Raw Chocolate Superfood Energy Balls

Raw Chocolate Superfood Energy Balls

Adorable, good-looking, delicious and healthy: What's not to love about Raw Chocolate Superfood Energy Balls?

Back when winter seemed like a fun-fresh idea, I brought these little gems to a New Year's Day gathering. They were a big hit, and I've been meaning to post the recipe ever since.

Ahem.

Daylight savings time started today and according to my calendar, it's almost Spring. Whoopsie!

I hope you'll agree this is a recipe worth waiting for, and better late than never...

Raw Chocolate Superfood Energy Balls

Ingredients
1.5 cups organic raw almonds
1/4 cup hemp protein powder (or pea protein)
3 Tbs raw cacao powder
2 tsp spirulina powder
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbs Chia seeds
18 Medjool dates, pitted
1 tsp vanilla powder or extract
a few tablespoons of cold water

+ your choice of coating: shredded coconut, cacao nibs, hemp seeds, chopped goji berries (Tip: If using gojis, chop them in your clean food processor before you start making the energy balls!)

Directions
Add almonds, hemp protein powder, raw cacao, spirulina, cinnamon and chia seeds to food processor and pulse repeatedly until well combined. Add vanilla and pitted dates and pulse-process again until mixture starts to bind together. Add cold water by the tablespoon and continue processing until mixture pulls together and you have what looks like a firm, soft ball of dough.

Transfer dough into a clean bowl. In separate smaller bowls, pour out about a half cup each of your chosen coating ingredients. (I used shredded coconut and goji berries.)

Using your fingers or a spoon, pull off a tablespoon-sized chunk of dough and form it into a ball. Roll or toss ball in coating of choice until well-covered; then set aside on a plate. Repeat until all the dough is used up.

Chill finished energy balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least one hour or until firm.

This recipe makes about 16 energy balls. They can be frozen or stored in the fridge for several weeks. For best flavor, eat at room temperature.

NOTE: You can also use this recipe to make energy BARS instead of energy BALLS. To make bars, simply press your dough into a Pyrex baking dish until desired thickness is achieved. About a half-inch thick is ideal. (Don't try to make the bars fill the entire Pyrex dish—getting the thickness you like is what matters, so expect there to be some empty space in the dish! Just square it off as best you can.)

Use the back of a spatula to get the top flat. Then, gently press your shredded coconut or coating of choice into the surface, cover entire dish with plastic wrap (or use a clean, dry produce bag) and refrigerate as above. When firm, slice into bars and, if desired, individually wrap each one using saran wrap, waxed paper or parchment.

Paleo Pear Crumble

Paleo Pear Crumble ~ grain-free, gluten-free goodness.

If you adore fruit crisps and crumbles but are avoiding gluten, flour or grains of any type, this recipe is for you. I humbly submit the crumble topping unveiled below is the best I have ever tasted...and it's completely grain-free!

My original crumble recipe uses ground almonds and hemp seeds instead of flour or oats for the dry component, and sweet pastured butter for the fat. (Butter is most honest and delectable, but substitute coconut oil if you're off dairy.) For sugar, I went with raw organic turbinado but feel free to try any other organic crystallized sugar such as sucanat, coconut or date palm. Just don't go getting involved with honey or maple syrup. I love them to pieces, but the texture won't be right.

The filling for my Paleo Pear Crumble features the last of my very own homegrown honey-sweet Seckle pears but any ripe pear will do. You could also mix things up and use another fruit or fruit combo—apples, peaches or berries would all be divine.

Rule of thumb: You can never go wrong with crumble.

Paleo Pear Crumble

filling:
7 cups bite-size-diced pears (large mixing bowl-full)
1 Tablespoon each cinnamon, ginger powder
2 teaspoons lemon juice

crumble:
2 cups raw almonds
1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup raw turbinado sugar
2/3 - 3/4 cup organic/raw/pastured butter

directions:
Preheat oven to 350º

To prepare the filling: put lemon juice in a large mixing bowl and begin dicing pears into small pieces. Add them to the bowl as you go and stir periodically to coat with lemon juice and thus prevent browning. When all the pears are diced and lemoned up, add cinnamon and ginger, stir gently and thoroughly, and set aside.

