Raw Food: Chocolate Balls

Raw Food: Chocolate Date & Prune Balls

Ingredients:

1 Cup of pitted Prunes

3 Cups of pitted Dates

¼ Cup of LSA (Linseed, Sunflower, Almond mix) * Ok to omit, add extra nuts instead.

1 Cup of Roasted Mixed Nuts (or nuts of your choice!)

1-2 Tbsp. of Orange Juice or Water

3 TBSP Raw Cocoa powder

Desiccated Coconut to roll balls in *use Raw Cocoa Powder, Crushed Nuts, Freckles etc. as alternatives

Method:

·      Add nuts to food processor, blend to crumbs.  Add LSA, Prunes, Dates and Cocoa powder.

·      Process until mixture begins to clump together. If mixture seems a little dry, add the Orange Juice or Water (only a tiny bit at a time, approx. 1 Tbsp.).

·      Using a large chopping mat, take out a handful of mixture and roll into a sausage.

·      Cut into even pieces and roll into balls, roll balls into Desiccated Coconut. Keep balls in a sealed jar or container in either the cupboard or fridge.

Notes:

These are great for kid’s lunchboxes, as a gift, or just with a cup of coffee. They are high in fibre (which is why I started making them in the first place) and yummy – the chocolate flavour gets the kid’s attention.

There are many alternatives for this recipe – use alternative dried fruits such as cranberries and sultanas for example. The nuts do not have to be roasted, I just prefer the flavour and texture of roasted nuts.  I have used pecans and walnuts as well (just depends what is in the cupboard!). I am planning to try adding some rum at Christmas for some adult rum balls – or maybe soak the dates in rum? This may work if the dates are quite dry, you do not want the mixture to be too wet (add extra LSA if mixture gets too wet).

Greetings!

Hi All,

I have started this blog so that I can share recipes with family and friends. It is a bit of an experiment, so bear with me as I begin this blog-journey.

Here is the first one - pretty simple but tasty. I have started making up batches of these Vege Burgers because I need something to put on the plate of our resident vegetarian (Glen), but I kind of like them too!

Sweet Potato, Lentil & Chickpea Vege Burger Patties

Ingredients:

1 tin (440g) of Lentils (rinsed and drained)
1 tin (440g) of Chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
1 Sweet Potato (grated)
1 Brown Onion (diced finely)
2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 eggs
1 cup of Breadcrumbs
1/4 cup each of Pepitas and Sunflower Seeds
1/2 cup Sultanas
2-3 Tbs Olive Oil/Vegetable Oil for frying

Spices:
1-2 tsp each of corriander powder, cumin powder, cumin seeds, carroway seeds, garam masala curry blend (or your favourite curry blend). 

* Use these spices to you own taste - I like these flavours so I tend to be generous with them - if you are not sure, just add one tsp.

Method:

Heat a large pan with oil on medium heat.

Add Onion and garlic, cook for a couple of minutes to soften, then add grated sweet potato, lentils and chick peas. 

Add spices and stir through. Cook until sweet potato is cooked through, but still firm. You need to stir this often as it may become sticky, drop the heat if necessary.

Place cooked mixture into a large bowl and allow to cool. 

Add the rest of  dry ingredients when it has cooled slightly, then fold in 2 eggs. 

Add breadcrumbs (1/2 cup at a time), mixing through so there are no dry bits. Mixture should be sticky, not crumbly and hold together when pressed.

Preheat oven approx 180 deg. Celsius (170 for Fan Forced ovens).

Line 2 biscuit trays with baking paper, spray with a little oil.

Take a handful of the mix and shape into patties (about the size of your palm). Flatten a little as you place them onto the tray.

This will make approximately 18-20 patties, depending on the size of your patties.

Spray with a little oil, place in oven for approximately 15-20 minutes, remove when the Vege Patties are golden brown.

Serving Suggestions:

I serve this on the side with some plain yogurt and sweet chili sauce and salad OR as a burger with hummus, yogurt and sweet chilli.