Initially posted in Center-Pause on Medium on June 1, 2025
I’ve just a few weaknesses with regards to meals, however one reigns supreme: chocolate. I don’t must have it on a regular basis, a minimum of not day by day, but when I purchase chocolate, I’ll eat it somewhat rapidly.
If it’s not darkish chocolate, I’ll eat the entire 100-gram pill in in the future. If it’s darkish chocolate, then I’ll eat one, two, three, perhaps 4 squares a day. Darkish chocolate could also be thought-about wholesome, however 4 squares a day continues to be loads.
Why?
As a result of I can bake an entire chocolate cake with that quantity of cocoa. And it comes out so scrumptious that I don’t crave chocolate whereas consuming it. And did I point out it lasts a very long time? That means it lasts lengthy within the fridge, sure, but it surely’s additionally plenty of cake to eat.
I bake it in a medium spherical pan and it in all probability makes for twelve servings after I portion it. Which lasts me and my household an entire week.
Disclaimer: The knowledge on This Weblog is meant for basic informational and academic functions solely—not as medical recommendation. I’m not a medical or well being practitioner, and no a part of This Weblog, or the articles, web sites, and merchandise I point out and hyperlink to on This Weblog, is meant as skilled medical or well being recommendation, and shouldn’t be thought-about as such. Seek the advice of along with your physician(s) about beginning any course of therapy, taking any dietary supplements, or altering any (dietary, train, and many others.) routines. Word that pure dietary supplements and even some meals might intrude with sure medicines. Additionally ask your physician(s) about potential allergy symptoms you could have, together with cross-reactive allergy symptoms. Some allergens may cause probably deadly anaphylaxis. Listed below are my Full Phrases and Situations.
A nutrient-dense chocolate cake!
There are many chocolate desserts on the market, and lots of of them are worse than chocolate with regards to their fattening, clogging the arteries potential. My vegan chocolate cake is made with olive oil and depends on bananas and dried fruits to provide it additional sweetness, fiber, and an entire vary of vitamins.
After I say dried fruit I imply issues like prunes, dried figs, and dates, together with walnuts.
I additionally fiddle with the flour. I exploit a mixture of flours: pastry mix, chickpea flour, and buckwheat. For some purpose, buckwheat flour constipates me, so I exploit two tablespoons tops. I like to make use of it, although, for the sake of selection. I’ve come to like these alternate, non-cereal flours ever since I developed a non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
I’ve needed to eat gluten-free for eight years now. Do I miss meals with gluten? Sure, I do, and I went off my routine on a number of events, hoping towards hope that my gluten sensitivity had gone away. It hadn’t.
Oh, the world of gluten!
Most of all I miss consuming pizza. I wasn’t all that large on pizza earlier than, not like different individuals who have it nearly day by day, however I did take pleasure in supply pizza. Additionally donuts, despite the fact that I solely had them hardly ever. I additionally loved pumpkin pie from varied hole-in-a-wall pastry retailers now we have right here in Bucharest. Lastly, for some time I additionally missed common pancakes and crepes, although I’ve to say that after a number of failed makes an attempt, I discovered a solution to make scrumptious gluten-free pancakes.
So sure, I miss meals with gluten. However there’s an enormous “however” right here: I’m not sorry I left gluten up to now. This gluten sensitivity was, on reflection, among the finest issues that occurred to me. I’m more healthy due to it.
I used to be fortunate I discovered to handle my gluten sensitivity with out gluten-free breads. These aren’t all that wholesome, as a result of a lot of their flour combine is, in impact, starches. And starch breaks down into sugar within the physique, which isn’t that nice.
As an alternative of bread, I normally eat oatcakes. After all, now and again I purchase GF bread and I take pleasure in cheese spreads, however, for essentially the most half, in lieu of sandwiches I’ve made do with oatcakes. I take pleasure in them with issues like eggplant unfold or hummus and, in spring, with one thing like hummus or avocado unfold and spring onions and radishes.
Thirty vegetation or extra!
For a couple of years now, ever since some outcomes of the American Intestine Challenge had been printed in 2018, gastroenterologists and different medical doctors began recommending we eat upward of 30 vegetation (greens and fruits plus grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, beans, and legumes) per week. This makes for a greater microbiome, which ends up in higher well being.
In case you eat easy-to-make meals on rotation, you might simply fall wanting 30 vegetation per week. However in case you improvise meals and recipes, and in case you purpose to eat gluten-free and bread-free, you might uncover that it’s somewhat straightforward to have a balanced, various consumption of vegetation.
Listed below are, for example, the vegetation that my vegan dried fruits cake normally incorporates:
GF flour mix that features rice flour
Buckwheat flour
Chickpea flour
Cocoa
Carob powder
Bananas
Walnuts
Prunes
Dried figs
Dates
Chia seeds as an alternative choice to eggs
Soy milk
Olive oil
Pure vanilla or orange extract
That’s 14 vegetation plus sugar and baking powder.
Together with many vegetation comes naturally after some time, particularly in case you prefer to have quite a lot of staples available in your kitchen. And also you don’t must go overboard.
There is such a factor as recipes that strive too arduous to be wholesome. So sure, I may have additionally included flaxseed, hemp seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cranberries, and many others., however this recipe is ok as it’s. I need it to style like a easy, few-ingredients recipe and but have sufficient flavors and textures to impress the palate.
I additionally make a model of this dried fruits chocolate cake with precise chocolate plus butter and eggs, however to be trustworthy, I don’t discover it superior to my vegan recipe, simply totally different.
It’s sufficient to assume how a lot olive oil my vegan chocolate-banana-dried-fruits cake has (10 tbsp) to collapse and ditch the butter. And also you’d assume all this olive oil within the vegan cake would give it a peculiar style, however the carob powder (one tablespoon if I additionally add cocoa; two tablespoons, if not) is powerful sufficient to offset it.
Have a bit enjoyable within the kitchen!
I encourage you to attempt to discover methods to handle your meals cravings this manner, creating recipes within the kitchen. It’s plenty of enjoyable and rewarding in so some ways, identical to some other artistic exercise. Additionally, this one includes all of your 5 senses in highly effective methods, which makes it a beautiful wellness-boosting exercise.
And this vegan chocolate cake is very easy to make.
Vegan Chocolate-Banana-Dried-Fruits Cake (after rounds of improvising)
2 heaping tbsp GF flour mix
2 heaping tbsp buckwheat flour
2 heaping tbsp chickpea flour
2 flat tbsp carob powder or 1 flat tbsp carob powder and 1 flat tbsp cocoa
2 bananas, first mashed on a plate
75 grams of walnuts, chopped
75 grams of pitted prunes, chopped
75 grams of dried figs, chopped
50 grams of dates, chopped
5 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp chia seeds left to soak in about 100 ml of water for five minutes
200 ml soy milk
10 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp orange or vanilla essence
1 packet of baking powder
Add all the things to a bowl and blend. There needs to be sufficient liquids in it to make it the best consistency, but when it’s not, add some extra soy milk. It must have a smooth dropping consistency, which suggests it ought to combine properly and plop off from a tablespoon simply.
Bake within the oven at 180°C/350°F for 45 minutes.
It’s not terribly handsome, but it surely tastes nice.
Take pleasure in!
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Thanks for studying!
As at all times, pins and shares are a lot appreciated!
To a happier, more healthy life,
Mira
