Eat Simply, Eat Well

Healthy recipes & tips to help you live the good life. by Ann Plough

Raw Cacao & Almond Energy Bites

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I have to admit – most days I need a little snack mid-afternoon to get me through the slump between lunch and dinner.  Sometimes if I’m at home, I shove a walnut into the middle of a date, add a bit of goat cheese and enjoy it immensely. But if I’m at work or running around town, I’ve found that finding a healthy option for an afternoon snack is no easy task.

These totally-easy-to-make energy bites are something I love to keep in the freezer, pop a few in my handbag in a little container, and nibble on later to give me a much-needed energy boost.  They are so delicious: just dates, raw cacao, almond flour and cocoa nibs.  They are both soft and crunchy, and are sweet but not too sweet.  You can whip them up quickly in your food processor and you’ll be set for snacks all week long.

The raw cacao provides powerful antixodiants, iron and magnesium while the dates give a satsifying natural sweetness along with a good dose of potassium and fiber and the almonds provide potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium.  These little nuggets pack a powerful punch! One or two will take you a very long way.

They are great for after a gym workout, an all-day shopping excursion, or a long hike.  Whichever way you decide to enjoy them, you’ll be smiling for sure.

Raw Cacao & Almond Energy Bites

2 cups soft fresh dates, pits removed
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup cocoa nibs
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until the mixture all comes together in a thick, sticky mass.  Using a mini ice cream scoop or a large spoon, scoop out 2 tablespoons at a time, roll into a ball, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet or plate.

You can consume immediately, package in an airtight container and freeze, or refrigerate for up to two weeks in and airtight container.

Makes 20 bites.

 

All Green Veggie Smoothie aka Blended Salad

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Here’s to happy mornings:  All Green Veggie Smoothie

OK. Some of you are going to think the recipe I am about to share with you is really, really strange. But I promise you, it is one of the best wake up meals a person could ask for.

I woke up to sunshine this morning – the first rays reaching the shoreline on the far side of the bay opposite our bedroom window.  So the light wasn’t shining into the room, but the brightness of it greeted me as soon as I opened my eyes.  For those of you living in parts of the world where Winter is already a distant memory, my exultation over each tiny step towards Spring may be surprising.  For those of you still buried under inches of snow, or cheering on the progress made of green grass over dirty gray snowbank, I know you’ll understand.

We haven’t had freezing temperatures here in Helsinki for a couple of weeks.  The natural world is waking up. The swans are back:  I saw a faithful pair soaring through the sky yesterday, on their way to nest in the bird sanctuary just beyond my window.  The first of the crocuses are poking their spiky leaves skyward, getting ready to bloom.  The world is alive, again.

And all I could think this morning is “I want a salad”.  Except that I didn’t really – didn’t want the chewing nor the chopping of vegetables that would proceed the chewing.  So I did what any smoothie loving woman would do: I washed a pile of veggies and threw the whole lot of it into a blender.

Happy Days!  The results were delicious.  So before I head out into the sunshine that’s been putting a smile on my face since I woke up, here’s a green smoothie that’ll put bells on your toes. It’s bright, light, smooth, creamy, flavorful and completely satisfying – and oh-so-good for you.  It’s packed with fiber, folate, a long list of micronutrients and good fats.

It’ll make two large glasses of smoothie – so you can share one with someone else, or drink them both down with a smile on your face.

The savoy and kale can be substituted for the other, as needed.  And as with smoothie recipes generally, feel free to improvise based on what you have on hand.  Enjoy!

Make it a great day.

All Green Veggie Smoothie

1 handful of washed spinach
1 kale leave, rib removed
1 savoy cabbage leaf
1 carrot, peeled and cut or broken into pieces
1 celery stalk, broken into pieces
1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
4 pitted, fresh dates
leaves from 3 mint sprigs
3 sprigs fresh parsley, stems and all
1/2 lemon, peel and pith cut off (don’t worry if there are seeds in there)
1 cup of cold water

Put all of the ingredients in a blender and process for 1 – 2 minutes.  Depending on the power of your blender and the way you stacked/packed the ingredients in, you may need to stop the blender and stir or push the ingredients down.  This makes a thick smoothie, so add more water if you prefer them to be more runny.

Makes 2 tall glasses of smoothie

Almond Chocolate Chip Brownies

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Look no further.  These are the brownies you’ve been waiting for.

These brownies are perfect.  Just perfect.  I don’t know what you look for when you’re dreaming about brownies, but I definitely can tell you what my dream brownie is like.  It’s soft and slightly chewy, with a crispy top, a few gooey chocolate chunks distributed throughout, and it has a crisp edge all around, making that coveted corner piece even more special.  If you serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it holds it’s own.  It’s assertive and comforting all at once.  You could settle for one piece because the flavor is so chocolatey and satisfying, but you’ll probably have a second piece because they are so good it’s hard to stop.  They work with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee – you may need to try one of each.  I wouldn’t judge.

These brownies are exactly like that.

Seriously.  Can you see that:  Crisp around the edges; gooey in the middle.  Oh my.

And here we were today, cleaning the house, straightening up and clearing away all the clutter that somehow drifts out of its rightful position in the home, and, during the course of a busy week, finds its way into mysterious corners, covering the wrong surfaces, cluttering up both the space and mind. After a invigorating morning walk, we tackled the mess with as much enthusiasm as one can muster for cleaning, and, as the short project drew to an end, I was already dreaming about brownies.

So with the wind slapping slush up against the windows, I took a few minutes to mix these up and toss them in the oven, from which a lovely chocolate flavor emanated, encouraging us to get our game on and get the job done so we could reward ourselves with a small bit of decadence and a cup of much-needed coffee.

So go on, get your oven warming. I know you’re dreaming of brownies too, by now.

BROWNIES!!!

Almond Chocolate Chip Brownies
based on the brilliant recipe by Alice Medrich. Dairy-free, gluten-free and egg-free options listed within ingredients list.

10 tablespoon / 145 g butter (coconut oil also works if you prefer dairy-free)
1 1/4 cups / 250g sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Green & Black’s cocoa)
1/2 teaspoon salt (I prefer sea salt)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold or 2 tablespoons flaxseed + 5 tablespoons of water (let sit for 5 minutes)
1/2 cup / 70g all-purpose or Gluten-free flour mix
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
1/2 cup sliced raw almonds

Preheat oven to 170°C/325°F.  Line the bottom of an 8″ / 20 cm square pan with parchment paper.

In a small pot over the stove, or in a small bowl in the microwave, heat the butter until melted. Pour the butter into a mixing bowl, add the sugar, cocoa powder and salt, and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until well combined.  Add the vanilla extract and stir well.  Add the eggs one at a time (if using the flax substitute add all at once) and stir well to combine thoroughly.  Add the flour and chocolate chips, and stir until there are no traces of flour left.

Pour the brownie mixture into your prepared pan and smooth the top.  Sprinkle the sliced almonds evenly over the top of the mixture.  Place the pan into the hot oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. You’ll know the brownies are done when the almonds are golden brown and the brownie edges pull slightly away from the sides of the pan.  Remove from oven and cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Cut into 16 pieces, and serve.

Makes 16 brownies.