comfort food at it’s best

This cake is rich. It’s decadent. It’s to die for… It’s the perfect comfort food. Who doesn’t want to dive into chocolate cake and feel soothed, always. It’s also gluten, dairy and refined sugar free. As well as being packed with protein (given the quinoa) and magnesium. What more could you want!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of cooked quinoa (about 1 and a half cups of dry quinoa)

3 eggs

1/2-3/4 a cup of rice malt syrup (more if you like it sweeter)

1 cup of coconut milk

1/2 a cup of filtered water

3/4 cup of coconut oil

3/4 – 1 cup of cacao (depending on how ‘dark’ you like your chocolate)

a pinch of salt

1 teaspoon of vanilla powder

1/2 a teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 a teaspoon of bicarb soda

1/2 a teaspoon of baking powder

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line and grease a standard cake tin (approx 20cm diameter).  

2. If you are starting without cooked quinoa (I will sometimes have a heap in the fridge and use it up by making this little chocolate treat) then pop the quinoa in a pan, cover with water and cook as per packet instructions. 

3. With your blender of choice place lightly combine the 3 eggs. Add rice malt syrup, cooked quinoa, coconut milk and filtered water. Blend until it is a luscious silky type of consistency. If it is too sticky then add a little more filtered water or a little more coconut milk**. Add coconut oil and lightly combine.

4. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients. Make a well and slowly pour in the wet ingredients. Fold together until combined well**.

5. Pour into prepared cake tin and pop into the oven (middle rack works best) for approx 45-60 mins depending on your oven. Test with a skewer when ready. If the skewer comes out clean, great. If it doesn’t cook for a little longer ensuring that you’re not burning the edges. This cake is a heavier moist cake (a little like a brownie) so the skewer may come out a bit sticky regardless.

SERVE WITH

A Berry Coulis – lightly blend a cup of strawberries (or whatever you have – can be frozen or fresh), a small handful of mint and a couple of teaspoons of apple cider vinegar together.

Some fresh blueberries.

Coconut yoghurt.

And Loving Earth Raw Chocolate (pictured!). 

*will keep for approximately 7 days in an airtight container in the fridge. **two points that you can taste test and add more rice malt syrup if you would like it sweeter.

Smoothies are great pick me ups. They’re easily absorbed by the body, delivering goodness almost directly to the cells, and can be a meal or a snack. Fill them with nutritious happiness and your body will be singing.

Ingredients – serves 1

½ a cucumber

½ a cup of fruit of low fructose fruit – kiwifruit, frozen blueberries, and/or papaya/paw paw.

2 heaped handfuls of spinach (I would advise sautéing this in a little coconut oil before blending to remove oxalates allowing for better digestion and therefore gut health)

Handful of basil

¼ of avocado or a dessert spoon of coconut oil

1 dessert spoon of hemp seeds

1 dessert spoon of natural nut butter

½ a tsp of cinnamon

½ a tsp of vanilla powder

1-2 cups of coconut water

Steps

Put all ingredients in a blender, combine well and serve with a dollop of coconut yoghurt, cacao nibs, bee pollen and dried mulberries.

When we feel love, we allow our bodies to listen with love, eat with love and digest with love. 

This bowl of deliciousness sounds like there’s a lot involved but it really is very easy given that you just throw it all in a bowl and eat. The best thing is that you can mix and match an ingredient if you don’t have it, don’t like it, have never heard of it or your body is simply saying that something doesn’t feel right about the goji berries today. Leave them out and add cacao nibs. And always think about fresh herbs and spices. They bring any meal alive, not to mention the health benefits.

Ingredients – serves 3-4

1 cup of chia seeds (swap for oats if you’d prefer)

1 cup of filtered water and/or coconut water

1 cup of kefir (I used goats milk kefir but you could use any milk of choice, kefir has wonderful benefits for gut health however)

1-2 tsp of cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla powder

½-1 tsp of ginger powder (can use freshly grated)

½-1 tsp of bee pollen

¼ cup of hemp seeds

Handful of goji berries

Handful of pumpkin seeds

Tbl of coconut oil

Handful of basil or mint

Serve with

Chunks of apple, kiwifruit and zucchini

1 tsp of Shaktis Superfood Blend (or your green blend of choice)

A pinch of dried lavender (crumble between fingers and sprinkle on top)

Coconut yoghurt (or yoghurt of choice)

You can choose to prepare the whole pudding the night before or just soak the chia seeds and add the rest when you’re in the kitchen in the morning.

Step 1.

Night before. Place chia seeds in a bowl with water/coconut water and kefir of choice (or milk of choice) and combine well. At this point you can add spices, pollen, seeds, goji berries, coconut oil and basil/mint if you’d like (combine well if you do). Cover and refrigerate.

Step 2.

Remove bowl from fridge. Add spices, pollen, seeds, berries, coconut oil and basil/mint if you didn’t the night before. Combine. Transfer to serving bowl(s). Add chunks of apple, kiwifruit, zucchini, green powder of choice, a dollop of coconut yoghurt.

NB the coconut oil will become chunky but I love it like this!

my signature dish – a raw chocolate tart

nicky’s raw chocolate tart

Base

• ½ cup of pistachios
• ½ cup of cashews
• 1 cup of unsweetened desiccated coconut or coconut flakes
• ½ cup of cacao nibs
• 1 tsp of vanilla powder
• ½ a large red chili (seeded is optional)
• a good pinch of Himalayan or Celtic salt
• 1 tbs of rice malt syrup or 3-4 medjool dates with seeds removed
• 2 tbs of coconut oil 

Mousse

• 2 ripe avocados
• ¾ cup of cacao
• 2-3 tbs of rice malt syrup (start with 2 and add more if desired)
• 1 heaped tsp of ground unsweetened cinnamon
• 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp of vanilla powder

What to do

For the base mix all ingredients in a food processor / blender / vitamix / thermomix / your whizz master of choice until well combined. Try not to over process – the mixture should be sticky but crumbly at the same time. Press into one large tart dish (or 4 – 6 small ones) and refrigerate while you make the mousse. 

For the mousse combine all ingredients in your whizz master until silky smooth and taste. If you can still taste avocado quite distinctly and/or it’s not sweet enough for you add a little more cacao and/or rice malt syrup. Grab the base from the fridge and spoon the mousse on top, leveling with the back of the spoon as you go. Put back in the fridge for a few hours (or however long you can spare) to firm before serving. Serve with coconut yoghurt and berries.