Monique's Delicious Balls

Well, I'm not too prudish to openly admit that I love Balls. Now keep it clean Cherubs.....

Growing up in a foodie household (my mother is a Cooking Teacher and my dream was to grow up to be Alison Holst), I have a LOVE of food. However, I'm also domestically challenged.  It's taken me 3 months to work out how to poach eggs, so anything that's easy to make wins my vote.

I'm also a fan (having lost over half my body weight in excess fat, gaining part of it again, losing it again, gaining it, losing it....well you get the idea....) of trying to find healthy alternatives that serve my health, help me maintain a healthy weight and most importantly, TASTE GREAT! There's nothing worse than having to eat something that you KNOW is going to be good for you but tastes like the bottom of a rabbit hutch. 

For the last little while, I've made the commitment to increase my whole and raw foods intake to increase my energy levels and after a solid period of great choices, I'm already reaping the benefits!  Afterall, I'm human too and Christmas, New Year and well - any excuse for a knees up - tends to trigger my desire for convenience foods, take aways and a little too much Vino.  Needless to say, I heard my Liver's cry for support and am feeling a MILLION times more energised!! Oh, and raw food does not involve cooking.  BONUS!

One of my little secrets that are a god send are these furry little beauties.  They are sometimes called 'Brain Balls' or 'Frooze Ball's' and I've tried a bunch of variations - some great and some a little MEH. 

Here's my secret recipe that works for me.  It's loaded with good energy, good fat, protein and gives you a hit of PIZAZZ especially in the afternoons when I'm feeling like something sweet. This recipe I grabbed online, adapted and came up with a recipe that suits my taste buds. It makes a lot of balls, so you can halve or quarter the quantities according to your budget. 

Monique's Delicious Balls.

Ingredients:

2 cups Almonds

1 cup Sunflower Seeds

1 cup Coconut (dessicated)

Chia Seeds (just a generous sprinkle)

1/4 cup Sesame Seeds

1/2 cup Cocoa

1 cup of Pitted Dates (soaked in hot water)

1/2 cup of Orange or Cranberry juice

Here's how to do it:

1. Blend all nuts and seeds in a blender till pretty small. Pop these ingredients in a large-ish bowl.

2. Add sesame and chia seeds, half the coconut and cocoa. 

3. Remove the dates from the water and puree in the blender. They should end up like a paste.

4. Add the orange or cranberry juice and zap again till your mixture has the consistency of a syrup.

5. Add to the dry ingredients and mix through.  If the mixture is too dry, add some of the water from the dates.

6. Shape into balls and roll in coconut or sesame seeds.

7. Eat a couple and feel fab! Store in the fridge.

Alternatives: 

I've mixed and matched this recipe so much!!!  The key to this is understanding that your binding ingredient is the dates.  If you don't like the flavour of the orange or cranberry juice, leave it out and add more of the date water.

My last version of these balls I threw the following into a blender:

Mixed nuts (raw - and make sure you soak your nuts first.  It activates them!)

Extra Brazils (for added Selenium - ideal for the Thyroid)

Peanut Butter (for additional binding and because I like it)

Chia and Sesame seeds

Pumpkin and Sunflower seeds

And some Sultanas.....I do adore Sultanas.....

After blending the bejeebers out of them, I added soaked dates and cocoa and some of the date water and zapped them again.

VOILA! 

So this recipe is yours.  Play around with it. Try adding vanilla or mint extract. Mix it and taste it.  If it needs sweetness, try adding a little honey or craisins.  If it needs more binding, nut butters, tahini, juice or a little water will do just fine.

Please let me know how delicious your balls are!!  And remember, each ball works out to be around 112 K/cals so these are good clean energy but are not calorie exempt. 

Happy Balling XXX