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I’ve got a bit of a treat for you this week: Chocolate and Raspberry Cake with Ginger Chocolate Mousse. I’m sitting here snacking on the left-overs from that, feeling quite happy with myself as I plot and plan some big changes in my life over the next 12 months.
I’m sure I’m going to get some email about my choice of featured ingredient: Maple syrup; but I feel it’s important to look at ingredients that aren’t necessarily 100% raw sometimes, as they do offer a health benefit, and certainly have a lot to offer in terms of taste.
Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Ginger Chocolate Mousse (raw)
Makes 4 cakes
For the Base:
1/4 Cup Oat Flour*
1/2 Cup Cashew Flour**
2 TB Cacao Powder
2 TB Maple Syrup
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
3 TB Water
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
Pinch Salt
1 Small pack of Raspberries for the centre of the cake.
There are a lot of bars out there. Food bars, energy bars, protein bars, nutrition bars, diet bars, fiber bars, raw bars… bars bars bars and more bars!
A quick search on Amazon yields 2,759 different varieties. Think about it: 2,759 different kinds of neatly packaged little edible rectangles. It’s like space food… except on earth. (I think half of them are chocolate peanut flavor, too.)
Obviously not all food bars are created equal. So, what makes a good one?
Since reality TV does such a good job of selecting “winners,” we’ll just call our selection process Dancing with the Bars. Nifty, eh? In this case, the bars are the dancers, and we’re the expert judges. Oh, and just so you know: I’m totally wearing my fuchsia sequined flamenco mini dress with 4” heels and a tiara — not necessary for judging bars, but always a good touch.
A lack of energy is a common complaint for many of us. It can hit hard in the afternoon — that no man’s land after lunch and before clocking out, which seems to stretch on forever. We’ve all reached for chocolate or another double espresso to get us through. Fitness experts would suggest exercise to fight flagging energy (but then again, that’s their solution for everything — nutters). But from experience, when you’re feeling tired, the last thing you want to do is hit the gym.
Which brings us back to food. What healthy dietary fixes are out there? Thankfully, that’sfit has complied a list of the five most energizing foods.
Warning: This post is really long, and gets really personal, with lots of curse words, and is all very self-serving. But kind of entertaining, hopefully?
I just finished reading a book – yes, I’ve been reading lately. It was by the British chef Marco Pierre White, “Devil in the Kitchen – Sex, Pain, Madness and the Making of a Great Chef”. It’s a good title… because who doesn’t want to read about sex? From a hot chef? And pain and madness? Well yes, that too. It’s inspiring to read about people who know what they want and go through a lot to get it. But pain and madness? Is that what it really takes to achieve greatness? Does everyone have to toil tirelessly, sacrifice health, get hurt, worn down, and knocked down over and over, feel pain, and teeter on the edge of madness? If so… I’m SO on the right track! YAY!
I’m being convinced, however, that maybe I can step away from that edge and still get where I’m going, and probably much faster. After all, I’m supposed to represent the brand – One Lucky Duck and Pure Food and Wine, we’re all about raw food and feeling great. When I first went raw the contrast was amazing. So much of the time I felt like I could do anything – life was a dance party. As I pointed out in Raw Food Real World, it can feel a bit like being on ecstasy – maybe not quite, but still it’s amazing. It’s been four years now – did I get used to it and/or is it stress and pressure that just put a damper on it all? I want the dance party back!
My name is Rory Freedman, and I’m a food addict. There. I’ve said it. Granted, I’m half-kidding. But only half.
A few months ago, I started to feel a little under the weather. And that pretty much never happens to me because I generally take such good care of myself. But I had a few nights that I didn’t get enough sleep, and a couple of days that I didn’t eat well and I smooched a boy I later found out was sick. I’m not blaming him if I was in my usual healthy state, it wouldn’t have mattered. I take full responsibility for having a compromised immune system. (But I do have to say: What kind of an asshole kisses a girl without telling her he’s sick?! Douche bag. Blah, blah, blahI was sick. I didn’t want to take antibiotics; I haven’t taken them in forev. But my body was taking a long time to get well. So I made the decision then and there to do a juice fast. When we eat, our bodies’ energy goes to work on the food, breaking it down and sorting it all out. When we don’t eat, our bodies energy goes to work on us, getting around to all the shit it stored while we were eating. A juice fast would keep me nourished and satisfied, but would allow my body to tackle whatever that dirty boy infected me with.
