Tag: fromscratch

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Homemade Chocolates

Hello! Several years ago, I learned how to make raw chocolates from scratch. I believe that it was a recipe by Any Phyo that I found in the book and wanted to give a try as the chocolate-making at home seemed to be a pretty straightforward process.

In reality, the process was straightforward and a bit messy, however, the results were totally worth all the efforts. The homemade chocolates were so heavenly delicious that the store-bought varieties could not come anywhere close. Since then, I experimented with many different raw chocolate recipes. There are many variations posted on the internet. Some of them recommend using fewer oils or fats and more of the cacao powder, and vice versa. Others called for different types of sweeteners such as maple syrup or honey. All these recipes turned out pretty good. One thing I want to mention is that the quality of the ingredients really matters! To get the best tasting, smooth, homogenous, bitter-sweet chocolate, use the best ingredients that are available. You want to select the ingredients that are raw, unrefined, organic, and pure (without additives or preservatives or flavors). Today, I’m sharing with you one of the recipes that I like the most; I can call it a “full-proof” recipe. Every single time I followed this recipe, I got great results.

 Download the recipe!

The ingredients:

  • 1/8 cup raw, unrefined, virgin coconut oil
  • 1/8 cup raw cacao butter
  • 1/4 cup raw coconut nectar or any other liquid sweetener (maple syrup, date syrup, or honey)
  • 1/2 cup raw cacao powder

Equipment:

  • A double boiler (or a large and a small pot) for melting the coconut oil and the cacao butter
  • A wooden teaspoon
  • Silicone molds

The method of preparation:

  1. In a double boiler, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and turn the heat off. Alternatively, boil the water in a large pot and put the dry and empty smaller pot into it.
  2. Place cacao butter in the double boiler (or into a smaller pot) and allow it to melt completely. Add coconut oil and let it melt as well. This step may take a few minutes.
  3. When both fats turn into liquid, stir in the liquid sweetener of your choice.
  4. When the liquid becomes homogenous, add cacao powder and mix it all well. The final mixture looks glossy and homogenous and has a rather thick consistency.
  5. Start filling up the molds using a teaspoon. If the chocolate mixture hardens, warm it up a bit to make it liquid. Place the filled with chocolate molds into a freezer for at least 8 hours to firm up.
  6. To serve, press the chocolates out of the molds. Enjoy with tea or fresh vegetable juice. Store in a refrigerator for up to 14 days.

Enjoy! Nataliya

References: Baird, L. & Rodwel, J. (2005). The complete book of raw food. Healthy Living Books: New York, NY

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Quinoa Pancakes

Happy Independence Day weekend to everybody! It is a middle of the year and almost a middle of the summer. What is your favorite summer-time activity? For me, it is the appreciation of the long days filled with the sunshine and the delicious and colorful summer foods. 

Today, I’m sharing with you one of my favorite recipes – the quinoa pancakes.

It needs just a few ingredients, is easy to make, and tastes very good. Actually, both the sweet and savory versions of this recipe can be enjoyed year-round. 

 

 

 

You will need the following ingredients:

  • Quinoa (white, red, or multicolored),
  • ripe banana,
  • flax seeds, 
  • water.

That’s it. You may use a little bit of coconut oil, however, it is optional if you use a non-stick skillet.

You will need this equipment: a bowl, blender, and non-stick skillet. The amount of preparation time can be reduced if you have more than one skillet. I typically use 3 small non-stick skillets, and in this case, the total preparation time takes about 5-7 minutes. 

What I love about this recipe is that the pancakes have a neutral taste and can be enjoyed with both sweet and savory meals or snacks. As a sweet version, I like to serve them with berries, fruits, and coconut yogurt. For a savory twist, I serve them with veggies, salads, and dressings (taco-like style). On this image below, you can see 3 pancakes, each served with the arugula leaves, slices of tomato and red onion, and avocado cubes. In this version, the pancakes work as flatbreads or soft tacos. 

