food
By Jodi Brown, the Ultimate Kitchen Commando
Guilt Free for Me
I might just be the luckiest gal I know.
I eat the most amazingly delicious foods on a regular basis that add to the quality of my life rather than subtracting from it. And while I don’t live a completely raw lifestyle, one aspect of that movement’s way of thinking that I am totally on board with is desserts. Raw desserts rock my world. If you have a sweet tooth that is working against you because it is rooted in traditional processed foods, I highly recommend that you go to your computer and Google “raw dessert recipes.” Just do it. You’ll be astounded at what you discover, really you will.
Raw Chocolate Truffles
14
pensacolamagazine.com
December/January 2013
Cookie Dough Power Balls
Cookie Dough Power Balls The holidays are a great time of year to go the extra mile when it comes to preparing food. I tell people that I have three opportunities every day to make myself happy – breakfast, lunch and dinner. I will admit here and now that I have made some amazing raw pies in my life (key lime and chocolate cream) that were so good after dinner, I had them again for breakfast the next morning. Guiltfree, of course. Raw cacao butter is not something you can run down to the store and pick up so buy some online and it will keep in the refrigerator for months. A little bit goes a LONG way, and as you try and move towards a more healthful lifestyle, ingredients like these will be key to your success. You can go to my website and find links to a variety of food and supplement items that I enjoy using when I prepare these and other recipes.
Raw Chocolate Truffles 2 oz. raw cacao butter 1/2 cup raw almonds ground into a flour 2 ½ tbsp. raw cacao powder 1 ½ tsp. vanilla Pinch of sea salt 1/2 of a small-medium ripe hass avocado 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 ½ tbsp. raw local honey Grind the almonds into a flour and set aside (use a coffee grinder or magic bullet to do this). Grate 2 oz. of raw cacao butter and put it into a food processor fitted with an “S” blade. Add the cacao powder, salt, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and pulse until well blended. Then add vanilla, avocado and honey and blend, scraping the sides down occasionally, until you get a smooth paste. Fill a small bowl with about 1 inch of cacao powder. With two spoons work the paste by scooping truffle sized bits onto one spoon, then pushing it off with another spoon into the cacao powder. Do about 5 or 6 at a time, and roll them quickly in the powder before picking them up and rolling them between your palms until you achieve finished pieces. The cacao powder helps to keep the paste from sticking to your hands. Makes about three dozen, depending on how you size them. Keep refrigerated. Best if consumed within 3-4 days. Optional: Substitute the cinnamon and cayenne with mint oil or orange zest. Or roll them in cinnamon instead of cacao powder, or a combination of both. Play with this. You’ll come up with some interesting combinations, I’m sure.
I decided to make these into “balls” rather than bars just because I’m a gal that likes to grab a taste frequently, rather than having a whole serving. If you want, you can make these into bars, instead of balls. Why are they powerful? They are made with raw nuts and seeds, which means that the nutrition inherent in those items is still intact. Roasted nuts and seeds are heated to very high temperatures thus ultimately depleting much of what they have to offer nutritionally. Hemp seeds are loaded with protein and fiber and chia seeds are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids as well as fiber, calcium, phosphorus and manganese. Goji berries are super rich in antioxidants and maca powder will give you a great boost of energy. Oh, and they taste like cookie dough. 1/2 cup of raw pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas) – ground into a flour 1/2 cup of raw almonds – ground into a flour 1 cup of raw walnuts Zest from one organic lemon 1/8 cup goji berries Pinch of sea salt 1 tbsp. hemp seeds 1 tbsp. chia seeds 1/2 tbsp. maca powder 8-12 medjool dates (depending on size) Combine ground nuts, seeds, walnuts, goji berries, zest and salt into a food processor and process until the walnuts are ground and the ingredients are well combined. Add hemp, chia and maca powder and pulse until integrated. While the machine is running, drop the medjool dates into the machine one at a time (pits removed) until the mixture starts to pull together into a more solid mass. You’ll see it start to change around date number eight. When you think it is done, open the processor and squeeze a bit between your fingers and thumb. If it sticks well and isn’t dry, it’s ready to roll. Portion into bite-sized balls and roll between your palms to create a uniform shape. Makes about 40 balls. Refrigerate for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. You can, if you choose, make these into any shape you like. You can make bars by evenly pushing the “dough” into a square or oblong pan, refrigerating for a few hours, then cutting into shapes that make you happiest. About the Author: Jodi Brown is the Ultimate Kitchen Commando and loves to turn people on to delicious and healthy foods. She assists people with food transitions and teaches healthy cooking classes. She shares her time between New Orleans and Pensacola. To learn more, visit www.ultimatekitchencommando.com.
December/January 2013
pensacolamagazine.com
15