As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been on a new eating plan in the last 2 months or so and that includes the elimination of sweeteners and sweet dried fruits, such as dates. It has been an interesting journey, at first it was really difficult, but over time it became really nice to feel so clean and eating foods which are only nourishing to my body, not eating for entertainment.

I think if you are reading this blog, you are most likely already into nutrition and healthy eating/living, so you're probably well informed and have a wealth of knowledge where nutrition is concerned. Regardless of all the "brainy" stuff we know, we can still choose to eat in a way that doesn't support our bodies, funny that. I find that once you strip away all the "extras", the body doesn't need much in order to operate at the highest level possible and, in striping away all the excess, you start to hear your body more clearly and listen to what it needs, as opposed to listening to what your mind says it wants; sugars, fats, carbs, caffeine, etc... If you have ever done a cleanse, you know what I'm talking about; by day 5 you're asking yourself  " why do i eat so much ? " And still, it's nice to have a little sweet treat every now and again, especially when you are having friends over and you want to stick to your "diet" ( i don't like the word diet, but hey-ho) hence this cookie recipe was born.

This recipe is really simple to make and, chances are, you have most of the ingredients in your kitchen already. Gotta love that! The result is a super crunchy, light cookie, which I think is hard to come by in raw foods, no? If you're not interested in eliminating sugars from your diet, then add some coconut sugar or maple syrup for a sweeter and more indulgent cookie.

Enjoy and savour every bite
Amy

Coconut Chia Cookies
Ingredients:
300g/ 3 c desiccated coconut
1/4 c lacuma / lucuma
1/4 c banana powder (could substitute coconut sugar)
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
1/4 c chia seeds, powdered in spice mill or vita
1/3 c yacon syrup (could substitute maple)
1 dropper vanilla creme stevia (optional)

Method:
- Soak the desiccated coconut in enough water to cover for 4 hours.
- Sieve the coconut, reserve soak water for smoothies
- Add all remaining ingredients and mix well with your hands to combine
- Spread the mix onto a teflex sheet to about 1/4 inch thickness and score into the sized cookies you'd like. Mine are really small and bite sized. You could also use a damp ring mould or cookie cutter to press the cookies into rounds.
- Dehydrate at 118 for 6 hours or until ready invert off the teflex and onto mesh.
- Dehydrate a further 10-12 hours or until brittle and crunchy.
- Allow to cool and then store in an air tight container.

Variations :
- Use maple syurp in place of yacon
- Use coconut sugar in place of banana powder or lacuma
- Add Coffee and/ or Banana Medicine Flower extracts
- Substitute banana powder for carob or mesquite powder
- Add 1/4c of ground cacao nibs
- Kick it up a notch with a scoop or two of your favourite protein powder

These actually have three different names: the Cape Gooseberry, the Goldenberry and the Incan berry. They are larger than a raisin or Goji berry, yellow/orange in color, has a flavor like a sweet and sour lemon candy and are full of tiny healthy seeds. Cultivated in the Incan Empire, these Incan berries are packed with nutrition.

Incan berries are considered a good source of vitamin P (bioflavinoids) and are rich in pectin. Hundreds of studies on bioflavinoids have demonstrated they possess antiviral, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, and antioxidant activities. They make a delicious, tart, and highly nutritious and exotic "raisin." They are high in phosphorous, vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B6, and B12. They are also extremely high in protein (16%) for a fruit.

Super Jam – Incan Orange Jam

You probably saw from the picture in yesterday’s post that we are doing a yellow Jam today. Today’s Super-Jam is Incan Berry and Orange.

Incan Berries are a real miracle berry. Like a large golden raisin but with a most unusual sharp and tart bitter/sweetness. Nutritionally they are rich in antioxidants, protein, vitamins especially A and C, and pectin which is great for jam making and the digestion alike. Here I combine it with Orange Juice and Bee Pollen for a truly sun-kissed flavour and nutritional hit...

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Incan Berries

250mls Orange juice (fresh is best but not essential)

4 Tsp Iswari Chia Seeds

2 Tbsp Iswari Coconut Sugar/Agave Syrup

1 ½ Tbsp Iswari Bee Pollen

Method:

1. Soak the Incan berries in Orange juice overnight, or for 8 hrs.
2. Add the Chia Seeds and allow to soak for 30mins.
3. Transfer to a food processor and add the Coconut Sugar and Pollen
4. Blend until Incans are mostly broken down.

Serve straight away or transfer to jar for later use.