Week of Love: Chocolate Fig Pudding

Oh my figgy darling!

The fig was well-known in ancient times as an aphrodisiac and was thought to encourage fertility. And no wonder... when broken, the soft, plump skin erupts into a million edible little seeds.Their rich colors offer a sweet taste and an enticing texture.

Figs are a good source of Vitamins A, B6, K, and E and are rich in calcium, iron, manganese, and potassium. These plump fruits are also a good source of fiber.

Fiber isn't a word usually associated with Sexy but if we are being blunt, neither is bloated. Fiber can improve performance (in more arenas than you think *wink wink*) and help relieve bloating.

Before we get to the recipe, don't forget to enter the Massage Lotion Bar Giveaway!

Chocolate Fig Pudding
1/2 banana (I used frozen)
3 Tb cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup non-dairy milk of choice
1 tsp vanilla extract or beans from 1/3 vanilla bean
Pinch of Salt
16 dried figs

1. Cut off fig stems if needed. Soak figs in milk (in fridge if you want cold pudding) for one hour or up to overnight.
2. Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender. Serve, refridgerate (or freeze in popsicle mold).
3. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Breakfast Rug

I couldn't decide on a name for this... It was between sweet flatbread or breakfast pan cake but then Witty Husband started calling it a "breakfast rug" and the name stuck. This recipe is one of my husband's favorites.

Here it is fresh out of the oven...

Use golden flaxseeds instead of brown for a butter-like flavor. Grinding the oats and flaxseeds may seem cumbersome but it literally takes just a minute or two tops. Oat flour can go rancid easily and rolled oats are usually cheaper in the bulk aisle at your local grocery store. With both the oats and flaxseeds, this cake has a good serving of fiber. A slice of this sweetness and a cup of tea is a great way to start the day!

Including orange zest in the batter or serving with orange slices guarantees a higher absorption rate of chocolate's antioxidants.

And best of all? This "breakfast rug" is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy free. Raid your pantry for all the ingredients! No need to go out shopping for anything extraordinary when this is so easy to prepare at home.

Variations:
Cinnamon Raisin (add 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/3 cup raisins)
Orange Honey (subtract sugar, use orange juice insted of milk, use less juice than calls for and add honey)
Use any frozen berries in exchange for the chocolate chips - blueberries, marionberries, raspberries, etc.

Chocolate Chip Breakfast Rug
1 1/2 c rolled oats (gluten-free certified if sensitive)
1/4 c golden flaxseeds
1 t baking soda
1/2 t cream of tartar             (use 1 1/2 tsp baking powder instead of baking soda and cream of tartar)
1/4 t salt
1/2 c applesauce
1 cup unsweetened, dairy-free milk (such as coconut, almond or soy)
1/4 cup sugar

1/2 c choc chips
1 tsp orange zest (optional)

1. In a spice grinder, grind oats and flaxseed. Add to bowl with other dry ingredients.
2. Combine wet ingredients in seperate bowl. Mix the two together.
3. Pour into a 9x13 pan (greased lightly with coconut oil).
4. Pop into 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until bottom is browned and toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Makes 4 large servings or 8 smaller servings.
My toddler eats 1/8 of this recipe and my husband eats 1/4. Depending on my hunger, I eat whichever size I feel like. It's great served cold the next day or tucked in lunches.

Double Chocolate Black Bean Cookies with Sesame

I can't take credit for these delicious and healthy cookies. I used the base from Sarah Britton's Black Bean Chocolate Chili Cookies and did my own take on her recipe. I wasn't even planning to post this until my sister begged me too. Well, begging might be exaggerating - I mean I'm not that cruel. For my take, I used chocolate chips and less sweetener, I passed on the cherries and cayenne (but that would make a delicious addition). Instead, I generously sprinkled sesame seeds over half the batch.

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Sesame seeds are a wondrous little seed. You can see them featured in my bone-building chocolate sesame melts. Sesame is one of the most calcium-rich foods, teaspoon for teaspoon. It's also loaded with trace minerals such as magnesium. Eating magnesium with calcium is important as it acts as a "'glue' that binds calcium to bone’s protein matrix, creating strong, dense bones. (Spry). Eating one ounce a day of sesame seeds can help provide 28% (based on a 2,000 calories diet) of the calcium needed daily (Nutrition Data.com). When incorporated into the diet, these little wonders of joy can help provide a good base to building strong, healthy bones (or mantaining them).

I love sesame seeds sprinkled on eggs, rice, soup, cooked greens and baked goods! Of course, these are optional (hense why I photographed half of them without). You can buy them from your local grocery store in the bulk section or Mountain Rose Herbs sells organic sesame seeds for an amazing price of $4 for one pound.

Black Beans are a great source of iron, protein and fiber. You can read more about this understated superfood on Sarah B's post.

Besides these wonderful nutritients, the cookies are relatively inexpensive and quite easy to prepare. No bowls are dirtied. Only the food processor!

Also if you don't want to turn on your oven (and you haven't used eggs in the batter), this batter makes a wonderful dip for apples or spread on sweet crackers. Or just eaten by the spoonful *wink wink*.

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All in all, these fudgy cookies are a great treat or snack for anyone! Being vegan and void of most allergens.

Doubling the recipe is a good idea so you have enough to share!

Double Chocolate Black Bean Cookies with Sesame Seeds (or brownie dip if you prefer not to bake it)

(This recipe is inspired by my bone-building chocolate sesame melts and mainly by Sarah B's black bean chocolate chili cookies).

1 1/2 cup cooked black beans (or one 15 oz can, drained and rinsed well)
2 Tb coconut oil
1/3 cup + 2 Tb cocoa powder
1/2 tsp course sea salt
1/4 cup maple syrup (or you can use same amount of non-dairy milk with liquid stevia equivalent)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tb chia seeds (or 2 Tb ground flax seed or Sarah says you can use 2 eggs)

1/2 heaping cup chocolate chips or 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In food processor, add beans and coconut oil. Process until smooth.
3. Add remaining ingredients (except for sesame seeds) and process until smooth (about a minute). Wait a few minutes for it to thicken and the chia to expand.
4. Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls onto stoneware or parchment lined tray and flatten with fingers or fork.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool for at least ten minutes before removing from pan.

Makes ten or so unless you eat a lot of the batter like we did.