Gluten-free Chocolate Marble Cherry Cake

by | Jul 4, 2022 | English, Healthy Living, Recipes

Cherries galore! What to do?

What a beautiful surprise when a friend brought us kilos of beautiful cherries from her cherry trees!

There are only that many cherries you can eat in one sitting, so I needed to find ways to make something delicious out of them.

I made some jam, but then I still had some cherries, so I browsed the web to find some good and easy gluten-free cherry cake recipes.

I landed on this one from the Domestic Gothess and made a few adaptions to make it gluten-free and create a delicious combination with cocoa. I made it into a gluten-free cherry cake for better health. If you want to know why I believe in gluten-free food for better health read on after the recipe.

But first the cake!

This recipe makes a whole cookie sheet of cake.

This is what you need:

Dry ingredients

  • 200 g  plain gluten-free flour
  • 200 g ground almonds
  • 100 g sugar or coconut sugar
  • 100 g xylitol or erythrit
  • 3 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 2 eggs ( or 2 chia eggs for vegan version)
  • ½ cup olive or avocado oil
  • 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
  • 1 cup apple sauce
  • 1 tsp almond extract (or vanilla)
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Additions
  • 4 Tbs cocoa powder
  • 3 cups pitted cherries (frozen or fresh) – or other fruit like apricots, peaches etc.

This is how you make it:

  • Mix all dry ingredients except cocoa and cherries in a bowl, and mix wet ingredients in a second bowl.
  • Add dry mix to wet mix and incorporate briefly just to combine, don’t overmix.
  • Pour ½ to  ¾ of the wet mix on a cookie sheet lined with baking paper.
  • Mix cocoa powder into the remaining dough, and add a little vegan milk if too dry.
  • Pour on top of the dough on the cookie sheet and mix a little with a fork to get the marble effect.
  • Top with the cherries (or other fruit) and move the tray a little to let them sink into the dough.
  • Bake at 160 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 30 – 35 minutes.
  • Test with a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean the cake is ready.
  • Let cool before cutting it.

 

If you make this cake let me know how you liked it! I want to know! 🙂

Enjoy! 🙂

I want to finish by telling you that I have a good reason to bake with gluten-free flour and am so used to it by now, that I don’t miss the wheat-based recipes at all.

Gluten can be health-disruptive for many of us, many more than is commonly believed. The reason for this is that gluten causes reactions in the small intestine which can lead to a leaky gut, causing inflammation in the body and a whole range of chronic health issues.

If you suffer from chronic symptoms like digestive issues, constipation, bloating, but also from things like migraines, joint pain, high blood pressure, diabetes 2, and many more, then looking into and optimizing the food you eat, combined with some lifestyle modifications, can bring you a lot of relief.
From my own story and that of my clients, I can say that it is worth it to look at the root causes of our chronic symptoms and make the needed changes. It will not only reduce the main symptom but help to improve our overall wellbeing. And what is better than going through life with lots of energy, without pains and discomfort and fuelled by a deep-seated joy, because we feel so amazing?

If you feel ready to start feeling better, book a free Health Clarity session to discuss your next steps. I am looking forward to talking to you and helping you on your health journey!

To your health,

Martina

 

Blueberry-Orange Parfait

by | May 18, 2018 | English, Healthy Snack Ideas, Recipes

How about the combo of blueberries with orange in the vest of a velvety cream of fruity goodness that you can consume as a dessert but also for breakfast?

And what about having the added bonus of vitamins and fibre from vegetables hidden in there?

Then this blueberry-orange parfait might just be the thing for you!

I developed this recipe quite a few years ago, when I was eating predominantly raw food. I have to say, I did feel pretty awesome during that period and I want to go back to incorporate more raw food again into my diet. I will never be a 100% raw foodie, as there are too many wonderful recipes out there that I love or want to try out hat require heat in some form. But consuming more raw veggies plus fruits and nuts and seeds definitely has a very beneficial impact on my health and that’s what I need right now.

And this season, towards the end of spring, start of summer is the easiest time to do this.

So without further explanations to keep us from the goodies, here is the recipe. Maybe you want to try out more raw food as well. This is a perfect finish to a heavier meal and can be easily adapted with other types of fruit to make endless variations. It can also be a delicious and healthy breakfast option.

