Chocolate Workshop: Sunday 8th March 2015: 9am-1pm

Easter looming around the corner is the perfect excuse to run a chocolate workshop! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if parents (and their kids!) could make their own nutritious and delicious chocolates without having to resort to  additive-laden poor-quality commercial varieties?

In this workshop we will be covering how to make:

(a) chocolate block/slab
(b) chocolate slice
(c) chocolate hazelnut spread (the real “nutella”)
(d) chocolate ice-cream
(e) hot chocolate pudding
(f) raw chocolate mousse
(g) Mexican hot chocolate with chilli, orange and coconut milk

The above just about covers the entire range of my favourite ways to consume chocolate!! Chocolate cake will be covered in my gluten-free cakes and muffins workshop coming up soon! Chocolate smoothies will be covered in my bone broth workshop (yes really!) and breakfast workshops- both coming up later this year.

We will be cooking with unprocessed fermented raw cacao powder. We will not be using any refined sweeteners – only natural unprocessed sweeteners or whole fruit. All recipes are grain-free but 3 contain dairy.

Cost is $140 per person and includes:

• information handout with step by step guides and recipes
• nutritional theory discussion on raw cacao powder, raw cacao butter, carob, chocolate and sweeteners
• practical demonstration
• hands-on experience
• food tasting and lots of it!!!!

This workshop is ideal for:

• those who are grain-free or gluten-free
• chocolate lovers who want to learn how to make their own nutrient-dense healthy chocolate sweets and desserts using only unprocessed nutritious ingredients
• people who want to transition off processed chocolate and want a healthy substitute for themselves or their family members
• people who want to try new things and eat lots of chocolate! YES PLEASE!!!

When: 9am – 1pm  Sunday 8 March 2015

Where: 23 Kent Street, Waverley, 2024

Spaces limited. If there is an oversubscription of interest,  I will run another class on Sunday 22 March. Or let me know which of these 2 dates you prefer!

RSVP:  To secure your spot you will need to:

1. text me on 0407 871 884 to confirm that there are spaces available. Spots can only be reserved for 24 hours; and
2. transfer $140 (referencing your FIRST AND SURNAME and ‘CHOC’) into my bank account:

Account name: star anise organic wholefoods (aust) pty ltd

BSB: 062 000
Account no: 15110110

Places will book up quickly!

 

Cancellation policy: once funds are deposited into my bank account they are non-refundable but can be transferred to another cooking class/workshop upon 48 hours notice.

Modern Greek Salad

I love traditional wholefoods made with a modern twist.  This way we can still reap all of the nutritional benefits of foods that we are designed to eat and make us thrive, but frocked up for this contemporary world. A bit like a hopeless romantic with a dirty mind (it is Valentines Day after all).

I recently shared a recipe for Fig Brie and Rocket salad now that figs are in season. Figs are still afoot (I picked some up yesterday in Just Organics) and I happened upon some pomegranate in my gathering expedition which sadly is not organic… I bought it from the supermarket (gasp!)  but i figure that its thick outer skin acts as a pretty good protectant from any chemicals that may have been sprayed on it…. and for me pomegranate  is a one-a-year purchase, so I’m not so phased. So with figs and pomegranate – 2 quintessential wog staples- my mind went to work on reinventing the Greek salad.

Ingredients

4 handfuls of rocket
8 fresh small ripe figs (or 6 large figs), cut into quarters (I prefer to leave skin on)
70 grams feta, cut into cubes
4 radishes, thinly sliced (optional)
½ pomegranate
½ cucumber, thinly shaved on the diagonal with a vegetable peeler
½ small red onion, thinly sliced in rounds
handful of green olives
2 tablespoon extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
unrefined salt
cracked pepper

Directions

1. Blend the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice with a stick blender or whisk until well mixed to make a dressing.
2. Arrange rocket on a round serving plate. Arrange the figs, feta, radishes, pomegranate, cucumber, red onion slices and green olives all around the plate.
3. Dress with oil/vinegar/lemon dressing, and season with salt and pepper before serving.
4. Serve as an entrée or a side to a main meal.

Serves 4.

Tonight this was prepared and served within 15 minutes post-beach as a special Valentines dinner with my 2 greatest loves – Will and Michaela- with seared pastured steak drizzled with Worcestershire sauce, my cultured veggies and a cup of gelatinous chook broth. Frangipanis, assorted shells and candle on the table care of Michaela “because this is a special day mummy”.

Opa! ….. and Kali Orexi!

Fig, Brie & Rocket salad

Figs remind me so much of my dad and his precious fig trees. In true Cypriot style, he has built his own enclosure for them to keep those pesky birds away, fully netted and complete with fake rubber snakes. Gotta love it. One of the numerous reasons why I LOVE summer is because figs are in season, although their time on the produce store is always fleeting- so try to get your hands on them quick before they disappear! I bought some of these deliciously sweet and delicate fruit of the Gods other day in my gathering expedition, and threw this salad together which was a big hit with the kids.

Ingredients

4 handfuls of rocket
6-8 fresh ripe figs, cut into quarters (I prefer to leave skin on)
1 small round of brie (or camembert) cheese, cut into thin wedges
½ cucumber (I prefer the Lebanese variety), thinly shaved on the diagonal with a vegetable peeler
½ small red onion, thinly sliced in rounds
balsamic vinegar
extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
unrefined salt
cracked pepper

Directions

Arrange rocket on a round serving plate. Arrange the figs, brie, cucumber and red onion slices all around the plate. Dress with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and pepper before serving.

Serve as an entrée or a side to a main meal.

Serves 4.

When figs are out of season you could substitute rehydrated dry figs but nothing beats the fresh variety for its unique taste, texture, nutrition and appearance.