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Healthy Mocha-Hazelnut Shake

Do you drink coffee? I actually don’t! I’ve just never got into it, despite having lived in Italy and France, both places with serious coffee cultures.

I love love love the smell of coffee, but the taste isn’t for me EXCEPT when it’s combined with chocolate of course! In that case, I adore it!

I’ve been making fresh almond milk probably twice weekly for some time now but was feeling like a change. We all know chocolate and hazelnut is one of those magical flavour pairings (Check out my Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Muffins or Raw Chocolate-Hazelnut Strawberry Jam Thumbprints if you agree!), so it made sense to give my mocha shake a hazelnutty base.

Hazelnut milk is just as easy to make as other nut milks- even easier in fact because hazelnuts don’t need soaking, since, unlike a lot of other nuts, they don’t have any (or very little) enzyme inhibitors. If you haven’t made your own nut milk before now’s your chance! You can make it as creamy as you like depending on how you plan to use it and avoid any unnecessary preservatives or fillers.

All you need is a high-powered blender. I use the Optimum 9400 from Froothie which is fantastic. It’s even more powerful than the famous Vitamix and Blendtec but much more affordable!

I also recommend a nut milk bag, like this one as it just makes things even easier and is reusable too. You can also use cheesecloth or a very fine sieve though.

One you’ve got your lovely creamy hazelnut milk and it’s nice and chilled, you’re ready to make the best shake you’ve ever had! And it’s healthy to boot! I used Organic instant coffee powder for the coffee flavour but you could use strong chilled espresso or even coffee extract if you want to keep this completely raw.

Rich, chocolat-ey and nutty. What more could you want?!

I was flying after drinking this. Maybe it was the little caffeine jolt for someone who’s not used to it…

Healthy Mocha-Hazelnut Shake

Serving Size: 1-2

Healthy Mocha-Hazelnut Shake

Ingredients

Hazelnut Milk:

1/2 C (75 g) Hazelnuts, soaked overnight
2 C (500 ml)Water

Shake:

3/4 C Chilled hazelnut milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 Tbsp Hazelnut butter
2-3 Medjool dates, pitted
1 Tbsp Raw cacao powder
1 Tbsp Cacao nibs
1-1/2 tsp Instant coffee
1 Small frozen banana
1/3 C Ice

Instructions

Hazelnut milk:
Blend together nuts and water using the highest setting on your blender, until as smooth as possible.
Strain the liquid through a nut milk bag, or a cheesecloth, draped over a bowl.
Squeeze, twisting from the top down, to get all liquid from the fabric and leave a dry pulp behind.
Store in the fridge ( I use these Luminarc glass jugs with lids)
For the smoothie:
Blend together hazelnut milk through to coffee until smooth. It may take a little time to pulverize the dates, depending on your blender. Add the frozen banana and ice and blend again.
Serve in a chilled glass.

Notes

For drinking the hazelnut milk plain or for cereal, tea, etc. I make it a little thinner with an extra 1/2 C water. Also, after straining I return it to the blender and blend in one large date and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract.

http://www.coconutandberries.com/2014/05/25/healthy-mocha-hazelnut-shake/

Even if you don’t think you like coffee I urge you to give this Healthy Mocha-Hazelnut Shake a try. The coffee enhances the chocolate and really gives the shake its wow-factor.
Enjoy!

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Vegan on Tour: Geneva

If you’ve been reading Coconut and Berries for a little while you’ll know that I’ve spent the last month in Geneva! I’m actually still here, but will be heading back to England this weekend. It’s been a good month but I’m pretty excited about going home now. I’m a real home girl and am rather missing my little flat, especially my kitchen! I’ve been building a whole stack of recipe ideas so I can’t wait to execute them and share the successes with you.

I know you’re all here for the food really, so I thought I’d share a little about my experience eating vegan in Geneva

Everyone told me Geneva was expensive but I didn’t quite appreciate HOW expensive. Buying ingredients is bad enough but restaurants are even worse- not exactly very student-friendly, especially when you’re doing an unpaid internship…As a result, I didn’t eat out much. One of the few meals I bought was from Qibi. It’s not an exclusively vegetarian place but puts an emphasis on healthy food, with vegetarian (mostly vegan) dishes dominating the menu. It’s actually pretty good value too. I got my meal to-go but they do have seating and also offer delivery!

I went for the meal deal (starter/main/dessert of your choice) and chose the Beetroot and Orange Salad with almonds for my starter (pictured above). It was very tasty with a nice, light vinaigrette. My main dish was the star though- an utterly delicious Spelt Risotto with Vegetables and Hazelnut Cream. I’m going to have to try and replicate this at home.

I was really looking forward to my dessert but was rather let down. I picked the “Tof-Cake au Speculoos”. It was a bland tofu-based mousse, barely sweet, not even for me who likes things on the less sweet side. I couldn’t even detect any speculoos flavour, not even in the supposedly speculoos biscuit topping.

The rest of my meal made up for it though and if I were here longer I would definitely go back to sample the other options on the menu.

One of my favourite things about Geneva is the farmers’ markets. You can find one every day in some part of the city and the produce is all of super quality and mostly very local. I visited a few different markets during my stay, each with a different feel There are even a couple of evening markets which have a particularly lovely atmosphere- think locals sipping a glass of wine and leisurely browsing the fruit and veg on offer, sussing out the best deals. Check out the falafel stall at the Carouge or Helvétique markets!

Last Sunday morning before getting on with some work, I strolled down to the Plainpalais market for a final market visit. I was just about ready to leave when I stumbled across this all-vegan market stall! It’s run by a friendly couple who sell a selection of Vegusto products (vegan meats and cheeses), non-dairy chocolate, homemade hummus and other dips as well as homemade cakes and muffins. The pear, raisin and chocolate chip cake was pretty good and it’s always nice to support small vegan businesses.

Non-dairy milk isn’t available in most cafés like it is in the UK these days but Boréal café was one I visited a couple of times and does offer it. It’s quite American in style and though it doesn’t have much in the way of vegan food, except a couple of very small, very expensive bean salads, they do a great non-dairy matcha latte or frappe (I sampled both) and some fruit frappes too.

I didn’t manage to find any vegan ice cream in the city but I did find some delicious sorbet. This was fruits of the forest and extra dark chocolate. Look out for Italian-style gelaterias as they often seem to sell vegan chocolate sorbet. Check before ordering though as it can sometimes still contain milk powder or egg white.

Here’s a list of all the vegan-friendly places I came across, some of which I mentioned above.

RESTAURANTS/CAFÉS:

I Feel Bio Not exclusively vegetarian but an emphasis on healthy vegan food with lots of options, both raw and cooked. All the desserts are gluten and dairy-free. Their fresh juices and smoothies also sound amazing. Eat-in, takeaway and delivery

Boréal Café Not much in the way of vegan food. There looked to be a couple of bean salads in pots. Expensive though and very small. They do have non-dairy milk which is a bonus for somewhere that isn’t Starbucks! They do a non-dairy matcha latte or frappe and some fruit frappes too. They have WiFi as well. Another plus point is that they’re open on Sundays when everywhere else is closed. Very busy though so don’t expect to find a seat. Eat-in, takeaway [See above]

Helveg café (Vegan Gourmet) I wish I’d had the chance to eat here as it looks amazing. Pricey but gorgeous sounding, creative dishes. Raw food menu on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. Also a small boutique selling vegan foods, books and beauty products. Eat-in, takeaway

Qibi Not exclusively vegetarian but again an emphasis on healthy food with vegetarian (mostly vegan) dishes dominating the menu. Good value, especially compared to the rest of Geneva. You can get meal deals (starter/main) (starter/main/dessert) and you pay less for vegetarian! [See above]

SHOPS/ FARMERS’ MARKETS:

Urban Bio A really useful shop. Very centrally located and open late and on Sundays (unlike most places which are closed on Sundays). They stock regular groceries, including organic produce and also have a wide range of organic grains, beans, non-dairy milks and cooking ingredients you won’t find in the supermarkets here. If you’re into vegan meats/ready meals, they have a bunch of those too. Oh, and they often have reduced-price soy yogurt/milk and ripe bananas!

