A homemade superfood — chocolate!
Our little belle turned three this week, which means the terrible twos are over! Or are they? I can hear the more seasoned parents out there laughing a nervous laugh.But we are 36 hours in and so far there haven’t been any hysterics. Perhaps some kind of miracle has occurred.It would certainly be nice to help her get dressed without a meltdown.Wise parents have suggested I allow plenty of time and leave her to it to remove the frustration.But last time I did that she wandered into the kitchen twenty minutes later, completely naked apart from pants on her head.And by pants I mean brightly coloured Dora knickers. American “pants” or trousers, might be more acceptable?Nevertheless I will persist and see if her clothing makes its way onto her body in the near future.And having sworn off wine for a few weeks, if those terrible twos return I will just have to whip up this grown-up chocolate fix as means of compensation.Last week, in very unusual circumstances, I wound up with some leftover melted chocolate.I’ve never really had leftover chocolate before, so I wondered what to do with it.But then a fun idea popped into my head inspired by Hotel Chocolat.I don’t recommend you Google them, but if you do, let me warn you that I am not liable for the impact on your bank account or waistline?To save you the online trip, let me just explain that Hotel Chocolat have some pretty amazing chocolate slabs. Literally sheets of chocolate swirled together with all sorts of amazing toppings.Once you have it in your possession, you literally take a hammer to it and break it up into haphazard chunks.Drooling yet? Don’t worry, I can help you make a healthy version at home.As you’ll see, this idea is really flexible and you can use any toppings you like. To make it healthier — I chose “superfood” toppings, foods that pack a serious punch from a nutritional perspective.I found pumpkin seeds, dried cherries, dried blueberries and organic coconut in my fridge.It was a great combination! And if you follow some of my recipes, you’ll probably have some of those things at home already.You could also try coconut, chia and cherry, or how about cranberry and pistachio?When I use dried fruit I use the Eden Organic brand from Supermart.I also try and use organic chocolate chips (Miles) or at the very least, a dark variety (most stores.)In my view, there’s absolutely no reason why healthy eating has to be boring. I hope this recipe demonstrates that.And if you want to learn more about my philosophy, check out my Nutrifit page online (www.nutrifit.bm) as I have just posted some more class dates.The evening class has sold out but I can accommodate a few more people at lunch time. Come and join in!Homemade Superfood ChocolateDark chocolate chips, preferaby organicUnrefined coconut oil (room temperature)Toppings! (I used pumpkin seeds, dried blueberries/cherries/shredded coconut)Note — there are lots of different methods for melting chocolate.I try and avoid the microwave and I also avoid the bowl-over-boiling-water method as I find it too tricky!The important thing is to make sure you don’t get any water at all in the chocolate, so your pan must be bone dry. And use an extremely low heat.1. Place your chocolate chips in a non stick pan, over an extremely low heat. Let them sit there. Be patient!2. When they start to look melty and wet, agitate them a little with a spoon. If they are about 80 percent melted through, move on to step 3, otherwise leave them a while longer.3. Take the chocolate off the heat and stir gently, allowing the remaining chunks to melt in the warm chocolate.4. Then add a little coconut oil to thin it a little. I always play this by ear but I guess I use about 1 tbsp per cup of chocolate chips. Maybe a little more. Stir well.5. Leave the pan to one side and cover a chopping board or plate with waxed paper. Pour your chocolate onto the waxed paper leaving enough room for it to spread.Shape it into a rectangle, circle or whatever you fancy. I have also made individual chocolate buttons this way, dropping teaspoons of chocolate onto the paper.6. Scatter your toppings on top and then place the whole thing (on the board) in the freezer to set. Takes less than half an hour.7. When you are ready to use it, break up the chocolate into chunks.To stop it going everywhere, it helps to have excess waxed paper on the sides that you can fold over to contain any airborne bits! Otherwise just place a separate sheet over the top.8. Store any that is leftover in an airtight bag or container in the freezer. Enjoy! (To see pictures of mine, pop onto my Facebook page.)The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is the Managing Director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a Registered Dietitian. For details, please go to www.natural.bm or call 236-7511. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda.