Chocolate! Whole Wheat Scones and Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Blondies

My families Thanksgiving started and ended with chocolate (and believe it or not, for some it was the healthiest food they ate all day!) Days like this are a rarity for me; however, with these two healthy recipes, I envision them occurring more frequently. 

Just in time for my annual holiday dessert post, I started experimenting with a chocolate chip blondie. After a few attempts (thanks to my co-workers for the constructive feedback!) I think it finally figured it out. The result is a healthy, gluten and nut free blondie bar that will bring a smile to the face of even the pickiest eaters.

Around the same time, I was also trying to create a whole-food whole wheat chocolate chip cookie. When testing a recipe, I forgot to add the sweetener and what came out was a miserable excuse for a cookie. However when flipping through one of my mother's cookbooks that I purchased for her two years ago when she first went vegan, I found an interesting scone recipe. I decided to combine the two recipes and the result is an amazing recipe for a delicious and healthy breakfast scone. With the perfect amount of sweetness and chocolate, these turned out even better than I expected, and surprisingly quick and simple to make.

So how can one start and end their day with chocolate and still claim they ate healthy? Chocolate in it’s purest form is known as cacao, and this was a prized food by early the Mayan empire, and continues to be held in high regard even today. Cacao is one of the most antioxidant-rich foods available (not to be confused with cocoa which is roasted more processed and as a result, less healthy). In a comparison ORAC test (a test which measure the antioxidant activity of foods,) cacao was found to have more than fifteen times the amount of antioxidants as blueberries! On top of this, cacao provides an excellent supply of minerals including magnesium, which may help relax muscles and reduce cramping. The American Heart Association has determined that cocoa and cacao powder can be consumed without hesitation.

In another study, the high polyphenol content found in dark chocolate was seen to help reduce oxidative stress during and after prolong exercise. In a Yale conducted controlled crossover study, they found that while the sugar and fat in most chocolate isn't healthy, the cocoa powder helps make up for it when consumed in moderation.

Because chocolate is loved all over the world, there has been a great deal of nutrition research done on it. One interesting study examined the flavan-3-ol monomers, oligomers, and polymers in commonly consumed chocolate products. Not surprisingly, cacao is the gold standard, but other forms of dark chocolate and cocoa still maintain much of the healthful properties found in it's purer form. Dark chocolate bars however were still found to be highly beneficial, although the percent of cacao is important. The higher percent of cacao, the healthier it was found to be. I typically purchase a chocolate bar between 70 and 80% cacao for baking. Such a high cacao content typically means the bar is lower in added sugars than other bars and gives a beautiful and complex taste.

Finally, that same study found that the addition of milk to chocolate blocks the absorption of the phytonutients of cocoa and concluded that the consumption of milk chocolate comes with all of the fat and sugar with very few of the benefits to off set them.

As a reminder, whenever possible, source fair trade, slave free chocolate. Slavery, particularly child slavery, is still practiced in the cacao fields of western Africa. Check the Food Empowerment Project for a helpful list of slave-free chocolates. 

Chocolate Chip and Walnut Whole Wheat Scones

Makes between 8 – 9 scones

1 ½ cup whole-wheat flour

1 very rip banana*

1/4 - 1/2 cup plant based milk or water

1/2 bar of good quality chocolate –chopped

1/4 - 1/2 cup walnuts - chopped

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

* - if you do not have a ripened banana, put the banana (still in the skin) in the oven on 300 for 10-15 minutes until the skin is starting to turn black. Let cool, once peeled, you will have a ready to use ripened banana!

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

While the oven is heating up, add the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Once mixed, add the banana and the maple syrup. Simultaneously mash the banana and mix the ingredients. Now add the milk. Start by adding ¼ cup and add more as needed. The mix should become a thick dough. Once well-mixed, add the chopped chocolate and the walnuts and lightly mixed.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon large balls of dough onto the baking sheet and place into the oven. (I like to add salt crystals to top of the scones at this point for aesthetics) Let the scones bake for 10 – 12 minutes. The scones should start to brown and feel slightly firm to the touch. Test to make sure the middle is cooked with a toothpick.

Once done, set the scones to the side for 20 minutes to let cool.

