Wednesday Wonders #2 – Cacao “The food of the gods”

The first thing anyone says when starting any diet is “I already want Chocolate!” Well, today is your lucky day because I am about to tell you a very important secret. You can have Chocolate every day.

Now I am not talking about the sugar added, super processed chocolate (You had to know there was a catch here right?). I am talking about the raw cacao bean. WHAT?  Yes. Chocolate is made from the cacao bean with comes from a fruit. I am sure you heard that eating dark chocolate is good for you. Well, what is good is the cacao, which contains a lot of important nutrients for the body. The difference with the raw cacao and the processed cacao you buy at the store for $3 is everything. The typical Dutch cacao is processed with a hydraulic press to squeeze out the oil before alkaline salts are added. Then, it’s mixed with powdered milk and lots of sweeteners and other crap to create the milk chocolate. The reality is, once the cacao is heated, it loses a lot of its nutrient content, much like vegetables do when they are cooked. I guess the secret was more like: You can have Raw Cacao every day.

Let’s take a look at the amazing properties of raw Cacao. It’s a great antioxidant, better than Blueberries, Goji berries, Açai, Pomegranates and red wine combined. It’s also a Good source of magnesium, Ion, Chromium, Manganese, Zinc, Copper, Vitamin C, Omega 6 Fatty Acids and Fiber. I know I don’t even have to tell you all that stuff because everybody loves Chocolate, Healthy or not!

Because I love chocolate like everybody else, I wasn’t about to give it up. The good news is, I have never eaten that much chocolate EVER and I love it! So for all the vegans out there who are biting their nails when scouts are selling chocolate bars at the grocery store, trying to convince yourself that it’s worth eating it for a good cause, I have an answer. More than one actually, but let’s start with one. Now I know there are a lot of ingredients in this recipe but trust me, once you have all these you can make so much stuff! These have actually been tested by my favorite audience, my friends, and everyone loved them!

Raw Chocolate Energy Balls

 

Prep time: 5 minutes    Cooking time: 0    Servings: About 20 balls

Ingredients:

1 cup soaked Buckwheat (Soak overnight, drain and rinse)
1/2 cup Almonds
1/2 cup Walnuts
1/4 cup Raw Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup Shredded Coconut + more for topping (Raw Organic- I challenge you to compare the ingredients with regular it’s scary)
1/4 cup Agave Nectar
1/4 cup grounded flax seeds
3 Medjool dates
1 scoop of protein powder (Vega one French Vanilla is my new favorite)
1/8 cup water
1/2 Tsp. Vanilla extract or half Vanilla Bean

Add all ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth. If the mixture is not doughy enough, add a bit more water. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes (if you have the patience- I don’t). Roll into balls and top with shredded coconut. Freeze for a few hours and then place in the fridge (or keep them in the freezer if you like them more firm).