Real Food Friday: Superfood Chocolate Pudding

My partner and I spent this past weekend in Calgary, visiting with his family and meeting his newest little neice, now the youngest of four girls, little Miss Hazel Rose. It was a weekend of mostly chaos with some relaxation sprinked in here and there. I was quickly reminded that this seems to be the norm when four little girls are involved!

After dinner on Saturday night, big girl #2 finished all of her dinner without argument or bargaining and was rewarded with a mini-mason jar of choclate pudding for her culinary compliance by her mother. This of course was not your supermarket brand pudding filled with preservatives, way to much sugar and a pletora of other un-namable ingredients. This was avocado-cacao pudding, and she wolfed it down in record time.

I have made variations of chia or avocado pudding before, but what struck me the most was the simple brillance and eco-friendliness of this portion-controlled snack. It is attractive to a childs eye, as well as to my own. There is a sense of neatness to it that makes it seem like a very special treat indeed. The real kicker here though is that an avocado pudding can be secretly packed with superfoods without anyone knowing about it (including the kids).

The term "superfood" is definitely a trendy word today, but in general, it refers to a food that is very high in vitamins and/or minerals as well as antioxidants (among other compounds). In the case of this recipe there are three different superfoods that I have included. They are:

Bee Pollen & Honey

Honey in its natural, raw form is one of the oldest superfoods known to man. It is a staple in ayurvedic cooking in India and is in just about every modern kitchen across the globe. Natural bee produced foods such as honey, bee pollen, propolis and royal jelly have touted health benefits and therefore find themselves in the mighty category of superfood!

Bee pollen specifically is one that I have been using for over a year. Bee pollen are tiny little granules that bees gather from the flowering plants. They're are experts that believe they are one of the most complete foods, as they are an excellent source of amino acids as well as enzymes. It is said that the original olympians of ancient Greece used bee pollen as an athletic supplement of sorts because of their reputation in supporting athletic endurance. Seasonal allergy sufferers like myself can eat local bee pollen and honey to help to build up a natural immunity to the local pollen that typically induces allergic reations throughout the changing of the seasons.

Coconut Oil & Coconut Milk

Over the last few years coconut oil has been vindicated. Its formerly sour reputation as a "bad-for-you" saturated fat has spun a complete 180, to almost hero status in the world of all things holistic health. You can eat it, put in on your body and your hair as well as clean your teeth with it. It been used for many things in ayurvedic medecine for over 4000 years. Coconut oil acts as an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal as well as an anti-viral. It has actually been shown to lower HDL (high density lipoprotein) or "good" cholesterol. It is a medium-chain fatty-acid, which is well absorbed and used easily as energy, and can increase metabolic rate. This translates to fat-burning and promotion of weight loss! You can also slather it on your skin for supreme moisture or use it as a hair mask or liven up dried out locks.

Raw Cacao Powder & Raw Cacao Nibs

There has been a lot of talk as of late of the health benefits of chocolate. This is fantastic news for myself as well as all the other chronic chocolate lovers out there! Though we should understand that not all chocolate is created equal. Raw cacao is not heat treated or processed, it is chocolate in its most natural and nutrient dense form. Raw cacao is one of the richest sources of antioxidants known in nature. It is extremely high in magnesium, which is a powerful muscle relaxant and tends to get used up very quickly in our daily bodily processes. This is thought to be why women who experience symptoms of PMS tend to crave chocolate; your body is really asking you for a high dose of magnesium! Raw cacao also contains calcium, zinc, iron, copper, sulfur, potassium as well as unique alkaloid chemicals that makw this snack mood and energy boosting as well.

Superfood Chocolate Pudding

(makes about 5-6 mini-mason jars)

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados, ripe

• 2/3 cup raw cacao podwer

• 1/2 cup raw honey or real maple syrup (or a mixture of both)

• 1 tbsp bee pollen

• 3 tbsp coconut milk

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• 1-3 drops of mint or orange extract (optional and to taste)

• tsp raw cacao nibs, to garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Combine all indredients except cacao nibs into a high powered blender or food processor. Blend until indredients have a smooth, velvety consistency. Taste and adjust the flavor and consistency to your liking by either adding a little water or coconut milk to thin it out, or by adding a touch more honey or maple syrup to desired sweetness. Spoon into mini-mason jars and sprinkle cacao nibs on top. You can store these in the fridge for 5-10 days.

Thank you Sian for this simple and inspired idea!

Peace, Love & Chocolate,

Cayla Lou

#dessert #glutenfree #vegan #superfood #cacao #avocado #pudding #realfoodfriday