Rich Chocolate Pudding with Fresh Berries
Berries are in season and what better pairing than chocolate. This recipe uses the raw cacao which is much higher in antixidants, vitamins and minerals. If you have never had it before, be ready for a bit more buzz in your heart chakra. This recipe contains ingredients that are known aphrodisiacs, so enjoy with someone else if you like.
For raw cacao and maca click here.
2 Medium size ripe avocados
Agave nectar to taste (start with ¼- ½ cup, or used soaked dates, or maple syrup
which is not raw)
1-2 teaspoons extra virgin coconut oil
1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
dash cayenne
1 teaspoon of dried or fresh orange zest
1-2 tablespoons raw cacao nibs (optional)
3-4 tablespoons raw cocoa powder (or to taste)
Optional, but really nice: 2 teaspoons maca powder
Unsweetened almond milk or water -enough so blender will run smoothly, about ¼ cup or a little more.
About one cup fresh berries of choice. Raspberries are especially nice with this.
Put all ingredients into a high-speed blender (I recommend the Vita-Mix) and blend until smooth.
Transfer to individual ramkins or small bowls and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve garnished with fresh berries.
Devana Cleanse Recipes
Delightfully Chocolatey Dip/Pudding
This was a real hit at our last Devana Spring Cleanse ‘09 meeting. It was decided that it would be a great healthy treat for kids as well. Yummm!
2 cups young thai coconut meat
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup raw cacao powder or organic cocoa powder
1/4 cup (or to taste) organic raw agave nectar
about 2-4 Tablespoons almond milk (depends on desired consistency)
A wonderful addition: 2-3 drops Young Living orange essential oil
http://vibrant-health.younglivingworld.com
You can make this in the Vita-Mix or a food processor. Place all ingredients except essential oil in blender or processor and puree until smooth. Stir in the essential oil.
Serve with berries or however you like!
Making Your Own Almond/Nut Milk
This is a delicious way to make a non-dairy milk. It is really quite simple, it just looks complex because of my added variations. There is nothing quite like homemade.
1 cup almonds, soaked overnight (8-12 hours in filtered water) and drained
3 cups liquid of choice (see below)
Put the almonds, dried fruit if using (see below), spices or flavorings (see below) and liquid into your blender (high-speed works best) and puree until smooth. Strain the mix through a piece of cheesecloth or nylon stocking. You will have to squeeze a lot to get all the liquid out. You may want to make your own nut milk bag using a nylon small-holed mesh fabric. Make a 4”x6” rectangle. The bag is easy to wash by hand or in a washing machine for reuse.
The milk will stay good for about 5 days. To extend the shelf life a bit, you may add a drop or two of lemon, orange, grapefruit or nutmeg Young Living essential oil (Young Living oils are suitable for ingestion. See http://vibrant-health.younglivingworld.com). Alternately you may add a drop or two of colloidal silver (tasteless).
The Pulp:
Save the pulp and add it to cereal, humus or you may dehydrate in a dehydrator or in a gas oven on the lowest setting. When totally dehydrated it should be dry and flaky. Sprinkle it on desserts or use as a “flour”.
Sweetener and liquid options:
♥ Soak ¼ cup raisins in 1 cup filtered water about 8 hours. Drain and save the soak water. When blending your milk, use the soak water along with additional water.
♥ Use just filtered water and add stevia or agave nectar to taste.
♥ Use the water from a young coconut for your liquid.
Spices and Flavorings:
♥ Cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom (together or alone)
♥ Vanilla
♥ Vanilla and cinnamon
♥ For Chai flavor: 1 t garam masala, 1 t dried ginger, 1 t cinnamon, ½ t cardamom, vanilla
♥ For Chocolate Mint: 1 T fresh minced mint or 1 drop peppermint YL essential oil, 1 T carob or cocoa powder, vanilla
♥ For Chocolate: try pecans instead of almonds and add 1 T carob or cocoa powder and vanilla
♥ You may also add a pinch of salt to any chocolate or chai mix.
♥ Strawberry almond milk: 1-2 cups fresh strawberries to taste, stevia to taste, and vanilla
Scrumptious Spring Tonic
This creamy sweet smoothie belies it’s healthful roots. The highly nutritious (yet bitter) liver tonic dandelion greens get masked by the coconut and strawberries. Dandelion greens are one of the most nutrient dense foods available and a very effective diuretic. Strawberries are an excellent spring tonic, used to break down excess toxins in the liver. Both strawberries and dandelion have natural antiviral properties and mild sedative effects, making this a great immune boost and anti-stress drink.
Add meat and water of one young coconut, 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries and one handful chopped young dandelion greens to a high-speed blender (like the Vita-Mix). Puree until smooth. Enjoy immediately.
If you find you need more sweetness, add some stevia before or after blending.
Pura Vida in the Blender
Recent travels to Costa Rica have inspired some new additions to the smoothie repertoire. Read on, blend and delight!
Pura Vida Blended Bliss
While staying at a yoga resort appropriately named Pura Vida, I found myself ordering this delicious concoction over and over.
1/2 cup fresh or frozen papaya (peeled and cubed)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen pineapple (peeled and cubed)
1/2 ripe avocado (scooped from the peel)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I like Dream Protein. Click here for a free sample)
1 scoop green food powder (I like Greens First. Click here for a free sample)
optional: 1 handful spinach
Blend until smooth, preferably in a high-speed blender (my favorite is the Vita-Mix!).
For free shipping and special offers on the Vita-Mix click here.
Nosara Pina Delight
This delightful concoction is based on a lovely blend I enjoyed at the Zen Cafe in Playa Guiones. Refreshing and uplifting and loaded with enzymes!
1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple, peeled and cubed
1/2 inch piece ginger root
1/2 medium cucumber, washed and skin left on if organic
1/2 cup water or coconut water (more or less to achieve desired consistency)
sprig of mint
Blend the first 4 ingredients until smooth. Garnish with mint.
Great blended with ice for a summer cooler.
Welcome!
Welcome to my new blog which is dedicated to sharing, supporting and exploring all the blended bliss that can be mustered when using delicious and nutritious blended foods to support your health.
I am personally a totally addicted to my high-speed blender. Delicious smoothies for breakfast, a yummy dressing at lunch, and a creamy smooth soup with dinner. I am definitely in support of using the Vita-Mix which I give love to everyday. This blender just does not quit! And I can make my amazingly vibrant, deliciously velvety concoctions without a hitch over and over, year after year. These whole foods blended delights I find to be the answer to the busy person’s healthy eating dilemma. Just stick it in the blender and hit “go” for a vitamin/mineral packed, energizing brew that can be enjoyed without guilt. I even make frozen “ice cream”.
So, essentially we will be looking at all the ways to explore and enjoy the magic of blended bliss.
Read. Share. Enjoy.
Ana
Hello world!
Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!