  • Prep time: 10 minutes 
  • Cooking time: 5 minutes 
  • Yields: 2 people

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups blueberries
  • 1 cup zucchini/courgette (peeled and chopped)
  • 2 dates, pitted
  • 2 TBS orange juice
  • 1 TBS lemon juice
  • 1 TBS almond butter
  • 1/2 tsp grated ginger or minced ginger
  • ½ tsp orange zest (keep a couple of strands for decoration)
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla powder or ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of Stevia or 3-4 drops of liquid Stevia
  • Pinch of himalayan or sea salt

Directions: Put all the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend into a smooth cream. Blend for a little longer than you would normally do, since blueberries have a lot of natural pectin, which, when released, helps this parfait to get the right consistence. Serve in glass bowls and decorate with some extra strands of orange zest. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. I hope you enjoy it!

Why is it that you have to feel pretty bad before going back to living healthier?

by | Aug 25, 2017 | English, Healthy Living, Healthy Mindset

 

That’s a question that has got me thinking this week, through my personal experience.

Because at the start of this week I had a colonoscopy.

I had been really terrified of it and my feelings right after waking up from the light anesthesia were so indescribably beautiful! I just thought ‘it’s over’, ‘I’ve made it’ and I felt so light and free.

Then I remembered that I still had to have the conversation with the doctor about the result and immediately I felt fear creeping back in, fear that she would give me bad news. But I was nevertheless very relieved that the investigation was behind me, because I had been terribly nervous, imagining the worst. In addition, the preparation a day before had been made really difficult by a migraine attack, making it a very painful experience and I had truly panicked.

Well, yes, I guess you can tell by now that I am not a hero, but unfortunately, as far as doctors, examinations and medical interventions are concerned, I am a chicken, if I may say so. No rational attempts to calm myself are working in those cases.

Luckily the doctor had only good or no serious things to report and my relief was huge.

I felt joy for life filling me up again.

As I walked outside from the clinic, I saw around me only beautiful things and every little sign of the ‘normal’ life made me really happy and grateful. Before the examination I did not have any appreciation for it, at the contrary everything seemed gloomy and heavy then.

Because when we are dealing with health challenges, pain or emotional issues it is extremely difficult to raise one’s mood and energy through mental work or positive thinking.

When we are dealing with something really heavy it is so heard to get out from that downward spiral and often it’s not possible at all.

That’s why prevention is so valuable and that’s why it is so important to listen to the signals that our body is giving us as early as possible. And then to take action, so that these signals diminish.

I had actually neglected this, and had become somewhat sloppy with my healthy habits. It was partially because of this that the colonoscopy had become necessary.

My body had spoken out with strong signals and I could not ignore them any longer.

After the examination, I was again really aware of how precious every moment is and that we could be so much more grateful for everything we have, for our health wherever it is at. As almost always we are not the ones suffering the most, there is always somebody who is much worse off, who would be grateful for having our level of health.

And I do not want to only appreciate my health afterwards, when I feel better after having been sick or in pain.

Because I noticed that it is then that I vow solemnly to myself to really improve in those areas where things are not ideal yet, so that I don’t even get into those kind of situations anymore. I usually stay on track for a while, but then I start to sway off my path, because the last scare or preoccupation is war away and as I feel better I forget my vows.

But really I don’t want to feel again like I have been feeling before the colonoscopy and want to do everything possible, so that it does not happen again.

My weak spot is my digestion, so it means for me, besides healthy food, to move more and pay attention to drink enough each day. I will also get a few additional tests done to get a more complete picture of my health status. And I’m looking for help and support, so that I can stick with it.

A health coach also for me, as an investment in my own health and future.

Also, as an easy yet beautiful ritual I will start again to make a list of 3 things to be grateful for each day. This is not only about “things” like a nice apartment or a great job, but also something like gratitude for being able to see, for being able to sleep in a bed and to have running water. Or it could be gratefulness for being able to breathe freely, to walk, to hear, to swallow our food without problems.

Things which we often take for granted, but which are not granted to everybody.

So this week especially I had huge gratitude for the fact that my body is so strong and that he showed me with his signals the path to a better way of life.

What signals is your body trying to give you?

And what are you going to put on your gratitude list?

I would be really happy to hear what it is that makes your heart full with gratitude!

And if you feel that you want to get help for your health and want to learn more about working with a health coach, then book a free 30 minute conversation with me, right here in my calendar.

Your path to health is easier when you have support and don’t have to walk it alone!

 

Much love,

Martina