Category Archives: Dessert

There are so many health benefits of bananas. It is so hard to pick just a few >.< Feeling low? Have bananas. Apparently, they help overcome depression due to high levels of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin – happy hormone. Do you suffer from muscle cramps? You can protect against muscle cramps during workouts and night time cramps by eating a banana. Want a healthy heart? Bananas are known for high potassium content, with over 400mg in a single medium-sized banana. Trouble with your bowel? High fiber in bananas can help your bowel movements. They are also soothing to the digestive tract and help restore lost electrolytes after diarrhoea. Bananas are very good for your digestion, the only raw fruit that can be consumed without distress to relieve stomach ulcers by coating the lining of the stomach. Bananas are high in antioxidants, providing protection from free radicals and diseases. See there is no single reason not to love this yellow-skin baby. This raw frozen banana cheesecake is so yummy and full of goodness in it. Enjoy the sweetness x

Ingredients

200g raw cashew nuts, soaked at least 6 hours
3 large semi-dried figs
1 tsp cacao powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
a pinch of Himalayan salt
3 small ripe bananas + sliced bananas for garnish
1 tbsp thick Greek yogurt
1 tsp agar agar or gelatin powder, melted in a tbsp of warm water
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil
a pinch of turmeric powder

Wash and drain soaked cashew nuts. For the crust, take 1/3 of the nuts and place in your food processor along with figs, cacao, cinnamon and salt. Blend until combined. Pour the mixture into a container lined with a glad-wrap. Press evenly and firmly with a spatula. For the filling, put the rest of the nuts and other ingredients in your food processor and blend until thick and smooth. Pour onto the crust and spread evenly with a spatula. Garnish with sliced bananas and place in the freezer for a few hours or overnight to set. Take it out of the freezer and cut into a desired portion size (I had 8 squares). Have your knife in warm water to make it easy to cut if you need. It is best to keep the cheesecake in the freezer.

I’m sure we all get cravings time to time. There are a few factors that cause food cravings such as hormones, stress, boredom, nutrition deficiency, etc. The foods we eat also affect a massive effect on our system. So it could easily go wrong and cause a vicious cycle if we don’t control food cravings. For example, you feel like something sweet. You reach for chocolate or ice cream. You feel good while eating it. Your body releases serotonin, happy hormones, and also your blood sugar level pikes. Then half an hour later, you feel guilty of eating and more stressed. Serotonin wears out and blood sugar level drops, too. You get more cravings. Sounds familiar? Deficiency in the vitamins and minerals can also trigger cravings. For example, you feel like chocolate again. Craving for sweets like chocolate means your body needs magnesium which is abundant in nuts, seeds and legumes. So eating those instead chocolate actually helps to keep the cravings under control. I will list of what your body tells you and actually needs.

• Salty food: Chloride e.g. fish, celery, kelp
• Sweets: chromium, phosphorus, sulphur, tryptophan e.g. broccoli, chicken, liver, turkey, collard, green veggies, nuts, fruits
• Chocolate: magnesium e.g. nuts, seeds, legumes
• Fatty food: calcium e.g. dairy, sesame seeds, kale, broccoli
• Carbs: protein e.g. fish, beans, meet, nuts, eggs
• Tea or coffee: phosphorous and iron e.g. green tea
• Fizzy drinks: calcium e.g. milk, green veggies, sesame seeds, cheese
• Curry: zinc e.g. seafood, yogurt, milk, cheese

So next time, when you get cravings, listen to what your body tells you and needs. Also have a glass of water to see if you are really hungry and have healthy snacks between the meals so that your blood sugar level is stable throughout the day. When you have a piece of chocolate, don’t stress. Choose a good quality dark chocolate and enjoy every mouthful and flavour. Be happy. Life is too short to blame yourself eating a piece of chocolate!

I never run out of these little snack balls in my fridge. I’ve been experimenting with flavour combinations. Banana-coconut, avocado-cacao, prune-carob, pumpkin-chai, apricot-coconut. They are all yum, but this one! I loved subtle green tea flavour when you put it in your mouth and then you get a chewy, dark, chocolatey and nutty goodness. They look so pretty in green, too. Let me warn you, it is so addictive!

Ingredients

1 cup of mixed nuts, soaked
5 Medjool dates
1 tsp of cacao or carob powder
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
1 tbsp chia seeds
a pinch of Himalayan salt
1 tsp of vanilla bean powder
1 tbsp of matcha powder to roll

Put all ingredients except matcha powder in a food processor. Blend until you get a dough consistency. If the mixture is too dry, add more dates or a bit of water. If too wet, add a teaspoon of almond meal or flaxseed meal. Chill the mixture in the fridge for about an hour. Once it is set, shape into little balls and roll on match powder. Keep them in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.

Carob is a great alternative to chocolate if you are sensitive to caffeine. You can buy it raw or roasted at the local health food shop. It is used in weight loss formulas as it lowers the glycemic index of food, releasing sugar into the blood stream slower. It can also used to help prevent diarrhea as it helps prevent fluid loss and dehydration. Carob is very nutritious – contains as much Vitamin B1 as asparagus or strawberries, as much niacin as lima beans, lentils, or peas, and more Vitamin A than eggplant, asparagus, and beet. It also contains Vitamin B2, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and the trace minerals iron, manganese, chromium, copper, and nickel. Compared to chocolate, carob is 3 times richer in calcium, has 1/3 less calories and 17 times less fat.

These brownie bites are super moist, quick and easy to make, naturally sweet from carob and dates, rich in fibre and antioxidants, gluten-free, wheat-free and vegan. It is perfect for a healthy snack and dessert. I added cayenne pepper which beautifully complement chocolate with the hint of spice and zing. Cayenne has been used for centuries in therapeutic medicine. This powerful spice helps supercharge your metabolism, stabilises blood sugar level, prevents headaches, blood clots, heart attacks and the cold related allergens. Cayenne has also been used as detox support because of its ability to stimulate the circulatory system. It is a very subtle taste in the brownie. Enjoy every bite 🙂
Ingredients (10 brownie bites)

1/2 cup raw carob powder
1 tbsp coconut flour
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup Medjool dates (add more if you want it sweeter)
50g chopped walnuts, pre-soaked and toasted
2 tbsp almond milk
50g coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla bean powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
a pinch of Himalayan salt

Simply process all ingredients in your food processor until combined. Transfer the mixture into a prepared baking tin or container. Press firmly with the back of the spoon. Set in the freezer until firm. Cut the brownie into a desired size. Store in an air-tight container in the freezer. I think it is best enjoyed straight out the freezer.