Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Cake with Fudge Avocado Frosting Recipe

I baked my first cake in decades today. It's gluten-free and vegan, and I substituted the flour with black beans and sweet potato. Then, substituted the egg with 3 ripe bananas. This cake turned out surprisingly moist and delicious, very much the same as any baked cake! It's frosted with my raw food avocado chocolate frosting. Baked goods don't get any healthier than this! Start with the frosting recipe first so you don't have to wash out the food processor between recipes. Fudge Avocado Frosting (from Ani's Raw Food Desserts, page 49) 1/3 cup pitted Medjool Dates 1/4 cup agave, or your favorite syrup 1/2 cup ripe avocado flesh 1/3 cup cacao powder Place all ingredients into your food processor with the S blade, and process smooth. Scoop into a bowl or container, and set aside. (Skip washing the processor, just use it as is for the cake batter recipe next). Now, prepare to bake your cake by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Black Bean Chocolate Cake 1/2 apple, diced 1/3 cup sweet potato, cooked, peeled (I used Japanese purple sweet potato, they are in season right now) 3 small ripe bananas 2 cups cooked and drained black beans, or one 15oz can, rinsed 1/2 cup cocoa powder, or cacao powder 1/4 cup coconut sugar, or your favorite sweetener, to taste 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract 3 Tablespoons peanut butter (substitute almond butter if you prefer) Start by placing the apple into your food processor with the S blade, process into a puree. Then add the remaining ingredients, and process into a smooth batter. Scoop batter into a loaf pan (this is not enough batter for a bigger pan, though I made [...]

By |January 28th, 2016|Ani’s Raw Food Desserts, Desserts, Gluten Free, Protein, RECIPES, Super Foods, Superfood, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole Foods|Comments Off on Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Cake with Fudge Avocado Frosting Recipe

Lentils – A Healthy, Yummy, Low Cost Protein

With the temperature dropping outside, I found myself suddenly craving heavy carbs. Hearty lentils to the rescue! Lentils are the easiest of legumes to prepare, and a slow burning complex carb full of soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract trapping and eliminating cholesterol out of the body. And, high fiber foods like lentils have been shown to help prevent heart disease while stabilizing blood sugar. Lentils also increase your energy by boosting your iron levels. Lentils are an excellent low cost protein source. When stored properly, dried lentils have an extremely long shelf life. They don’t need to be presoaked like other beans, and the red, yellow, and brown varieties cook in about 20 minutes. Green lentils take about 40 minutes. It’s super simple to cook lentils: Rinse lentils a couple times in a bowl with water. Carefully pour out water, or drain through a sieve. Place 1 cup lentil to 1 ½ cups water into a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to low. Top with a lid and leave simmering for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, check lentils to see if they are tender enough for you. If not, simmer another 5 minutes, to desired texture. Serve lentils warm, or set aside to cool before storing in your refrigerator. Use lentils to top salads, add to soups, serve with sauces, or blend into a hummus-like dip. Will keep for about 3 to 4 days when stored in sealed container in fridge. You can also freeze cooked lentils.

By |December 21st, 2015|Protein, RECIPES, Superfood, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole Foods|Comments Off on Lentils – A Healthy, Yummy, Low Cost Protein