Monday, January 3, 2011

New Year, New Recipe!

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Now that celebrations are winding down, and you may have a bit more time to yourself, perhaps it's time to pick up that new book you got for Christmas, sit in a rocking chair, and pull up a side table for a glass of rich, chocolatey... er, "malted chocolate beverage." After pulling out the movie "Heidi" the other night, and being inspired by stone houses in the Alps, goat cheese, and oatmeal, I started looking up other Swiss food ideas, and stumbled upon the well-known Ovaltine (R). After looking at the original ingredients, I thought, "Hey, I could make that!"

Ovaltine's traditional ingredients are milk (whey), eggs, malt, and, of course, cocoa. In fact the name was originally Ovomaltine; "ovo" referring to eggs, and "maltine" for the malt. The Swiss version is unsweetened, while the American version has added sugar. Since I don't drink cow's milk at this time, I used coconut milk for the milk, fresh eggs from our chickens, and cocoa. Malt is made by grinding sprouted grains into flour. My mom actually does make her own malt, but since I'm not so sure about eating raw grains due to their high levels of phytic acid (with negative implications for mineral absorption and tooth health), I thought I would use a small amount of maca, which has a malt-like flavor, instead. Maca is a root from South America, which is used for its positive impacts on hormone health (it's an adaptogen) and somewhat counteracting the effects of caffeine. You can read more about the benefits of maca here. So anyway... here is my recipe for a malted chocolate beverage. (All ingredients are recommended to be organic/free range, etc).

Malted Chocolate Beverage

16 oz non-dairy milk or certified raw milk (I used SO Delicious coconut milk, which is already diluted)
2 raw eggs
1 Tbsp organic cocoa
1 tsp maca powder (I used "Maca Magic" brand)
1 Tbsp maple syrup (optional, for "American version")

First, separate the egg white from the yolks. In a blender, blend the coconut milk, egg whites, cocoa, maca, and maple syrup until smooth. At the end, add the egg yolks, and just pulse to blend. Egg yolks are healthier if they are not subject to oxidation via fast blending. Pour into a glass or two, and enjoy. Makes one large serving, or two small.

I tried it without the maple syrup first, and it's actually quite good with no sweetener added. It reminds me of eating a dark chocolate bar. With the maple syrup, it tastes just like I remember the flavor of Ovaltine to be.

A toast to your excellent health in 2011! Enjoy!