FLOWER POT KITCHEN: BIG GIRLS DIET AVOCADO CHOCOLATE CACAO MOUSSE

3 Jul 2014

BIG GIRLS DIET AVOCADO CHOCOLATE CACAO MOUSSE

Outstandingly good! Whats more not only can you make this in under five minutes it is so good for you, decadently rich in natural chocolate, low in calories and packed full of healthy essential fats, when eaten in moderation these medium chain fatty acids are used up faster in the body and less likely to be stored as fat, moderation is the answer to this pudding, a couple of portions a week is healthy.

Prep time 5 minutes / chilling time 1 hour if you can wait !

Nutrition guide: 150 kcal, 3g protein, 12g carbs, 12g fats, 2g sugar

The science bit...

High quality cacao is such a super food, the flavanoids in the cacao prevent fat like substances from oxidising in the blood stream and from clogging up the arteries. Cacao is powerful on the central nervous system, so over indulging could interfere with calcium retention. 60g a day is a good healthy guide. In it's raw form it contains anandamide this induces euphoria, along with phenylethylamine which both are mood enhancers. There is a question that adding dairy to your cacao inhibits the absorption of nutrients, coconut milk is a great substitute.

The avocado has vitamin B6, K, C, E, avocado's are a perfect food that produces compounds necessary for your liver to cleanse toxins. 67% mono-unsaturated good fats as oleic acid, 19% fat as palmittic acid & linoleic acid, 14% saturated fat, potassium, folic acid, iron, maganese, zinc, copper, selenium, calcium, high in fibre and helpful in lowering blood cholesterol.

The coconut milk is rich in fibre, vitamin C, E, B1, B3, B5, iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magesium, phosphorous and is lactose free.

INGREDIENTS

(serves 3)

1 medium ripe avocado

2 tsps honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

100ml coconut milk

1/4 cup of good quality cacao powder

(I grind my chocolate powder from Willie's cacao)

So quick and simple, just place all the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth, this will keep for a week in the fridge, you don't need a large portion of this as it is very rich, a little goes a long way, which means you can have this more often.

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LIFE MY PASSION

Welcome to my daily life of cooking, one winters day many years ago my family and I were all inspired by a back to back rainy day of River Cottage this got us to stop talking about and start actually doing, suddenly three weeks later eight vegetable beds were dug, greenhouse erected and our first vegetables were propagating, this was the start to raising and growing our own food, our fabulous son Oscar changed our path in life which lead us to sell our small thriving restaurant of 10 yrs and to start our new life (Terrifying!) a life of the self sufficient in touch with nature and seasons, taking a step back and looking forward to a slower change of pace and making the most of every moment.

My passion for cooking was stronger than ever and having time at home with Oscar I found I had a new direction and I was no longer striving for perfection, I was suddenly very passionate for the enjoyment of the other side of food, something I had not realised, being the Chef/Cook and every other duty of your own small restaurant made me see that I never actually took time to cook what I wanted!

So there I was muddy boots and hands digging deep in more than one sense and I found myself transported back in time to where everyone grew some of their own food, it is a wonderful world with a real sense of achievement and loss, Slugs Snails and Caterpillars! But thats another story! Childhood memories of summers when I lived with my grand parents reminded me of so much that I had learnt about the make do and mend generation that I had forgotten.

Now as a family we love our free wild food days where we gather what nature has provided, have gone from being mini mini garden urban small holders, who did raised pigs at home because we could not wait to find land and supporting ourselves from our garden to now owning a very small farm that allows us to grow more vegetables for the whole of our family and neighbours, raise our own gorgeous Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, (Sausages!) and pets! Dorset Down sheep, chickens for eggs and pet goats! Suddenly having large quantities of produce started to wake up the Cook in me!

The Cook was awake that part of me that wants to cook for the masses and I found myself setting up Flowerpot Kitchen, a Farmers Market Stall, I wanted to use our honest raised meats and make old fashioned pork pies, rabbit pies and game pies from the local game keeper along with old fashioned techniques and the best hot water crust pastry. This in turn grew to a small cottage industry from home weekly supplying three farm shops and a deli along with also attending three farmers markets A few years later there came a time when my son Oscar's health changed and it was an easy decision to stop.

I still hold the occasional pop up 40 seater restaurant or gourmet lunch which we do for local charities for the love of sharing food and to remind that Cook in me why I love our go slower self sufficient life!

So here I am sitting amoung the vegetables watching the chickens loving that every season nature teaches me something new and that nature is in charge! She has taught me to just go with it and grow. Give it a try from a tray of salad on your windowsill to a few tomato plants it all counts.