Chocolate Avocado Pudding with Cocao Nibs
One of my clients recently went to Thanksgiving dinner hosted by a chef whose day job is at a 5 star restaurant in San Francisco, lucky her! She was worried, of course, that there would be only a few things that she would be able to eat since she is on the Candida diet. And rightly so, it’s usually difficult to get someone who doesn’t have any idea what Candida is to understand this diet. I recently had the pleasure of eating a meal at Eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. They usually serve a small, set menu based around what’s local and fresh, my kind of place! And the set menu on Saturday night was not looking very Amy-friendly. The chef, surprisingly, wanted to accommodate my diet and asked me, what can I eat? We went through a list of the usual suspects and he seemed to understand. What came out of his kitchen was absolutely delightful, lots of greens, some smoked fish, a little cheese, more fresh green herbs in an olive oil and apple cider vinegar dressing. I was impressed. And so thankful that he was willing to be flexible and to listen.
I went to a restaurant with my mom yesterday for a little post holiday shopping meal. Mom was familiar with the menu and quickly pointed out the things I could eat and probably get on the side. And she was right! It’s funny how something so seemingly insignificant as the minutia of what I can and can not eat means so much to me when someone else gets it, especially family. Eating the same food, together at the same time, is so important and that’s why it’s so easy to feel lonely and left out when your diet seems drastic, mysterious and limited to those around us. With all the holiday parties and family get togethers coming up it’s important to speak up and participate. Bring food to share so that your friends and family can understand that your diet is full of delicious food. Plenty of recipes to choose from here! Ask ahead about the proposed menu and make sure that there will be plenty for you to eat that doesn’t compromise your health. Is it really worth it to just eat what happens to be available (and end up starving) or have your health suffer for days because you ate something to be polite that you really shouldn’t eat? Eating together is one way that we social creatures bond, so speak up and share your food, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Avocados: creamy, rich, healthy and versatile.
Back to the Thanksgiving dinner, my client had a great time because she chose to get in touch with the chef and, politely ask about his Thanksgiving menu. The chef was very nice and had a chat with her about what she can eat. He made plenty of friendly foods and he even made dessert! Here’s the recipe for the rich chocolate pudding that he made. My client loved it and, a few days later, replicated the recipe easily at home. So we’ll call this one ‘Five Star Dessert’. The recipe can easily be doubled.
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
Stevia, to taste
A bit of heavy cream or coconut cream, to desired consistency, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup
1 ripe avocado
Optional: vanilla extract, just a dash and cocao nibs, sprinkled on top!
Procedure:
Put everything (except the stevia) and about 1/4 cup of the coconut or dairy cream into a blender and blend. Adjust the consistency by adding more cream and/or more cocoa powder. Add stevia, a little at a time until it’s sweet to your liking. Top with cocao nibs and/or shredded coconut. Share, eat and enjoy!
The Candida Diaries 