We're going to a friends birthday party tonight. He is a gourmet chef to the stars and *he requested* I bring him a cacao magic cake! He is in LOVE with my superfoods which is such a complement (and accomplishment!). I get really excited when I can help someone who is the extreme opposite in terms of nutrition and health (he cooks with a lot of butter/cream etc) be inspired to get more nutrient dense foods into their daily life! I hope he loves this cake as much as I do... I tasted it as I was making it and it was absolutely Divine!

Here's what I created: 

Cacao Magic Crust

-1 3/4 C dry raw almonds

-5 T Cacao Magic powder

-3 1/2 ounces date paste

-1 t liquid vanilla

1/8 t pink sea salt

Mocha Filling

-3 C soaked raw cashews (only need to soak 2 hours)

-1 1/4 C espresso (use decaf if you don't wanna be WIRED!)

-3/4 C almond milk

-1/2 C agave nectar

-1/2 C cacao magic honey

-2 oz cacao magic powder

1/4 C liquid vanilla

1/4 t sea salt

1 1/4 C coconut butter (cheap on vitacost.com)

blend ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender until smooth and creamy. Pour filling into springform pan with prepared crust. Put into freezer for 1-2 hours or until middle of cheesecake is firm to the touch.

Decorate with Raw Cacao Sauce!

Raw Cacao Magic Sauce

-1 C almond mylk

-2 oz Cacao Magic powder

-1.4 C agave or Cacao Magic honey

-1/4 C liquid vanilla

1/4 t pink sea salt

blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy! will last up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. dip strawberries into for a healthy treat or use as a superfood sauce on vegan ice cream!

other fun recipes using Cacao Magic:

-Black bean healthy truffles 

-Healthy breakfast cookies

-Chocolate chia seed pudding

-Cacao Magic grawnola 

Have a grateful day! ♥

Leo's cousin, Omri and my sister-in-love came to visit this weekend! Omri and Leo are only 7 weeks apart and soooo sweet together. Today I was making Philosophie Superfood Smoothies for the hubby, sista, Kai (my toddler) and myself and the babies WENT NUTS for it. We gave them little tastes which then turned into huge gulps. Lots of grabbing and whining for it. They were SO happy and elevated... all of us giggling, jumping, loving-- high on the superfood magic.

Here's the recipe I used (I tripled it for all of us):

• 8 oz coconut mylk (can use almond, hemp or oat mylk)
• 1 T Green Dream
• 1 T Cacao Magic
• 2 handfuls frozen organic kale
• 2 ice cream scoops of coconut mylk Mint Chip vegan "ice cream"
• fresh mint (about 10 leaves)
• 1 T Cacao Nibs
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 T sunflower seed butter (could use any nut butter)
• 2 handfuls of ice

BLEND!

In Joy....with those you love most!!!!

The Jaffe Family <3

Fiber breakfast cookies with Cacao Magic

You know how you’ve heard people say “eat dark chocolate” for antioxidants and abundant health? Yeah, that’s because of UNPROCESSED, RAW, VEGAN Chocolate… CACAO! Cacao powder is chocolate in it’s most raw and nutritious form. The Philosophie Cacao Magic has Cacao nibs, Cacao powder, Tocos (Vitamin E- good for skin and nails), Mesquite (high in iron & protein), Maca (good for energy & balancing mood) and 3 medicinal mushrooms that are excellent for anti-aging, preventing cancer* and healing the body.

WET INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup chopped prunes or prune puree*
• 1/4 cup sweetener (such as maple, brown rice or agave syrups)
• 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 1/4 cup nut butter (such as almond, pumpkin seed or tahini)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg or 1/2 ripe banana
• 1 tsp vanilla

DRY INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup whole grain flour (or gluten-free flour)
• 1/2 cup psyllium
• 1/2 cup ground flax
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup or more of nuts, seeds, trail mix, or chopped dried fruit
• 2 TBL or more of Philosophie Cacao Magic

*to give them a sweeter taste, you could add chocolate chips!

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place chopped prunes in a blender and just cover with boiling water. Let soak while you prepare the dry ingredients. Also, lightly oil a large baking sheet and preheat oven to 350.
2. Measure all dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Measure all wet ingredients into the blender with the soaked prunes (do not drain), then liquify and stir into dry ingredients, combining well. Drop batter by the heaping tablespoon onto the greased cookie sheet and flatten just a bit with wet fingers or the back of a wet spoon. Bake for 15 minutes. Make sure you have a glass of water or cup of tea with each cookie. Makes about 20 cookies.

This recipe makes the cookies slightly crunchy on the outside. For a softer cookie double the amount of prune puree and apple sauce. This will make them almost muffin-like.

Enjoy!

This amazing recipe was contributed and created by Julie Collier–THANK YOU, JULIE! Please keep sharing your delicious, creative recipes, Philosophie lovahs! I’ll keep posting them as you send them in!

Kelp noodles rawk!!! 

They are virtually calorie free and don’t taste like the sea at all. There is no sugar, gluten, wheat, rice or flour. Kelp is known to aid the metabolism, boost energy, aid in digestion and they contain an abundance of minerals.
Ingredients for Raw, Vegan Pesto Kelp Noodles:

*2 packages Kelp Noodles

*2 large bushels of fresh Basil leaves

*1 Cup fresh Spinach

*1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

*1/2 Cup raw Pinenuts

*2 fresh Garlic cloves

*1/2 Teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt

Directions: 

1) soak kelp noodles in warm/hot water for at least 20 minutes. Drain and  wring out excess water.

2) combine all ingredients in food processor/Cuisinart (except kelp noodles)

3) taste the pesto. It may need more sea salt or garlic for your taste. Also, if it's too chunky, add more olive oil or a little bit of filtered water. If it's too watery, add more pine nuts or spinach/basil.

If you want a variation, try my recipe for Cheezy Kelp Noodles!

What are superfoods?

Superfood is a term sometimes used to describe food with high phytonutrient content that may provide health benefits as a result. For example, blueberries are often considered a superfood (or superfruit) because they contain significant amounts of antioxidants,, vitamin C, manganese, and dietary fiber. You don't need specific foods for specific ailments. A healthy diet incorporating a variety of the following superfoods will help you maintain your weight, fight disease, and live longer. One thing they all have in common: Every superfood is going to be a 'real' (unprocessed) food, you don't find fortified potato chips in the superfood category.

How can I use and incorporate superfoods in my daily life?

• Beans
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Dark Chocolate (RAW chocolate is best!)
• Oats
• Oranges
• Pumpkin
• Salmon
• Soy
• Spinach
• kale
• Tea (green especially)
• Tomatoes
• hemp seeds
• Walnuts
• almonds
• chia seeds
• Yogurt

if you click on the words above I offer other posts I've written with more info about the wonderful superfoods and also a few recipes to use them in!

 All of my superfood blends have all the best superfoods in one place. No need to purchase them all separately, just buy one bag instead of 8! 

Cacao Magic superfood blend has raw Cacao powder, raw cacao nibs, tocos (vit E for hair, skin, nails) chia seeds (good fats to burn bad fat), maca (balances mood), reishi (chinese immunity herb), cordyceps (chinese herb for weightloss) and chaga (energizing herb with no caffeine).

The Green Dream superfoods have chia seeds, maca, mesquite (high in iron), tocos, spirulina, hemp powder and fresh vanilla bean.

Our Berry Bliss superfood blend has camu camu (top antioxidant food in the world), pomegranate, acai (combats stress), goji (prevents heart disease) organic whey protein (recovery & rejuvenation-very clean protein source) tocos (improves digestion, glowing skin & strong nails from Vitamin E) camu camu (immunity) and mangosteen (antibiotic & anti-fungal).

the Yummiest Superfood Yet ... Dark Chocolate

Research has shown that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants and can lower blood pressure. It's recommended that you look for chocolate with 60% or higher cocoa content; the darker, the better! In addition, the darker it is, the lower the fat and sugar content. Now that's my kind of health food!

here are two recipes using dark chocolate/cacao (chocolate in it's most raw form):

1. Peppermint Patty Recipe

2. Delicious Chocolate Cake

and Here's an awesome breakfast I've been making lately--super filling and superfood rich!

Superfood Oats

• 1 C Steelcut oats (follow instructions on the box)
• 2 T Cacao Magic blend
• 1 T goji berries (see pic below)
• 1/2 Organic Canned Pumpkin
• 1 t coconut oil (i like Garden of Life brand)
• 2 T almond butter (i get Trader Joes brand, raw & creamy)
• 1 T Agave or Raw Honey (i buy from our local farmers market) or Stevia if watching sugar
• Cinnamon to taste
• fresh berries for topping (like raspberries, blueberries, strawberries)

1. follow instructions on box for cooking steelcut oats. (can also use quinoa or instant low-sugar oats)

2. The last minute or so, add the pumpkin, almond butter, goji berries and cinnamon. Stir all ingredients until mixed.

3. Remove oats from heat. Mix the coconut oil, cacao powder and agave/honey/sweetener in the bowl you'll be using and mix well with a spoon until it forms a chocolate sauce. Pour oats in bowl. Add fresh berries. Enjoy!

*double/triple the amount so you can save in containers for easy power-breakfasts in the next few days!

What are superfoods?

Superfood is a term sometimes used to describe food with high phytonutrient content that may provide health benefits as a result. For example, blueberries are often considered a superfood (or superfruit) because they contain significant amounts of antioxidants,, vitamin C, manganese, and dietary fiber. You don't need specific foods for specific ailments. A healthy diet incorporating a variety of the following superfoods will help you maintain your weight, fight disease, and live longer. One thing they all have in common: Every superfood is going to be a 'real' (unprocessed) food, you don't find fortified potato chips in the superfood category.

How can I use and incorporate superfoods in my daily life?

• Beans
• Blueberries
• Broccoli
• Dark Chocolate (RAW chocolate is best!)
• Oats
• Oranges
• Pumpkin
• Salmon
• Soy
• Spinach
• kale
• Tea (green especially)
• Tomatoes
• hemp seeds
• Walnuts
• almonds
• chia seeds
• Yogurt

if you click on the words above I offer other posts I've written with more info about the wonderful superfoods and also a few recipes to use them in!

 All of my superfood blends have all the best superfoods in one place. No need to purchase them all separately, just buy one bag instead of 8! 

Cacao Magic superfood blend has raw Cacao powder, raw cacao nibs, tocos (vit E for hair, skin, nails) chia seeds (good fats to burn bad fat), maca (balances mood), reishi (chinese immunity herb), cordyceps (chinese herb for weightloss) and chaga (energizing herb with no caffeine). 

The Green Dream superfoods have chia seeds, maca, mesquite (high in iron), tocos, spirulina, hemp powder and fresh vanilla bean. 

Our Berry Bliss superfood blend has camu camu (top antioxidant food in the world), pomegranate, acai (combats stress), goji (prevents heart disease) organic whey protein (recovery & rejuvenation-very clean protein source) tocos (improves digestion, glowing skin & strong nails from Vitamin E) camu camu (immunity) and mangosteen (antibiotic & anti-fungal). 

the Yummiest Superfood Yet ... Dark Chocolate

Research has shown that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants and can lower blood pressure. It's recommended that you look for chocolate with 60% or higher cocoa content; the darker, the better! In addition, the darker it is, the lower the fat and sugar content. Now that's my kind of health food!

here are two recipes using dark chocolate/cacao (chocolate in it's most raw form):

1. Peppermint Patty Recipe

2. Delicious Chocolate Cake

and Here's an awesome breakfast I've been making lately--super filling and superfood rich!