Enjoy while still warm. They pair very well with fruit and mate

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Blondies

Makes 12 – 14 blondies

1 Can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 scant cup of old fashioned oats

2 teaspoons flax seed

1 very rip banana

1/2 bar of good quality chocolate –chopped

1/4 cup pure maple syrup or sweetener of choice

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

sea salt, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a food processor add all of the ingredients except chocolate chips and process until batter is smooth (you can also use a hand held immersion blender.)

Fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. The batter should be very thick

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips on top. (The batter may stick to your spatula, so I like to spray my spatula with nonstick cooking spray first.) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and edges are a tiny bit brown. The batter may look underdone, but you don't want them to dry out!

Let cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Once cool, cut into squares.

G. Davison, R. Callister, et. all. “The Effect of Acute Pre-Exercise Dark Chocolate Consumption on plasma antioxidant status, oxidative stress and immunoendocrine responses to prolonged exercise.” European Journal of Nutrition. 58: 2012, 69-79.

Z. Faridi, et. all. “Acute dark chocolate and cocoa ingestion and endothelial function: A randomized controlled crossover trial.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 88: 2008. 

As always the information presented in this blog is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as specific medical, nutritional, lifestyle, or other health-related advice.

Super Green Salad Smoothie

I rarely share recipes for smoothies for two reasons, a) I rarely make the same smoothie twice since I typically just throw whatever is in my fridge into my vitamix, and b) because I created a smoothie guide to help you mix and match your way to your own superfood smoothies!

That said, this blend knocked my socks off the first time I made it, and after a little tinkering, I figured I’d share it.

1-2 medjool dates, pitted (or other sweetener)*

3-4 stalks of curly kale

¼ cup old fashioned oats

1 handful raw almonds soaked

3-4 broccoli florets (chopped)**

1 stalk carrot (chopped)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 frozen banana

½ teaspoon wheat grass powder or chlorella (optional)

4 cubes of ice

1 cup water or plant-based milk

* blending tip: if you soak the almonds and dates in water for 1 hour it will make blending easier, especially if you don't have a high-powered blender.

** blending tip: if you don't have a high-power blender, chop the broccoli and carrots into small pieces.

As always the information presented in this blog is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as specific medical, nutritional, lifestyle, or other health-related advice.

Superfood Giveaway from Sacha Vida

At last year’s NYC Veg Fest I met Carlos, the young and energetic founder of Sacha Vida. Sacha Vida is a new company that recently started bringing some of South America’s best superfoods up North to share with us. They pride themselves on their sustainability, and the very high quality of their products.  I have been impressed with Sacha Vida since first meeting Carlos and really loved the sample of Maca they recently sent me. To help build a little holiday excitement, Sacha Vida has agreed to do a giveaway of a bag of their maca as well as a bag of their delicious chocolate covered goldenberries! I know once you try it, you’ll be as convinced as I am about its health benefits and Sacha Vida’s quality.

First tell me a bit about who you are and the founding of Sacha Vida.

Sacha Vida comes to life from my desire to share the amazing super foods that are native to Peru.   After I graduated from college I started to work for an international shipping company and traveled all over the world.  During my travels I always ended up talking about maca and other super foods from Peru and people would always ask me where they could buy such products.  Eventually I started thinking about my own company and ended up leaving my job to work on Sacha Vida full time.  It has been an amazing journey and we are excited and grateful for the great support that our products have received in the U.S. 

I love your company’s mission statement about providing healthy plant-based foods while also preserving the environment they grow in: the Amazon. Can you talk a little about why the Amazon is so vital to protect?

I’ve travelled in the Amazon many times and am always impressed by its beauty and its rich biodiversity.  The Amazon rainforest provides most of the air that we breathe and it is also the best source of natural remedies that could probably cure most of today’s illnesses.   Many people don’t know that  a lot of medications are derived from plants that grow in the Amazon.   The Amazon is also home to many native tribes that have survived for thousands of years only to be kicked out and robbed of their land by industrial agriculture and deforestation.  We need to protect the Amazon in order to ensure that our planet fights back against global warming and to ensure that we protect the natural ecosystems that our planet needs to keep going.

When did you first learn about Maca?

