Raw Chocolate cups

                     

Amazingness is raw chocolate in a little cup. So simple, so easy.

If I am honest I don't really have a recipe, my chocolate, like many things in my life is pretty freestyle. I just enjoy mixing, making and tasting :-) 

Here is a rough guide to how these chocolate cups came to fruition.....

Large heaped spoon of coconut oil gently melted

Maple syrup to sweeten to your taste

Raw Cacao powder about 2 tablespoons

Ground almonds  2 tablespoons 

Pinch of salt

Vanilla 1/2 tsp

Lucuma 1 tsp

Mix really well before adding.......

Big handful of goji berries

Small handful of cacao nibs

4 chopped unsulphered apricots 

Spoon into little silicone cups or whatever container you have and try and let them set before you eat them!! 

 

Let us Yoga while the cake bakes!

Born out of desperation our Yoga and Baking mornings have got off to a fine beginning. My dear friend Laura had lost all hope in gluten free baking so Peta and I decided we should right this wrong, gather, set a baking mission and of course do some yoga :-) with that our Wild Laurel mornings were initiated.
 We would choose a recipe, make said recipe and while it was in the oven we would Yoga to the delicious nose tingling delights of our baking magic. Let's just say it could not go wrong.

Today's recipe is from Susan Jane White's The Extra Virgin Kitchen

Praline Cupcakes
1/2 cup Cocoa Powder (I used Raw Cacao)
1/4 Coconut Flour
I teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 cup raw agave/ honey
3 Tablespoons almond butter or Soya Yogurt
3 eggs beaten
5 tablespoons Coconut Oil melted
1 tablespoon Tamari
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Praline Frosting
2/3 cup Cashew Butter
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
2 teaspoons Tamari
taste if you like a little more salt and add tamari accordingly


Preheat oven to 180'/160'fan or 350'F
Sift Cocoa, coconut flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.

Beat together, sweetener with Almond butter or soya yogurt with a large balloon whisk and blend in all remaining ingredients.

Add the wet mix to the dry and blend thoroughly with the balloon whisk until silky smooth.

Prepare your muffin trays with cupcake liners or as we did use brilliant star and heart shaped silicon muffin cups.
Mixture will be super runny so trying not to cover everything in this deliciousness, finding any excuse to lick all bowls and spoons repeatedly! Fill each cup about 2.5 cm

Cook for max 20 mins but keep an eye on them as ours cooked pretty quick and our second batch that we cooked less were more delectable. Coconut flour can be a little sticky in the mouth so these cupcakes need to be super moist to enjoy their decedent healthiness.

Mix frosting ingredients and smoother each little star with a heap of paradise.

Tip: The extra virgin chef states not to use maple, barley malt or brown rice syrup as sweetener in the mixture because it "misbehaves" with the coconut flour.
Coconut flour behaves unlike any other flour so don't substitute it with another flour, it won't work!

We baked 30 and devoured rather a lot of them with coyo and fruit.
Amazingness on all accounts……………

Your body speaks...... The food your body needs

The biggest problem is that over the next few weeks in the frantic social run up to Christmas, when we are tempted by continuous parties and indulgences, late nights and extended fun what we really need to be doing is staying healthy and resting so our bodies can build and restore. Now that I listen to my body I am craving warming, healing foods. I look at a cucumber and just "know" it's wrong, even an avocado somedays just seems too damp. Why would you want to eat a cold wet vegetable when your body is trying to keep warm and dry.

How do we still think that a salad is healthy when are bodies don't "really" want it or worse still why are our minds so programmed that they convince our bodies that we do actually want it!
It's time to begin to listen to the body, I promise you, it is speaking, even if you can't hear it!!

Here is the first of my warming recipes to lead you healthily towards the winter solstice and beyond....

Buckwheat Pancake with Buffalo Mozzarella and Spinach

Cook the tomatoes under the grill
Sauté the courgettes in a little Braggs Amino Acids (or salt and pepper) and oil if needed
Add spinach at the end just so it's wilted.

Buckwheat groats (If you like you can soak them over night which makes them a little easier to digest)
Any kind of milk you choose and a splash of water
Salt pepper maybe some rosemary or mixed herbs to season
Blend so it's a runny batter , think crepe batter more than waffle mix

Cook in a little Olive or Coconut oil.

Once you turn the pancake add.......
Buffallo Mozzarella or sub with Sheep's Feta
Spinkle with fresh herbs, I used Thai Basil
Spinach/courgette
Tomatoes on top

Can be folded as a pancake or dressed like a Pizza :-)

Ridiculously Tasty Healthy Courgette Muffins

When a rainy day hits there is nothing better than hibernating in the kitchen. Following on with my courgette obsession and while they are in season I thought I'd share another recipe.
My baking usually begins by looking in the fridge to see what veg I have, it somehow feels less indulgent if there are vegetables in the mix.
I found a recipe that had some of my favourite things, Courgette, Ginger, Spelt and Cinnamon..... and doctored it a little to suit what I had available. 

Courgette & Ginger Spelt Muffins

Originally from Babycakes by Erin McKenna

Makes 12 muffins depending on the muffin case used. 

2 cups spelt flour

1/2 cup ground flax seeds

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 cup coconut oil

3/4 cup agave syrup

3/4 cup rice milk

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups zucchini, shredded

I ended up using Doves Gluten free flour as had no spelt and just added an egg white to bind the mixture. Vegans can use Xanthan Gum 

I also replaced the coconut oil with apple puree.

I also added some final touches, sprinkling coconut palm sugar and some seeds on top before I put them in to bake. 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line muffin tin with liners, or use amazing rubber ones in Stars and hearts.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, flax seeds, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Add the ginger, oil, agave, rice milk, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and stir until smooth.  Fold in the Courgette.  Fill the cups evenly with 1/3 cup of batter and bake on the center rack for 22 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees after 15 minutes.  

To test the muffins, insert a toothpick into the center.  The muffins are ready when the toothpick comes out clean.  I personally like them a little stickier so under cook them, your call. 

Let stand 15 minutes then transfer and cool.  

I have eaten them for breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner and they seem work well at any time of day 

They were a huge hit and even my nieces loved them, so brilliant snack for the kids too.

Happy homemade Granola

The best rainy Saturday morning remedy, delicious Green Tea and freshly baked homemade granola.

Grab a saucepan and place over low heat.
Large Table spoon of coconut oil, desert spoon of coconut palm sugar or sweetener of choice, vanilla essence and lots of organic oats. Stir well and put on a baking tray, then place it in the oven or under the grill.
Keep an eye on it as they can burn pretty quick.
Remove from oven and add maca powder, cinnamon, goji berries, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
I don't cook the seeds as I usually soak and dehydrated them, this starts a germination process which releases enzyme inhibitors and makes them more nutritious and easier to digest. The heat would kill these now live nutritious seedlings. If you haven't soaked them then it's ok to cook them.
Let cool and add rice milk or Kara coconut milk or eat warm directly from the pan!

Oats are brilliant at calming the nervous system and helping heat the body through winter. My father always reminded me that the Scottish won their battles on the staying power of their porridge.
Cinnamon balances blood sugar levels and is packed with Anti Oxidants.
Maca is an incredible root that the Inca's used to increase energy and stamina. It's also amazing at balancing hormones and renown for increasing sex drive.
Goji berries contain many of our daily macro nutrients and have been proven to increase energy levels, athletic performance, calmness and the feeling of health and happiness.
What more do you want from your humble Granola?!
p.s make a small batch unless you have diamond force self control. By 1pm I had eaten the lot..........and am working on my new found super human powers :-)