Chocolate cakes are relatively healthy desserts if you use good quality chocolate with high percentage cacao. Now days, organic dark chocolate are available almost everywhere, and will allow to make this recipe even more healthy.

In addition, this recipe does not use wheat, so it can be tasted by anyone, even people having allergies.

Sugar is not considered as healthy but brown sugar or honey will be a better choice than white sugar. Be careful to allergies. Some people may be allergic to honey.

History of Chocolate:

The cacao seeds were discovered in South America, 2000 years ago, by the Maya and Aztec populations. Later, in the 1500s, the Spanish conquistadors brought the seeds in Europe. Since then it is the favorite desert of European and North Americans.

Ingredients for 8 to 10 servings:

• 800 gr dark chocolate (70% or more)
• 180 gr butter
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup sugar

Optional: orange juice 1/4 cup or orange zest, vanilla seeds, ginger powder, pepper/species (not for children)

Time Required:

20 minutes preparation

20 minutes cooking

Preparation:

• Before starting the recipe, if it is possible, put the butter out of the fridge on a counter top to warm-up at room temperature.
• Spray a round baking cake pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter spread a thin layer of butter.
• Just before starting, preheat oven at 180ºC or 350ºF.
• Cut the chocolate in several big pieces.

Directions:

1. In a large pan, heat the butter over low heat, pour over the chocolate, stir together chocolate and butter until you get a homogenous paste.
2. Stir in four eggs and sugar. Mix well.
3. Optional: add a taste of orange, vanilla or ginger. Pour orange juice and mix well. Do not put too much juice (the cake will be too liquid). Add vanilla seeds or ginger powder and mix well.
4. Spread batter in the baking pan sprayed with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 180ºC or 350ºF, until center of the cake gives slightly when touched with finger or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out dry.
6. Optional: decorate the cake by dusting powdered white sugar and/or chocolate chips
7. Let cool completely before cutting.

Aloo Gobi (potato and cauliflower curry)

In ode to my brother venturing over to India in a week I thought I would include a classic Indian curry. We ate this dish at least once a day sometimes even for the odd breakfast. If you like spice then just throw in a couple more chillis. Yum.

Ingredients

• 2 lb potatoes, diced

• 1 large cauliflower, broken into small
  flowerettes the same size as the potato pieces

• 1 onion

• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

• 1 piece of ginger, finely chopped

• 1 pinch ground coriander

• 1 small pinch chilli powder

• 2tablespoons sunflower oil

Method

Heat up the ghee or oil in a heavy bottom pan and add the cumin and mustard seeds. When the seeds start popping, add the onion and the ginger and stir fry for a minute on medium heat. Add the potatoes stir fry for five minutes, then add the cauliflower, 1 glass of water and the remaining spices and stir. Turn the heat down to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally.Until the potatoes are soft (about 25 minutes). Serve with rice or chapatis.

This recipe has many variations. Instead of one cup of dried fruit, you can use 1/2 cup fruit and 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips just to add a little bit of choclate goodness to your Thursday.

Ingredients

Makes 20 cookies

• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup dried peaches, apricots or other dried fruit, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup sliced almonds or other chopped nuts
• 1 Tbs. cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, optional

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300F.
2. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually beat in sugar until meringue forms stiff, yet billowy, glossy peaks. Set aside.
3. Mix dried fruit, nuts, cornstarch and cinnamon, if using, in separate bowl. Fold meringue into nut mixture.
4. Spoon heaping tablespoon-sized dollops onto greased baking sheet or sheet lined with parchment paper (or for ease, use 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop to drop perfect mounds).
5. Bake 40 minutes, or until meringues are lightly browned, set on outside and spring back when gently pressed in centers.

We made a batch with the choclate chips and they were gone after one afternooon. Yum.

Cranberries a bright spot of color pack a powerful on the winter fruit punch of flavor landscape. Cranberries were once known as “bounce berries” because of their springy resilience. The bright red berries grow on vining shrubs in sandy bogs across the northern united States moist clime of Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Washington, and Oregon. Organic cranberry bogs provide a pesticide-free wetland habitat for other plants and aquatic animals, both conventional and organic bogs recycle copious amounts of water used to harvest berries and protect them from frost.

