Raw & Simple Chocolate Haystacks

These chewy, chocolate treats are super simple to make, yet, tastes like a gourmet treat. I use longer coconut threads to give it that haystack look (Sprout's grocery stores carry them) but you can use the finely shredded coconut with the same great results. Jazz it up with some chopped nuts or hemp seeds for a little nutrition boost.

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Chocolate Haystacks

Makes 12 servings

Prep time: 15 minutes

2/3 cup cacao powder

½ cup maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid

½ vanilla bean, scraped or small pinch of vanilla powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt (optional)

2 cups shredded coconut

Blend cacao powder, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth.

In a bowl, hand mix shredded coconut with chocolate mixture.

Line a plate with parchment paper. Use a spoon or melon scoop to form 12-14 individual haystacks on the parchment paper.

Freeze for 30 minutes or until firm.

Find more easy raw food recipes in my new book Raw & Simple: Eat Well and Live Radiantly with 100 Truly Quick and Easy Recipes For the Raw Food Lifestyle

Products I Love

Rockin' Wellness

 I first heard about Rockin' Wellness from Paul Risse who heads up the very popular Cleanse America. He and many others raved about how great it was, so I had to check it out and see what the hubbub was all about. It's a powdered superfood blend that contains the following:

Raw Organic CACAO Bean; Raw Organic GOJI BERRY; Raw Organic HULLED HEMP SEED; Raw Organic BROWN RICE PROTEIN; Organic Non-GMO LECITHIN; Raw Organic MACA ROOT; Organic CHIA SEED; Organic Evaporated CANE JUICE; Organic BANANA Fruit; Organic GREEN TEA (leaf); Organic YERBA MATE Leaf; Organic GUAR GUM (Bean); Organic FLAXSEED; (Lactobacillus) L. ACIDOPHILUS (Super Strain DDS-1); Organic STEVIA Extract (Leaf)

Nowhere do I see crack listed here, but I'm pretty sure its laced with it because I've been hooked ever since. At first, I was surprised how much I could taste the green tea and it wasn't super chocolatey as I had expected by looking at it, but I only used one scoop in a cup of fresh made almond milk. It was a little grainy with the bits of goji berries and chia seeds (and crack, I'm sure of it) but I quickly started to enjoy the texture it gave my smoothies. Besides the taste, I also really liked how I felt. You get a little lift from the raw cacao, green tea and yerba mate but it's not like a coffee buzz and it didn't give me the jitters. It made me alert, energetic and put me into a great mood. HELLO WORLD!

This is a great booster for your morning smoothie, mixed into chia pudding or homemade raw chocolate treats. Visit their website for more info and read the testimonials. Pretty impressive. I didn't have any miraculous health benefits from taking it, but I'm a long time health enthusiast and just appreciate the nutritional boost it gives me. If you've never put anything healthy into your body before, then there's a good chance you're going to feel the benefits of eating this antioxidant and anti-inflammatory rich crack snack.

Here's a video of Paul making a Rockin' Wellness raw brownie and check out their website to order.

Bella Vado Avocado Oils

I just recently discovered avocado oils while visiting Stehly Farms Organic last month. They provide the organic avocados that go into Bella Vado avocado oils. It's raw, extra virgin, cold pressed, non-GMO, gluten-free and contains no artificial colors. It's also high in omega-3, vitamins A, D, and E. Does that sound like a party or what? They come in 3 flavors: Lime, Jalapeno, and Garlic. You can use them in salad dressings or for cooking. They can stand up to high heat without degrading or becoming toxic like olive oil. Awesome, right? Garlic is my favorite. I've used it in salad dressings and sauteed my greens with it. The flavor is rich, nutty and pleasant. The jalapeno is very spicy so watch out if you're sensitive while the lime is really lovely in salad dressings. Learn more about them at the Bella Vado website.

ELF Botija Olives

I've been eating dried botija olives for at least 3 years but never have they been so accessible until now in my area (Long Beach, CA). I used to have to order them online or drive to Erewhon in LA but now my local Lazy Acres carries them and I am in absolute heaven. If you love olives and haven't tried these, yet, you are in for a treat. I prefer the dried over the ones in brine. The flavor is rich, tart and salty and the texture soft and chewy. My favorite olive used to be kalamata, but they pale in comparison to these. Even my husband who is indifferent to olives has been chowing down on these. Unfortunately, they're $9.99 a jar so I have to reign in my enthusiasm and savor each and every one slowly. Order them here from Essential Living Foods.

A Spicy Twist On a Raw Favorite - Mexican Spiced Brownies

Here's a recipe from my book "Going Raw" that is one of my all time favorites. Unfortunately, a typo made it into the book that I wanted to let everyone be aware of. On page 134, I listed 3 tablespoons cinnamon while it should have only been 1 tablespoon. So in light of this blunder and in celebration of the release of my book, I think it's best to give the recipe away as a freebie. I apologize in advance to anyone who ends up makes this recipe with three tablespoons, but hey, at least cinnamon is good for your blood sugar levels which you'll need after diving into this sweet and spicy chocolaty goodness.

Mexican Spiced Brownies
Makes 12 to 16 servings

I’ve always loved spicy chocolate so I made this version with a bit of a kick. If you prefer less heat cut the cayenne by half. To make it kid friendly omit the cayenne all together.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Chill time: 1 to 2 hours

Brownie Base
4 cups walnuts*
2/3 cup raisins
2/3 cup Medjool dates
2/3 cup cacao powder
1 tablespoon Mexican (ceylon) cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons finely ground star anise
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
pinch of sea salt (optional)
2 tablespoons water

*preferably soaked 6-8 hours and dehydrated but not crucial

1. Place walnuts into a food processor and grind into the consistency of a meal. Don’t over process or it will release too much oil.

