chocolate protein mousse

I recently bought some Bare Blends Organic Cacao WPI Native Whey Protein, which seems to be all the rage at the moment (it's delicious and relatively clean as far as protein powders go). It's all over Instagram in people's smoothies. However, I love to eat things. So I've been trying out ways to 'eat' it. 

This is my favourite way so far: a super-creamy chocolate mousse. 

As usual, the mousse is refined sugar-free and provides satisfying good fats (from the avocado) and antioxidants (from the raw cacao powder). Before you lose your hat about the addition of avocado, don't worry, you can't taste it. It just adds a smooth and creamy texture, which the whey protein further enhances.

ingredients

1 small avocado (or half a large one)
2 tbsp Bare Blends Organic Cacao WPI Native Whey Protein *
2 - 3 tbsp raw cacao powder **
1 - 2 tbsp rice malt syrup, raw honey or pure maple syrup

preparation

1. Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.

2. Serve with raw cacao nibs or crushed nuts sprinkled on top for crunch.


* You could use a different whey-based protein powder, but watch out for ones with preservatives and artificial sweeteners. Plant-based vegan protein powders may not give the same creamy texture, but could still be used.

** Adjust the amount of cacao powder to suit your taste (keeping in mind that the more cacao you add, the less likely you will be able to taste the avocado).

how to eat organic berries on a budget

Who loves berries? Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, boysenberries�they are my personal fruit of choice. They provide antioxidants, vitamins, fibre and are low fructose; all good things for your body and your health.

However, there are two initial problems. First, non-organic berries have some of the highest levels of pesticide residue and second, you practically have to take a loan out to buy fresh organic berries. 

My solution?

I buy frozen organic berries (usually blueberries or raspberries), which I pick up from my local organic grocery store. The brand I buy gives me 350g for about $8, whereas your typical 100g punnet of organic blueberries or raspberries is about the same price. Freezing the berries keeps them fresh, you can keep them on standby in your freezer and from what I have read, most of the nutrients are retained. 

However, there is a third problem. Once frozen berries are defrosted, they are wet. And sometimes a bit slimy. We shouldn't judge food by its cover, but the mouthfeel of slimy berries is not enticing.

My solution?

Coconut flour. If you're familiar with this stuff you'll know that it absorbs moisture like nobody's business (i.e. do not attempt to eat it by itself as it will dry up the back of your throat and choke you - I learnt this the hard way). It also has a lovely sweet flavour that works well with naturally tart berries. 

This is how I do it (image above):

1. Tip some frozen berries into a bowl. (Blueberries work best in my opinion). 

2. Defrost the berries by sitting the bowl in some hot water (or microwaving it if you're super short on time, but this isn't ideal). 

3. Lightly mash the defrosted berries with a fork to encourage some of the juices out, then stir through some coconut flour about half a teaspoon at a time. The coconut flour will soak up the excess moisture and coat the berries, but go slowly as you don't want to dry things out. 

4. Top with coconut flakes or shaved dark chocolate.

I also use this technique to make my Berry Coconut Parfaits. 

Enjoy!

I would just like to congratulate myself for getting through this post without any "berry nice" puns. It was tempting, but I resisted.

The Top Dozen Pesticide-Laden Produce + The Top Fifteen Cleanest Produce

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently released a list of produce containing the most pesticides (yuck!) ... and the least.  Do you want to know which of these foods are going into your body?  Check out the below list.  (For more information, including details on certain produce, check out this EWG page.)

THE 2014 "DIRTY DOZEN PLUS"
Apples
Strawberries
Grapes
Celery
Peaches
Spinach
Sweet bell peppers
Nectarines (imported)
Cucumbers
Cherry tomatoes
Snap peas (imported)
Potatoes
Hot Peppers
Kale

THE 2014 "CLEAN FIFTEEN" 
Avocados
Sweet corn
Pineapples
Cabbage
Sweet peas (frozen)
Onions
Asparagus
Mangoes
Papayas
Kiwi
Eggplant
Grapefruit
Cantaloupe
Cauliflower
Sweet potatoes

For more information, including details on certain produce, check out this EWG page.

Another Case for Organic: The Sweet Potato Project

So it certainly is not new news that conventional produce (unlike organic produce) is generally subject to chemical exposure and genetic modification.  Nonetheless, this girl's science project brings an astonishing visual demonstration to the effects of using chemicals on produce.  In her particular project, she compares sprouting between a conventional potato, an organically labeled potato, and an organic potato from a certified organic market.  The project raises the question of what health effects (if any) chlorpropham can have on those who consume conventional potatoes and other produce that contain the chemical.  The project also raises the question of why is there a difference in sprouting between organically-labeled produce and produce from a certified organic market.  If you haven't seen this video yet, I encourage you to do so.

MORE INFO:

THE POTATO PROJECT

CHLORPROPHAM (AKA BUD NIP)

Why Organic?

Here are some of the many reasons I prefer organic ...

10 Dirty Fruits and Veggies