Raw Baking: The best Chocolate Cake

This Raw chocolate cake is not too expensive and definitely easy to make. You can easily make it for the next day or eat it in an hour after freezing. It is not a low calorie cake (coconut oil, almonds and walnuts) but all the ingredients are natural and clean. It is a great dessert to serve for a group of health conscious  people or people who are skeptical for eating Raw foods. This will change their minds.

Chocolate Cake

base:

80g Almonds

20g Walnuts

70g dates

sea or Himalayan salt to taste

Filling:

1 1/2 avocados

70g raw cacao

50g coconut oil

100 g raw honey or raw cane sugar

1 vanilla bean or natural vanilla

pinch of sea or Himalayan salt

Soak the almonds and walnuts for at least 6 hours then drain and dehydrate them. This way they are easier to digest. Add dates and salt and blend until you have a dough. Press the dough into a small cake pan and place in the freezer while you make the filling.

Place all the filling ingredients in a food processor then blend everything until smooth. Pour the filling over the base. Set in the freezer for 1 hour or to the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. 

Raakasuklaa kakku

Pohja:

80g manteleita

20g saksanpahkinoita

70g taateleita

ripaus merisuolaa tai himalayansuolaa

Tayte:

1 1/2 avocadoa

70g raakakaakaota

50g kookosoljya

100g raakahunajaa tai ruokokidesokeria

1 vanilijatanko tai vanilijaa maun mukaan

ripaus meri tai himalayansuolaa

Liota manteleita ja saksanpahkinoita vahintaan 6 tuntia ja kuivaa ne. Nain ne ovat helpompi elimistolle sulattaa. Lisaa taatelit ja suola ja blendaa kunnes seoksesta muodostuu taikina. Painele taikina pieneen vuokaan ja laita pakastimeen  taytteen teon ajaksi. 

Laita kaikki tayteainekset tehosekoittimeen ja sekoita kunnes tayte on kokonaan pehmeaa. kaada seos pohjan paalle ja laita kakku pakastimeen tunniksi. Voit myos laittaa kakun jaakaappiin yon yli.

ENJOY!

-e-

5 Tips on How to avoid over-bloating on Christmas

I am a big fan of food, cooking and Christmas, but not a fan of feeling completely over-bloated and gassy.  Average American gains 10 pounds during Christmas. I will give you five tips on how to avoid this.

1. Plan ahead
If you know that you will have a big Christmas dinner tonight, eat a light breakfast and lunch with lots of vegetables and fruits. Also, try to avoid snacking that day. Serve the dinner from smaller plates than normally, that way you eat less.
2. Move
Just because its Christmas, you don't have to stop working out. If your gym is closed or you don't have time to go there, go for a 30-45min walk and get some fresh air.
3. Hydrate yourself
Drink a lot of water during the day. A lot of times we think we are hungry when our body is really just dehydrated. Make sure you drink enough water and have 2 glasses of water 20 minutes before the big dinner.
4. Wear fitted clothes
Wearing loose clothes make you feel like there is enough room for over bloating. If you wear fit clothes, it's more likely that you won't eat as much.
5. Socialize
Enjoy the holidays with your loved ones, sharing stories and laughing. Remember that Christmas is not all about food and chocolate, even though it is a big part of it. Enjoy your favorite foods by eating them slowly and tasting every bite. 

Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope you all can enjoy it with your favorite foods and loved ones!

My lovely Friend and Coworker Annika.

Healtier Holiday :)

I got a great idea from my client to write a post about healthier christmas foods. I'm not truly against all animal foods but I do think the amount of pigs and turkey we grow just for the holidays is nowhere even close to being human. That's why I think it's good to give some vegetarian ideas for the holidays. This way we don't have to feel bad for the animals, feel completely bloated and gain 5 pounds in two days.
I have to be honest. I have never cooked a vegetarian christmas dinner. Actually I have never even cooked a whole Christmas dinner, BUT I will this year. I will share some ideas and links for recipes that I have comen up with.

Appetizers:
Curried red lentil soup with sweet potatoes
Stuffed mushrooms with tofu and herbs
Green salad
Dinner:
Oven roasted sweet potatoes
Roasted red onions with olive oil, balsamic and honey
Herb cheese stuffed eggplant steaks
Dessert:
Raw Pecan Love pie
Vegan Eggnog

Recipes:
Vegan eggnog:
Ingredients
2 cups almond milk
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
(1/3 cup brandy)
2 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
Directions:
Blend all ingredients together in a pitcher. Serve your delicious vegan eggnog over ice and dress with a sprinkle of nutmeg and a cinnamon stick for the perfect festive touch.


Oven roasted sweet potatoes:http://kimberlysnyder.net/blog/2011/11/22/how-to-enjoy-a-thanksgiving-dinner-without-gaining-weight/
Curried red lentil soup:http://vegan.sheknows.com/2010/11/01/curried-red-lentil-soup-with-sweet-potatoes-and-greens/
Stuffed mushrooms: http://vegan.sheknows.com/2010/12/02/stuffed-mushrooms-with-tofu-and-herbs/
Roasted red onions with butter, honey and balsamic: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/roasted-red-onions-with-butter-honey-and-balsamic-vinegar-recipe/index.html
Herb cheese stuffed eggplant steaks: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/herb-cheese-stuffed-and-fried-eggplant-steaks-with-braised-radicchio-fennel-and-escarole-recipe/index.html
Hearty vegetable pot pie: http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/everyday-meals/contemporary-casseroles/hearty-vegetable-pot-pie/

TRY IT OUT AND LET ME KNOW! :)

-e-

When does eating healthy get too serious?

Someone asked me a long time ago to write about my thoughts about Orthorexia Nervosa and eating healthy. So finally here we go:
Shouldn't we all try to eat healthy? The answer is YES, but like with everything else, we shouldn't go too far with it. Yes we all should try to avoid artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. Your diet shouldn't count on unhealthy fats, refined sugar or meat grown with antibiotics and hormones. But taking it further than that might not be necessary. 

I've had a couple times someone asking me if I am orthorexic, since I don't eat meat and really don't want to drink a completely artificial juice with 20 different ingredients that no one even understands. I also prefer organic fruits to avoid some of the pesticides and try to avoid processed foods. I don't think that makes someone Orthorexic. The line between healthy eating and having Orthorexia Nervosa is very difficult to draw. My opinion is that if eating healthy starts making you sick in stead of healthy, something could be wrong. Or if you can't go out to eat in any restaurant because you can't see the ingredients they put in your food, you might have a problem. 

Orthorexia nervosa is a serious disorder. It indicates an unhealthy obsession with eating healthy food. It is believed to be a mental problem that can cause a severe malnutrition or even death. Compared to Anorexia nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa, this one focuses on the QUALITY of food in stead of the QUANTITY. The term orthorexia comes from the Greek, literally meaning a correct diet. 
The obsession for healthy foods can come from family habits, society trends, economic problems, recent illness, or even just hearing something negative about a food type or group, which then leads them to ultimately eliminate the food from their diet. 

If eating too healthy gets obsessive it is important to talk to someone and seek professional help. There are so many delicious foods available and we all need to be able to fully enjoy them!

Aztec Salad, Candle Cafe NY.

-e-