By popular demand – Nutolicious Hot Chocolate!
Why? For a delicious winter-warmer lift! Ideal for those days you need some energy, want something tasty – although you want to be healthy too. For when you want to be sure of what’s going into your milk, and most importantly, what’s been left out.
When? Warmed as a mid morning or afternoon drink. Remember to heat your milk slowly and not to boiling point. High heat can alter the availability of the proteins, fats, vitamins and phytochemicals in the ingredients.
Or serve cold with your breakfast cereal.
A useful addition to your recipes needing milk
Ingredients – makes enough for a big mug of hot chocolate (350ml)
A big cup (350ml) of Neat Nut Milk* (almond is a great one for this recipe – see below)
1-2 tbsp raw cacao powder (to taste)
½-1 tbsp honey or coconut sugar (or more to taste)
Cinnamon to sprinkle to taste
What to do
Combine all the ingredients in a blender, which will help to thicken your mixture. If you’re using a ‘Vitamix’ blender, you can simply keep on blending to heat your choc milk to 41 degrees celsius (or 105 degrees fahrenheit).
Or, you can transfer to a pan on the stove to gently heat – although do be super-careful! Best to use a ‘candy’ thermometer, and remove from the heat at about 35 degrees – as it will keep heating after the heat source is removed.
*Neat Nut Milk – Almond
3-4 cups (300-500ml) filtered water
1 cups almonds, pre-soaked in filtered water overnight, drained just before use
2 organic medjool dates, stones removed, pre-soaked in filtered water overnight
Place the almonds in the blender with half of the filtered water. Blend for several minutes until smooth, then add the medjool dates minus their soaking-water. Gradually add more water to create a thicker or thinner milk, according to your preference.
For a sweeter milk, slowly add in ½-1 tbsp honey or coconut sugar (or more to taste)
whilst the blender is going. An optional extra is 1/3 tsp vanilla extract.
Top tips for your perfect Neat Nut Milk
• You can sprinkle your Nutolicious Milk with raw cacao, cacao nibs, carob powder, bee pollen or dehydrated coconut pieces (which are all available from most good health food shops.)
• Your Neat Nut Milk is super-versatile. You can make it with a base of whichever nut or seed you prefer – from brazils to sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Our favourites are hazelnut and almond milks.
• Drink it as a low GI snack (low glycaemic-index – so the energy is slow-release), or after a workout.
• Include organic where possible. If that’s not possible, use extra soaking time if you can, and rinse well.
• When blending solids and more dense ingredients, blend on a high speed for longer than you think is necessary, to ensure smooth results.
• Chew! Yes – even milk! This mixes your digestive juices and helps to begin digestion before your food reaches your stomach.
• Pop any leftovers in a sealed BPA-free container in the fridge and finish the same day, or into the freezer to store for a maximum of 3 months or so.
Take away – If you’d like the recipe for the Power Boost – a green smoothie packed with protein, then email me direct at fi@fijamiesonfolland.com for your copy – remember to put ‘Power Boost’ as your email subject line. Perfect after your walk, or your work out!
Savor!
As seen in Sweet Living Magazine 7.13
Fi Jamieson-Folland D.O., I.N.H.C., is The LifeStyle Aligner. She’s an experienced practitioner since 1992 in Europe, Asia and New Zealand as a qualified Osteopath, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, speaker, educator, writer, certified raw vegan gluten-free chef, and Health Brand Ambassador.
