Chocolate coconut cream torte

This is an amazing raw cake recipe from health living food chef Eric Rivkin. He has conducted dozens of workshops all over the US and Costa Rica, and is one of the first live foods chefs to teach it in public schools, the American Culinary Federation, Olympic swimming coaches, and Miss USA titleholders. www.vivalaraw.org

Chocolate coconut cream torte

Bottom Layer Crust:

1 cup raw almonds or pecans, soaked 2 hours, rinsed 1 cup fresh or dried finely shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
¼ tsp cinnamon

Dash of cayenne
In a food processor with the S blade, mix until a crumb texture is reached. Set aside.
Coconut Cream Filling
2 cups firm young coconut pulp
5 bananas
1/4 cup coconut oil

4-5 pitted medjool dates
½ tsp vanilla extract or caviar scraped from 1 bean
Blend ingredients until creamy. Set aside and refrigerate.

6-8 large firm strawberries, de-stemmed and sliced 1/8” thick

Top Chocolate Layer
1 cup young coconut pulp
3 Tbsp coconut oil
½ cup raw cacao powder
3 pitted medjool dates
3 black mission figs
½ tsp vanilla extract or caviar scraped from 1 bean
¼ tsp cinnamon
Dash of cayenne
Blend ingredients until thick and smooth, adding just enough coconut water to turn over in blender. Set aside.

Garnish
1 cup assorted berries – raspberry, blueberry, sliced strawberries
1 tsp honey
Mint leaves (optional)
Blend the honey with about a few of the strawberries to make a glaze. Toss gently with the berries and mint and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Barre Workout

Barre Workout is the hottest fitness trend coming from US. Endorsed by many celebrities of the calibre of Madonna, Natalie Portman, Zooey Deschanel, Barre Workout combines Pilates, Ballet and Yoga moves, that will sculpt and streamline your whole body.

It will make you sweat and the pounds will come off, toning your legs, lifting your bum without adding bulk.It is taught only by few teachers here in London,  but it has reached an huge popularity in America, with devotees “touring” different Barre Workout classes, and then discussing them on dedicated websites.

You can get tailored, private Barre Workout in London at http://www.pilateswellness.co.uk .

Booty time

I know it is still freezing cold, but spring will be here in a matter of weeks. Soon you will be longing for warmer cities and far away places, but before you start packing up your sarongs and feminine dresses, ask yourself: is your body ready for the beach or the thought of wearing a bikini is filling you with apprehension?

Now is the right time to start looking after yourself, and think about those areas neglected for too long. Ballet barre workout will lift your bum, streamline your legs for a long, lean body like a ballet dancer.

Try ballet barre fitness with  www.pilateswellness.co.uk

Carrots, sweet potatoes and thyme soup

This is an amazing and heart-warming soup, perfect for an autumnal evening in. Totally fat free, rich in antioxidants and beta-carotene, and with a naturally “sweet” taste that will satisfy those of you on a low carbs diet.

Serves 2/3 people

Ingredients

• 4 carrots
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 onion
• a big bunch of thyme
• 1 organic stock cube ( Kalo)
• black pepper

Clean the carrots and sweet potatoes and chop them up. Clean and slice the onion. Put all the vegetable in a medium size pot, add water the stock, thyme and pepper, bring to boil then turn the temperature down and let it  simmer for at least an hour. Pour in a mixing bowl, and  in the mixer for a minute at a slow speed. When it reach a coarse, creamy texture put it back into the pot and let it simmer for a last  five minutes. The soup is ready.

Savvy girl tip: Soup can be easily frozen, so to provide a quick and healthy but delicious “ready meal” for those long days when you cannot be bothered to cook.

Great to use leftover organic carrots.

Simple quinoa salad

The main difference between quinoa and other grains is that quinoa contains many essential aminoacids, making it and excellent source for proteins. It is packed with minerals and vitamins like iron, magnesium and vitamin b12. It also contains fibres and it is gluten free making it an excellent alternative to cous cous.

Ingredients:

• 150 grams of quinoa
• 1 Courgette
• 1 or 2 carrots
• 1 pepper
• 1 tomato
• a handful of cherry tomatoes
• Extra-virgin olive oi
• Thyme or Greek basil to garnish

Preheat the oven at around 170c. Wash the vegetable and chop them in chunky pieces. put them in a roasting tin, add salt and pepper, sprinkle them with good quality olive oil and bake them for a good half an hour. in the meantime boil the water and prepare the quinoa, and when it’s ready put it into a big mixing bowl.  When the vegetable are ready, mixed them up with quinoa, add another dash of olive oil,  cherry tomatoes cut in half, the juice of the lemon, thyme or basil and a dash of balsamic (optional). Stir and let it rest for a few minutes, allowing the flavours to mix.

Time saver tip: you can prepare the vegetable in advance and the heat them up.  You can also prepare them few days in advance and frieze them.

Savvy girl tips: the dish will allow you to use up most of the vegetable left over.

Thought of the day

Green juice

It seems to be like the new celebrity trend of the moment. Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, Madonna, they all have been photographed with a bottle of the green stuff.

It might not look like the most appealing thing to drink, but nutritionists are swearing about the healthy properties of the  green vegetable juice.

Not surprisingly as green leafy vegetables  like kale, spinach and chard are packed with nutrients.  ” Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese” are all the nutrients that can be found in one of the “superfood” Kale.

Enjoy!