2. Add the raisins and dates and process until the mixture is well combined.

3. Add the cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla, star anise, cayenne and sea salt and process again until mixture is sticky yet still crumbly. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

4. Add the water and mix well using your hands. It should start to resemble a dough.

5. Press mixture into an 8 x 8 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper or plastic wrap.

Frosting
1/2 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid
2/3 cup cacao powder

1. Add maple syrup to the blender first followed by the coconut oil and cocoa powder. Blend well until smooth.

2. Spread topping over brownies and chill at least 1-2 hours.

3. Remove brownie by lifting up the parchment paper and slice into desired size pieces.

Store in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for one month.

Chef’s tip: Try substituting cayenne pepper with chipotle or ancho pepper for a whole new experience. Chipotle is smoky and spicy while ancho is mild and sweet. For a traditional brownie omit cayenne, anise and cinnamon.

For more great recipes check out my book Going Raw from Quarry Books!

Navitas Naturals Organic Chocolate Kit

I'm so enamored with these cute little kits that came out by Navitas Naturals. They come in three flavors: Cacao, Goldenberry, and Goji Berry, and contain all the ingredients to make your own gourmet chocolate at home. Since Goji berries are one of my favorite snack foods I decided to give the Goji kit a try.


You will need a knife, a couple of bowls and an ice cube tray. I used a heart shaped one but a standard ice cube tray will work just fine.


The kit contains a little brick of cacao butter, some Goji berries and a very delicious blend of cacao powder, mesquite, lucuma and maca powder.


Step one, shave the cacao butter into thin pieces with your knife.


Place in either a metal or glass bowl (or mason jar) and let sit in a bowl of very hot water.


Use a spatula to help it melt and change the water if it cools down too quickly.


Add the cacao mix and combine well. Pour into 12 molds and place in freezer for about 10 minutes.


Voila!



I thought they tasted fantastic though my husband didn't really care for them. I think mesquite, lucuma and maca is a little unusual for some chocolate connoisseurs but I really enjoyed the malty flavor. The cost of the kit is $9.99 and yields 12 sizable pieces. That's actually a good deal compared to other raw chocolate bars I've bought. I love that everything included was organic and thought it was fun and easy to prepare. This would be a great activity to do with children as well as make a great gift (or Valentines Day candy - thanks Adriana!). Find them at Whole Foods, your neighborhood health food store or online.

Raw in Costa Rica

A couple weeks ago my husband and I headed to Mal Pais, Costa Rica for some fun in the sun. Our good friend and owner of Mary's restaurant, a very popular seafood restaurant in town, asked me if I wanted to come up with a raw food menu for a few nights. I jumped at the opportunity of creating a menu that utilized local ingredients but was still something special that no one else was doing. Though there aren't any exclusively raw food restaurants in the area, there are a lot of vegans, as well as raw options being offering at other eateries. I needed to come up with specials that would reel people in. My menu consisted of an appetizer of vegetable sushimaki made with coconut meat, avocado, carrots and cucumbers that came with bon bon sauce and sweet and spicy mango sauce. I also made hemp tabouli with zante currants and no-bean hummus. For my entrees, I made pistachio pesto pasta and beet ravioli with rosemary cashew cheese. For dessert, I made chocolate ganache with vanilla cream and a mango cheesecake. We put fliers up in the middle of town to lure the raw vegans and were surprised how many showed up to just to try out my offerings. It was so exciting! There's talk now about coming back in January and February and making a nightly menu of raw specials. I'll keep you posted!





When I had requested lemons for my recipes I ended up with these wonderful sour mandarins instead. They're like a lemon and lime in one. It gave my recipes a new dimension of flavor and is the secret ingredient in Mary's fantastic mojitos.

Raw cacao beans




There is a wonderful restaurant in the nearby town of Santa Teresa called Tres Cabezas that offers a small, creative raw menu along with their lovingly cooked selections of vegetarian and pescetarian dishes. My husband and I tried out their fennel watermelon juice as well as their papaya orange cucumber. Refreshing.


For eats we had their raw salad.

We also had their entree of sunflower seed pate with julienned greens, zucchini hummus and seaweed. The atmosphere was wonderful and the service friendly. I was really impressed that someone was making a raw menu in this secluded part of the world. I've been coming to Costa Rica for the past five years and this was the first time I had seen the word raw even mentioned. One of the great things about Costa Rica, though, is that you can stay raw easily. Fruit is plentiful and almost every restaurant offers all fruit smoothies made with water. Salads are plentiful too but not as exciting as what we get in the states. On Saturdays, there's an organic farmer's market hawking every kind of glorious green as well as tropical fruits, raw cacao, honey and vegan muffins. I forgot to bring my camera that day. Aargh! If you would like to see some more photos from my Costa Rica adventure check out my Flickr album. If you're considering going to Costa Rica for vacation and interested in knowing more about Mal Pais email me or check out Costa Rica beach rentals website. Pura vida.

Matt's Favorite Smoothie

During my omnivore days my husband used to always have a pint of mint cookies and cream ice cream in the freezer and now with southern California starting to warm up we've been having the ice cream bug lately. I whipped this simple concoction up to satiate his craving for mint chocolate and have gotten a request for it every day ever since.

1 cup frozen bananas
1 cup nut milk
1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint
1 heaping tablespoon of raw cacao nibs

Throw it all in a high speed blender and drink up! Makes 2 small or 1 big serving.