Tag Archives: cocoa

Picture of a chocolate spread with azuki beans

Azuki beans chocospread

nutrition, , ,

Yoga Kitchen – Simple, healthy, and plant-based

Beans are super versatile

How do you get kids to eat beans? Preferably as early and as regularly as possible. In the recipe below, azuki beans are processed in an unusual way to make a delicious chocolate-flavoured spread. This is much better than the commercial, usually excessively sweet chocolate spreads that are high in sugar, fat and also often contain cow’s milk.
Azuki beans can be found in the organic section of regular supermarkets or at organic shops and organic supermarkets. They are small, red-brown beans with a white spot in the middle. They are native to China or Japan.
Azuki beans are very healthy and have a slightly sweet flavour when cooked.

This is what you need

To fill two glass jars of about 225ml capacity, take:

  • 100g dry azuki beans
  • 7 soft dates (mazafati or medjoul)
  • 30g unsweetened cocoa powder
  • savory
  • some dried seaweed, such as sea lettuce for example
  • a tiny pinch of sea salt

This is how to prepare them

  • Soak the azuki beans in plenty of water for 24 hours.
  • Then pour off the soaking water and rinse them well.
  • Cook the azuki beans until tender in unsalted water with some seaweed and savory.
  • Let cool.
  • Scoop the cooked beans, cocoa, pinch of salt and pitted dates into a food processor with an S-shaped blade.
  • Mash to a smooth paste. If necessary, scrape the sides of the cup occasionally.
  • Spoon the chocolate paste into jars and store in the fridge.

All done!

How to cook azuki beans?

We’ve started off with 100 grams of dry azuki beans in this recipe. Dry beans that you can buy in bulk store easily and are low in packaging. After soaking, the weight of the beans has doubled to almost 200 grams. After cooking, the wet bean mass weighs about 350 grams, including the seaweed and bean sprouts. So you could also work with pre-cooked canned azuki beans for this recipe. In that case, take about 350 grams of canned azuki beans.
Important: always cook dry beans without adding salt. Otherwise, the skin will harden and it will be very difficult to cook the beans until tender.
Take as the volume for the water about 3 to 4 times the volume of the (dry) beans.
Cook the azuki beans for about 1 hour on a gentle heat until tender in a classic pan with a lid. Scoop away any foam that floats to the top with a skimmer until the water remains almost clear. Then add some savory and some seaweed such as sea lettuce. This provides extra minerals and you hardly taste it in the end result.
I always cook the beans in a high pressure cooker for the sake of saving time and energy. Bring the beans to the boil and leave the lid loose on the pan for the first few minutes to then easily scoop away the foam here too. When the water remains reasonably clear, close the cooker and bring under pressure.
30-35 minutes of pressure cooking is enough to cook the azukis.

The taste test and health verdict

This naturally sweetened chocolate spread is rich in fibre yet contains a lot of valuable protein thanks to the azuki beans and cocoa. Low in fat, this spread is an ideal way to get children to eat legumes. And as an adult, you can continue to enjoy that heavenly experience on a slice of toasted wholemeal bread, completely plant-based and without the harmful side effects of the overly sugary and nutritionally inferior chocolate spreads on the market.
Moreover, you can also use this chocolate spread as a top or interlayer for pastries.

Choose ethical cocoa

Cocoa, like chocolate and also coffee, can be considered a luxury product or even an occasional pleasure food originating from tropical regions. Therefore, choose cocoa of ethical origin preferably. Look for brands, labels and certification that offer real guarantees that no child labour was involved. Because some of those labels look promising, but in practice mean little or nothing.
The much-used UTZ label is a telling example.