Superfood Oats

• 1 C Steelcut oats (follow instructions on the box)
• 2 T Cacao Magic blend
• 1 T goji berries (see pic below)
• 1/2 Organic Canned Pumpkin
• 1 t coconut oil (i like Garden of Life brand)
• 2 T almond butter (i get Trader Joes brand, raw & creamy)
• 1 T Agave or Raw Honey (i buy from our local farmers market) or Stevia if watching sugar
• Cinnamon to taste
• fresh berries for topping (like raspberries, blueberries, strawberries)

1. follow instructions on box for cooking steelcut oats. (can also use quinoa or instant low-sugar oats)

2. The last minute or so, add the pumpkin, almond butter, goji berries and cinnamon. Stir all ingredients until mixed.

3. Remove oats from heat. Mix the coconut oil, cacao powder and agave/honey/sweetener in the bowl you'll be using and mix well with a spoon until it forms a chocolate sauce. Pour oats in bowl. Add fresh berries. Enjoy!

*double/triple the amount so you can save in containers for easy power-breakfasts in the next few days!

Orange fleshed squash such as acorn and butternut are a large storehouse of beta-carotene. On top of being an antioxidant to help fend off those pesky cell-damaging free radicals, beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body that helps with immune defense and good vision. You could also do this entire recipe with pumpkin... or half and half!

2. Scoop the squash out, allow to cool and puree in your food processor. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, chia seeds, baking soda & powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and pumpkin spice and set aside.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the agave, vanilla, eggs substitute and butter. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Then whisk in the butternut squash puree. My batter was a little dry so I added a little almond milk and Organic canned pumpkin.

5. Prepare your muffin pan and add the batter a little over halfway. I made 12 cupcakes, you can make more. Bake at 350º for 18 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center and check to see if it comes out clean.

Today I am home, visiting with one of my oldest and dearest friends on the east coast near Washington DC. It's so nice being here with our new baby, in the fall season. I took a jog today to really soak up autumn-the changing and falling leaves, the cool air against my skin, and the crisp colors.

We decided to make a big feast for dinner! We made one "regular" lasagna (gluten-free and free range meat) and one DELICIOUS vegan pumpkin lasagna. here's the recipe!

for the layers:

• *brown rice lasagna (you could use quinoa also, or any lasagna that's gluten-free)

• *1 1/2 C Pure canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) I like Trader Joes Organic canned pumpkin

• *for mock ricotta, see below
• *1 egg (or egg replacer like flax and water)
• *almond milk
• *4 C spinach
• *nutmeg, salt, pepper, sage to taste (i like a lot!)
• *nutritional yeast sprinkled on top for mock parmesan
• *cream sauce: 3 tbsp vegan butter (or regular if you don't care), 3 tbsp tapioca starch 1 1/4 almond milk

Time to play!

1. Prepare the brown rice lasagna according to the box instructions, until al dente (firm, not hard)

2. For the pumpkin sauce, mix pumpkin, egg replacer and 1/4 C almond milk. Then mix in nutmeg, salt, pepper and sage.

3. For the mock ricotta cheese:

• ½ cup macadamia nuts
• ½ cup almonds
• 1 can water, or enough to cover to the level of the nuts
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, you may want to add up to 2 more tsp
• 3 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup almonds, or up to 2 cups

Preparation for Mock Ricotta Cheese:

In your high powered blender, blend mac nuts, almonds, water, 1 tsp of salt, and apple cider vinegar. This will take about 7-8 minutes. Blend until very smooth.

Add the rest of the almonds, 1/4 c at a time, waiting until they are finely ground and fully incorporated. Taste and add more salt, if desired.

Blend until smooth, with a very slightly grainy texture (It should NOT be gritty). You may want to finish this in your food processor (unless you have a great blender).

