Simply Raw

Can you prepare an absolutely divine chocolate fudge in under ten minutes? No, I didn’t think so! Well, I never thought I could. So today I have decided to share with you this wonderful recipe which comes with exciting news.

Let’s start by saying that raw food does not have to be boring. Sweet treats are part of it, and for some, the best part!! You can indulge in wonderful sweet sensations without all the guilt that comes with eating heavy, dairy and sugar-laden treats that have become the standard today. Raw desserts are a great way to get people interested in raw, because they are simple to make, they taste divine and are healthy! Many of my friends have tried and loved them! Of course, treats are treats, there is no point in over indulging but a couple of times a week I prepare a raw dessert that will usually last a few days, and I rarely have sweet cravings any more. One tiny piece of whatever I have prepared will do it for me.

Raw desserts are usually composed of 1) dates, other dried fruit, agave syrup, maple syrup or honey as the sweetener; 2) nuts such as cashews, pecans, walnuts or macadamias, or/and possibly coconut butter or cacao butter as the source of fat; 3) fresh fruit or raw chocolate powder to give it the main flavor. Of course there are a great variety of recipes, but raw chocolate desserts are decadent and highly satisfying – so start with these! You can adopt a raw lifestyle and not feel deprived in the least. You don’t even have to give up being a chocolate fan! And if you are not engaging in high raw, do try these recipes as you will find they are a wonderful, healthy alternative to traditional desserts.

Finding the ingredients – Raw organic coconut oil and agave syrup can be found in local health stores. Raw cacao powder and cacao butter are more difficult to find here in Switzerland (I have yet to find a local supplier so let me know if you do!) and I buy mine in the UK from Shazzie’s website. In the meantime, you can use plain cacao powder until we find a local supplier; this is how I got started! No point in waiting to have all the perfect ingredients before you can enjoy this!

The recipe – This one is from Alissa Cohen, one of the world’s leading authorities on raw foods and healthy living. It does not come from her famous book “Living on Live Foods” (which I highly recommend), but was recently published in the US press as Alissa is just about to open a new raw restaurant in Boston, called Grezzo. This is exciting news for anyone living or traveling in that part of the world as Alissa’s restaurant is sure to be a fantastic one, judging from her experience in raw food and her many delicious recipes. So I am happy to share this incredible chocolate fudge recipe, which is made in just ten minutes provided you have all the ingredients on hand. I made one for my eldest daughter’s birthday and my youngest had a great time helping me prepare it too! So here we go:

Grezzo Chocolate Fudge

1. Prepare the base by grinding 1 cup walnuts and 1 cup pecans in a food processor until fine. Add 1 cup pitted dates and ¼ cup raw cacao powder and blend until smooth. Remove from the food processor and, with your hands, form into squares (or cubes or whatever other shape suits your fancy).
2. Prepare the topping by mixing ½ cup raw cacao powder with ¼ cup coconut oil and ¼ cup agave syrup by hand in a small bowl. The coconut butter will be more or less soft depending on the room temperature but it will get softer as you mix it. Don’t eat too much off the spoon or you will have nothing left for the cake.
3. Assemble by covering the square bases with the sauce topping. Yes, it’s that simple!
4. These cakes can be eaten immediately, they are so soft and fudgy! You can also refrigerate the cakes until firm. They will keep for a few days in the fridge. Enjoy!!

Web hosting – You will notice that this blog is now being hosted on my future website URL, to make it easier for everyone to remember. The blog on the previous server will remain available for some time with a link to this permanent one and all subscribers will be automatically transferred so if you have signed up for regular updates, you don’t need to do anything! These changes will also enable me to offer more services. More about this later…

Happy New Year to all! I have been very quiet as I was unconnected during the Christmas break, but am back with renewed inspiration and extremely excited at the prospects and potential this year brings on all levels. I would like to thank all of you who have subscribed to this blog, and those who have posted very encouraging comments – this is a very precious source of support when one is on a road less traveled. I continue to feel that the time is right to spread the raw food message in this part of the world, and I will certainly do my best to make sure it happens.

The beginning of a New Year is the perfect time to make positive and constructive resolutions to look better after oneself, one’s health and one’s general well being. Raw food is really a fantastic way to reach those goals, so why not give it a try? Many raw food enthusiasts around the world (there are more than you know) are now embarking on early year cleanses and juice fasts, but it doesn’t have to be that strict. As mentioned before, go one step at a time and see what happens. Try the almond milk if you haven’t already, and seize this wonderful early year energy and inspiration to get something new started NOW. One easy way is to introduce juices or smoothies or both in your daily routine. Let’s start with smoothies. I traveled to the mountains with my loyal blender and was grateful for the few very simple smoothies I prepared when returning from a skiing expedition. Try this one, it cannot be simpler.

Blueberry Mango Smoothie

1. Place 1 peeled banana, 1 peeled mango and a handful of fresh or frozen blueberries (more likely at this time of year) in your blender.
   Any blender will do for preparing smoothies, which are similar in texture to the milk shakes of our youth.
2. Add 1 cup of fresh water and blend.
3. If you have a sweet tooth, add one or several pitted fresh dates, or some honey or some Agave nectar or syrup. This natural sweetener is extracted from a Mexican plant. It is sweeter than honey but less viscous. Its glycemic index is apparently lower than most if not all other natural sweeteners on the market. In Switzerland most health food stores carry it.

This simple smoothie is delicious and filling. There are endless variations of smoothies so get carried away, using either fresh seasonal fruit when possible otherwise frozen as a good alternative. Bananas are a fantastic base but not absolutely essential. Just mix fruit with water to reach your preferred texture and enjoy! I will soon tell you about the wonder of green smoothies, which you prepare by adding any greens to the fruit base. Adding fruit juices or smoothies to your daily diet can do wonders in filling you in a healthy way and keeping you away from unhealthy snacks. They are great for breakfasts or snacks at any time of day so if you have never tried one before, do it now. You will see how easy, quick and simple they are, and so much tastier than the kinds you find on supermarket shelves which almost always contain dairy and are most probably pasteurized. With these freshly made smoothies you will provide your body and soul with all the benefits of raw foods!

Before I close for today, let’s also remember that a salad can be a glorious meal in and of itself. Again the varieties here are endless. Here is one I fixed in just a few minutes the other day. I recentl y realized that salads to which you add fresh sprouts can be very nutritious and filling. There is no need, as I used to think, to add cheese or other animal protein when you can combine vegetables, fruit and even seeds and nuts if you feel like it. It constitutes an entire meal for me, and honestly, one of my favorites! Each salad I make is different and more appetizing than the previous one, especially if you play around with the dressings, so don’t spoil the fun and be inventive!