Raw Recipe - Chocolate Energy Bar

Raw Chocolate Recipe

Im sure by now it has become apparent to those who have visited my site before that I have a major sweet tooth. Im constantly trying to find new ways to get cure my sweet tooth and ensure that my body is still fed with the proper nutrients it needs to look and feel its best. I love baked goods. Brownies, cakes, muffins, mmmmm. But the longer I go sticking to a mostly clean diet the harder it is for me to eat the versions of those things I can find in a store. So instead I make my own. These bites (which can also be made into a bar) are close to being a 100% raw food, gluten free and are infused with several superfoods! They taste as though I rolled brownie batter into a ball, The perfect healthy sweet tooth cure that can be eaten as a snack or dessert. Best part is they only take 10 minutes to make and are ready to eat immediately!

Ingredients

12 pitted raw Dates

3 Tbsp Cashews

3 Tbsp raw un-sweetend Coconut Flakes (2 for batter, 1 reserved for topping)

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil

4 Tsp raw Cacao Powder

4 Tsp raw Maca Powder

2 Tsp raw organic Honey

Place all ingredients into a food processor.

Once all ingredients are well blended together (dough will be coarse and have small chunks) take a full tablespoon full of dough and squeeze and roll into a ball using your hands.

Once all dough is rolled sprinkle the remaining coconut flakes on a cutting board and roll the balls in it until well coated (optional step)

Yields about 12 balls.

Store in refrigerator for up to a week.

Clean Eating Recipe - Peanut Butter Cups

Clean Peanut Butter Cups Recipe

With only 3 ingredients these little nuggets are quick simple and absolutely amazing!!

I should mention though these are absolutely addicting and not 100% clean.  My choose to make the recipe quicker by using a chocolate bar for the chocolate layer instead of making my own chocolate sabotaged me from being able to classify this as fully clean ;-). However, I will note, the higher the concentration of cacao in your chocolate bar the higher the chances are of it being clean. I used a Scharffen Berger 82% Cacao bar so I guess I can say these are at least 82% clean! There are definitely times when shortcuts are worth it. When getting chocolate in my belly is a result of a shortcut, I am all for it! (I will be posting a homemade clean eating chocolate recipe soon that you can use as the chocolate here as well, stay tuned!)

Ingredients

1 cup fresh nut butter (I used fresh almond butter)*

2 Tbsp organic coconut oil melted

Dark chocolate bar

*In most health food stores such as Whole Foods, there are machines located in the bulk food bin section that you are able to put your choice of nuts in and turn them into fresh nut butter.

**Want a lower calorie treat there is a modified nut butter cup located at end of post :-)

In a medium bowl mix peanut butter with coconut oil. Once mixed well, split up the dough and place into each hole in a mini muffin tin. Press well into the bottom of each tin hole. Place in Freezer.

 Now melt your chocolate in a double broiler. Take tin out of freezer, using a spoon, place 1 to 2 spoonfuls of melted chocolate on top of peanut butter. 

Return to freezer for about 10 minutes or until chocolate hardens. Take a thin knife and press between peanut butter cup and tin. This should pop each cup out of their hole. Storing in the freezer is recommended.

**For lower calorie less clean version follow this ingredient list **

1/2 cup fresh peanut or almond butter

1/2 cup PB2

1/4 cup water

2 Tbsp coconut oil

Dark chocolate bar

Mix PB2 powder with water in a medium bowl, then add fresh almond butter and coconut oil. The rest of preparation and storage recommendations are the same as above.

Enjoy your Peanut Butter Cups!!

Clean Smoothie Recipe - Maca Cacao

If you have yet to hear about Maca, now it the time to start getting familiar with it!! Maca, a plant grown in Peru for over 3000 years and used in medicine, is becoming a very popular superfood in american culture. My first experience with Maca was about 4 years ago when I went back to work after my son was born. During my afternoon break I, in my new Mama night after sleepless night fog would get a blended coffee from the health bar next store that featured Maca as one of its most beneficial ingredients. I have always been highly interested in nutrition and health though at that point in time I was so focused on making it through each work each day and running home to take care of my 16 month old and my 3 month old, I never really took the time to research what the health benefits of Maca were. 

Fast forward 4 years and I feel almost every health and nutrition information I encounter raves about the health benefits of Maca. Maca which is considered a superfood is beneficial for enhancing energy, stamina, memory and fertility. It helps woman with balancing hormones, menstrual problems, and menopause symptoms. It can also aid in lessing the effects of depression, osteoporosis, anemia,  and helps boost the immune system.** After learning this I decided to make it a mission to find ways to incorporate Maca into my families diet. It has a slight butterscotch smell to it and for me tastes a bit nutty. I tend to use it as an addition to sweet recipes. It blends well into smoothies and as an addition to doughs when baking.  Here is my recipe for a Maca-Cocoa Ice Cream. A low calorie nutrient and antioxidant dense sweet treat that is great as a desert, after school snack or mid-afternoon pick me up. 

Enjoy!

Maca Recipe

3 Frozen Bananas

1 Cup Frozen Pineapple

1 Cup Vanilla Almond Milk (unsweetened)

1 1/2 Tbsp Maca Powder

1 1/2 Tbsp PB2 Chocolate

1 1/2 Tbsp Coconut Flakes (unsweetened)

1 1/2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)

Handful of Ice

*optional soak 1 tsp of chia seeds in the almond milk for about 15 min. then add all to mix

Blend until creamy and serve immediately or store in freezer.

Yields 4 servings at around 150 calories each

**these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA