Could you do without chocolate? Not me. I don't eat it *everyday*, but I don't have any rules against it. That said, in chocolate rather than cocoa form, it's a bit too rich for frequent consumption by someone who has done all their growing (upward anyways...). That said, I do think a bar of good quality dark chocolate is a better choice for dessert than most of the offerings in cafes and restaurants. When at home, though, I can indulge my chocolate desires even more wisely. Cocoa powder is great because it has all the chocolatey taste with no sugar so you can sweeten as you please, and because you have to prepare it in some way, you can't just tear into it like a bar of chocolate. Tonight I also fancied something warm so took some inspiration from HEAB and went for oatbran. I heated some oat bran and soya milk with cocoa powder and hazelnut liquer to sweeten, and finally topped with a heap of raspberries. I topped splashed on a bit more hazelnut liquer. This was a warm, filling, chocolate dessert with a lovely tart contrast from the raspberries. It would make a great breakfast...just leave out the Frangelico!
For dinner I very roughly followed the recipe for Gena's foolproof tofu burgers, except I used peanut butter rather than tahini and I didn't have any celery, and I added a garlic cloves and some paprika and thyme. I used steel cut oatmeal, I gave it a whizz in the food processor first to break it up a little more. I baked the patties in the oven along with some pre-boiled potatoes.
I had a patty between seedy bread with hot tomato passata and a few of the potatoes. Just the ticket for a cool evening!
Breakfast was cottage cheese and sugar free blackcurrant jam on toast.
Lunch was a small smoked trout fillet, two small chopped carrots, 1/4 of a lettuce and a nub of scottish cheese and a colleague gave me some fresh sliced chillies, which were pretty fiery, but gave my lunch the kick it needed as I had no dressing with me for my salad. I snacked in the afternoon on a heaped tablespoon each of cottage cheese and plain yogurt over raspberrries with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Do you like chocolate or any other treat? Do you create healthier versions so you can enjoy it more often?
I love love love super dark chocolate. But, like you, I enjoy cocoa powder more often...I like to make hot cocoas, and also stir it into oats. Yum yum! Your eats look delicious. Seriously craving some raspberries now...they are next to impossible to get in Japan!
ReplyDelete~~Have a great day
That's tragic you can't get raspberries easily in Japan! I buy mine frozen so I can enjoy British raspberries all year round, but you can buy 'fresh' ones, they're from South America though. I think my frozen ones are fresher! Can you get other types of berries in Japan- what sort of fruit do the japanese eat themselves?
ReplyDeleteI have seen your cocoaey oats too, I've made them your way before a few times. Delish!