Let me preface things with the confession that I don’t cook or bake. Before you judge me, you should also know I used to cook (a lot) and bake (a little – when chocolate was a main ingredient in a recipe). And my skills were quite respectable. But a number of changes occurred in my life that substantially affected my food prep habits. First of all, I slowly eliminated animal proteins from my diet. Initially I cut out red meats and then, upon reading Jonathan Saffron Foer’s Eating Animals, I fully converted to vegetarianism (I challenge anyone to read that book and not become vegetarian). And yes, that means I eliminated poultry and fish as well, because, guess what, the last time I looked, fish and birds are part of the animal and not the plant kingdom. But even before becoming vegetarian, my diet already consisted of a lot of raw foods, such as nuts and seeds, and home-blended vegetable and fruit juices. I have been gluten-sensitive for decades, so over the years, this was a natural progression for me. My current diet is approximately 70% raw and close to 95% organic (as long as I don’t venture far from home). Moreover, having moved into a very small footprint, which is about the size of an average hotel room, where just turning on a stove-top burner sets off my fire alarm, I simply stopped preparing cooked foods and baking. Instead, I do regular runs to The Big Carrot, an awesome organic grocery store in Toronto, that makes far more creative, wholesome, and varied organic dishes than I could ever hope to concoct myself. And that means that in my cupboard-challenged home, I can use my stove to store dry goods. Quite a practical use of space. This long intro is an obtuse way of saying I have not tested the following recipe. But despite the state of cooking, or lack of it, in my miniscule kitchen, I continue to take note of and clip out recipes just in case a vegan chef comes into my life to personally prepare healthy versions of such collected recipes. The following recipe does not need to be adjusted as it looks pretty darned healthy as is. I received it in a marketing eblast from Body One, a holistic spa that I frequent. I think it’s worth a try for those who can bake without setting off their fire alarm. But in case it doesn’t pass the full-bodied flavor test, keep a look out for a future blog post with a recipe for a never-fail organic chocolate cheesecake that’s so delish it should be illegal. 1. Whirl the following ingredients together in a blender or use an electric hand mouli to blend everything (but not beaten too smoothly as the mixture will become too dense and dry). · 19 oz can organic chickpeas, drained · 6 organic eggs · 7 squares unsweetened organic chocolate · Up to a cup of organic sugar (because of the dark chocolate) · ½ teaspoon organic baking powder 2. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and flour the bottom with chickpea flour. 3. Put half the mixture in, then add in dried cherries and pour remaining mixture on top (for a moister result). 4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for up to 45 minutes (a toothpick will draw out clean when it’s ready). 5. Set to cool. Turn out when firm and dress. To top the cake, you can make your own confectioner’s sugar by grinding organic sugar in a blender. Or make your own whipped cream using organic whipping cream combined with a touch of organic vanilla. |
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AuthorLuba Lesychyn (le-si-shin), author of Theft By Chocolate, considers herself one of the world's greatest chocolate and film lovers. Archives
May 2013
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