Aux deux portes A charming little health food shop/café run by a vegan couple. A good selection of typical grains, beans, non-dairy milks and nut butters. I went here when I first arrived and stocked up on a few basics. They sell a lovely range of all-vegan homemade salads and sauces, cakes, raw desserts and savoury tarts. I was hoping to go back here but when I tried to I discovered they had closed for 2 weeks for an extended Easter break.

Satoriz One of a chain of large health food shops. The closest is actually not in Geneva itself but just across the border in Ferney Voltaire, France. It’s only a short bus ride away though (Take the F) and definitely worth a visit if you’re going to be in Geneva a while, and especially doing your own cooking. They have everything you could need- a large organic produce section, non-dairy milks, yogurts, beans, grains, tofu/tempeh, nuts & seeds, nut butters, vegan snacks and chocolate.

The Migros and Coop supermarkets are all over the city. Neither is brilliant and I preferred to mainly shop at the farmers’ markets and heath food stores. I bought canned chickpeas, dried lentils and chocolate here.

Geneva farmers’ markets listed according to day of the week.

OTHER:

Sushi spot- This chain of sushi restaurants is all over the city and does vegan maki rolls (avocado, cucumber, tofu)

Starbucks- (all over the city)They sometimes have a vegan salad and have non-dairy milk for tea or coffee. Very expensive though.

Greens- (in the central train station, Gare Cornavin) A small takeaway place which usually has a vegan sandwich or two (hummus or tofu).

Fruit for Though (FFT) Juice Bar- (downstairs in the central train station) Fresh fruit and vegetable juices made to order.

That’s it! Hope that this post proves useful for those visiting Geneva in the future. I probably won’t be posting again before I get home (thanks again for all your patience with me this month. I promise I’ve got lots coming up for you) so my next post will be from England!

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Raw Caramel Apple Swirl Smoothie

My birthday fell during a particularly busy week for me this year- last week, when I was getting myself organized to go off to Geneva for a month-long internship (That’s where I am now!). I was actually away the previous week too so I was rather frantically trying to get caught up on work and life as well as get prepared for the next trip.

I don’t usually do a lot for my birthday anyway but this year I didn’t even have the time to make a cake! Instead, I celebrated by drinking this rather delicious (and slightly extravagant) smoothie for breakfast.

In my last post I told you about my very happy recent discovery of Windy City Organics products and used their Rawmio Chocolate Hazelnut Spread in my raw cookie recipe. Today’s recipe features one of their Dastony nut butters. Just like the Rawmio spreads these are divine! What really makes them stand out is how amazingly smooth they are, far more so than any other nut butter I’ve had.

I knew my birthday smoothie had to be a little over-the-top and, after I’d ruled out chocolate, (as I’d just finished my Raw Chocolate-Hazelnut Thumbprints), I hit on caramel as a delicious and still decadent alternative.

This caramel is ridiculously good folks! It makes more than you “need” for the smoothie* but a good portion of it somehow disappeared when making it….

I opted to use naturally caramel-ly dates and the beautiful Dastony almond butter to make it lusciously rich and sweet, enhanced with just a few other simple ingredients.

I drizzled it all over my smoothie glass and then over the top of the frosty drink to get a little in every sip and give it its name- “Raw Caramel Apple Swirl Smoothie”.

*If you do have extra caramel it’s fantastic as a dip for fruit, drizzled on pancakes or ice cream, or you could try my Raw Chocolate-Hazelnut Strawberry Jam Thumbprints substituting this caramel for the raw strawberry jam.

Raw Caramel Apple Swirl Smoothie

2014-04-10 13:25:25

Serves 1

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Raw Caramel

5 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1 Tbsp Coconut nectar
2 Tbsp Raw almond butter
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1/8 tsp Salt
1/3 C- 1/2 C Almond milk

Smoothie

1 Large/ 2 Medium apple (s), cored, chopped and frozen
3/4 C- 1 C Almond milk
1 Tbsp Raw almond butter
2 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Lucuma

Instructions

For the caramel, blend all the ingredients in a high-powered blender, scraping the sides down until completely smooth. Soak your dates in water in advance to soften them if necessary (I used my Tribest personal blender and didn't need to.
Set aside.