Coat diced pears with lemon juice to prevent browning.

Spices + sliced pears ready for a gentle toss.

To prepare the crumble topping: add raw almonds to a food processor fitted with the S-blade and pulse-process into a coarse meal. Next, pulse in hemp seeds, cinnamon, salt and sugar. Cut the butter into small pieces and pulse them into the dry mix until a crumbly dough forms that sticks together upon pinching.

Don't be afraid of a little butter!

The Pinch Test: crumble dough, doing what it's s'posed to.

To assemble: Butter two pie pans, two casserole dishes (like me) or one 8X11 Pyrex baking dish. Press filling into the bottom of your baking pan (or pans.) Distribute crumble dough evenly on top (or tops if you are making two, like I did.)

Double crumble casseroles, ready for baking.

Bake at 350º F for 30-35 minutes. When you can hear the pear juice bubbling and the crumble top begins to brown, remove from oven.

Just baked.

Eat warm or cold. Enjoy!

Mmmmm...!

Cumin-Spiced Sprouted Almonds

Cumin-Spiced Sprouted Almonds

Cumin, black pepper and Himalayan pink salt turn naked raw almonds into a delightful treat. I made these tasty Cumin-Spiced Sprouted Almonds using a traditional soaking and drying technique outlined in a favorite recipe from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook, Crispy Nuts. However, the original recipe recommends roasting to crisp the soaked nuts. I prefer to dehydrate them at a low-temperature (below 120 degrees) to keep them raw and thereby preserve the structural integrity of their fats and proteins.

Nourishing Traditions author Sally Fallon does an excellent job explaining why it's a good idea to soak nuts before consuming them. Raw nuts are packed with vitamins, minerals and healthy fats, but they also contain anti-nutrients such as phytates, or phytic acid, and lectins—compounds that are found in all seeds, grains and beans as well as nuts. (Phytates and lectins get the most press, but they are not the only anti-nutrients in town. For a more complete list, click here.)

A primary evolutionary purpose of phytates, lectins and other anti-nutrients is to serve as enzyme inhibitors and to protect ungerminated seeds from rotting and predation, a good thing for seeds. These compounds only become "anti-nutrients" when they get into our bodies. However, recent research suggests that anti-nutrients may offer benefits to human health as well, introducing a hormetic, or quantitative, aspect into the puzzle.

For example, because phytic acid binds to minerals, it inhibits mineral absorption in our guts. Consequently, high phytate diets have been known to lead to mineral deficiencies. (Click here to learn more.) But phytates also exhibit beneficial antioxidant properties, and some studies suggest they may offer anti-cancer and cholesterol reducing benefits.

Lectins, on the other hand, are sticky proteins that bind to carbohydrates. Excess lectins in the diet are known to impair digestive, intestinal and immune health. But lectins aren't all bad, either. Several lectins have been found to possess anticancer properties, and some are being used as therapeutic agents to inhibit tumor growth. So again, it's a matter of quantity and application.

Nevertheless, when it comes to healthy eating and digestive comfort, it's still a good idea to soak off some of these compounds.

Soaking and sprouting seeds of all kinds (nuts, grains, beans) initiates the germination process and reduces anti-nutrient concentrations, helping to make these foods more nutritious and health-promoting overall. Our ancestors somehow recognized this and incorporated soaking into the traditional preparation of all seed-type foods.