Native Americans prized the cranberry for its nutritional and medicinal properties, and today’s scientists agreeing saying that cranberries, which are among the richest sources of disease-fighting antioxidants, help prevent F. coil bacteria from adhering to the body’s cells and causing infection. This finding explains cranberries’ reputation for preventing urinary tract infections and has implications for alleviating gum disease. Other recent studies suggest that cranberries may lower the levels of LOL (or “bad’ cholesterol), inhibit the growth of certain cancers, and have heart-healthy effects similar to those of red wine. There are plenty of ways to enjoy the fresh berries more naturally. Cranberries are very tart, so a good way to eat them is to combine them with higher-quality sweeteners or other naturally sweet foods.” Weill makes a lightly sweet cranberry sauce that combines cranberries, pears, apples, and maple syrup. Cranberries are at their peak through December Refrigerate them for up to a month, or seal them in a plastic bag and freeze them for up to nine months.That way, you can enjoy their goodness all year long.

Cranberry Relish

A sharp, fruity relish that complements any winter Sunday roast.

Ingredients

450g /1lb fresh cranberries
290ml/10fl oz water
340g/12oz sugar
½ orange, juice only or 3 tbsp port.

Method

1. Put the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the water and heat gently until the sugar dissloves.
2. Add the cranberries and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and strain in the orange or port if used, then return to the heat.
3. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the cranberries have burst and are tender.
4. Leave to cool.

YW note

This is a hearty treat for Winter that will bring back the balance after a long day at work. You can always add somemore vegetables if you feel like you want to have even more of a veggie feast. I would recommend throwing in some courgettes or mushrooms.

Ingredients

1 large eggplant unpeeled, cut crosswise into 1-inch slices
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing on bread
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
½ cup bell pepper, chopped
½ cup celery diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes with basil, with juices, coarsely chopped
¼ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup pitted black olives
1 tablespoon capers, drained
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon salt
14 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
14 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 baguettes, sliced

What to do

Preheat oven to 35oF.Place eggplant on grill pan and brush both sides generously with 2 tablespoons of oil. Grill 4 inches from heat until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Cool, cut into cubes, and set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium warm i tablespoon of oil. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic, and sauté until soft, about minutes, adding
oil if needed.
Stir in eggplant, tomatoes and their juice, vinegar, olives, capers, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and continue simmering, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick and juice is almost gone, about o to i¼ hours.
Stir in pine nuts and let cooL Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate several hours. Bring to room temperature before serving
Place baguette shces on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake io minutes. To serve, top each baguette slice with a spoonful of caponata.

Make sure you have a couple of extra spoonfuls of the caponata, you need to keep your energy up!

Alu Roti

It has been said that a little ghee will help loosen up tight
hamstrings and from an Ayurvedic point of view it’s recommended for a host of
ailments ranging from poor digestion to memory loss. How does ghee differ from regular butter?

Ayurveda places ghee, or clarified butter, at the top of the oily
foods list, as it has the healing benefits of butter without the
impurities (saturated fat, milk solids. I have heard so much positive feedback from the golden stuff  being beneficial for the whole body, Ifelt the need to add it into our recipe of the week.

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Roti
4 cups whole-wheat flour
9 tablespoons ghee
1 cup cold water

Filling
2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 tablespoons ghee, clarified butter
½ cup onions, minced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garam masala
‘/e—½ teaspoon fresh green chilies, minced
½ cup fresh cilantro, minced Juice of ½ lemon
14 cup ghee, melted

