Raw Chocolate Smoothie

Most of us aim for good health through the nutrient-rich food we eat in moderation and regular exercise. Our diets are comprised of seasonal, whole foods that tend to change with the transition of the climate. Lately Byron and I have been dining on slow-cooked soups from my crock pot but on the occasional warmer morning, I have been boosting my energy the natural way, with raw food smoothies.

Raw food: Energy the Natural Way

This is a vegan superfood smoothie, inspired by the benefits to be gained from raw-food living. It is filled with organic, raw ingredients and loaded with magnesium from cacao. The naturally stimulating energy from the cacao and rich green spirulina will help you to focus, to create or in my case, to study for university exams.

This smoothie beats a black coffee for longer lasting energy and takes less time to prepare. If your morning is golden and warm or perhaps you intend to go for a run along the beach today, then I would wholeheartedly suggest you try this smoothie for it's cool, delicious flavour.

Raw Chocolate Smoothie
Serves 1-2

1 ripe banana or avocado
1 Tbs raw cacao powder or nibs
1 tsp hemp oil
1 tsp agave nectar
1 tsp maca root powder
1/2 vanilla bean (seeds only)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp spirulina
1/2 to 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (homemade if you have it to avoid heat-treated milk!)
1/2 cup ice

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth. Taste and add additional agave to sweeten if required. Pour into serving glasses and sprinkle with additional ground cinnamon or cacao nibs. Enjoy on a verandah overlooking the sea.

Did you happen to notice my new indoor plant? I took a picture of it outside on our timber deck for these smoothie photos, however it is now sitting proudly on my small coffee table in the downstairs lounge room. I was so sick of being indoors with the recent rainy weather and seasonably cooler temperatures and was craving a little bit of nature inside my home. Although I may be cooped up for long hours of study in our small, warm seaside cottage, I now have a beautiful green Peperomia plant to brighten my day. I can feel the subtle, positive energy that comes from growing living plants inside my home and it cost less than ten dollars.

Money well spent.

Bella xx

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Peach and Blueberry Crumble

A while ago I baked golden gluten free amaretti biscuits. You can find the recipe here and to remind you, they looked like this:

Well the good news is that I saved some of the amaretti for this recipe (in all honesty I baked the amaretti for the purpose of creating a delicious crumble!).

Peach and Blueberry Crumble (Gluten Free)
Serves 4 to 6 hungry people

For The Baked Fruit

6 large peaches, halved, stones removed and flesh cut into wedges
3/4 cup of blueberries (frozen or fresh depending on the season)
1 large orange, juice only
1 Tbs Agave nectar

For the Crumble

2 Tbs almonds
2 Tbs shredded coconut
2 Tbs raw sugar
4 gluten free amaretti biscuits
1 slice gluten free fruit bread, torn into pieces (available at most large supermarkets, or make your own)
2 Tbs white rice flour
2 Tbs unsalted butter

Additional Ingredients
+1 Tbs slivered almonds
+1 Tbs shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (approximately 350 degrees Fahrenheit).

Grease a large ovenproof dish, glass is preferred so you can present the crumble at the dinner table, displaying the vivid pink and violet hues of the baked fruit under the delicious golden crumble.

Place peach wedges and blueberries into a large glass baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix orange juice with agave nectar, then pour evenly over fruit.

Place all crumble ingredients into a food processor (I used a Thermochef) and pulse until you have a crumbly texture (not too fine).

Pour crumble into a bowl, add additional slivered almonds and shredded coconut, then mix with a spoon to give your crumble a more crunchy texture.

Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the top of the fruit and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the crumble is golden.

Served hot or warm, this delightfully sweet peach and blueberry crumble is gorgeous by itself or served with a drizzle of your favourite vanilla bean custard.

We enjoyed our crumble by itself the night I baked it and had leftovers the next morning after a run on the beach, served warm in crystal glasses with a dollop of natural yoghurt.

There's nothing quite like having enough delicious baked dessert to savour the next day and it doesn't feel so naughty after exercising on a gorgeous Summer morning in the cool early light on a vast, deserted beach. I will miss the early daylight hours when Winter slowly creeps upon us and Summer goes to vacation with our friends in the northern reaches of the globe. It's not all bad though, because Winter brings the frost and the cold southern wind. On nights when this wind arrives to chill our bones, a peach and blueberry crumble will delight the soul.

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P.S What a wonderful response to the GIVEAWAY. Good luck to all of my new friends and don't forget if you haven't entered yet, there's still plenty of time.

Click here and follow the instructions, entry is easy!

Bella xx

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