To date, I’ve made more recipes using mochi than I can count … best-ever garlic “breadsticks,” pizzas with a mochi “crust” (like the Watercress Mochi Pizza in Superfood Cuisine), mochi waffles, and sometimes just mochi straight-up. But I’ve never made a dessert mochi recipe… until today. I found myself the subject of a time warp moment on the internet – the kind where you start off looking for directions to a restaurant, and suddenly an hour has gone by and you’re reading about the Top 10 Most Haunted Places in Denmark. In my case, food-focused lady I am, I randomly found myself reading about churros. A Mexican treat, most people are familiar with churros from fairs and events of sorts. They’re essentially a doughy rope made from white flour, oil, and sugar, that’s deep fried until golden, and covered in sugar and cinnamon. Think of a churro like a kind of less-doughy cinnamon doughnut … although as you can likely see, churros have a reputation of leaving a doughy effect on their victim.

Truthfully, churros are good – if you’ve had them before, you’re pretty much guaranteed to be in agreement. But frying dough in a vat of oil? Not in my kitchen. Which is exactly where Mochi becomes even more magical: the delicious, inherent texture of Mochi acts a very similarly to a deep fried object once it’s been cooked – enough to fool most people. So using mochi as a churro base is not only easier to execute (deep frying at home is not the neatest cooking method ever), but this rice-based version is a billion times healthier.

As I expected, when testing out the mochi churro method, the Japanese ingredient takes the Mexican recipe to a whole new level of dessert-oriented yum. To make the churro taste authentic, I do use a teeny bit of coconut oil – which is applied both before and after cooking for a stronger buttery flavor, but is needed in just a minute amount. I also was excited to finally put to use a little food combo that I stumbled upon a while back: cinnamon and palm sugar. Regular cinnamon sugar is already delicious, but cinnamon palm sugar (sometimes called coconut sugar as well – same thing) is out-of-hand fantastic. I’ve been dying to use it more frequently in dessert recipes, and the churro results are so good, I’m ready to make the claim that ALL churros should be made with cinnamon palm sugar – mochi or not. Best of all,  you won’t even use all the sugar required for the recipe below, meaning you’ll have a bit extra for your next slice of sprouted toast or oatmeal. Major yum.

Taking just 15 minutes to make, using only 5 ingredients, and resulting in a convincing gluten-free dessert that stomps all over its deep-fried rival, I’m pleased to share with you the Mochi Churro: aka the Mochurro.

Mochurros (aka Mochi Churros)

While Churros are traditionally dunked in an oil bath before being dried off with white sugar, here they’re baked instead… using just enough oil for flavor, and taking advantage of delectable mochi to make a truly wholesome treat. Mochi can be found in most natural food stores, in the refrigerated or frozen section. Click here for a mochi retailer near you.

INGREDIENTS

1 package (12.5oz) Mochi*
1 tablespoon coconut oil
¼ cup  palm sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Carefully slice the mochi lengthwise into ¼-inch strips, and set aside for a moment. In the smallest saucepan you have, melt the coconut oil over medium heat just until it turns liquid, and remove from heat. With a pastry brush (or a finger), lightly brush both flat sides of each mochi strip with a little of the melted oil, and place each strip on a baking sheet two inches apart (make sure none of the edges are touching one another, else they will become conjoined when baked). Reserve the remaining melted oil in the warm pan for later.

Place the baking sheet with the mochi in the oven, and bake for 10-12 minutes.

While the mochi is baking, take a pie tin and pour in the sugar, cinnamon and sea salt inside. Mix together to combine.

After the mochi is finished cooking (it will have puffed up and just begun to lightly toast on the bottom), remove from the oven and immediately pour the remaining small amount of melted coconut oil on top of the mochi pieces. Slide the pieces around, tossing the hot mochi in the oil on the pan, lightly coating as much of the mochi as possible.

One at a time, take a piece of mochi and roll it in the sugar-filled pie tin to shake on a light dusting. Repeat with the remaining mochi. Mochurros are best served warm, but can be enjoyed cool as well, and will retain their optimal texture for about a day. Serves 4-6.

*For best results use a plain variety/flavor. Superfood varieties, or cinnamon-raisin may also be used if available.

