Health News (Week 13 – 2013)
By Robert Redfern

Here in Mallorca it is religious festival time and a holiday weekend. These occasions seem to trigger permission to eat and drink the worst possible unhealthy sugars, foods, drink, all in the name of celebration.

‘There you go again Robert’, I hear you say! At least some of you send me emails asking me to lighten up! I do get a lot of emails from readers saying these holiday/festival times are a real problem keeping the family happy, which I do understand.

It occurs to me I haven’t been addressing the issue of ideas for really healthy recipes and menus. That will change over the coming weeks and every week there will be some help to address the challenges of living a really healthy life.

This week I asked my wife Anne and Olivia, our youngest daughter, to come up with the most delicious really healthy Easter holiday treat and take a snapshot to show the finished product. Remember – it is always healthier to make your own (as long as you are using ‘healthy’ ingredients) and to stay away from vegetable fats, sugar, dairy, grains, wheat, flour and so on..

The treats below have NO dairy, NO grains, NO sugar and use ingredients such as Coconut Oil, Almond Flour and raw Cacao Powder, all providing ‘healthy’ benefits. I have been told they are really easy to make -what would I know!?

I leave it to you to choose your favorite and I will be sitting on the fence to keep the peace…

Anne’s Chocolate Cake…

  • 1/2 cup sultanas soaked for 12hrs
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened carob powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine celtic sea salt
  • 1/2 Cup fresh orange juice + grated skin (rind) of 1 medium orange

Instructions

  1. Place the sultanas in a food processor and pulse until completely pureed
  2. Add banana and continue to pulse until pureed and combined with the sultana
  3. Add the fruit purée to the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs, vanilla, coconut oil and orange juice, grated skin and mix on low-medium speed until well combined
  4. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl
  5. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low-speed, scraping down the sides, until you have a smooth batter
  6. Grease a 8×8 glass pan with coconut oil, pour in the batter and smooth it with the back of a spatula
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean

Makes 9-12 servings

Olivia’s Chocolate Brownies…

  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • ½ cup organic raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon agave nectar
  • 2 mashed ripe bananas
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup almond meal

Instructions

  1. Preheat a fan oven to 160° Celsius (325° Fahrenheit)
  2. Mix the coconut oil, cacao powder and cinnamon in a bowl and combine well
  3. Add the coconut milk, agave nectar and almond meal and mix until combined
  4. Mix in the egg Mash in banana
  5. Spoon the mixture into the greased tin and smooth the surface of the mix Place in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes.
  6. Insert a skewer to check – the stick should come out with a bit of the mix on it. This means extra fudginess once it has cooled! Remove and allow to cool to room temperature

Topping

  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp coconut sugar
  • 2 tbsp cacao powder

Whatever you are doing this weekend I wish you and your family good health, prosperity and love.

As ever, if you have any questions click, ‘Contact Me’ at the top and select ‘Robert’s Questions’. Here your question will come through to me directly and I will answer in the strictest of confidence.