In addition to diminishing their anti-nutrient content, presoaking or sprouting nuts, grains and beans helps to break down or "pre-digest" their proteins into amino acid form, improving digestibility. In esoteric terms, sprouting also activates the life force energy of a seed, turning it from simply a raw food into a living food. Living foods are naturally calibrated to interface beautifully with the living bio-electric matrix that defines our organism. ♥

Cumin-Spiced Sprouted Almonds

This simple raw recipe was inspired by my friend and neighbor Annie Aune's cumin-toasted almonds, which made me swoon. Cumin is just so delicious. :~)

4 cups raw almonds*
1 Tbs sea salt
water to cover, for soaking
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
ground black pepper to taste

Step 1: SOAK Place almonds in a large bowl, add the sea salt and enough water to cover by an inch or two. Stir well to dissolve salt. Soak for 8 hours or overnight. Pour off soak water, rinse almonds under clear running water, drain them, and return to bowl.

Step 2: SEASON Toss soaked almonds with olive oil to lightly coat each nut. Sprinkle top with about one-third of the cumin powder, several pinches of sea salt and a dusting of black pepper, then toss well. Sprinkle top again with another round of salt and seasonings and toss. Repeat a third time. (This three-part method prevents all the seasonings from clumping together in one spot.)

Step 3: DRY Spread seasoned almonds onto dehydrator trays lined with teflex sheets. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 12 hours, then transfer almonds from teflex directly onto mesh liner sheets and continue drying for 12 more hours or until desired crispness is achieved.

Allow to cool and store in glass jars.

* As I mentioned in my post on how to make French Press Almond Milk, it's been a challenge to find really raw almonds since almond pasteurization laws went into effect in 2007. Today, almost all commercially available organic raw almonds are "pasteurized" with steam, while non-organic raw almonds are treated with either surface chemicals or radiation (scary). It is still possible to purchase unpasteurized, truly raw almonds, however. Californians can buy direct from farmer in quantities of less than 100 pounds, and some online vendors carry them, but the cost is often high. Health food stores catering to raw foodists will offer really raw almonds in bags. I can order truly raw almonds from an Italian grower through my Community Superfoods connections. Local Pioneer Valley readers, please contact me or leave a comment below if you're interested and I'll hook you up!

Raw Almond Milk, French Press Style

For years I've shied away from making my own almond milk. For one thing, I'm not much of a milk (of any kind) user, but it's the straining step in particular that always seemed like too much trouble.

Okay, full disclosure. The "nut mylk bag" thing really turns me off. You know what I'm talking about: the reusable fine mesh bag, made of nylon or hemp cloth, that you have to suspend over some type of receptacle, pour your blended almonds into, and squeeze with your hands, again and again?

Not that I mind milking things. I've milked a few cows and goats in my time, for instance, and quite enjoyed it. But the cumbersomeness of the nut mylk bag, the slimy factor, the questionable hygiene, the clean up? No thanks. I do own a nut mylk bag. But truth be told, I've never used it. Not even once!

I've always loved the idea of making my own fresh almond milk, though. And lately I've been dreaming of an almond milk green smoothie, say, with bananas, dates, and comfrey added - yum! I know I could use boxed almond milk, but that doesn't really appeal to me either: too dead and processed.

So, it was with great excitement that I learned, from fabulous N.Y.C. Food Coach Dana James, of a new, bag-free option for homemade almond milk production: the French Press method.

Mais oui - but of course! Why didn't I think of that?

Using a French Press instead of a nut mylk bag to strain the pulp from your blended almonds-and-water mixture is as straightforward and easy as it sounds. I tried it for the first time last night, and I'm sold. You will be, too. Here's the basic recipe:

Raw Almond Milk, French Press Style

1/2 cup raw, organic almonds
water to soak
3 cups fresh, cold water
pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon honey, maple syrup or agave

Soak almonds eight hours or overnight. Drain and rinse, then add to high speed blender with 3 cups water, sea salt and sweetener. Blend on high for one to two minutes. Pour into French Press, cover and depress plunger verrry slowly. This will take some effort and patience, but go slowly; liquid may gush out if you plunge too hard or fast. Pour fully-pressed almond milk into a clean glass jar and try to use within a few days for maximum freshness: this is a raw and living food!*

All mixed up and ready to go - love that foam!

