Reishi Mocha Balls

to brighten up your cuppa mid afternoon

Hello, you.

How is autumn landing with you?

Shorter evenings always come as a shock to my system. So I’m comforting myself with rye banana bread smothered in pistachio butter when the sun starts setting. On the days I don’t have time for the oven to preheat, I knock these mocha ballss up faster than a sight-hound chasing a chihuahua.

Coffee and chocolate are the two most powerful words in the English language. Add them together, and your ticker might hum with happiness. I like to think of these mocha balls as a nifty defibrillator for the heart. You’ll be doped off your nutter on joy, while the actual nuts do their scientific jazz.

Ready?

Unsalted raw hazelnuts contain special-agent fats that can help raise your protective cholesterol (HDL) while lowering that menacing cholesterol (LDL). Hazelnuts have a cargo of arginine too, necessary to make our own nitric oxide thereby relaxing blood vessels and blood flow. Think of it as the Bach of the blood. We like. This might also help explain why nuts are applauded for their role in protecting arterial walls, making the walls more pliable and less susceptible to damage. Good news for health insurers. And health nuts like me.

Reishi mushroom, in all its glory. Photo by NoonBrew on Unsplash .

Reishi Mocha Balls will make cute gifts in the coming weeks. You can get your mitts on Medjools in health stores or the fruit and veg isle of Supervalu and Tesco nationwide. Dunnes do large boxes of sticky dates which work out perfectly too. And I’ve spotted good quality roasted hazelnuts in Lidl of late.

As for coffee, take a listen to Dr Rhonda Fitzpatrick …

Obsession with shrooms?

In many cultures, mushrooms are revered for their health-enhancing pursuits. Housed inside each mushroom are lentinans and beta glucan polysaccharides, believed to stimulate the immune system by activating certain cells. In the field of immunology, Dr Jenna Macciochi’s research highlights beta glucan’s ability to improve resistance to infection. Wild! Dr Macchiochi describes beta glucans as “keen modulators of the immune response.”

Here is a quick recap of some shroomy magic from 2024, if you want to inject more goodness into your week …

1. Mushroom broth

2. Mushroom mince

3. Portobello Shawarma

4. Ricotta Veggie Burger

5. Shroom Kebabs & Satay Sauce

6. Cacao Reishi Smoothie

7. Shroom Larb kitchen tutorial at the end of the month (watch this space)