Tag: Vegan

Avocado Hazelnut Fudge Mousse Cake

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Yes, you read that right. It’s a chocolate mousse cake that’s healthy! Loaded with the good fats, a small slice of this cake will keep you satisfied for hours. That’s not to say you’ll be able to stop at a small slice…

Ingredients

Base:

1 cup cashews

1 cup almonds/almond meal

3 Tablespoons cocoa

1 cup desiccated coconut

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

3 Tablespoons date syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Filling:

1 can coconut cream

2 ripe avocados

3 Tablespoons cocoa

3 Tablespoons coconut oil

3-4 Tablespoons date syrup

1/2 Teaspoon vanilla essence

Pinch salt

Topping:

200 grams dark chocolate (I use Whittaker’s Dark Ghana)

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

3/4 cup toasted hazelnuts

Method:

To make the base, blend the nuts until fine. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until just coming together. Press into a pie dish. Refrigerate.

Blend all the filling ingredients until smooth and glossy. Spoon out into base and refrigerate again.

For the topping, melt the chocolate and oil together until runny. Allow to cool slightly then drizzle over the cooled cake. Smash the hazelnuts in a mortar and pestle until they’re a bit broken but not crumbs, and sprinkle over the top. Put in the fridge or freezer for at least 3 hours to set, then slice and serve.

Is also delicious with freeze dried raspberries as a topping.

Chocolate SMIZ Balls

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The most common question I get asked when I mention that I tend to avoid red meat is, “but how do you get enough iron?” Well, there are lots of ways, but nuts and seeds are a great start. Did you know that 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds contain 4.4 mg of iron, which is 3/4 of a woman’s RDI? I’ve rounded up a bunch of super-hero ingredients which provide a  treasure trove of essential minerals, and created a delicious snack. Brazil nuts famously contain selenium, and almonds and pumpkin seeds provide high levels of magnesium, iron and zinc, or S.M.I.Z (see what I did there?)

These little balls make a wonderfully filling snack, especially if you are craving chocolate (around 3 o’clock in the afternoon maybe?)

SMIZ balls

1/3 cup each Brazil nuts, Cashew nuts, Pumpkin seeds and Almonds

1/3 cup desiccated coconut plus extra for coating

7-8 dates

1 tablespoon cacao (or good quality cocoa) powder

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Blitz all the nuts and seeds in a high-speed blender until they have the consistency of fine breadcrumbs. Add the coconut, dates, cacao and vanilla and blend again until the mixture forms a paste. Add the coconut oil and blend until smooth and creamy, but stop before the oils begin to separate.

Roll teaspoon sized amounts into balls and coat in the extra coconut. My batch made 12, but I’m greedy; you might get more if you make the balls a little smaller! Refrigerate until set, then keep in the fridge for up to a week.