So I picked a date to start the fast. And then I moved it back. And I set another date. And moved it back. And again and again and again. I always had a good reason: I’m gonna be in a seminar this weekend. I won’t have access to fresh-squeezed juices. I’m gonna have so many leftovers from Thanksgiving. And those are my favorite foods. I have too much food in my fridge. I can’t stand to waste. I came up with so many excuses, that finally my reason was, I’m all better now. I don’t need to fast anymore.
Pomegranates are the hotest new superfruit for cocktails. It used to be all about the cranberry — now pomegranate is the ‘It’ fruit showing up in everything from Pomegranate Martinis (Pometinis) to Pomegranate Champagne. Touted for their myriad of health benefits and high anti-oxidant levels, they also taste great in mixed drinks due to their sweet and tangy flavor. This drink is only lightly flavored with a hint of pomegranate and tangy lemon and sweetened with healthy low glycemic agave instead of a sugar syrup. Low on calories and sugar and high in anti-oxidants and infused natural vitamins, this drink is not only beautiful and festive but could save your waistline as well this holiday season. The deep red color of the pomegranate pops against the the clear liquid. You can also add a splash of pomegranate juice if you want a stronger pomegranate flavor and color. Continue Reading / Additional Photos / Videos
This really is one of the best combinations ever. Simple, elegant, and sensuous. Apparently there are over 400 varieties of mango worldwide. My favorite, from the three or four varieties I’ve tried, is the champagne mango. I’m seriously considering a trip to India just to sample mangos.
Dark Chocolate Orange Tart with Clementine Sorbet (raw)
I attribute my sweet tooth to my dad. He always carried a bag of goodies around with him where ever he went. He was like Santa Clause with a sack of chocolate, candy and cookies instead of presents. On my weekend visits with him, we’d go to the grocery store and stock up on anything that I wanted, i.e. Junk Food! We’d also frequent this ‘mom and pop’ ice cream store that had the best chocolate orange ice cream that I’ve ever had in my entire life. So I thought I’d come up with a ‘goodie’ of my own combining those two flavors.
Bad habits die hard, but with this recipe, you can indulge until your hearts content knowing you’re doing something good for your body. How cool is that.
Makes 4 individual sized tarts
For the crust:
1/2 Cup Dry Almonds
1/2 Cup Shredded Coconut
1 tsp. Orange Zest
2 TB Raw Cocoa Powder
2 TB Maple Syrup (Agave Nectar can be substituted)
Something happens when you freeze fruit and then defrost it. It actually gives the fruit sort of a ‘cooked’ texture. That’s what makes this cherry cobbler recipe work so well. You could use fresh fruit; it just wouldn’t mimic a traditional cooked cobbler as well. Plus, you’d have to pit all those cherries, adding a lot of time to the process. I take help where I can get it, and buying frozen cherries for this dish is one short cut I gladly take.
You can experiment using different kinds of fruit but I love cherries. When they are in season, I gorge on them like the witches of Eastwick.
Usually made with white wine , this grapefruit juice spritzer is a refreshing alternative for an early morning wake up call. Who wants to get buzzed first thing when they wake up anyways? Well, I’m sure you know someone–if you’re reading this any time before 10am though, it’s probably not you. I’ll bet it’s even great for hangovers, or even sipped in between cocktail glasses to prevent you from getting properly sloshed in the first place.
I love the accent of the fresh mint against the bubbly tang of the sour grapefruit and lime juice. I also prefer to use a natural sparkling mineral water, but you can use any sparkling water.
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