Choco paste made from azuki beans and dates, per 100 grams of product:

Energy Carboh. Sugars Fat Sat. Fat Protein Fibre Salt
752 kJ/180 kcal 42,8 g 20,7 g 1,0 g 0,4 g 6,1 g 6,2 0,06 g

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Picture of a square bowl with nut balls

New Moon balls with nuts

nutrition, , ,

Yoga Kitchen – Simple, healthy, and plant-based

Nuts and seeds as part of a healthy diet

These little balls are reminiscent of the New Moon. That is the time, when the moon, at the beginning of a new cycle, is completely dark and unshone by the sun. You can easily render the surface of the balls resulting from this recipe all round and smooth.
In fact, this recipe relies on a classic combination from healthy plant-based cooking. Nuts are combined with dried fruits and one or more flavourings or spices. You could build on this recipe by using, instead of the almonds and dates featured in this recipe, other nuts and dried fruits that you have available at the time. This way, you learn to be free and creative with your food, regardless of the rigidity of sticking to recipes.
In any case, this combination is very successful.

What ingredients do you need?

This is incredibly simple. Just three things, in the following proportions:

  • 75 g peeled (white) almonds
  • 40 g unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 200 g pitted medjoul or mazafati dates (about 18 pieces)

This is how to make these healthy and energy-rich snacks:

  • Cut the pitted dates into small pieces
  • Add the almonds and cocoa in a food processor with an S-shaped blade and grind them finely
  • Add the date pieces and grind further until a chocolate-coloured dough forms
  • First put the mixture in the fridge for a few hours
  • Then remove it from the fridge, cut the dough with a sharp knife first into four large, equal pieces
  • Cut each piece into 4 to 5 smaller, equal pieces
  • Roll these pieces between your clean fingertips into perfectly smooth, round black balls

Done!

How “healthy” are these almond balls?

There is no refined or added sugar in these balls. Definitely a plus. It is the sugar naturally found in the dates and the cocoa that make these balls so tantalisingly delicious.
Both almonds and dates are rich in fibre, which aids healthy digestion. Almonds contain fats and vegetable proteins. The fats from the ingredients of this recipe contain very little saturated fats. However, the fats and especially the (natural) sugars in these snacks combined do make them very high in energy, so it is best to consume them in moderation.
It all depends on your physical activity. If you are a regular (endurance) athlete, these little balls will be a great fuel for your higher energy consumption.

What nuts are also healthy alternatives to this recipe?

It is a good idea to also add a regular portion to your daily meals from the following nuts and seeds:

  • Brazil nuts
  • Cashew nuts
  • Chia seeds
  • Hazelnuts
  • Hemp seeds
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Pecans
  • Pine nuts
  • Pistachios
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Sesame seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Walnuts

And to that list you can also add peanuts, although botanically speaking, these are not nuts, but legumes. These pistachios are sometimes wrongly considered as less healthy, but there is no scientific evidence for this, quite the contrary.
Eat your nuts preferably unsalted. Many salted nuts like salted peanuts and almonds, contain far too much table salt, just like potato crisps.

How big is a healthy portion of nuts?

Thirty grams of nuts, or two tablespoons of nut butter per day is a good indication of what constitutes a balanced nut consumption for an adult. By the way, nut spreads are a good base to use in sauces and soups and make them creamy.

Does eating nuts make me gain weight?

Without going into detail here, scientific research shows that it does not. Unlike animal fats such as butter and lard or vegetable edible oil, nuts do not seem to lead to significant weight gain. You can consult the scientific sources for this in the chapter “Nuts and Seeds” in the book: “How not to Die” by American physician Dr Michael Greger. That book is an eye-opener regarding the benefits of plant-based eating.

New Moon balls, per 100g product

Energy Carboh. Sugars Fat Sat. Fat Protein Fibre Salt
1445 kJ/345 kcal 59,4 g 43,5 g 14,4 g 2,0 g 8,7 g 11,3 0,05 g

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Picture of a kaki cocoa pudding

Kaki cocoa pudding

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Yoga Kitchen – Simple, healthy, and plant-based

One plus one equals two for once

I have yet to come across a dessert that is easier to make than this chocolate-flavoured pudding. It is 100 % plant-based, consists of just two ingredients and also fits into a completely raw diet.
Kaki fruit or persimmons appear in our shops around the end-of-year festivities. They look like large, bulbous orange tomatoes and also feel completely like tomatoes, both on the inside and outside. You can also find them in organic shops.

