It may conjure images of holier than thou hippies with a penchant for hemp clothing and open toed sandals but raw food is fast becoming mainstream. It might just be claiming the hip out of hippie and with a world of new fresh flavours on offer it is really one of the most exciting cuisines out there.
Whilst there are endless wonderful savoury raw dishes, it’s the sweet stuff that has captured our foodie imagination and tastebuds and with that in mind let us introduce you to the world of the raw ball.
For some this may not be a new concept but dried fruit, nuts and a blender are a mighty combination when it comes to making a raw sweet treat to be reckoned with. Dates, particularly of the medjool variety, are the best option, however, any dried fruit including raisins and prunes also make great additions. If using firmer nuts such as cashews it’s best to soak them for a few hours beforehand but other than that there is very little preparation time.
The really great thing about raw balls though is that there are no hard and fast rules so feel free to experiment with ingredients – the more unusual the better!
These pistachio, pecan and goji berry variety are a favourite because they use several different dried fruits, which make for a super sweet and chewy morsel of goodness. Because not only are these bites delicious they happen to contain a whole lotta nutrition too meaning you can eat without guilt and reap the benefits of raw food without having to resort to a single carrot stick.
Pistachio, pecan and goji berry bites
Ingredients:
1/4 cup pistachios
1/4 pecans
1/4 cup dried goji berries
1/8 cup dried blueberries
1 medjool date
1/4 cup desiccated coconut (plus more for coating
Juice 1/2 small clementine
Method:
1. Place the nuts in a hand blender and blitz until coarsely ground.
2. Add the goji berries, blueberries, date and desiccated coconut and blitz to form a fine rubble.
3. Lastly add the clementine juice and blitz again until everything comes together – you may need to scrape down the sides with a spatula.
4. Take a small teaspoon sized amount and roll into ball. Pour a little desiccated coconut into a bowl and roll the ball in it until completely covered. Repeat – you should get at least 10 small bites from the mixture.
5. Transfer to the fridge and allow to cool and firm up for at least an hour.