Tag Archives: cocoa powder

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Vanilla Chai Almond Smoothie

This smoothie blew me away. Its base is almond milk and the only remotely “heavy” thing in it are 4-5 dates. The rest is comprised of spices and cocoa powder. One thing I never liked about raw food circles is their obsession with crazy “super” smoothie concoctions – hemp powders, raw protein powders, cashews, spirulina, etc etc etc. The bottom line is that if the result ends up too dense, your body won’t even be able to absorb the inherent nutritional qualities of the beverage. Keep it simple and you won’t have to worry about that happening.

And don’t be fooled by the cocoa powder. While there are 2 teaspoons of it in this smoothie, the finished treat doesn’t have a chocolate taste – the powder simply adds some depth, complementing the caramel flavor brought on by the other ingredients. The secret ingredient is ground cardamom, which adds a lot of character and essentially makes this smoothie what it is!

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Cardamom: improved digestion and relieves stomach cramps, cleanses the blood, improves blood circulation to the lungs, helps relieve asthma and bronchitis symptoms, enhances appetite, treats sore throats, treats mouth ulcers, treats nausea, and can be used to treat urinary tract disorders.

Vanilla Chai Almond Smoothie

by Aylin @ Glow Kitchen

Keywords: raw beverage breakfast dessert chai cinnamon cardamom almond milk smoothie

Ingredients (1-2)

  • 5 pitted dates, soaked in water for at least 1 hour
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Soak the pitted dates in lukewarm water at least one hour before you plan to have the smoothie. Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender.

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Blend until smooth and enjoy!

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This could go down in one. Easy.

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…almost done and already dreaming of another…

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Bon Appetit!

xo Aylin

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Chocolate Pudding

No milk or sugar here. Just four ingredients too! I know it sounds a little odd and the idea isn’t all that appetizing, but an avocado-based chocolate pudding does not taste like avocado. With the addition of vanilla and honey, the characteristic avocado taste is masked, leaving behind only the inherent creaminess it so wonderfully boasts. And, ladies and gentleman, you can enjoy this dessert on a daily basis without much regard for portion size, if it so pleases you.

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Avocadoes: prevent breast cancer with its oleic acid content, inhibit the growth of prostate cancer, defend against oral cancer, contain lutein for eye health, lower cholesterol levels due to its beta-sitosterol, contain 23% of the recommended daily value of folate (lowers incidence of heart disease), protect against strokes, helps to better absorb nutrients, are high in glutathione, which prevent aging, cancer and heart disease, and are packed with vitamin E.

Vegan Chocolate Pudding

by Aylin @ Glow Kitchen

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients (2 servings)

  • 2 ripe medium avocados, peeled and chopped
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup almond or coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Dash sea salt

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

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Garnish with a mint leaf.

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Make sure your avocados are ripe. Mine were a little under-ripe, hence the somewhat grainy-looking texture. It’s still delicious, but for presentation’s sake, use ripe avocados!

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Bon Appetit!

xo Aylin