add it to your chilli.

Have some fun with it and send me some of your ideas and recipes in the comments below.

 

Save Print
Chocolate slab
Author: Vanessa Woozley
Recipe type: Chocolate treats
Cuisine: Chocolate
Prep time:  5 mins
Cook time:  10 mins
Total time:  15 mins
Serves: 5 servings
 
A pudding or snack to be enjoyed guilt free.
Ingredients
  • 100 g Chocolate aim for 70%+ dar chocolate or even pure cacao (with some natural suagrs, see above sugggestions)
  • Selection of nuts, I like macadamia and walnuts
  • Seeds
  • Goji berries
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt
Instructions
  1. Melt chocolate on a bain marie to avoid the chocolate splitting from too much heat
  2. Once fully melted pour on to a plate covered in greaseproof paper
  3. Place nuts and seeds randomly over the chocolate so it is covered with a nice even spread.
  4. Sprinkle salt using fingers evenly on top
  5. Refrigerate for 30 mins
  6. Peel off paper and snap into pieces, store in a tin ready to eat.
3.2.2265

Filed Under: Chocolate, Recipes, Uncategorized

Vanessa Woozley

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