Wild Blueberry-Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Eat it and weep.

I'm cruel. I've been torturing my Facebook followers with this photo since January, while withholding the recipe (in hopes that they would buy my book Raw & Simple). Well, squeaky wheel gets the grease. They insisted I finally give it up, so here it is. A raw, vegan cheesecake so good, you'll weep. Well, maybe not. Maybe your family will weep when you eat it all before they get home. One of my recipe testers emailed me three times in a row to tell me over and over how much she loved it. I thought she was exaggerating until other people started messaging me how outrageously good it is. 

Oh, and don’t fret if you can’t find wild blueberries or Meyer lemons. I just wanted to give this a fancy name. Meyer lemons are slightly sweeter than regular lemons but either one works just as well here. As for blueberries, I actually prefer using the frozen ones because of the juice that results from thawing them out. Wild blueberries are smaller in size but taste very much like cultivated blueberries so use whatever you can find or afford at your local market.

Wild Blueberry-Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Makes 16 servings

Plan Ahead: soak ½ cup cashews in water for 2 hours

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Chill Time: 1 to 2 hours

I got tired of regular round cheesecakes so I created this chunky version using a crust and topping very similar to the Oatmeal Raisin Walnut cookies (page xx). Don’t fret if you can’t find wild blueberries or Meyer lemons. I just wanted to give this a fancy name. Meyer lemons are slightly sweeter than regular lemons but either one works just as well here. As for blueberries, I actually prefer using the frozen ones because of the juice that results from thawing them out. Wild blueberries are smaller in size but taste very much like cultivated blueberries so use whatever you can find or afford at your local market.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh or frozen wild blueberries, thawed

Crust

2 cups walnuts or pecans

1/4 cup raisins

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1. Combine ingredients in a food processor for 20-25 seconds. Press mixture between your fingers and see if it sticks together. If not, process a few seconds longer. Be careful not to go too long, otherwise it will release too much oil.

2. Press firmly and evenly into an 8 x 8 pan lined with parchment paper or plastic wrap.

Topping

1 cup walnuts or pecans

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup Medjool dates

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup rolled oats (optional)

1.     In same food processor that you just made the crust, add nuts, raisins, dates and sea salt and process until mixture begins to clump and stick together. Process longer than you did the crust but be careful not to overdo it.

2.     Transfer to a bowl and stir in oats. Set aside while you make the cheesecake layer.

Cheesecake

1 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid

1/2 cup cashews, soaked 2 hours

1/3 cup lemon juice

½ cup xylitol or agave

¼ cup water

½ tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon lecithin powder (use 2 tablespoons if using agave)

1. Blend all ingredients except lecithin until very smooth.

2. Add lecithin and blend again.

3. Pour over crust.

4. Top cheesecake mixture evenly with blueberries.

5. Press berries gently into the cheesecake and evenly spread the topping mixture over the berries.

6. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer for 1-2 hours or until firm.

Will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or one month in the freezer.

Chef Tip. You can use other berries or fruits in place of blueberries such as cherries, peaches or mango as well as tone down the lemon flavor to your liking.  

Copyright 2013 Quarry Books

Here is a modified version of it I made for a wedding. I used a 9"springform pan, doubled the filling and added an extra 50% to the crust.  It was a hot day and I was scared it would melt before guests could enjoy it so I added extra lecithin. That's what is giving it the rough texture. I kinda like the brittleness of it, but in the future I'll just stick with less lecithin. Nevertheless, everyone loved it!

Raw & Simple Chocolate Haystacks

These chewy, chocolate treats are super simple to make, yet, tastes like a gourmet treat. I use longer coconut threads to give it that haystack look (Sprout's grocery stores carry them) but you can use the finely shredded coconut with the same great results. Jazz it up with some chopped nuts or hemp seeds for a little nutrition boost.

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Chocolate Haystacks

Makes 12 servings

Prep time: 15 minutes

2/3 cup cacao powder

½ cup maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed to liquid

½ vanilla bean, scraped or small pinch of vanilla powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt (optional)

2 cups shredded coconut

Blend cacao powder, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth.

In a bowl, hand mix shredded coconut with chocolate mixture.

Line a plate with parchment paper. Use a spoon or melon scoop to form 12-14 individual haystacks on the parchment paper.

Freeze for 30 minutes or until firm.

Find more easy raw food recipes in my new book Raw & Simple: Eat Well and Live Radiantly with 100 Truly Quick and Easy Recipes For the Raw Food Lifestyle

Upcoming Raw Food 101 Class!

Saturday, May 18th, 2013 Raw Food 101 - Learn the raw food ropes from a pro! 1-4pm Long Beach, CA - $65

In this 3 hour demo class you will learn raw food basics like opening coconuts, making your own nut milks, green smoothies, chia pudding, marinated kale salad, pasta marinara, not-chicken salad wraps, and chocolate ganache brownies.

You'll also learn:
*Why raw foods are important for healing and vitality
*How to get enough protein
*What to eat for detoxification and weight loss.

This intimate class allows you to ask your most pressing raw health questions. Make sure you come hungry!

***Seating is limited! No refunds after May 14th***

Strawberry Season is Coming!

It's just about that time when plump and luscious strawberries come into season in southern California. I love them every which way: in a smoothie, mashed and stirred into chia pudding, pureed and frozen into ice pops, or just on their own as a snack. It's the one fruit I can go crazy with on my low sugar regimen so I make the most of it. Here's a recipe from Raw & Simple that is a classic and so quick and easy to make. I like to add equal parts mesclun to jazz it up but feel free to use just spinach. This salad is versatile enough to serve at an elegant dinner, a summer picnic, brunch or as a breakfast salad.

A note on making the dressing. Please seek out a good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar. My favorite balsamic vinegar is from Bariani, but stores like We Olive, who specialize in oils and vinegars, will have some great ones on tap. I recently ran out of my Bariani balsamic vinegar and my special stash of home pressed olive oil from Mallorca so I used some cheap Trader Joe's Balsamic of Modena and their organic Spanish olive oil. It was awful. I could hardly eat my salad because it was so offensive. Never again! I ran down to We Olive yesterday and got stocked up and poured my cheap stuff down the drain. Nuff said.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Salad

4 cups baby spinach

4 cups mesclun or spring mix

2 cups sliced strawberries

1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced with a mandoline or knife

1/4 cup chopped onion 

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon agave nectar

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle over individual salad servings as desired. 

    

Raw & Simple Book Giveaway!

I'm giving away a hard copy and an Apple eBook of Raw & Simple to one lucky winner! Giveaway open to U.S. residents only. Apple ebook works with your iPad, iPhone, or iPod. Giveaway runs from March 4th - March 11th at midnight. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Visit Quarryspoon to get some of my raw and simple recipes plus other stellar recipes from Quarry Book cookbook authors. 

Superbowl Sunday Recipe: Heavenly Nacho Cheese Dip

Raw, vegan nacho cheese dip. Yes, Please. 

Superbowl Sunday parties are synonymous with "worst food choices possible." Am I right? I have never gone to a football party that served anything remotely healthy. Fake cheese dip from a jar and other processed junk is not the way I like to have fun, because even if my favorite team won, I'd feel like crap the rest of the day from the gastrointestinal distress. Well, here's an addictive, but healthy, raw cheese dip from my new book Raw and Simple that you can bring to your next sporting soiree that won't make you feel gross.

The key to making this dip fabulous is not soaking the cashews or minimally soaking for 30 minutes if you don’t have a powerful blender. The sweetness of the cashews is essential to the flavor balance in this super creamy, luscious cheese sauce. Serve as a dip or spread it on everything. 

Nacho Cheese Dip

Makes 8 servings

Plan Ahead: If you do not own a high power blender, soak cashews for 30 minutes. Do not oversoak.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

1 cup cashews

1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper

¼ water, if using soaked cashews, 1/3 if unsoaked

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon ancho chili pepper (optional)

Blend all ingredients in a blender until very smooth and creamy. You may need to stop and start the blender to scrape sides back into the blades.

Adjust seasonings as desired.

From Raw & Simple: Eat Well and Live Radiantly with 100 Truly Quick and Easy Recipes for the Raw Food Lifestyle. Copyright Quarry Books 2013. Available on Amazon

Products I Love

Rockin' Wellness

 I first heard about Rockin' Wellness from Paul Risse who heads up the very popular Cleanse America. He and many others raved about how great it was, so I had to check it out and see what the hubbub was all about. It's a powdered superfood blend that contains the following:

Raw Organic CACAO Bean; Raw Organic GOJI BERRY; Raw Organic HULLED HEMP SEED; Raw Organic BROWN RICE PROTEIN; Organic Non-GMO LECITHIN; Raw Organic MACA ROOT; Organic CHIA SEED; Organic Evaporated CANE JUICE; Organic BANANA Fruit; Organic GREEN TEA (leaf); Organic YERBA MATE Leaf; Organic GUAR GUM (Bean); Organic FLAXSEED; (Lactobacillus) L. ACIDOPHILUS (Super Strain DDS-1); Organic STEVIA Extract (Leaf)

Nowhere do I see crack listed here, but I'm pretty sure its laced with it because I've been hooked ever since. At first, I was surprised how much I could taste the green tea and it wasn't super chocolatey as I had expected by looking at it, but I only used one scoop in a cup of fresh made almond milk. It was a little grainy with the bits of goji berries and chia seeds (and crack, I'm sure of it) but I quickly started to enjoy the texture it gave my smoothies. Besides the taste, I also really liked how I felt. You get a little lift from the raw cacao, green tea and yerba mate but it's not like a coffee buzz and it didn't give me the jitters. It made me alert, energetic and put me into a great mood. HELLO WORLD!

This is a great booster for your morning smoothie, mixed into chia pudding or homemade raw chocolate treats. Visit their website for more info and read the testimonials. Pretty impressive. I didn't have any miraculous health benefits from taking it, but I'm a long time health enthusiast and just appreciate the nutritional boost it gives me. If you've never put anything healthy into your body before, then there's a good chance you're going to feel the benefits of eating this antioxidant and anti-inflammatory rich crack snack.

Here's a video of Paul making a Rockin' Wellness raw brownie and check out their website to order.

Bella Vado Avocado Oils

I just recently discovered avocado oils while visiting Stehly Farms Organic last month. They provide the organic avocados that go into Bella Vado avocado oils. It's raw, extra virgin, cold pressed, non-GMO, gluten-free and contains no artificial colors. It's also high in omega-3, vitamins A, D, and E. Does that sound like a party or what? They come in 3 flavors: Lime, Jalapeno, and Garlic. You can use them in salad dressings or for cooking. They can stand up to high heat without degrading or becoming toxic like olive oil. Awesome, right? Garlic is my favorite. I've used it in salad dressings and sauteed my greens with it. The flavor is rich, nutty and pleasant. The jalapeno is very spicy so watch out if you're sensitive while the lime is really lovely in salad dressings. Learn more about them at the Bella Vado website.

ELF Botija Olives

I've been eating dried botija olives for at least 3 years but never have they been so accessible until now in my area (Long Beach, CA). I used to have to order them online or drive to Erewhon in LA but now my local Lazy Acres carries them and I am in absolute heaven. If you love olives and haven't tried these, yet, you are in for a treat. I prefer the dried over the ones in brine. The flavor is rich, tart and salty and the texture soft and chewy. My favorite olive used to be kalamata, but they pale in comparison to these. Even my husband who is indifferent to olives has been chowing down on these. Unfortunately, they're $9.99 a jar so I have to reign in my enthusiasm and savor each and every one slowly. Order them here from Essential Living Foods.

Cool New Finds

I love discovering tasty new products. When I was in NYC earlier this month I came across this unique, hand crafted kombucha from Beyond Kombucha. Made in a solar powered brewery in Queens, NY they have a very cool array of kombucha flavors as well as fermented ale and wine using organic and wild crafted ingredients. Though it's known that kombucha has a trace amount of alcohol this was the first time I've seen one that had 1.5% alcohol. I only had a chance to try their Yerba Mate and Oolong flavors which where spectacular. Smooth tasting albeit a tad sweet for me, I did get a tiny buzz but in no way did I feel tipsy. I'm really looking forward to trying more but, unfortunately, I don't know where they distribute to aside from the greater NYC area. For those in Brooklyn, I found this at Organic Planet on Bedford Avenue between North 7th and 8th.

With raw kale chips all the rage in the past few years, it was exciting to see new veggie chips popping up. Alive & Radiant by Kaya foods, one of my favorite kale chip companies, has recently introduced 3 new leafy green snacks called Veggie Krunch: Arugula Cabbage, Teriyaki Greens, Sweet Onion and Roots Confetti. Arugula Crunch is seasoned with sesame, dill and garlic but also chia seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, olive oil, apple cider vinegar and caraway seeds. At first bite I found them to be quite bitter but they grew on me pretty quickly. The seasonings definitely helped make them palatable, plus, I love how nutritious they are. Going to try the other flavors next time I'm at the health food store. I found these at Whole Foods and Mother's Market in southern California.

I am totally in love with the low glycemic, raw chocolate bars from Coracao Confections. This superfood chocolate company has a stunning collection of sweet treats. I've yet to try them all as I'm finding myself constantly grabbing for these chunky bars. It's a three way tie between Rawmond Butter, Caramel and Kefir Lime. The caramel bar is made of Organic Raw Cacao Paste, Organic Coconut Palm sugar, Organic Cashew Butter, Organic Raw Cacao Butter, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Yacon Syrup, Wild-Crafted Vanilla Bean, Himalayan Crystal Salt. I've only seen them at Mother's Market but you can order them online here.

I tried this stimulating chocolate drink mix from Essential Living Foods last week at my friend's house when I was suffering from a mid-afternoon energy slump. I blended 1 cup almond milk with a tablespoon of the mix and I was instantly bright eyed and bushy tailed. I've been avoiding stimulants (besides cacao) for a while now so this affected me much more than someone who usually enjoys a cup of caffeine each day. This mix contains all organic ingredients: coconut sugar, cacao powder, lucuma, mesquite, guarana, vanilla and sea salt. You can find these at Whole Foods and online.

Have you discovered anything new I need to try? Leave a comment if you want to share. :)

My Latest Obsession: Essential Oils for Wellness and Detoxification

This summer I got hooked on essential oils. It started innocently enough with 3, then grew to 10, then 25 with more on the way as I write. I think I might need an intervention soon, but what better thing to be addicted to than something that has amazing health properties? I used to think essential oils were just for giving things a nice aroma. I had a few in my pantry that I used for desserts like lavender, orange and lemon. I was completely unaware of their magical powers and how useful they can be for daily wellness.

So what are essential oils you might be asking? They are chemical compounds distilled or pressed from flowers, leaves, bark, roots, stems, fruits, and resin of plants and trees. They can be used 3 different ways:
Aromatically: you can inhale them straight from the bottle, rub a drop between your hands and inhale or use in a diffuser to fill a room. Essential oil compounds are so small, they are able to enter the blood brain barrier within seconds and go to the cells that need help and repair. Their positive mood altering and calming effects can be felt within seconds.
Topically: some oils can be applied without dilution (neat) while some need to be diluted in a carrier oil like coconut oil, jojoba, or almond seed oil. Within 30 seconds of applying essential oils it enters the bloodstream and goes to whatever parts of the body need supporting.
Internally: put a drop or more in your drinking water or place drops in an empty veggie capsule (you can find these at health food stores) and take them like a vitamin.

It's super important that you use very pure therapeutic grade oils as there is little regulation in the oil business. A product only needs to have 1 drop of pure oil in the bottle to be able to label it as 100% pure. The remainder can be synthetic or diluted essential oil. How crazy is that?? Plus most brands can only be used aromatically as they are too toxic or caustic to be ingested or applied topically. What I love about the doTerra oils is that don't go to a broker to get the oils, they actually source each oil from their indigenous area all over the world. Their lemon oil comes from Italy, the lavender from France and the Frankincense is from Jordan. They oversee that each oil is harvested at the right time and steam distilled or pressed at low temperatures to not degrade the oils. Every oil is truly 100% pure and unadulterated, creating a very potent product. They are 50-70% more powerful than herbs and so potent, in fact, that just one drop of their peppermint oil is the equivalent to 26 cups of peppermint tea!

The new modern medicine cabinet.

So what can they do? Almost all essential oils are antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and/or antimicrobial. Some have antidepressant, analgesic, antiseptic, anti-tumor and anti-parasitic properties among other things. Some of my daily go-to oils are:

Lemon: I use a drop or two in my drinking water to use as a daily cleanser. It has the ability to break down petrochemicals and other toxins in the body as well as parasites. It has a considerable amount of limonene (as do all citrus), a very potent anti-cancer and anti-bacterial compound. You can also put a few drops in a spray bottle with water and spray kitchen and bathroom counters, door knobs and other places that harbor germs. Hospitals in Europe sanitize their rooms and kill airborne germs with lemon oil. Lemon oil is also an antihistamine, stimulates white blood cell production and assists the liver to detoxify.