For the smoothie

Blend together all the ingredients in a blender.

To serve

Generously drizzle some of the caramel all around the inside of one or two glasses (I used a squeeze bottle). Pour in the smoothie and drizzle with extra caramel.

Coconut and Berries http://www.coconutandberries.com/

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Raw Chocolate-Hazelnut Strawberry Jam Thumbprints

Cookie time! It’s been weeks since I shared a cookie recipe here. I know I said I’m typically more of a muffin girl, but the truth is I love them both! And these Raw Chocolate-Hazelnut Strawberry Jam Thumbprints definitely got me excited about cookies.

I recently got the chance to try a few products made by Windy City Organics, a US company specializing in raw, vegan and organic products. You may have heard of Rawmio and Dastony before, two brands of raw nut butters, and if you haven’t been lucky enough to have tried them yet you’ll just have to believe me when I say these are the best nut butters EVER.

They’re so so smooth, it’s hard to believe they’re raw. The Rawmio Chocolate Hazelnut Butter is honestly like liquid silk! Rawmio actually make another product called “Rawmio Hazelnut Silk”, which is White Chocolate Hazelnut Butter, so I can’t even imagine how heavenly that one must be.

I’ve got another recipe coming up using one of the Dastony nut butters…but for this recipe I used the Rawmio Chocolate Hazelnut Butter.

Who doesn’t love strawberries and chocolate together?!

I decided to make a raw strawberry jam to fill my little chocolat-ey cookies, but you could use your favourite berries, or, if you’re not fussed about keeping them raw, you could simply use a good-quality jam from a jar. You might have tried raw jam made with chia seeds before and I’ve made my own blackberry version before. I made this one smooth and thick rather than chunky-style though by blending the berries with the chia seeds and adding dates to thicken it further and add that jammy sweetness.

These cookies are super fudgy and quite different to your typical nut/date based raw cookie. I based them on my Raw Berry Cream Brownies (my most popular recipe to date!), using coconut flour as the base which gives them their unique texture.

Hope you enjoy!

Raw Chocolate-Hazelnut Strawberry Jam Thumbprints

2014-04-07 13:13:01

Serves 6

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Raw Strawberry Jam

5-6 Medjool Dates, pitted and diced
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
1 C Strawberries, washed, hulled and diced
1 Tbsp Chia seeds
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract (optional)
Pinch of salt

Raw Chocolate-Hazelnut Cookies

1/4 C Rawmio Chocolate Hazelnut Butter (Original), melted
2 Tbsp Coconut sugar
3-4 Tbsp Almond milk
1 Tbsp Ground flax
1/16 tsp Salt
1/4C + 1 Tbsp Coconut flour
2 Tbsp Almond flour/ground blanched almonds
1/2 Tbsp Raw cacao

Instructions

Make the strawberry jam first. Blend together all your ingredients in a high speed blender until perfectly smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides several times to get everything incorporated. Refrigerate while you make the cookies.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the chocolate hazelnut butter, coconut sugar, almond milk, flax and salt. (To melt the chocolate hazelnut butter, which is solid at room temperature, place the jar in a bowl of hot water or in a dehydrator for a few minutes).
Stir together the remaining ingredients in another bowl.
Add wet to dry and stir together to combine well. It will be very thick but shouldn't be dry. If it is, add almond milk 1 tsp at a time until desired consistency is reached.
Divide the mixture into 6, roll into balls and flattened with the palm of your hand. Use your thumb to make small indentations in each of the cookies and fill with a small amount of the strawberry jam.
Drizzle with more Rawmio chocolate hazelnut butter for extra deliciousness!
Store in the fridge.

Notes

If you are using another brand or homemade chocolate hazelnut butter it will likely be much thicker than Rawmio, and more or less sweet so you may need to adjust the amounts of almond milk and coconut sugar accordingly.

