Raw Chocolate Banana Goji Brownie

As you've likely noticed from my latest recipes, I love raw food. The great thing about uncooked dishes is you can't really mess them up -- you don't have to worry about something rising or making sure it cooks all the way through.

I've written about the health benefits of eating raw before, but I haven't shared with you how it changed my life. I used to eat mostly cooked food. That was also the time I had dry skin (heels and elbows) and had major digestive issues. Now, I'm not saying eating raw food solved my health problems, and I'm certainly not 100 per cent raw, but I do eat about 60 per cent uncooked and know it was a big part of my getting healthier.

I encourage you to assess how much cooked vs. uncooked food you eat on a daily basis. Try adding more raw foods. It can be as simple as eating raw veggies with a raw nut or seed spread instead of cooked granola bars, cookies or muffins. Try this new way of eating for a few days and analyze how your body feels. You'll likely feel a whole lot healthier!

Ingredients:

Bottom

1 ripe banana

1-1.5 cups walnuts

15 medjol dates, pits removed

Top

1 rip banana

3/4 cup raw cacao powder (buy from a health food store)

4 tbsp unpasteurized raw honey (or maple syrup, but then it's not technically "raw")

4 tbsp coconut butter

Small handful of goji berries to sprinkle on top.

Method:

Combine all the "bottom" ingredients into you food processor and blend for two to three minutes, until fully combined and soft balls start to form. Add more of any ingredient if you want to change the texture to more crunchy (add more walnuts) or chewier (more dates). Press into a small pan.

Combine all the "top" ingredients into your food processor and blend for a minute until fully combined. Pour over the top of your bottom crust and sprinkle with chopped walnuts and goji berries. Refrigerate or freeze. Cut into squares. Makes 12 to 14 two-inch squares.