If you are a lover of chocolate, you may feel guilty when you have a bit too much of your favourite hot chocolate or chocolate cake. Well, I can tell you I certainly do. Not only do I want to avoid all the sugar and unhealthy additives, but the chemicals used during the manufacture process of most chocolates.
That is why I changed over to raw cacao – the true chocolate, a few years ago. Raw cacao powder is made by cold-pressing unroasted cocoa beans. The process keeps the living enzymes in the cocoa and removes the fat (cacao butter), while cocoa used in most drinking chocolate powders, is roasted at high temperatures which means it has lost all of its nutrient value.
Cacao (pronounced ka-kow) has been revered for centuries by the Mayans for good reason. It is high in antioxidants and rich in minerals (14 times more antioxidant flavonoids than red wine, 21 times more than green tea, and 7 times more than even dark chocolate). Raw Cacao products are a source of beta-carotene, amino acids, Omega-3 EFA's, calcium, zinc, iron, copper, sulphur, potassium and magnesium. With all those minerals no wonder we love chocolate.
Some people wonder how do I use it, so I have put together some drinks you can make up using the raw cacao powder. I will write again about the other food that cacao can be used in, but drinks are a good start if you have never used it before.
Why not have a morning cacao
Ingredients
1 cup of hot water
2 tblsp cacao powder
1 tsp honey or more to taste (optional)
1/4 cup milk (optional)
Place your dry cocoa powder into your cup. In the meantime, boil the water.
Once boiled, pour about 2 tablespoons of the hot water into the cup.
Using a spoon, stir the cocoa and water until smooth, to eliminate any lumps.
Then fill your cup with the hot water.
Add honey and milk to taste.
If you like flavoured drinks, add some vanilla, almond, or hazelnut extract per cup.
Cacao & Berry Power Smoothie - Refreshing cacao during the day
Ingredients
1 tblsp raw cacao powder
1 tblsp goji berries
½ cup of frozen or raw raspberries
½ cup of frozen or raw blueberries
1 banana (optional)
1 cup coconut milk or nut milk
Handful of ice
Place all ingredients into a blender and blitz for one minute.
Pour into a glass.
Relax before bedtime Cacao
Ingredients
1 cups milk (your choice of almond, coconut, or organic brown rice milk)
1 heaped tablespoon Cacao
pinch of ground cinnamon powder or cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste
1 tsp raw honey (optional)
pinch sea salt
Combine the milk, cacao, cinnamon and vanilla into a small pot.
Heat gently.
Pour into a serving mug.
Sweeten with a little honey or any sweetener you prefer.
A variation: Add a pinch of ground ginger along with the cinnamon. This will keep the chills away.
Feeling a bit naughty - Go on, add some marshmallows.
You can buy the Power Super Foods Cacao Powder at our shop. Head over to this Cacao Powder link to check it out a bit further.
Please contact us if you have any questions or make a comment below if you have other ideas for Cacao.
Have an earthly passionate weekend,
Attracta & the earthly passion team.