Coconut and Berries http://www.coconutandberries.com/

US folk, you can buy Rawmio products here. You can also buy direct from Windy City Organics- just get in touch for a shipping quote. I gather they’re also working on getting more stockists worldwide so fingers crossed that happens soon!

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Vibrant Life Cleanse Program & Cookbook

You may remember me talking about a 3-day juice cleanse I did back in January. That was my first insight into the world of cleansing and juicing and I loved it!

Since then I’ve been wanting to incorporate more fresh juice into my diet, the snag being I don’t have a juicer and purchasing fresh pressed juice can be really expensive. BUT, turns out I could have been juicing at home all this time even without a juicer! I recently got a copy of Leanne Vogel of The Healthful Pursuit‘s new “Vibrant Life Cleanse Program & e-Cookbook“ which taught me I could just make juice with my blender and strain it through a fine sieve or nut milk bag. Revolutionary I tell you!

It’s a beautiful book with 55+ original juice and smoothie recipes, each with its own gorgeous picture, 7-, 9- and 11-day cleanse programs, plus all the tools you need to cleanse with success (meal plans, shopping lists, other resources).

My concern going into the previous cleanse I did was being hungry but as you can see from the example above, you’ve got 6 large juices a day, including a nourishing nut milk so you’ll be flooding your body with nutrients and in no way starving!

I haven’t had the chance to follow a cleanse program from the book yet but I definitely hope to when I can take some time off cooking. I have tried a few of the recipes and been super impressed.

The book’s divided into smoothies and juices, all with fabulous names I might add- who wouldn’t want to drink a “Sangria Sunset” juice? Or a “Dark Chocolate Fudge” or “Coco Cabana” smoothie?!

As I was so excited about the prospect of being able to make my own juice I’ve only tried recipes from that section so far.

First up was “The Fresh Way” juice. A delightful and indeed super “fresh” tasting grapefruit, cucumber, ginger and greens combo.

Next, I opted for one of the “Nourishing Milks”. Leanne incorporates these into the cleanses as a great way to add some healthy fats and a little extra energy into your diet during this time. I was already a fan of nut milk but especially love the fresh flavours included in the book.

This was the “Creamsicle Hemp”. A very creamy, slightly sweet milk with a hint of orange.

I think juices with beetroot in will always be my favourite. The “Puckered Beet” was an immediate must-try for me and it didn’t disappoint. Isn’t that deep purple beautiful? You can tell it’s brimming with goodness just looking at it!

Leanne has kindly allowed me to share this recipe with you. Hope you like it as much as me.

(N.b. Pictures are all my own)

“Puckered Beet” Juice

2014-04-01 10:29:06

Serves 1

Beets add a brilliant red glow to just about all juices and smoothies. If deep red is your favourite colour and just makes you feel good, add a bit of beet into everything! Your liver will thank you.

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Prep Time

5 min

Prep Time

5 min

Ingredients

1 ½ (300 grams) large beets
1 orange
1 lemon, skin removed
1 bunch beet greens

Instructions

Using your juicer, juice ingredients in the order they are listed.
Transfer to a glass and serve immediately.
To store:pour into a glass container and keep in the fridge for 1-2 days. Alternatively, pour into a plastic container and freeze for up to 1 month.

Coconut and Berries http://www.coconutandberries.com/

So, whether:

1. You’re already a juicer,

2. You haven’t juiced before but you’d love to try a cleanse, or

3. You want to incorporate a juice or smoothie a day into your daily routine,

The Vibrant Life Cleanse Program & Cookbook has got everything you need to safely guide you and bring you the results you’re hoping for.

This book has really got me excited about smoothies and juices and I can’t wait to delve into it more.

Click here to view more details , or

One final thing! Starting TODAY (April 1st), Leanne and her team are running 1 giveaway/week for 8 weeks to celebrate the book’s launch . Great prizes up for grabs including blenders, juicers, dehydrators, high-tech kettles and more! Here’s the full schedule.

(Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this ebook for review purposes but, as always with my reviews, my opinions are entirely my own and I truly love this book! This post also contains affiliate links: if you choose to buy this ebook using one of my links, i do make a small profit. Thanks in advance for your support!)

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