Combine flour and tablespoons ghee with your hands in a large bowl until mixture resembles btcadcrumbs. Add water and knead until it forms a firm, smooth dough. If dry add more water, tablespoon at a time, and knead again. Cover, and set aside for 30 minutes.
While the dough rests, cook potatoes
a large pot of salted, boiling water until th”re soft, about 20 minutes. Drain, mash, and set aside.
Heat 3 tablespoons ghee in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until soft ( minutes). Add salt, cumin, garam masala, chilies, and potatoes. Stir until mixed well. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro and lemon juice.
4 Divide dough into 12 evenly sized balls. On a lightly floured surfaced, roll out the dough into 4-inch circles. 5 Place ‘/12 (about i to 2 tablespoons) of the filling in the center of each circle. Carefully bring the edges of the dough up and pinch them together to enclose the filling.
6 Gently flatten each roti down into a 4-inch circle. Keep them coveted with a damp cloth until you are done. 7 Cook roti in a dry, heavy-bottom or nonsrick frying pan over medium-high heat for about x minute. Flip over and cook other side.
8 Brush the roti with a little melted ghee, and cook oiled side for 2 minutes Then brush some melted ghee on top, flip, and cook 2 minutes, until lightly browned on both sides.

Dear yogi’s,

Today I am excited to announce the publishing of our first ever video.

It is a short introductory film which will hopefully give you an idea of the ambience we aim for during our yoga classes. As we journey through 2010 we plan to launch a new area within the website, where for a small subscription fee you will be able to access High Definition (HD) video classes and workshops.

We would like to see people from all over the UK and potentially further a field to have access to yoga tuition, even if there are no studios near to their homes. Please keep you eyes peeled for these exciting changes and introductory specials offers.

All thats left to say is Happy New Year! Heres to an exciting 2010 during which all our dreams come true!

Ingredients

For the rice pudding
50g/2oz butter
75g/3oz sugar
125g/5oz round-grain pudding rice
750ml/1pint 7fl oz milk
seeds scraped out from 2 vanilla pods
150ml/6fl oz double cream
pinch salt
For the apple compote
75g/2oz butter
100g/3oz demerara sugar
4 Bramley apples, peeled and diced
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg

What to do

1. For the rice pudding, preheat the oven to 140C/280F/Gas 1.
2. Place a saucepan onto a medium heat and add the butter and sugar.
3. Add the rice and cook until it puffs up.
4. Add the milk, vanilla pod seeds, cream and a pinch of salt and bring to the boil.
5. Stir well to combine.
6. Pour into an ovenproof dish and bake for 2-2½ hours.
7. For the apple compote, place a saucepan onto a medium heat and add the butter and sugar.
8. Add the apples and spices and stir to combine.
9. Bring to a simmer and cook until the apples have softened but still retain some texture.
10. Allow to cool.
11. To serve, place a spoonful of rice pudding in a bowl and top with a dollop of apple compote.

A quick and easy curry

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 30 mins

Ready in 30 mins

Ingredients

• 2 orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 200g spinach, washed & roughly chopped
• 4 naan bread , warmed through
• 400g tin coconut milk
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 2-3 madras curry paste , depending on how hot you like your curry

What to do

1. Fry the onions until very soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the paste and fry for 2 minutes.
2. Add the coconut milk and sweet potatoes and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir through the spinach until wilted. Serve with naan breads.

This is a great curry to see you through the Winter months,

Namaste,

Carolx

As the cold, dark nights draw in, November is the month for hunkering down in the kitchen and cooking up comforting vegetable stews and curries. November brings with it a frost that works wonders on parsnips. It is also the season to enjoy tart cranberries and buttery chestnuts. Lots of seasonal tasty delights to get stuck into.

Flapjacks are a lovely snack to make for your mid week. Just to make sure you always have something healthy to nibble on.

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time 10 to 30 mins

Ingredients

100g/3½oz oats
3 tbsp honey
50g/1¾oz self-raising flour
1 free-range egg
4 tbsp dried cranberries
5 tbsp butter

What to do

1. In a bowl mix together the oats, honey, self-raising flour, egg and dried cranberries. This should form a thick batter.
2. Melt the butter in a thick based non-stick frying pan. Spoon the mixture into small rounds.
3. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden.
4. Serve the flapjacks warm. Mmmmmm.

Enjoy your healthy and above all tasty snack,

Namaste

Lx