Roses are red, violets are blue, I’m not crazy about Valentine’s Day, are you? Well let me clarify that – it’s not that I dislike the holiday but come on, shouldn’t we be showing love to those around us a regular basis? And opening our hearts and being kind to one another – do we need a special day for that? I guess also I think holidays like this can make some people feel sad and that bothers me. However, in the spirit of the holiday I will wish you all a very happy day filled with love and kindness!!!! (Oh – and year round too!!!!)
In this week’s The Keri Report:
- Keri’s Guest Kitchen: Morgan’s Tahina Chocolina
- 9 Foods That (Almost) Never Go Bad
- 20 Healthy Meal Prep Photos That Will Inspire You To Eat Better
Photo by Morgan Winston
Keri’s Guest Kitchen: Morgan’s Tahina Chocolina
In honor of Valentine’s Day I thought I would share with you an amazing tasting chocolate cake. And since I don’t bake I am so proud to include my very talented niece Morgan’s recipe. Personally I would like to take all the credit for her skills in the kitchen (OK, maybe also share them with my sister), but honestly, so much of what she can do she has learned on her own. Unfortunately the only place you can taste her treats at the moment is in Oahu! Per Morgan, “this is a tahini & dark chocolate mousse cake, inspired by my trip to Israel (they pronounce tahini tahina there :)), my unwavering love for dark chocolate and obsession with putting tahini on everything. ” Per me, “stick to one serving!” :)))))
Serves 12 using a 9 x 9” pan.
INGREDIENTS:
Crust:
3/4 cup soft pitted Medjool dates
1/2 cup walnuts
1 cup pecans
1 tbsp cacao nibs
Filling:
Chocolate layer:
1 sm-medium sized avocado
1.5 cup of coconut cream*
1/2 cup cocoa or cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
Tahina layer:
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup tahini
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/3 cup soft pitted Medjool dates
Topping:
Cacao nibs, pecans, tahini drizzle
TO PREPARE:
Blend all ingredients for crust in a food processor until the mixture becomes sticky. Press down into a springform pan, or parchment paper-lined cake pan. Place in fridge until filling is ready.
Blend chocolate filling ingredients in food processor until very smooth. Pour 1/2 of the mixture over the crust and place into freezer to harden up, reserving the rest for later. Meanwhile, blend tahina layer in food processor until very smooth. Once the chocolate layer has hardened in the freezer, spread tahina layer on top and return to freezer to set. Once set, layer remaining chocolate layer on top. Place in freezer to set for a couple hours. To serve, remove from freezer at least 15-20 minutes before eating, or keep in the fridge so that it is ready to devour whenever. Sprinkle cacao nibs, crumbled pecans, and a drizzle of tahini on each slice before eating to make it extra special.
****For amazing food photos – follow @morganswin on Instagram!*****
Photo by Shutterstock.com
9 Foods That (Almost) Never Go Bad
If you are like me you have a lot of food in your cupboard that you have no idea if still good to eat. When I was interviewed by Food & Wine for this article, I add to look up the info. (OK, so I definitely don’t know everything food and nutrition related off the top of my head.) Though, proud to say I am not clueless as to the food in my refrigerator. Phew!!! Food safety is definitely a big deal, but there is a difference between what should be tossed because the food is unsafe to eat vs. it is no longer at peak nutritional value. Read on.
Photo by GoDaddy.com
20 Healthy Meal Prep Photos That Will Inspire You To Eat Better
Meal prepping has never been my thing. I typically shop the day of for what I will be eating for dinner that night. But honestly, don’t necessarily follow in my foot steps. Most of my patients have always done better with healthy eating if they plan a head. And that planning includes not only shopping for the food days in advance, but also making a good portion of it a head of time. Thanks to Men’s Health for the inspiration in this article.