I learned about maca when I was in college, during one of my travels to Peru one of my friends talked to me about this natural powder that he used before he played soccer (we are talking about playing soccer at approximately 10,000 feet above sea level).  I did a little bit of research and found out that the Chasquis, which were high distance runners in charge of delivering messages on behalf of the Incas used maca during their journeys.   I tried maca powder and felt more focused and energized and have been hooked on maca ever since.

Why do you think Maca is such a vital ingredient? How can it benefit us?

Scientists have proven that maca is an adaptogenic plant, that means that it has the capacity to adapt and benefit your body where it needs it most.   For example, a woman suffering from menopause symptoms will  take maca and feel relieved and another woman who is trying to conceive will take maca to produce healthier eggs.  Likewise, an athlete training for a big event will take maca before workouts and a scientist will take maca before going to work.   Maca is a rich source of vitamins, minerals and it also supplies your body with calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and amino acids.  In addition, maca is known for its aphrodisiac powers and in Peru is known as “Peruvian Viagra.” I heard countless stories of people using maca to enrich their sex lives and to help them conceive.  I use maca for its energizing properties, nothing helps me focus and concentrate better than a spoon of maca in my morning smoothie and I have friends that swear that a maca smoothie before hitting the gym makes their workouts more intense.

What is the best way for us to incorporate Maca in our daily lives?

Best way is to add a tablespoon to your daily smoothie, juice or oatmeal in the morning.  It is best to start gradually and start with one tablespoon in the morning or before your workouts.  

There are generally two types, raw or gelatinized. What is the difference? Which, in your opinion, is better?

People familiar with maca will know that raw maca is a lot cheaper and harder to digest than gelatinized maca.   Besides the digestibility issue you can also tell the difference with the flavor, raw maca has a much stronger flavor that many people dislike or can not tolerate.   Raw maca is made by pulverizing the dry maca roots,  gelatinized maca undergoes an additional step where the natural starches of maca are removed in order to make the maca powder more digestible while concentrating its nutrients.  Some people’s digestive systems are more sensitive and have to work harder to digest starches and other compounds in raw maca, consequently they experience stomach pains or a feeling of discomfort during the digestive process and may not give maca a second chance.  Gelatinized maca powder does not cause those side effects as it goes straight to your system allowing your body to absorb all the nutrients and minerals found in maca immediately.   Sacha Vida currently carries gelatinized maca and so I am biased towards gelatinized maca which in my opinion is a better product than raw maca.  Now, on a related side note, in Peru maca is always consumed cooked and never raw, people who cultivate maca in the Peruvian highlands added it to their stews or toasted but don’t eat it raw.

I also want to highlight that we are the only company in the market that sells maca products that are Fair Choice Certified  which is a certification system based in the International Human Rights Declarations and Labor Conventions.   I support this certification process because it seeks to protect and assure the fair treatment to everyone involved within the control of the company that implements the certification system so it benefits the overall community of growers and producers.   This is the first fair-trade standard created in Latin America that takes into consideration local market and producing conditions and it also includes requirements on health, safety and environmental protection.

Do you have a relationship with the growers of your product? What are the conditions Maca is grown in?

I have a very strong and close relationship to the farmers that produce our maca products.  I visit the maca farms every time I travel to the highlands of Peru and have shared many meals and interesting conversations with our farmer partners.  They are invested in producing a high quality product and are very excited to see that their products are reaching the U.S. market. Maca is usually grown in high altitude lands, where  lots of sunshine during the day and freezing temperatures at night make it difficult for other plants to survive. Maca has adapted to this environment and thrives by absorbing all of the minerals and nutrients from the soil in order to grow and survive. 

Tell me about Sacha Inchi. There is a lot of buzz around the seed of this beautiful star shaped fruit.

I am very excited about sacha inchi finally getting the recognition it deserves.  Sacha inchi is a vine and grows in the Peruvian Amazon, it is a very sustainable crop because you can cultivate it many times a year.  The seed has one of the highest plant based concentrations of Omega 3 fatty acids along with protein and vitamins.  This seed has been consumed in the Amazon for thousands of years and the oil has been used by native women to protect their skin.  What distinguishes sacha inchi from other plant based sources of Omega 3 is that sacha inchi also has naturally occurring vitamin E which helps the oil preserve its properties without oxidizing quickly like flax seed oil for example.  In addition the oil is very light and is a great complement to salads, dips, smoothies and cold dishes.   I recommend that the oil do not be heated because the Omega 3 bonds will break with heat and the nutritional value of the oil is compromised.  Sacha inchi seeds are super healthy snacks, they are full of protein and Omega 3 and are a great additional to trail mixes or enjoyed on their own.  We are currently working on expanding our sacha  inchi line and will have new sacha inchi products available online soon.