What ingredients do you need?

Could it be any simpler?

  • 7 ripe persimmons
  • 7 tablespoons of cocoa powder, unsweetened

For each kaki fruit, use one leveled tablespoon of cocoa.
I personally prefer raw cocoa powder.
Seven persimmons will yield a total volume of one litre of pudding. So depending on how much you want to prepare, you can adjust the number of kakis and spoonfuls of cocoa.
Picture of three kakis and cocoa

This is how to prepare them

  • Peel the kaki fruits
  • Cut them into chunks
  • Place them in the bowl of a food processor with an S-shaped blade and grind them into a syrupy liquid
  • Add the cocoa and blend some more

Then pour the mixture into the mould or moulds of your choice. Wet the mould before filling, that way you can easily release the pudding from the mould after it has set.
Let the pudding set in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving. It’s almost unbelievable: you don’t need any binding agent to give this pudding its firmness. Magical!
All done!

You can decorate the pudding with a variety of toppings. Here are a few ideas:

  • grated coconut
  • almond paste or peanut butter
  • fresh or thawed berries
  • raw cocoa nibs

Here’s another idea for a sauce based on cashews and chopped hazelnuts.
Additional tip: You can also use this pudding as a filling for a no-bake cake base made with ground nuts and dry fruits. This way you get a very original and light chocolate cake.

The taste test and health verdict

This chocolate pudding is very much to everyone’s liking and is super easy to digest.
You have the enjoyment of chocolate flavour without the drawbacks of classic chocolate preparations that often require additional sugar or sweeteners, and you also don’t get the fats so typical of chocolate.
Tell me: is our society now collectively caught in a trip of chocolate addiction or not? I think so. Chocolate has evolved from a luxury product to something that is considered normal to be available daily. While cocoa undoubtedly contains interesting minerals, chocolate, especially black chocolate, enjoys an exaggerated status in terms of health it doesn’t really deserve at all. Best only to consume it with caution and in limited quantities.

Kaki Cocoa Pudding, per 100 g product

Energy Carboh. Sugars Fat Sat. Fat Protein Fibre Salt
344,6 kJ/82,3 kcal 21,7 g 12,6 g 0,9 g 0,5 g 1,6 g 5,6 g 0,002 g

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Raw cocoa bullets with dates and brazil nuts

Raw cocoa bullets with dates and Brazil nuts

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Yoga Kitchen – Simple, healthy, and plant-based

Long live honest food

This country has a tradition of chocolate bonbons, or popularly known as the Belgian pralines. These things can be bought in all decent shopping streets, often in specialised shops. They come in endless colours and shapes. The duty-free zones in our airports are almost paved with them, as it were. These chocolates have a kind of luxury image. Many tourists take them as souvenirs. And even at parties, birthdays or other special occasions, they are among the standard gifts offered.
And what if they were a well-organised scam? Those things are full of added sugar, fats and dairy products. In any case, what you pay for with your good money does not benefit your health. In reality, it is pretty inferior food that is sometimes sold pretty expensive. At best, it is one stage on the highway to sugar addiction and diabetes.
So should you completely miss out on the typical taste of these chocolate treats?
Well no! On the contrary. Following my personal opinion on Belgian chocolates, here comes the good news:
With dairy-free, pure natural ingredients and no added sugars, you conjure up chocolate balls in a jiffy that are so delicious that pralines soon become a vague and uncomfortable memory.

What ingredients do you need?

