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Nelland Living
Triple chocolate – the healthy way before Yule
The centerpiece of my Yule table is definitely chocolate. No turkey or ham, it´s chocolate! While it is still a good three weeks until the occasion, my mind is already set on the treat.
Instead of chowing down bucket loads of pralines a month prior to Yule, I have found a few ways to calm my ever-aching chocolate tooth. Ways that benefit both my taste buds and my nutrient-craving body.
The following three raw recipes all include cocoa, and help curb my appetite for the “real deal” until Yule evening.
Chocolate on Pears (serves 1):
2 ripe pears, peeled, halved and deseeded
2 Tbsp coconut oil
ground vanilla
2-4 tsp cacao nibs
2-4 tsp cacao nibs
2-4 tsp agave syrup
+ Place the pear halves on a serving plate and spread coconut oil on them. (In my house the temperature sets just below the melting point, so I simply use it like butter.) Sprinkle with vanilla and cacao nibs, and top everything off with agave syrup.
I like to eat mine with a fork and knife. I can have this for breakfast, snack, or supper. It always satisfies my taste buds.
Chocolate Ice Cream (serves 1):
2 bananas, frozen in big chunks
2 dates
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
vanilla
+ Place everything in a food processor and run until completely smooth. It takes a while before the banana softens enough to become smooth, but it´ll get there.
Serve from a nice bowl and decorate with mulberries or cacao nibs to give a bit of chunkiness.
Chocolate-Coconut Cookies (serves 1):
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp honey
1 tsp cocoa powder
1/3 cup dried coconut flakes (or enough to form a dough)
pinch of salt
pinch of ginger
pinch of vanilla
pinch of cinnamon
(pinch of cayenne, optional)
raisins for decorating
+ Melt the coconut oil, then add the other ingredients (except raisins) and mix well. Form a large flat cookie on parchment paper and stick raisins on top. Place in refrigerator for about 30min, or until the oil hardens keeping the cookie together.
Enjoying chocolate like this does more than satisfies sweet cravings. It meets nutritional needs too, and my body actually tells me when it´s had enough. After eating the whole package of “usual” ice cream or chocolate etc. I always am left craving for more. That does not happen here, and it feels amazing!
Here are some nutritional facts about the ingredients used:
– banana: helps maintaining normal blood pressure, heart function, and promotes bone health.
– banana: helps maintaining normal blood pressure, heart function, and promotes bone health.
– coconut: helps build muscle bulk, cures sore throats, helps diabetes by protecting against “insulin resistance”, helps skin problems, and produces great skin.
– dates: lowers undesirable LDL cholesterol, provides long lasting and even-burning fuel to the body, and can help cut the risk of stroke.
– dates: lowers undesirable LDL cholesterol, provides long lasting and even-burning fuel to the body, and can help cut the risk of stroke.
– honey: contains antioxidants which can help fight off free radicals that contribute to many serious diseases, is helpful against allergies, hay fever, and insomnia, and aids water retention.
– pears: are a great natural remedy for high cholesterol, are a hypoallergenic fruit (are less likely to cause allergic reactions), and are a great source of fiber.
– vanilla: helps in enzyme synthesis, nervous system function, and regulation of the body´s metabolism.
– vanilla: helps in enzyme synthesis, nervous system function, and regulation of the body´s metabolism.
(Nutritional info is from Victoria Boutenko´s book “The Green Smoothie Prescription“.)
Happy and tasty Yule y´all!
