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Carob-a treat for health and slimness
Carob is an overseas miracle product that has long been loved by fans of healthy eating and fans of culinary experiments. What is useful for carob and how can you use it to improve your usual dishes?
Sweet gift of nature
Externally, the carob is a flat long pods with brown beans inside. These are the fruits of the carob tree, which grows in the Mediterranean countries. Raw seeds are absolutely unfit for food. How do they use carob? The beans are carefully dried in the sun and ground into a powder. At first glance, it practically does not differ from dry cocoa, except that it has a lighter brown shade. But the taste of carob is much sweeter. Only this natural sweetness, which makes the product so useful. It is enough to compare the caloric content of carob and cocoa. In 100 g of carob contains 222 kcal, while in cocoa-as much as 374 kcal.
Use pantry
The chemical composition of carob impresses with an abundance of useful elements. It contains a fair amount of potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper and manganese. It is rich in vitamins A, B, and D. The protein found in carob reduces cholesterol intake. Slow carbohydrates provide the body with energy for a long time. Tannins bind and remove toxins. The beneficial properties of carob can also be attributed to the fact that it is devoid of caffeine. This means that high blood pressure, depletion of nerve cells and addiction do not threaten you, even with frequent use. Unlike chocolate, carob does not contain harmful substances that cause acne and allergies.
Not an ounce of harm
How is carob used in cooking? Mainly as a sugar substitute in homemade cakes and desserts. Mix 100 g of wheat and oat flour, 2 tbsp.l. rye flour and 1 tsp. baking powder. Here we also pour 2 tbsp. l. carob, ½ tsp. cinnamon and turmeric, ¼ tsp. crushed cloves and cardamom. Pour into the dry mixture 100 ml of boiled water and 3 tbsp. l. vegetable oil, 200 g of medium-chopped nuts to your taste. Knead the dough, form the same gingerbread and send it to the oven preheated to 180 °C for 20-25 minutes. Let them cool and lubricate with honey. This simple but delicious dessert can be enjoyed even with diabetes. Carob makes it useful and completely harmless.
Tropical whirlwind
How to prepare a treat with carob, any pastry chef will tell you. It is used to make delicious icing, for example, for cupcakes. Puree a mixture of 200 g of pitted dates, ripe banana and 100 ml of orange juice with a blender. Pour 130 ml of coconut oil or any other vegetable oil into it. Pour out 250 g of flour with 1 tsp of baking soda, a pinch of vanilla and knead the dough. Put it in the muffin molds and bake for 30 minutes at 180 °C. Meanwhile, rub 1/2 banana with 2 tbsp coconut oil and 1 tbsp carob. We smear this glaze on the tops of the cupcakes and decorate with berries. If there are vegetarians in your family, they will be the first to approve this dessert.
Nice little things
A great way to prepare carob is also available for those who are crazy about delicious sweets. Melt 10 g of butter over low heat. Pour in 1 tablespoon of cream and honey, pour out 4 tablespoons of carob and continue to cook. Scald with boiling water 70 g of prunes, dry and finely chop. We send it to a saucepan with coffee glaze, flavored with 1 tsp. cinnamon and a pinch of ginger, mix well. For 2 hours, we send it to the refrigerator. We make round candies from the cooled mass, sprinkle with small almond crumbs and send them to the refrigerator overnight. You will have a wonderful dessert for a friendly party.
A brisk decaf morning
How to make a carob drink best? In the form of a delicious fruit smoothie. Soak a handful of raw almonds in water overnight, and peel them in the morning. So the drink will taste better and will be absorbed much better. We put a ripe banana, cut into circles, a cup of frozen raspberries and peeled almonds in the bowl of a blender. Add here 150 ml of coconut milk , 3 tbsp of carob and whisk the ingredients into a homogeneous air mass. Pour the smoothies into glasses, sprinkle with crushed hazelnuts. Such a hearty cocktail will be a great start to the day and will charge the body with fresh energy.
We hope that your acquaintance with carob was not in vain. If so, it’s time to move from theory to practice. And if you have already discovered this wonderful product for a long time, share interesting recipes with its participation.