  • 75 g brazil nuts
  • 140 g juicy medjoul or mazafati dates
  • a pinch of sea salt
  • 15 g (about three tablespoons) ground coconut
  • 5 g (one and a half tablespoons) (raw) cocoa powder
  • about 20 g of cocoa nibs or raw cocoa beans

This is how to prepare them

  • Grind the raw cocoa beans or cocoa nibs finely enough in a food processor with S-shaped blade and keep them aside
  • Add all the other ingredients together in the food processor and grind into a coarse, cohesive dough
  • Roll 12 to 16 balls of the dough
  • Then roll the balls through the ground cocoa flakes until they are coated all around

There you are, all done!
If you roll more than 12 balls, you may need some extra ground cocoa bean, as the total surface area of the balls will be larger than for 12 pieces.
This recipe yields about 258 g.

The taste test

These cocoa balls taste downright heavenly and have a well-balanced, rich sweet flavour. The outer layer of cocoa flakes gives them a pleasant, gently bitter crunch. In my opinion, they stand head and shoulders above classic pralines or chocolate bonbons in terms of taste and sophistication.

The health verdict

Brazil nuts contain healthy fats, a good amount of protein (14 g per 100 g of nuts) and are unique in the nutritional world for their high content of the mineral selenium. We need selenium as an essential micronutrient. One brazil nut a day and you basically meet your selenium requirement. There is no added or refined sugar in these raw bullets, nor milk, butter or added oil. The dates provide the sweet taste and, on top of that, they add a nice content of fibre and a whole range of minerals like copper and potassium as an extra. This is healthy snacking as it really should be.

Cocoa bullets with brazil nuts and dates, per 100 g product

Energy Carboh. Sugars Fat Sat. Fat Protein Fibre Salt
437 kJ/849 kcal 51,6 g 38,0 g 27,4 g 10,0 g 7,83 g 6,0 g 0,2 g

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Picture of cocoa penut butter biscuits

Cocoa peanut butter cookies

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Yoga Kitchen – Simple, healthy, and plant-based

A quick and easy cocoa treat

Biscuits with peanut butter as an ingredient can be found here and there on the internet. I chose this recipe because, except for the sugar present in the (optional) dark chocolate granules, no other sugar is added. It is the banana that provides natural and mineral-rich sweetness. At the same time, the bananas give the soft, cohesive and springy texture to these soft biscuits. This is an example of how bananas can be the perfect egg replacements in sweet recipes.

The ingredients for approx 10 pieces:

  • 220 g peanut butter
  • 280 g ripe, mashed bananas
  • about two and a half tablespoons of oat flakes
  • about 35 g unsweetened cocoa powder
  • a pinch of salt
  • optional: two tablespoons of dark chocolate granules or drops

This is how to prepare them:

  • Grind the oat flakes into flour in your blender or food processor.
  • Mix the oat flakes and cocoa powder well.
  • Mix the mashed banana and peanut butter in a food processor until they form a homogeneous mixture.
  • Add the dry mixture to the liquid mixture and mix well.
  • Finally, spoon the chocolate drops through the mixture.
  • Set the mixture in the fridge for an hour and a half to stiffen.
  • Spoon out the batter one spoon at a time and finally roll 10 balls of the biscuit dough between your fingers.
  • Place the balls on a sheet of baking paper with enough space in between.
  • You may want to flatten the balls a bit with the back of a spoon.
  • Bake for a maximum of 10 to 15 minutes (depending on your oven) in a preheated oven of 165°C.
  • Let the biscuits cool on a wire rack before eating them.

When I first tried this recipe, I was very sceptical when I saw the sticky batter.
Dirty fingers guaranteed! But the result paid off. Soft, springy biscuits with a deep, dark chocolate flavour.
Yet another vegan treat that doesn’t take much time. One hundred per cent vegan baking fun with respect for all creatures of life.

This recipe is a personal interpretation of a recipe from the cookbook “Secrets d’endurance” by Christophe Berg. Highly recommended for anyone who values health. Especially endurance athletes will find themselves appealed by the many inspiring recipes, all with few, but varied and healthy plant-based ingredients. The booklet (in French), by the way, is published by that great publisher La Plage, which has lots of vegan titles in its range.

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