5 Ingredient: Chocolate Pudding

"I love the alchemy of cooking, the theatre of it. It's creating something." ~Anthony Warlow

Since it is Vegan Alchemy week I wanted to share a piece from a book I picked up along my own alchemical journey Sorcerer's Stone: A beginner's Guide to Alchemy by Dennis William Hauck.
 
"Most people do not think of cooking as a kind of alchemy, but a little reflection on the actual processes involved makes the alchemical connection clear. Instead of beakers and flasks, the cook works with pots and pans, but the transformative elements - Fire, Water, Air, and Earth- are the same. The cook, the like the alchemist, transforms matter through the application of fire. The cook dissolves, emulsifies, aerates, separates, macerates, blends, coagulates, and works through the same operations. And like alchemists, cooks add a deeper part of themselves to their "Opus." For ever key idea in alchemy, there is a corresponding representation in the kitchen. As Above, so Below! "
 
This was a book I purchased on happenstance and couldn't help but read aloud to Gerald. In a way it felt a book for him as the author often pulls teachings like those my husband speaks of from the The Emerald Tablets of Thoth the Atlantean.
​
Let us begin our kitchen alchemy on Vegan Month of Food 2014 with my theme of Vegan Alchemy. Week One: Guilt Free Sweets n' Treats! Today marks day 4 and I have another guilt free treat that is made with only 5 easy healthy ingredients.

A chocolate pudding snack! Who doesn't love pudding? This could be placed in smaller servings and even placed in your lunch box! I used to love a pudding pack, why not have a healthy one filled with wholesome ingredients like avocados, bananas and raw cacao. Yum!
 

To start, one huge delicious creamy avocado. One of my favorites in life.

Cut that beauty, add some ripe bananas, ice, "mylk", cacao and you have a simple and satisfying treat that is sure to please young or old, fail and strong. It is cool, creamy, pudding that had stars all around the recipe in my notebook. A goodie.

Quick healthy recap of our ingredients:

• Avocados - "Avocados are also considered as one of the healthiest foods in the planet because they contain in excess of
• 25 essential nutrients including
• vitamin A, B, C, E, & K
• copper, iron, phosporus, magnesium, and potassium
• Avocados also contain fiber, protein
• and several beneficial phytochemicals such as beta-sitosterol, glutathione and lutein, which may protect against various disease and illness."

• Bananas - "Bananas are very high in vitamin B6 and also contain modest amounts of vitamin C, maganese, potassium and of course fiber."

• Cacao - "Cacao is considered a superfood due to its more than 300 nutrients. It could hardly be “the food of the gods” if it weren’t powerful, with nutritional and medicinal value (which in turn gave it value as a currency as well).""It has many uses as a stimulant, antibacterial, antioxidant, and protector of the cardiovascular system." 10 reasons to consider using raw cacao!

 
Traditional uses of the cocoa bean include treatment of:

1. Fever
2. Coughs
3. Pregnancy pains
4. Digestive aid
5. Depression
6. Combat mental fatigue
7. PMS
8. Aphrodisiac
9. Diuretic
10. Vasodilatory

Now that we can relax and know this pudding truly is healthy, let's make it stat!

PREP TIME: 5 minutes
vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, refined sugar-free, grain-free, dairy-free, raw

Quick and Easy Preparation:

1. Combine ingredients in a high speed blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Enjoy in a number of ways topped with whatever your heart desires!

Tips:

1. Add a few dates for an extra sweet treat.
2. Add more cacao for an the ultimate chocolate lover.
3. Add almond butter for spin.
4. Enjoy as a creamy smoothie with more non-dairy milk.
5. Add protein powder, health supplements such as maca, chaga and so forth.

I hope you enjoy this treat as much as we did! To a healthier you!
Love,
Christa xox
HAPPY VEGAN MOFO!