Valentine’s Love

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to share love with the people in your life. You don’t have to have a sweetie to celebrate, or to show yourself some love!

My favorite way is to indulge in delicious foods that taste great, benefit your heart, AND make you feel terrific! Here are two easy-to-prepare, guilt-free recipes you can make today!

Chococado Pudding

Serves 4

·       1/2 cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder

·       1/2 cup water

·       1/2 cup pure maple syrup

·       2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

·       1/2 teaspoon sea salt

·       2 just-ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped (avocado will feel soft, not mushy when pressed.)

Instructions:

1.      Put all ingredients except avocado in blender. Blend until well combined. Scrape down the sides.

2.      Add chopped avocado, blending and scraping down sides until super smooth.

3.     Divide between 4 dishes and chill at least one hour.

4.     Garnish with a sprinkling of cacao nibs or fleur de sel.

5.     This keeps well in the refrigerator for several days. It’s perfect for a make- ahead dessert for Valentine’s Day.

Avocados are a monounsaturated fat (aka “the good kind of fat”) that provide anti-inflammatory benefits to your cardiovascular system, lower your LDL cholesterol and reduce the levels of oxidative stress in your blood stream.

Cacao or cocoa powder is rich in polyphenols and antioxidants that reduce cholesterol in the blood, stimulate your brain, and have beneficial effects for the cardiovascular system, brain health and cognitive abilities.

Raspberry Mojito Mocktail

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Makes: 1 drink

Ingredients:

·       5-6 mint leaves

·       1 – 2 drops liquid pure stevia

·       1⁄4 c organic raspberry juice (see directions below)

·       2 tbsp fresh lime juice

·       1⁄2 c sparkling mineral water

·       3-4 fresh organic raspberries for garnish

·       1 lime slice for garnish

Directions:

1. Use raspberry juice or puree frozen raspberries in the blender and strain through a fine mesh sieve.

2. Add mint leaves to a tall glass and gently crush with a muddler or the back of a spoon to break down fibers and release oils until the mint is well bruised, but not mashed.

3. Fill glass with ice.

4. Add the raspberry juice, lime juice, stevia and sparkling mineral water.

5. Garnish with lime slice and fresh raspberries.

Raspberries are high in fiber, rich in polyphenols and antioxidants have been known to reduce cholesterol in the blood. (Smith, 2016)

I hope you like these recipes as much as I do, and that you have a day of healthy and delicious indulgences!