 Are you a chocoholic? I am.....I loooooove salted dark chocolate, gluten free brownies and buttery chocolate chip cookies. I recently decided it's time I began eating less refined sugar, for the good of my gut microbiome. This is because sugar feeds and multiplies harmful microbes in the gut, and a gut full of friendly bacteria is what we want because it's vital to our immune, mental and digestive health. I know I'll still crave a chocolatey treat though. These truffles are chocolatey but not too sweet, with hints of berry and cinnamon. The cacao nibs add crunch and coconut oil offers satiating, cell-nourishing fat. These truffles will keep in your handbag or desk drawer for two or three days and in the fridge for a week. Makes about 10 truffles, prep time 10 mins GF, DF, refined sugar free 3/4 cup of ground almond meal/almond flour 1/3 cup of cacao nibs 1 small handful of dried cranberries 3 tablespoons of melted coconut oil 2 tablespoons of cocoa 2 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses Teaspoon of cinnamon Desiccated coconut for rolling (can also be used to dry out the mixture if it's too wet) -Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix until sufficiently combined. -Grab a clean dinner plate and sprinkle this with the desiccated coconut. Shape the mixture into truffles using your hands, then roll each truffle in the coconut. -Once all the mix has been used, cover the truffles and place them in the fridge to firm up.  Are you affected by stress, OCD, anxiety, or depression? Looking for support?
I invite you to discover my 30-page recipe e-book, Nourish Your Nerves, which offers delicious, simple-to-prepare recipes from breakfast to dessert. All the recipes in Nourish Your Nerves are packed with B6, B12, zinc, iron, protein, fibre and healthy omega 3 and saturated fats - to feed and nourish your nervous system and support your mental health and energy levels throughout the day.  This is a recipe from my recipe e-book, Nourish Your Nerves. It's dairy free, gluten free and can be made refined sugar free, depending on which dark chocolate you use. It's soooo easy to make, soooo delicious to eat and packed with fabulous, nourishing fats! Serves 2, prep time 10 mins Flesh of a whole ripe avocado 2/3 of a tin of coconut cream (the fatty part and a small splash or two of the liquid) 3 heaped tablespoons of cocoa or cacao powder OR 100g melted dark chocolate (melt in a stainless steel bowl over a pot with 2cm boiling water) 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste -Combine all the above in a blender and blend until smooth. -Taste and add more honey or maple syrup if needed (only likely if you are using cocoa rather than melted chocolate). If it needs thickening, add a little more coconut cream fat. -Scrape the mix into ramekins, tumblers, or pretty small cups. Refrigerate for two hours. -Garnish with grated dark chocolate and serve. Some lovely possible additions are chopped fresh cherries or boysenberries, chunks of dark chocolate, and layers of cream (not dairy free). For a special treat, I like to add all three!  Are you affected by stress, OCD, anxiety, or depression? Looking for support?
I invite you to discover my 30-page recipe e-book, Nourish Your Nerves, which offers delicious, simple-to-prepare recipes from breakfast to dessert. All the recipes in Nourish Your Nerves are packed with B6, B12, zinc, iron, protein, fibre and healthy omega 3 and saturated fats - to feed and nourish your nervous system and support your mental health and energy levels throughout the day. Most recipes are gluten and dairy free and most recipes contain meat, eggs or fish.  Brewer's yeast is a good source of vitamins B1, 2 and 3, selenium and chromium. B1, 2 and 3 are necessary for carbohydrate and iron metabolism (giving you energy) and making adenosine triphosphate, the energy that powers all your body's cells. Because B3 is mainly found in chicken, salmon, beef and lamb, Brewer's Yeast is a good source of B3 for vegetarians.
Selenium and chromium are minerals. Selenium is necessary for converting thyroid hormone T4 to T3 and is an especially important nutrient for the many people affected by thyroid health conditions, which often manifest as ongoing weight gain, fatigue and depression. Selenium is also cancer protective. Chromium helps regulate blood glucose and is an important nutrient to obtain more of if you are affected by either form of diabetes (T1 or T2) and elevated blood triglycerides.  I could eat this Italian-inspired soup again and again. Nourishing, delicious, full of lovely seasonal veg, and comforting in cold weather. The chicken can be left out and more cannellini beans added to make a hearty vegetarian soup.
Serves 2, prep time 60 mins (including making sourdough croutons if desired) Olive oil 5-6 large potatoes (organic if possible – potatoes can be heavily sprayed with pesticides) Sea salt and ground black pepper ½ large white onion 1 large leek Good handful cavalo nero Few cloves of garlic, roughly chopped Fresh thyme sprigs 1 tin cannellini beans (use 2 tins if making vegetarian version) A few good handfuls of shredded or sliced roasted free range chicken Optional extra: Pre-made sourdough croutons – simply cube the end of a stale loaf of sourdough and bake in the oven for 20 mins with olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt. |