Lavender: I rub this on the bottom of my feet at night. Lavender is very good at calming the mind and inducing a good nights sleep. This is great for babies and kids who are restless at night. Our feet have the largest pores on our body which is why it's a great spot for applying essential oils. Lavender is considered the Swiss army knife of essential oils since it can be used for almost anything. Everything from skin conditions to headaches to immune support to emotional distress and muscle pains.

Peppermint: When my cat allergies flare up I put 2 drops peppermint, 2 drops lemon and 2 drops lavender into a capsule and swallow it. Voila! No more allergies. I also love to put a drop of peppermint into my water with lemon oil for a pick me up or rub a little on the back of my neck to cool and revive me when I'm feeling sluggish. Just smelling it puts me in the best mood. Maybe it reminds me of when I used to eat Junior Mints (swoon...I mean, gross, it's all corn syrup). It's also great to put on the temples when you have a headache or on the bottom of the feet to reduce a fever. It's also great to add a drop to tea to aid indigestion.

Melaleuca: also known as "tea tree" oil, I use this every night over my face to treat and prevent blemishes. It's great as a skin aid for burns, cuts, eczema and shingles and has very powerful antibacterial, antiviral, anti-parasitic, and antifungal properties. Use it on the feet to help eliminate candida or athlete's foot or dab it on a cold sore, wart or an achy tooth. It stimulates the immune system, and can be used to fight colds, flu and other illnesses. It has so many uses, I recommend everyone have this one in their medicine cabinet.

Wild Orange: Honestly, I have been huffing this oil like crazy and still can't get enough. I put a drop into my Yerba mate tea every morning and diffuse it into the living room. I carry it around in my purse and sometimes I even wear it as perfume (mixed with a little coconut oil so it lasts longer). I got a diffuser for my car so I could be a less aggressive LA driver and guess what? it worked! Citrus has mood lifting properties and is amazing as an anti-depressant, and like the lemon oil, it contains many of the same antibacterial and cancer fighting abilities. Wild orange is also great for liver, gland and tissue detoxification.

All of the above oils, except for the melaleuca, can also be used in desserts and other recipes. There are some other doTerra oils I'm planning to add to my culinary arsenal like basil, cilantro, black pepper, cinnamon and thyme. All of which have amazing health properties as well.

I've really only scratched the surface of what these oils can do. I highly recommend trying some out for yourself and see if you don't get hooked on them. What is so great is that these oils are a gift from nature that work so intelligently in our bodies. The pharmaceutical companies have based their formulations on mimicking what nature has already given us but with terrible side effects. There are little to no side effects with these oils. A word of caution, though, when using citrus oils topically. Avoid sunlight for at least 12 hours as they can make the skin photosensitive. If you're pregnant I recommend avoiding most oils for the first trimester (citrus oils are OK) and use them sparingly for the 2nd and 3rd trimester and only topically and aromatically. For everyone else, these are a great addition to a healthy diet and lifestyle. Have fun huffing!

For more info or to get a free sample from the doTerra line of essential oils click here.

Sugar Free Superfood Chocolate Shake

One of my favorite superfood companies, Navitas Naturals, is kicking off their Back To Basics Smoothment today. I call it a festival of smoothies. You get daily videos and recipes on how to make nutrient dense, superfood smoothies plus you can enter to win $300 in Navitas Natural products. Click here to sign up!

So just to get you jazzed up, I came up with a sugar free chocolate smoothie for all you low glycemic peeps out there who, like myself, just don't handle sugar well. This is a great afternoon pick me up or meal replacement. It's thick and rich with hemp seeds to bump up the protein and add some essential fatty acids plus powdered wheatgrass for a shot of chlorophyll. What I love about their wheatgrass powder is that you can't taste it at all, and I'm a person who REALLY dislikes the flavor of wheatgrass. You could easily add more to this smoothie if you wanted without affecting the flavor. This is also really versatile, so play around with other superfoods like Navitas maca powder or medicinal mushrooms like reishi and chaga if you're into those (I am!!). Also, use your favorite sweetener. I used xylitol to make it low glycemic but use whatever floats your boat.