Creamy dark chocolate pudding or shake....you decide!

I am dreaming of chocolate...probably...as I'm trekking up mountains as you read this!

I know being the week after Easter you are probably now screaming at the screen... 'no more chocolate, i'm all chocolated out'  Maybe? Maybe not?

Either way, you'll enjoy this chocolate treat, super chocolatey, BUT super light and healthy (i'm still enjoying my sugar free explorations!) and best of all you can make it two ways. A thick after dinner chocolate pudding or a dreamy creamy chocolate shake. Just a slight tweak or ingredients gives you both options...can't decide? half and half the mixture after the first stage before adding the rest. Its not too sickly sweet, more of a dark chocolate twang, and it has a great lower fat and higher protein content. The banana taste is very subtle in the background and so barely noticeable (in my opinion).

Ok, so if you've got a little impatient and have already scrolled down to the recipe you'll have noticed the first item in the list... black beans! Have any of you guessed where this concoction was inspired from?

Yes...these babies!  When making a batch of truffles I always add a little soy milk to the remains in the processor and then blitz to loosen the mixture from the blades and sides before washing the Thermomix bowl out... It makes a fab chocolate milk, so then I tweaked it a little added a few extra bits to turn it in to a super creamy shake.  Simple! just make sure you blend and blend... I recommend straining the mixture through a sieve into the glass before drinking it so make sure it is super smooth, this is less important for the pudding as you wont notice the odd tiny piece of bean or date fibre.

The topping you see is my own so light but decadent newly created coconut flour frosting...it is what inspired this creation, so you can probably figure it out for yourself if you want to give it a try, but I will write up the post in full for you next week. Dust with cacoa nibs and you are good to go!

Recipe: Chocolate pudding or shake...you decide! 

Serves 2-3

Ingredients: chocolate shake

½ cup black beans

1 small mashed banana (1/4 cup approx)

3 tbs date paste (or 4 softened dates)

A pinch of stevia to taste

¼ cup cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

Approx 2 cups milk of choice (I’ve tried with both almond and soy)

1 tbs melted coconut oil

Note for a chocolate pudding reduce the milk to 1 ½ cups and increase coconut oil to 2 tbs)

Method

Process the beans, banana and dates until you have a thick smooth paste. Add remaining ingredients and blend until very smooth. Pour into serving glasses or bowls and chill for approx 30 minutes until thickened.  If serving as a shake strain through a sieve.

Serve in tall glasses or short bowls...perfect with a coconut cream topping... recipe to come next week! sorry to make you wait :-)

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Roasted cauliflower salad

This was my lunch yesterday...it was delicious, so much so I might make it again today as I have the remainder of the cauliflower that needs using up.

I love roasted cauliflower. It's one of those vegetables you often don't think to roast, I'm more used to roasting root vegetables, but in recent months i've recently taken a liking to all things cauliflower...

...Even in more unusual ways, like my baked banana bread oatmeal and this risotto.

The original recipe came from the BBC Food website, as it popped up when I was having a browse for salad recipes of a little more unusual variety. I changes a few of the flavours up a bit and i found it didn't take as long to cook as they'd suggested...so it is a pretty speedy dish. The perfect light lunch or side dish. I made a single serving but I have doubled the quantities below to serve two since that may be more likely. You can use herbs of your choice although I loved the rosemary in this dish, it had a real strength of flavour that was a great compliment.

Recipe: Roasted cauliflower salad

Ingredients:

2 cups cauliflower- chopped into small florets
a little olive oil- to coat cauliflower
1 small red onion- sliced thinly
2 tbs balsamic vinegar and 2 tsp agave-mixed together
small handful raisins
2 tbs flakes almonds (toasted or natural)
handful of fresh rosemary
2 handfuls spinach or salad leaves (I used a salad mix)

Method:

Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil in a medium bowl, seasons with salt and pepper.

Lay in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake at 180C for approx. 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the onion and toss with the oil remnants n the same bowl that the cauliflower was in. After 10 minutes the onion to the cauliflower tray and continue to bake for approx. 10 minutes until golden.

Meanwhile prepare the balsamic/agave mix and add the raisins to soak.

Pile a handful of spinach/salad on each serving plate, and pile the cauliflower mix on top. Finish with the raisin dressing and a sprinkle of almonds and fresh rosemary.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Carrot burgers

These carrot burgers came about as a moment of spontaneity on my birthday evening last week. I shared these burgers for dinner with my mum, who proclaimed (after having eaten it all up) ‘oh I should have really cooked for you since it’s your birthday’, oh well….bit late now! Not that I minded, I think about food all day long and am always excited to try out something new when the idea strikes, this particular moment in time was no exception…birthday or not!

I’d had a pretty full on day…well, with the birthday cake under my belt (er, quite literally) I was in the mood for more of a light bite in the evening, so I served these burgers with salad and a simple tahini sauce. The perfect balmy summer dinner (balmy summer…I wish!) You could serve with a side of couscous for a more substantial meal.

The other great thing about these burgers is that they are pretty quick and simple to throw together and I’m pretty sure they could be frozen, although I haven’t tried. Add in your own favourite blend of spices, I used a cajun mix for a warm Mexican kick. I have also used red palm oil (as I like the deep yellow colour it gave to coat the burgers, but other oils would be absolutely fine. I like to add beans to things…most things, sweet or savoury! Beans or chickpeas give great texture, act as a binding ingredient and provide a good source of protein, so are a great base for many burgers.

If you have a thing for burgers, these recipes might also take your fancy:

Quinoa burgers

Quinoa meat balls

Black bean beetburger

Sweet potato cakes

Recipe: Carrot burgers

Makes approx. 6 burgers (depending on size)

Ingredients- burgers

300g carrots

200g chickpeas

1 small onion

1 tbs tahini

1 tbs ‘spices’ (I used a Cajun mix)

Extra salt to taste

50g oatmeal

1 tbs chia or flax plus 2 tbs hot water

1 tbs red palm oil (or other oil) for frying

Ingredients- tahini sauce

50g yoghurt of choice (or cashew yoghurt as I used)

2 tsp tahini

2 tbs lemon juice

Method

Coarsely chop the carrot and onion in a food processor and then add the chickpeas, tahini and spices and roughly mash through. Transfer the mixture to a sauce pan and cook for approx. 10 minutes stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

Once cooked, stir through the oatmeal and gelled chia/flax mixture. The mixture should be sticky but firm, if too sticky add a little more oatmeal. With wet hands form flat burger patties and fry them in a lightly oiled pan for a few minutes on each side until golden.

For the tahini sauce, mix all ingredients together well in a small bowl.

Drizzle burgers with tahini sauce and serve immediately.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.