Sunflower Lecithin
Sunflower Lecithin – at the moment, I am utterly in love with this beauty of an ingredient. I’ve been playing around with it for a while now, and am VERY excited to share my discoveries with you!
If your yet to meet Lecithin then i urge you to take note...
As far as nutritional support, Lecithin helps the body to break down and absorb fats. It is also an excellent source of Choline. This is massively important for the functioning of nearly every cell in the body but especially the liver and the brain function, but is unfortunately a little tricky to come by if following a plant based diet.
However, up until quite recently, the only form of lecithin that’s been available to us is the one derived from soybeans. As you are surely aware, lots of us aren’t all that excited about having too much soy in our diets. Also, soy lecithin usually comes from genetically modified beans, and isn’t generally available raw.
Enter Sunflower Lecithin! And the cool thing about this lecithin is that it comes to as a syrupy LIQUID. Most Lecithin come in powder or granules.
Obtained by a cold pressing method (so there’s no heat involved), and as an added bonus there are no nasty chemicals involved.
Not only is Sunflower Lecithin pretty amazing from a nutritional point of view, it can also take you’re culinary creations to a whole new level!
Because of its emulsifying properties it can be used as a thickening agent, making whatever it’s added to unbelievably smoother and creamier, plus it will make any fats you’ve added easier for the body to digest. You have to LOVE that about it.
If you’ve got a ‘go to’ raw chocolate pudding recipe, add as little as one teaspoon of sunflower lecithin to instantly and effortlessly multiply the ‘mmmm!’ factor. The same results will be had in the case all of your smoothies and raw soups.
To round this up, here are a few reasons at a glance why I seriously LOVE this product:
* Soy Free
* Emulsifier (which helps digest fat)
* Choline (necessary for brain and liver function)
* Can be used to thick products (great for raw puddings and soups)
* Raw, Vegan, Gluten Free Non GMO
* Neutral flavour
Without further ado, here are my favourite ways to use Sunflower Lecithin… I hope that you’re feeling inspired to get some of this magical stuff into your life!
Super Hemp Mylk
This is my formula for makin
g an easy, delicious, uber hydrating litre of bliss! Not only does the Lecithin make this milk extra smooth, it also aids the body in absorbing all of the sparkly goodness from the hemp and superfoods.
-> 1 Litre of the best water available to you
-> 3 Tablespoons of Shelled Hemp Seeds
-> 1 Teaspoon of Raw Honey
-> 1 Teaspoon of Sunflower Lecithin
-> ½ a Teaspoon of Maca
-> ½ a Teaspoon of Chlorella Powder or 3 or 4 Chlorella Tablets
All you have to do is blend it up and drink it down! Feel free to substitute another sweetener for the honey, or switch up the superfoods to your hearts content. A sneaky tablespoon of cacao powder is always a winner!
Sweet Potato and Red Pepper Soup
This is my favourite ever raw soup recipe! You really do need a high powered blender, such as a vitamix, for the best results. My oil of choice to use here is flax oil. Then, as well as making this soup ridiculously creamy, the lecithin also helps ensure that we properly absorb the essential fatty acids from the flax.
This recipe makes enough for one, so it’s really easy to change the amounts depending on how many you’re serving.
-> 1 Small Sweet Potato, peeled and roughly chopped
-> ½ a Red Pepper, seeds discarded
-> ½ a Cucumber, chopped
-> 3 Sundried Tomatoes, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
-> 1-2 Tablespoons Cold Pressed Oil (olive, hemp and flax are all great options)
-> 1 Teaspoon Sunflower Lecithin
-> Pinch of Cayenne (optional)
First add the cucumber to the blender, then the red pepper and sweet potato. Drain the sundried tomatoes, squeeze out any excess water, and pop them in along with the cayenne if you’re using it. Blend on high until completely smooth. Then reduce the speed of the blended, and slowly add first the oil, and then the lecithin. If you’re using a vitamix, you can leave it running for a bit to heat the soup up slightly. Alternatively, warm very gently on the stove. Enjoy at once!
Chocolate Fudge
I’ve only just started using Sunflower Lecithin in my raw chocolate making, but am already beyond thrilled with the results! This is a really easy recipe that you can do a lot with; leave it as a liquid and use as an immensely smooth, decadent sauce, or pour into the mould of your choice for a meltingly soft raw fudge.
-> ½ a Cup of Coconut Oil/Butter
-> ½ a Cup of Raw Honey (or any other liquid sweetener)
-> ½ a Cup of Cacao Powder
-> 1 Tablespoon of Sunflower Lecithin
-> ½ a Teaspoon of Vanilla Powder
-> Pinch of Himalayan Crystal Salt
Add the coconut oil (no need to melt it first!) and honey to a food processor or blender. Process until well combined, then add the cacao powder and salt and blend some more. You can also add some superfood powders at this point to take the chocolate sparkle up a level! Then, with the machine still running, slowly drizzle in the Lecithin. Blend a bit more until creamy and dreamy!
You can use it straight away, or leave it to set for a bit. If you make it into fudge, it’s probably best to store it in the freezer because of the low melting point of the coconut oil.
I think that this would also make a fantastic frosting for a raw cake!
However you may take it, i don't think you can go far wrong with adding this raw syrupy superfood to your life.