She’s also a mom of two, and from the looks of things, her kidlets are sprouting into little superheroes of their own. In fact, her five year old son, Bryce (see picture above), has taken a particular interest in his nutrition. After babbling about “antioxidants” since he was a toddler, Bryce has recently crowned himself with the honorable title of “The Grand Chia Master.” (I believe this position of power is a “forever” kind of deal, in case you were wondering.) GC Master looks forward to the event of making homemade superfood smoothies (aka a “science experiment”), adding in colorful powders, vivid fruits, leafy greens, and chia seeds (of course!) before creating the most awesomely delicious kid-friendly sludge.

Did I mention he’s five?

Kids may be picky, but it’s not the nutrients in food they’re picky about; many times it’s the way nutritious food is offered in the first place. When presented with tasty healthy options — and given the opportunity to make their own choices — the beneficial foods children gravitate toward is often genuinely inspiring.

A while back, I read about a fascinating study done on sugary cereal. The goal was to test how much sugar made a child happy enough to eat his or her breakfast. In the study, two separate groups of young children were allowed to help themselves to cereal, fruit, sugar packets, milk and juice for breakfast. The only difference between the two groups was that while one group was offered sugary cereal like Fruit Loops and Frosted Flakes, the other group was given low-sugar cereal like Rice Krispies. The children were instructed to simply prepare breakfast for themselves.

Although both groups ate almost the same amount of calories, the calories derived from sugar in the sugar-cereal group were almost double compared to the low sugar cereal group — even though many children in the low-sugar group added sugar packets to their bowl. Additionally, “more than half of kids given low-sugar options added fruit to their bowls, versus 8 percent of those eating sugary cereal.” Can you imagine the results if they included a third group, with a make-your-own smoothie option?

Children eat profoundly instinctively — very much on a “want” basis — and although taste (and presentation) is a defining factor too, sometimes it’s just about presenting a child with a choice (such as the choice to include sugar in cereal as opposed to a pre-sweetened variety). Including abundant nutrient-dense superfoods like yum-worthy seeds, berries, and even hidden greens, can be excellent ways to keep children happy, stocked with healthy nutrition, and inevitably too full/satisfied to crave refined or sugary foods. This method is known as the “crowding out” theory.

In fact, the crowding out theory works with adults too. Which, if I’m not mistaken, means the Grand Chia Master indeed has a lesson to share with us all.

Bryce’s Grand Chia Master Superfood Smoothie Recipe

frozen mango chunks, to taste

frozen mixed berries, to taste

1 frozen acai smoothie pack

1 banana

18 drops Chloroxygen (liquid chlorophyll drops)

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons ground flax powder

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

2 tablespoons cacao nibs

2 cups arugula

1 scoop Macro Greens powder

2 cups coconut water

Blend until awesome, and serve.

YAY!!!!!!!!!

That’s all, just yay. (Actually there was a little dance that went along with the yay, but luckily it doesn’t translate through writing).

I have good (great!) news and some mildly-bad-but-not-really-so-bad news.

Good news: I am unbelievably proud and thrilled to announce that my first book, Superfood Cuisine: Cooking with Nature’s Most Amazing Foods is now available. I just got my first small shipment of books today and holy WOW, what a feeling that is. Good news indeed. YAY.

Mildly-bad-but-not-really-so-bad news: Due to the amazing response from the pre-orders (thank you!), this first shipment is already (!) SOLD OUT. The next book shipment will get in next week (it will be much larger). If you already had your order in prior to today, it will ship out asap. If you haven’t ordered a signed copy from here on my site yet but do it now, it will be shipped next week. Amazon orders (that have been already been placed, or that you place now) will ship to the Amazon warehouse next week, where they will then go out to all of you who ordered (thank you again!). And even more thanks, overall, for your patience, for your support, for your readership, and for your interest in cooking with superfoods! ENJOY!

