Raw cacao & almond pralines

Published on February 10, 2016 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, N, S, SF, Uncategorized, V, WF

Woo your Valentine with chocolates which aren’t only devoid of bad stuff, they’re packed with goodness, and The LOVE Drug. As an added bonus, these insanely tasty little morsels take all of 6 minutes to make (I’ve timed it); freeing you up for some extra loving.

In it’s raw, unprocessed state cacao’s loaded with antioxidants, iron, zinc (said to increase testosterone, stamina and libido..!), calcium and potassium. Cacao also helps produce the body’s happy hormone, seratonin and there’s the Love Drug: Phenylethylamine is said to mimic the feeling of being in love. Minus the drama. And if that doesn’t float your boat, there are always the almonds. Apparently the aroma induces passionate thoughts in women – Samson’s strategy with Delilah…

Makes 25 chocolates (depending on your mould)

Ingredients

1/2 cup cacao butter or coconut oil
2 1/2 tbsp raw cacao
2 tbsp maple syrup or agave
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp macadamia butter. Optional but makes the chocolates sweeter and creamier.

Method

In a bain-marie (bowl placed with a pan of simmering water) very gently melt the cacao butter. Stir in the cacao powder, removing any lumps, followed by the maple syrup. Take care not to boil or over heat or you’ll obliterate the fantastic health benefits of raw cacao.

Check for sweetness and consistency, adding more maple syrup for a sweeter tooth (remember the nut butter will also sweeten). As you’d expect, cacao thickens, butter adds gloss and thins out.

Pour into moulds or ice cube trays and freeze for 30 mins. Transfer to a fridge to store. Eat. See, quicker than a desperate dash to the garage for Dairy Milk.

For any of you balking at the price of cacao (it isn’t cheap): It packs such a punch, that very little goes a very long way. I’ve had my bag for at least 6 months and I make a LOT of energy bites and chocolates. So, it’s quite possible that gram for gram, it’s cheaper than Cadbury’s.

Pea, kale, fennel & smoky bacon soup

Published on April 21, 2015 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: DF, LF, S, SF, V, WF

If kale really isn’t your thing but you want some of its (biblically proportioned) health benefits, stick it in soup. While the freshness of the pea in this old classic is retained, the antioxidant, fibre and nutrient dense kale adds a meaty, heartiness which is perfect for fresh spring days and, should you so wish, summer slimming prep. Soup’s also surprisingly quick: this takes 15 mins.

Feeds 4-6

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp coconut or olive oil
4 rashers smoked bacon – optional, the fennel seed gives this lots of flavour
1 onion, chopped
3 tsp ground fennel seeds
500g frozen peas
1 ltr Boullion or chicken stock
200g chopped curly kale, stalks retained
Sea salt and black pepper

METHOD

Set 1 dsp of the oil to heat, then fry bacon until it starts to brown. Remove and set aside. Add remaining oil, followed by onions once hot. After a couple of mins stir through ground fennel seeds.

Once onions have started to turn translucent, add in kale, then stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins. Add peas and chopped bacon and simmer for a further 5 mins.

Remove from the heat and blend. I use a hand blender for ease and minimal washing up.

Return to the heat, adding salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Seasonal Seducer: Lamb

Published on April 25, 2014 | Posted by Nadine Sharkey

Posted in: Uncategorized

MOST ATTRACTIVE FEATURES

Protein, Palmitoleic acid, zinc, iron, B12 and carnitine.

WHY I FELL IN LOVE

For a while there poor lamb got itself a bit of a reputation. But having shed a bit of fat in the last decade or two, it’s coming into its own. I fell for its unique levels of carnitine (nothing else quite matches it for this). Carnitine is the amino acid that our bodies use to generate energy from fatty acids, making our hearts happy.

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Tom’s chocolate nut brownie brick

Published on February 12, 2013 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: N, SF, V

I first tasted these at our winter street food pop-up and have harangued Tom for the recipe ever since. Relentlessly. So much more than a brownie, they’re rich, indulgent and utterly seductive.

Ingredients

200g unsalted butter
250g 72% dark chocolate
250g 51% chocolate
300g caster sugar
4 eggs
150g plain flour, sifted
50 grams rasins
100g hazelnuts
1 vanilla pod, seeds only

Method

Pre-heat oven to 145 °C.
Melt the butter in a ban-marie, then add the chocolate.
Whisk together the suagr and eggs until pale in colour. Slowly add the sifted flour.
Once fully mixed, add the raisins, hazelnuts and vanilla. Stir the chocolate to ensure smooth and fully melted.
Slowly add the chocolate to the cake mix and fold together. Pour into a tray and bake at 145 °C for 20 mins, then allow to rest.

Tom likes these with peanut butter ice-cream (for the love of God!) but any variety works, as does cream. You can also swap or drop the nuts.