Anything else you’d like the readers to know?

We are a family owned company competing with big companies, what makes us different is that our products are always organic and that we truly care about following fair trade practices with our partner farmers.  For example, our maca products are the only ones in the market that are Fair Choice Certified. In addition,  I pick our partner farmers carefully and usually spend weeks with them understanding their processes and learning about their motivations.  I believe that a great part of being a successful entrepreneur is associating yourself with partners who are as passionate if not more passionate than you are about producing and delivering a high quality product.    I grew up in Peru and unlike other entrepreneurs  I am vested in seeing our partner farmers grow and prosper.  Economic development of their communities along with access to education for their children are the first steps in the process.   We have exciting projects in the pipeline with these goals in mind and I hope to share them with you soon.

Besides online, where can we find your stuff? Also what is the best way to connect with you (Instagram, twitter, facebook?)

You can find our products in New York at the Live Live Organic store in the East Village, you can also find us in California at the Rainbow Grocery Coop in San Francisco and in Massachusetts at Cambridge Naturals.  We are always looking to add more stores and if you want to see our products sold in your local store I encourage you to speak to the food buyer at the store  and ask them to add our products to their store inventory. You can always connect with us through our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest accounts, we love to hear from you!

Thanks for doing the interview Carlos! Now for the exciting part. We are doing a giveaway (call it a little holiday gift!) of a bag of Organic maca and chocolate covered goldenberries!

GIVEAWAY

Here are the rules. First, the winner needs to live in the United States (sorry international readers, no disrespect). The contest will end on December 30th at midnight. To enter, you must be a subscribed reader to BYOL. To increase your chances of winning leave a comment on this post or/and "like" "Sacha Vida" on facebook. You will also gain a point if you "like" Bring Your Own Lentils facebook page. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

As always the information presented in this blog is for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as specific medical, nutritional, lifestyle, or other health-related advice.

Peanut Butter and Oat Cookies

Howdy everyone!

The holiday season is upon us and that means cookies. I’ve seen tons and tons of people posting photos of scores of chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and even entire gingerbread armies! Accompanying those photos often are messages of feeling sick, tired and guilty.

But not all cookies have to produce those results. Last year I shared a recipe for Quinoa Banana Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies which are one of my favorites, but I also created a new recipe for this holiday season!

These cookies are super easy, only take around 20 minutes from start to finish, and makes a perfect snack.

(as you’ll notice, I forgot the oats and the milk in the picture)

 

Here is what you will need: 

makes around 20 cookies

1 cup organic crunchy peanut butter

½ cup organic, gluten free old fashioned oats (I used extra thick cut)

1 flax egg (mix 1.5 tablespoons ground flax with 3 tablespoons water)

½ cup organic date sugar

1/4 nut milk (I use almond, and I used a little less than ¼ cup)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 bar dark chocolate, chopped (spring for higher quality here, you’ll notice a difference)*

Heat the oven to 350° F.

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients except for the chocolate bar together. The liquid from the wet ingredients will be absorbed by the date sugar and oats as you mix them. Mix until all of the ingredients combine to create a dough-like texture.

Once this is mixed, scoop out a small amount of the “dough” using a tablespoon and place onto a baking sheet. Push down on the top to make them a flat, cookie like shape. Now take the chopped dark chocolate and place on top of the cookie. 

Bake for about 8 minutes, or until golden around the edges. These little guys cook fast so be sure to keep an eye on them!

 

 Normally, I love my cookies to come right out of the oven, but honestly, these guys are way better after they cool. They will keep for over a week when stored in a closed container and refrigerated.

Happy Holidays and continued good health!

what more could He ask for?

* Be sure to check the Food Is Power website for a list of slavery free chocolate. Neither animals nor humans should have to suffer for the food you enjoy.