Healthy Chocolate Ice-Cream

Makes 4 scoops

Ingredients:

1. 1 fresh and ripe avocado pitted
2. 2 frozen banana in slices
3. 5 frozen strawberries (make sure that the big ones are sliced in half)
4. 2-3 TBS cacao powder
5. 1/2 tsp vanilla powder

6. 2 TBS hazelnut butter

7. 3-5 dried dates pitted

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender (if you are using a Magimix blender, use the dessert program and stir with the spatula).

2. Scoop it out using an ice-cream scoop on a serving dish.

3. Sprinkle chopped almonds and chocolate chips (optional) and enjoy :-)

Additional Information:

Adding the avocado makes it more creamy and ice-cream like. Adding the frozen strawberries prevent it from melting, helps to make it firm and gives it a deep chocolate brown color. Otherwise, the color will look a bit dull due to the avocado.

Personal Journal:

I am experimenting to make healthy chocolate ice-cream for Baby FECS and made this today. Little FECS tried it and gave it a thumbs up. I haven't serve it to Baby FECS yet.

No-Cook Swiss Bircher Chocolate Muesli with Banana

Recipe adapted from The Yummy Life

Serves 1

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
2. 1/2 cup skim milk
3. 2 TBS low-fat Greek yogurt 0% fat
4. 1 TBS cocoa powder
5. 1-2 tsp maple syrup
6. 1 ripe banana sliced
7. 1/4 cup mixed nuts (almonds, hazelnuts)
8. 1 tsp flaxseeds (optional)
9. A handful of sunflowers seeds (optional, but my favorite)

Directions:
1. Add oats, milk, yogurt, cocoa powder, maple syrup and nuts in a jam jar.

2. Screw on lid on and shake to mix well.

3. Remove lid, add bananas and stir with a teaspoon to mix well.

4. Return lid and refrigerate jar overnight.

5. Eat chilled.

Additional Information:
We were in the Swiss Alps and tried the Bircher musli and we loved it. It is very easy to make. The oatmeal porridge is cold "cooked" by letting it soak in milk and yogurt overnight in the fridge. You can literally add anything you like from raisins to nuts to any kinds of chopped fruits.

The picture above does not look so good, although it tasted good (I am not so good at taking pictures). You can find a very nice picture of no-cook otameal from The Yummy Life:

http://www.theyummylife.com/recipes/222/Banana+Cocoa+Refrigerator+Oatmeal

References:
http://www.theyummylife.com/recipes/222/Banana+Cocoa+Refrigerator+Oatmeal

http://www.mueslilover.com/2010/02/recipe-jamie-olivers-bircher-muesli-or.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muesli

Chocolate Pudding/Chokolade Pudding/巧克力布丁 [qiǎo kè lì bù dīng]

Ingredients:
- 1 ripe avocado
- 4 dried dates
- 2 TBS chocolate powder or carob powder (without caffeine, suitable for kids)

Directions:
1. Simply blend all ingredients in a mini blender until the mixture is smooth & creamy and serve.

Tip:
You can top it with fruits to make it more colourful.

Shelf Life:
Keep well for 2-3 days in the fridge.

References:
The Raw Food Coach

Home-made Chocolate/Chokolade/巧克力 [qiǎo kè lì]

Preparation and Cooking Time: 1 minute

Indgredients:
- 1 tsp of real pure cacoa nibs
- 1 handful of real hazelnuts (10 - 12)
- 1 tsp of organic hazelnut butter
- 1 dried date

Directions:
Mix together and blend in a mini-blender for a few seconds. Enjoy your “homemade” and healthy chocolate.

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Additional Information:
After making my own chocolate drink, I was thinking... hey, why not try to make my own chocolate. I didn’t think that I will succeed, but no harm trying. This was my first attempt and it was one of those few times that I hit it right right away! Thus, I hurried to type down the proportions before I forget. It doesn’t look as nice as the commercial chocolate, but it tastes just as good and way healthier, without any food preservatives. Now I can snack on my chocolate without feeling too guilty :-)

Chocolate Almond Smoothie/Chokolade Smoothie/巧克力沙冰雪糕 [qiǎo kè lì shā bīng xuě gāo]

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Serves 2

Introduction:
Despite protest from Danish schools, it is getting more and more widespread that parents bring cakes, cookies, ice-cream, etc. to school to celebrate a kid’s birthday. With all these temptations, how can I bring J up to continue to eat healthy? What should I do if he comes home from childcare and ask me for chocolate? I cannot shield him from all the junk food, but I can give him more choices by introducing him to yummy yet wholesome desserts. Thank God, I found this super easy and nutritious raw chocolate recipe and many other yummy delicious dessert recipes that I can easily make in 5 minutes for myself and J to bring and share it with his future friends :-).

This is a really yummy recipe. You have got to try it to believe me!

Ingredients:
1. 1 TBS organic pure raw cacao powder
2. ½ cup of chopped almonds
3. 2 cups (500 ml) of skimmed fresh milk
4. 3 dried dates pitted
5. 1 tsp hazelnut butter (optional)
6. 1 tsp flax seeds ground (optional)
7. 1/4 tsp vanilla powder (optional)
8. 1/4 cup rolled oats (optional)

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients into a mini blender to minimize wastage and blend, pour into a glass and enjoy :-)

Tips:
1. Make into ice-cream by freezing it in the freezer.

2. The nut milk tastes super on its own without chocolate powder or vanilla as well.

3. If you prefer, you can blend with frozen banana to create an rich and creamy instant chocolate banana ice-cream.

4. If you prefer, you can add sliced banana and chopped nuts to make it more chunky.

Storage:
Pour into ice-cube tray and freeze. Take one out for a snack to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Nutritional value:
Raw cacao is one of the richest sources of anti-oxidants, including flavonoids and heart-nurturing polyphenols. It is also jam packed with minerals such as iron, zinc and magnesium. It also contains neurotransmitters like serotonin, which helps keep the feel-good chemicals in your brain active and buzzing for a long time after you've had your chocolate! You can buy on-line from www.therawchocolatecompany.com

Note:
This is not for small kids, as it contains cacao. You can substitute the Cacao powder with carob powder if you want to serve it to small kids.

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Additional information:
Ice-cream is creamy because it is full of the unhealthy fats and lots of sugar. On the contrary, this simple recipe is made from raw chocolate and skimmed fresh milk, made creamy from the good fats derived from nuts, and sweetened with natural sweetness from dried dates.

Buy only raw chocolates, as most chocolates from the super-market are highly processed with added sugar and chemicals. However, raw chocolate is processed minimally without adding sugar and without using high heat, thus, retaining its nutrients.

I love chocolate and I love ice-cream, and now I don’t have to give up eating chocolate in order to pursue a healthy diet. On the contrary, I can now eat chocolate without feeling guilty – by eating chocolate made from pure raw chocolate and sweeten it with fruits like sweet dates and know that I am actually receiving nutrition into my body, instead of just pure fats.

References:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMdukV-_vhE