-Signed copies will be available for a limited time on this website through the link on the right.
-Feel free to be in touch with any questions about ordering: info[at]juliemorris[dot]net
-Watch the Superfood Cuisine book trailer

Coming super soon…

Superfood Cuisine: Cooking With Nature’s Most Amazing Foods

I’m so, so excited to share the news with you that I have a cookbook coming out. (!!!) This has been such a fun, rewarding project to work on. In case you’re wondering, the book cover above features a shot of one of my favorite recipes: a silky-smooth Carrot & Yacon Root Soup, topped with plumped goji berries and microgreens (insanely good, fantastically easy, and majorly glow-inducing).

I’m sure you’re aware of the exciting culinary revolution that’s taking place – the beneficial mantra of natural, organic, whole foods and plant-based diets is hotter than ever before! And now, superfoods are coming to the forefront as a fabulous (healthy!) way to even further fast-track our energy levels and longevity. This book explains the philosophy behind a superfood-strong lifestyle, and demystifies how to use them through delicious new dishes.

Superfood Cuisine includes:

- Over 100 plant-based, superfood recipes
- Full-color photography
- A guide to over 30 top superfoods and healthy pantry staples
- A convenient “pantry list” of what you need and where to find these special foods
- Natural cooking techniques and product sources

The book will be available late spring of this year (launch date and ordering details announced soon)! In the meantime, please join me at Superfood Cuisine on facebook for the latest updates, inside information, and bonus material. I’d love to see you there, and I cannot WAIT to share this special book with you!

But!  Onward and upward. And by upward, I of course mean chocolate. February is the season of romance so the stores tell us, which if you’re like me, implies that it’s time to rack your brains for some kind of non-commercial, heart-felt, homemade gift that shows you didn’t seccumb to blind consumerism (. . . but also didn’t take up too much time). This year, my gift answer is an extra easy one – making little valentine chocolates from scratch and putting them in clever candy molds. Since I’m making quite a few batches, I’m using this amazingly easy kit from Navitas Naturals. The kit produces an exceptional chocolate that contains no sugar, no dairy, no gluten — just pure and natural (delicious) superfood awesomeness.  Trust me, there’s no better feeling than giving something that’s truly caring . . . well, that and getting the credit for being a magically creative chocolate maker person.

Here’s the video I made with Navitas. Check out the chocolate 101:

Love it? Get the superfood chocolate kit here.

I wonder, will you secretly judge me if I admit to you that I don’t really like pie? Every year I’m reminded of my pie-oriented “skeleton in the oven,” thanks to all the holiday festivities. You can usually spot me fighting a cringe, as one pie after the next is passed before me, and I have to spontaneously compose a new, polite way to decline.

I can’t help it — I don’t like traditional pastry crust (boring), I don’t like perfectly good fruits smothered in some sugar goo, and I’m terribly sorry, but that pretty lattice pattern adorning the top isn’t going to do anything to get me more excited. Luckily there is, however, one exception to my no-pie rule: pumpkin pie.

I really get amped over a good pumpkin pie. (To be honest, I invariably get amped over a good pumpkin “anything.”) But as much my love is genuine, I can’t help but feel our favorite orange globes have enjoyed a little too much pop-star-style dependence in the winter squash world. Pumpkins continually overshadow a vast, deliciously endowed, and diverse spectrum of beautiful winter squash, time and time again in recipes.

But not this year.

I don’t know who decides the “chic food trends,” but nonetheless this has really been the year of winter squash. These different “pumpkin cousins” have been the new darlings of farmer’s markets and chefs alike, and I am all too happy to participate in the fun. I have so many favorites: delicata, butternut, acorn, and for making pies, the undeniable winner in my book is kabocha squash — aka the “Japanese Pumpkin.”

With a pumpkin-esque shape, and bright beautiful orange flesh, kabocha appears to be very similar to a traditional pumpkin, with the exception of its dark green exterior skin. Where it really trumps other pumpkins though, is in its flavor. Kabocha is one of the most inherently flavorful squashes of all — which makes it ideal for a pie! What I love most about it though, is that it enables using a fraction of the amount of sweetener compared to a traditional pie recipe . . . and in this case that sweetener is healthy molasses-like yacon syrup. Together, these ingredients ensure that this pumpkin pie is not only superbly tasty, but that it also has something to truly be thankful for: health! Now that’s my kinda pie.

Here’s the Japanese Pumpkin Pie (kabocha squash) RECIPE.