Tom is Exec chef at The Brewery. See more from our culinary prodigy in last week’s post Tom’s tasting masterpiece.

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Storehouse Seducer: Dark chocolate

Published on February 12, 2013 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: Uncategorized

MOST ATTRACTIVE FEATURES

Apart from the effect on our taste buds? Seductive cocoa is packed with anti-oxidants, it contains iron and magnesium to give us energy and balance our moods. It’s even one of nature’s aphrodisiacs. Don’t be fooled by its phony cousin though, the genuine 70%+ has so much more to offer.

WHY WE FELL IN LOVE

Exotic cocoa is said to help produce serotonin, our brain’s happy hormone. And The Love Drug (easier said than phenylethylamine) is believed to mimic the feeling of being in love. This is one Seducer that won’t break your heart. Try not to gorge though; even the best things should be kept bite size for a lasting love affair.

And if that’s not enough to tempt you, chocolate even features in The non diet, diet: Cold turkey . Is there no end to its charms?

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The Anti-diet: Cold turkey

Published on January 27, 2013 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: Uncategorized

In a similar vein to our Moderation tip, there’s also the matter of comfort eating, which alas, is in no way reserved solely for the broken hearted. There’s a world of difference between real hunger and emotional hunger and I’d hazard a guess the majority of us are a tad wobbly on this one. When I have a sudden, overwhelming craving for a bacon sandwich right after breakfast, I have to question if my salacious glands would be quite so alert to the prospect of another bowl of porridge. If the answer is no, willpower permitting, said bacon sandwich is off the menu. At least, that’s the plan…

The one saving grace about habits though, is how quickly they can be unformed. There is of course, a cold turkey phase requiring infinite determination to resist the supermarket yellow label shelf of Quality Street, but the more sugar we eat, the more we crave. Similarly, the chemicals in junk and processed food are actually addictive, the effects can last several weeks. Manufacturers find this helps sales.

So, the theory goes that having broken from our addiction (allow 21 days…), we no longer crave or indeed contemplate, our former food obsession. I can vouch for this, before having fallen off the wagon, I somewhat naively opted for a daily chocolate brownie addition when concerned excessive cycling may make me too thin. Needless to say, the malnourished look is no longer something I distress myself over.

When going sugar (semi) cold turkey, a square of dark chocolate (min 70% cocoa) after a meal can be a handy trifle preventative. And as luck would have it, Seasonal Seducer cocoa contains anti-oxidants, iron and magnesium, along with the unpronounceable phenylethylamine, which is said to mimic the feeling of being in love. Minus the drama.

Some of my favourite Love Drugs to aid your fickle will power: Seed & Bean Dark chocolate & coconut; Montezuma’s Sea Dog (70% cocoa, lime & sea salt – amazing) or Peru dark; and L’artesan du Chocolat Pananama Organic 72%

Remember, the idea is to use the handy square size pieces as a guide. That way, you can have your (mini) cake and eat it.

Click here for why our bodies and brains love Seasonal Seducer Dark Chocolate. And for more Anti-diet tips click on the Tag on the right, or type Anti-diet into the Search box at the top.

All Anti-diet posts have been approved by nutritionist and Gather & Gather colleague Kate Taylor, find her on Twitter @kate_t85

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Storehouse Seducer: Quinoa

Published on November 22, 2012 | Posted by Clare Garcia

Posted in: S

MOST ATTRACTIVE FEATURES
Complete protein (full-on amino acid rich), manganese, magnesium, iron, tryptophan, copper, phosphorus.

WHY I FELL IN LOVE
We’re a sucker for hidden depths. Quinoa might parade as a grain, but it’s really a secret relative of good old spinach. It soothes our migraines, improves our cardiovascular health and is even said to reduce our risk of type 2 diabetes. We like to think of it as perfect long-term relationship material – not to mention another member of the famous Superfood group.

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Seasonal Seducer: Pumpkin

Published on November 3, 2011 | Posted by Nadine Sharkey

Posted in: Uncategorized

Most attractive features
Everything! Really. Everything. From their anti-inflammatory, prostate cancer fighting seeds through their low carb, vitamin rich flesh to their decorative skin. There’s not much that can hold a candle to the humble pumpkin.

Why we fell in love
The highlight of our Halloween ball. The pumpkin has been promoted from table decoration to main meal in our lives. Vitamins A, B, C and E. Potassium, manganese, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, folate, niacin, thiamine and pantothenic acid. Low salt, low carb, low fat. It’s an impressive list.

And that’s before we’ve even looked at the seeds. Ahh, pumpkin seeds. Full of iron for our blood, zinc for our skin, calcium for our bones and magnesium for our nerves. Then there’s protein and omega-3 too. It seems they love us as much as we love them.

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