4. Make the "cream" sauce by melting the butter on low heat. When it's melted, whisk in tapioca starch, then remove from heat. Slowly whisk in almond milk, then turn the heat back on and whisk constantly until the consistency is thickened enough to coat a spoon. (about 3-5 minutes)

5. Begin layering all the ingredients. Start with a small amount of the pumpkin sauce to layer on the casserole dish and to act as a non stick ingredient. Then add strips of lasagna. Then pumpkin sauce, then mock ricotta cheese. Add a layer of fresh spinach leaves. Then drizzle the cream sauce on top.

Repeat the layers until you reach the top of the casserole dish. Sprinkle the nutritional yeast on top for a mock parmesan flavor.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit for 10 minutes and serve warm.

7. Enjoy your delicious lasagna and store the leftovers or have a big meal and share with friends (with wine!!)!

Makes: 24 slivers of a large pie, or 4 smaller pies with 6 slices
Equipment needed: Food Processor

[caption id="attachment_1358" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="blending the crust"][/caption]

For the Crust

2 cups raw macadamia nuts OR a blend of almonds, walnuts and pecans
1/2 cup dates, pitted
1/4 cup dried coconut

For the "Cheese"

3 cups chopped cashews, soaked for at least 1 hour

[caption id="attachment_1361" align="alignright" width="150" caption="blending the "cheese""][/caption]

3/4 cup lemon juice (or lime juice-i used limequats for this! so delish)
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt (optional)

For raspberry sauce:
1 bag frozen raspberries (or blackberries/strawberries)
1/2 cup dates

DIRECTIONS

To make the crust, process the nuts and dates in the food processor. Sprinkle dried coconut onto the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch springform pan. Press crust onto the coconut. This will prevent it from sticking.

To make the cheese, blend the cashews, lemon, honey, gently warmed coconut oil (do not use microwave), vanilla, sea salt, and 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth and adjust to taste.

Pour the mixture onto the crust. Remove air bubbles by tapping the pan on a table.

Place in the freezer until firm. Remove the whole cake from the pan while frozen and place on a serving platter. Defrost in the refrigerator. (the more defrosted the better the taste)

To make the raspberry sauce, process raspberries and dates in a food processor until well blended. (Do not use a blender for this or the raspberry seeds will become like sand.)

[caption id="attachment_1363" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="finished product! :)"][/caption]

Kelp noodles are spectacular!!! It is virtually calorie free and doesn't taste like the sea at all. There is no sugar, gluten, wheat, rice or flour. Kelp is known to aid the metabolism, boost energy, aid in digestion and they contain an abundance of minerals.

PREP TIME = 10 - 15 minutes

WAIT TIME = 0 - 1 hour

EQUIPMENT = High powered blender,  dehydrator

LASTS = 1-2 days

SERVINGS = 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 packages Sea Tangle Kelp Noodles
• 1⁄2 c nut cheeze
• 1⁄8 c olive oil
• 1 t fresh oregano, minced
• 1 t fresh rosemary, minced
• 2 t garlic, de-centered, minced
• 1⁄2 t Celtic sea salt
• 1 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 t Bragg Aminos or Nama Shoyu
• 3 T Nutritional Yeast

STEP 1

Soak the kelp noodles in hot water for 10-20 minutes. Drain and wring out the excess water.

STEP 2

Mix all ingredients in blender. Add sauce to kelp noodles.

STEP 3

It's ready to serve now but if you want the pasta warm and soft, place all the pasta on a big serving plate and spread it out evenly. Then put the plate (or just put the pasta on the tray if you don't have an Excalibur) with the pasta in the dehydrator for 1 hour at 120°F. Serve right out of the dehydrator so it is warm. If you don't have a dehydrator you can put your oven on the lowest setting and put the plate on the stove shelf, or serve cold for a "cheezy pasta salad"!

 

if you don't want to make the sauce "cheezy" you can substitute the cheese for fresh basil and spinach and make it a Pesto pasta. (my favorite!) Garnish with raw pine nuts, tomatoes and spinach leaves. (check out the recipe -->here!)