Post-plunging. Observe strained almond pulp at base:

Serving Suggestion (I had this for dessert, but could be breakfast, too):

Hail Merry Grawnola, Holy Crap Cereal and Jungle Peanuts topped with Fresh-Pressed Almond Milk

* The Sad Truth About "Raw" Almonds
It's been a challenge to find really raw almonds since the almond pasteurization laws went into effect in 2007. Almost all storebought organic almonds are now "pasteurized" with steam, while non-organic raw almonds may be treated with surface chemicals or radiation (scary). It is still possible to purchase unpasteurized, truly raw almonds, however. Californians can buy direct from farmer in quantities of less than 100 pounds, and some online vendors carry them, but the cost is often high. I offer economically priced, really raw almonds through my Community Superfoods shop. Local readers, please email me if you're interested and I'll hook you up!

Raw Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Are you ever in the mood for something sweet - just a little bite - but there's nothing around to fit the bill? Here's a super-easy, gluten-free cookie recipe that whips up in minutes and really satisfies. Raw almond-based and maple sweetened with the richness of raw cacao, the nourishing green power of spirulina and a starry sky coating of creamy hemp seeds, Raw Chocolate Fudge Cookies are packed with flavor and nutrition: protein, essential fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and all the multidimensional, heart-opening phytochemicals that make us love cacao.

The day I created (you might say channeled) this recipe, I made a tiny batch, using my handy dandy Cuisinart Spice & Nut Grinder to grind up a couple handfuls of raw almonds. I'm crazy about that little Mill but raw foodists take note: friction = heat, so be sure to use cold or frozen almonds and even chill the stainless cup before grinding. (Interesting science fact: when you grind flax or chia seeds in this convenient device, the warming effect is not noticeable. This is because the heat produced from grinding is relative to the size of the original object. Chia and flax seeds, being much smaller than almonds, require far less energy, i.e. heat, to break down.)

Anyway, the old Mill method yielded a small batch of cookies, which was fine for starters but now I was hooked. So the next day (ahem) I made a second batch, this time using more of everything and grinding the almonds in my juicer! Yes, my Omega 8005 juicer has a "blank" attachment that enables perfect (and heat-free) grinding. (The 8003 or 8006 models, as well as Champion juicers also have this attachment.) What I ended up with was almond meal or, what you could call, fresh almond flour. Cool!

The recipe below is given both in measurements and in parts, in case you just want to make a small batch using tablespoons (like I did the first time). The teeny batch approach also ensures that you don't eat too many cookies at once, for anyone out there who might have that problem (ahem again).

If for any reason you'd like to sub raw almond butter for the almond meal in this recipe (Lazy Raw Foodists take note) I'd suggest using only half the maple syrup for starters and adding more from there, to avoid the dough becoming too wet. Raw honey or agave could also be subbed for the maple syrup. If anyone tries these variations, please let me know if results are to your satisfaction. Happy nibbling! XO Diana


Raw Chocolate Fudge Cookies

1 cup (4 parts) freshly ground almond meal (from about 2/3 cups whole raw almonds)
1/2 cup (2 parts) raw cacao powder, sifted to remove lumps
1/4 cup (1 part) spirulina powder
1/2 cup (2 parts) maple syrup
1/4 cup (1 part) hemp seeds or more, as needed for coating

Combine freshly ground almond meal, sifted raw cacao and spirulina. Add maple syrup and stir till well combined. As you like, mix by hand or use the food processor or your Omega 8005 juicer, if you have one, fitted with the blank. (As long as it's already out, why not?)

Pour hemp seeds into a dish or plate. Working with a teaspoon of dough at a time, roll into small balls and press into hemp seeds on top, bottom and sides, to create a thoroughly hemp-encrusted flat cookie about one and a half inches in diameter. Chill to firm and store in the refrigerator, where cool temps along with antioxidants in cacao and spirulina will help keep the liberated almond oils fresh.