Additionally, I soaked and sprouted the quinoa seeds, which is an easy step that can improve the digestibility and nutrient availability. Moreover, soaked and sprouted quinoa gives you more pancakes if compared with those made from the unsoaked quinoa. Note that this recipe does not need any flour; the whole quinoa seeds were soaked and sprouted and blended together with banana, flax seeds, and water. Here is a full recipe, enjoy!

Download the recipe: Quinoa Pancakes

By the way, it is the middle of the year, and I’m wondering how are your new year resolution goals doing? How successful have you been so far? Which obstacles came your way?

Let’s discuss how I can help you to get back on track during the next 6 months.

Our first 20-minute discovery session is free of charge, and I can work with you as a wellness coach or/and a nutrition consultant, depending on your needs. Contact me today, I’m happy to see how I can help!

In best health,

Nataliya.

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“Burgers”! Vegan and Raw

I’m excited to finally share with you a very delicious recipe: Raw Vegan “Burgers”!

I made them for the first time around Thanksgiving holiday, and later I experimented with the recipe and tried a few different versions of it.

The bottom line: these “burgers” do not have any animal ingredients, so please do not expect that the taste and texture will be just as it usually is in an animal-based product.

However, these vegan “burgers” are still super delicious, satisfying, filling, and quite addictive in a good way (meaning that it could be difficult to stop after eating just one “burger”). The recommended serving size for this recipe is about 2 or 3 “burgers”, depending on their size, so it means you can eat more than one!

I just wanted to mentioned one more thing: some people pay attention to the color of the vegan “burger”, and, as I learned, it mostly depends on the ingredients that you use.

This recipe will have a brownish-reddish-purple color because of the beets, and if you decided to replace the beets with a green vegetable (such as celery), the color of your product will be brownish-green. As you can see on this picture, the colors are different, but the taste and texture will be similar.

What you will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • nuts, seeds, vegetables, herbs, and spices.
  • Equipment:
    • a knife, cutting board, food processor (I like Cuisinart), a large mixing bowl.

Method of preparation:

  • Process the nuts and seeds into a fine powder.
  • Process the vegetables and herbs into a smooth mass.
  • Combine the dry and wet ingredients, form patties, and assemble them into a “burger” meal.
  • The whole process takes about 15-20 minutes.

Download a full recipe here: Burgers raw and vegan

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 2 cups sunflower seeds
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped (1/2 cup)
  • 1 small beet, chopped (1/2 cup)
  • 1 carrot, chopped (1 cup)
  • 1 small handful parsley, chopped
  • 2 Tbs ground flax seeds
  • 3 Tbs nutritional yeast
  • 2 Tbs dried herbs (Italian seasoning)
  • Optional: 1/16 tsp sea salt

Yield: 5 cups or 9 burgers, Serving size: 2-3 “burgers”

Method of preparation:

  1. Process spices, nuts, and seeds in a food processor into a powder and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Process all vegetables and fresh herbs in food processor into a smooth mass.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine processed dried and wet ingredients using a large spoon or your hands, until it becomes a homogenous mass (if it is too wet, add more of the dried ingredients such as extra powdered nuts or seeds). The final texture should be not too soft or too wet.
  4. Measure about 1/2 cup of the mixture to make one patty.
  5. To serve, place a patty on a lettuce or cabbage leaf, and decorate with slices of bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and parsley.
  6. Store in a refrigerator for up to 3 days, freeze up to 2 weeks, or serve immediately and enjoy!

Finally, I’m including my quick video with some ideas on how to make a “burger” meal and serve it in a beautiful and delicious way. Hope you find it helpful.

The inspiration for this recipe came from the book by Baird and Rodwell (referenced below).

Bon appetit and happy holidays!

Nataliya.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi43YVpgEz0&t=6s

References:

Baird, L. & Rodwel, J. (2005). The Complete Book of Raw Food. Healthy Living Books: New York, NY