Mesquite Superfood Cake
Cake Photo by Oliver Barth
M
esquite boosts the flavor of this
springy and extra moist coffee
cake.
Makes 1 9-by-9-inch cake
1¾ cup Spelt Flour
¼ cup Mesquite Powder
1/3 cup Hemp Seeds
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp ground Cinnamon
½ tsp ground Cardamom
¾ tsp Sea Salt
½ cup Coconut Oil, melted
1 cup Coconut Sugar
1½ cups unsweetened Applesauce
2 Tbsp fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Lucuma Powder, or Powdered
Sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 350° F. Coat a 9” by 9”
pan with cooking spray. - In a medium mixing bowl, combine the
flour, mesquite powder, hemp seeds, baking
soda, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt.
Mix well. - In a large mixing bowl, stir together
the coconut oil and sugar. Mix in the
applesauce, lemon, and vanilla. Add the
dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until
just combined, with no dry ingredients
remaining. Transfer the mixture to the
prepared pan, and lightly smooth out
the surface into a flat layer. Bake for 45-50
minutes, or until top is golden and an
inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove
from the oven. Let cool in the pan for 10
minutes, then transfer the cake to a baking
rack to cool completely. To serve, sprinkle
lightly with lucuma powder or powdered
sugar, and cut into squares or slices. - Cake will last for three days, covered,
at room temperature.
Julie Morris is the best-selling author of cookbooks
including Superfood Kitchen, Superfood Snacks, and
Superfood Smoothies. She has also just launched
Luminberry. It’s the world’s first online cooking
school that’s entirely dedicated to superfood cuisine:
luminberry.com
Mesquite Powder
by Julie Morris
M
esquite powder is derived from
the edible bean-like pods of the
spiny trees or shrubs belonging to
the genus Prosopis, and has been a traditional
staple food of indigenous cultures from the
arid regions of the Americas. Native to South
America, the mesquite tree produces large seed-
filled pods, which are collected, ground into
a delicious flour, and used in recipes. Desert
dwellers often relied upon the sweet pods as
a staple food, and would even use them as a
bartering tool with neighboring tribes.
Mesquite is of particularly great value to
those looking to balance blood sugar levels.
Mesquite flour offers a naturally sweet flavor to
recipes, but its sugars are derived from fructose
(which does not require insulin to digest and
is readily metabolized). Additionally, the flour
is an excellent form of fiber – meeting almost
a quarter of daily needs in just two table-
spoons – which not only improves digestion but
further benefits sugar metabolism. Mesquite
also contains lysine (an amino acid), as well as
notable quantities of digestible protein, calcium,
magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc.
Mesquite carries a sweet, smoky flavor that
is reminiscent of carob, with caramel under-
tones. It’s rich taste and aroma pairs well with
both vanilla and chocolate, and it lends a
delightful maltiness when used in sweet treats
and smoothies.
Chocolate Mesquite Bliss Balls
by Nikki Sharp
T
his superfood has a nutty, caramel
style flavor. It pairs great with banana
in smoothies, overnight oats, and any-
thing chocolate flavored. It is low on glycemic
index, meaning it won’t spike your blood
sugar, so add this to bliss balls for a decadent
snack for that 3pm slump.
1 cup walnuts
6 pitted dates
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
1 tbsp mesquite powder
¼ tsp vanilla extract
small pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients in a food processor,
scraping sides as necessary. Roll into
one inch size balls. Optional to add in
one tbsp maca powder and roll in
unsweetened desiccated coconut.
Freeze for 20 minutes.
Nikki Sharp is a wellness expert who is the author of
The 5 Day Real Food Detox and the upcoming Meal
Prep Your Way to Weight Loss: nikkisharp.com
Baobab
N
aturopathic Doctor Luc Maes and
his company Kaibae have established
partnerships with communities in
Ghana to harvest organic baobab. According
to Dr Maes, “Baobab fruit powder addresses
important elements in the prevention of
chronic disease. Its prebiotic fiber benefits the
immune and the digestive system. Baobab fruit
powder has an extensive nutrition profile of
antioxidants, Vitamin C, and minerals such as
calcium, magnesium, and potassium which all
supports healthy blood sugar balance.
How does Dr Maes use baobab? “ I like
drinking it in my morning smoothie. A really
simple recipe is to just add a tablespoon of Bao-
bab in room temperature water, my workout
bottle, or cold with a squeeze of lemon! Bao-
bab has a naturally sweet and tangy flavor so
you don't need to hide the taste. My wife Bar-
bara mixes it in her plain yogurt every morning,
boosting the nutrition and giving a great taste to
yogurt without any sugar. We love it in granola
and even sprinkled on salads or popcorn!