Raspberry & greek yogurt cheesecake

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Thinking of all the things that have happened in last two years since I got diabetes kinda makes my head spin. And it actually did turn my life upside down. I guess it was ment to be. As that happened I decided to only do things I enjoy doing. Life is too short to waste it on things that are not important. Since, I have never been happier.

If you want changes in your life, you have to get out of your comfort zone. Act differently as you normally would. And follow things you love. And basically this is how the idea for a new culinary magazine Radegunda started, according to Polona Klančnik.

I couldn’t be happier meeting people who have decided to take control over their life, leave all the burdens behind and start something new and exciting. Creative, happy and satisfied looking towards the new adventures.

Creating a new culinary magazine will most definitely be very interesting and exciting adventure. As thing are set, I am sure that the stories it will write and the people it will present, will get the readers hungry for more.

Polona, Mateja, Kristina, Tamara, Polona, of course, Radegunda, I wish you all the best!

Now get your magazine, where besides this recipe you will find all sorts of interesting and delicious stories!

xoxo

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Ingredients:

crust

  • 40 g pitted dates
  • juice of 2 oranges
  • 80 g ground rolled oats
  • 200 g almonds
  • 2 Tbsp ground chia
  • 2 Tspb coconut flour

filling

  • 1 kg greek yogurt
  • 150 g coconut butter
  • 300 g raspberries
  • grated dark chocolate
  • mint leaves
  • 6 tsp sucralose or stevia
  • peel of 3 organic lemons

Preparation:

  1. Drain greek yoghurt: put a cheesecloth into a strainer and place over a large bowl into which you will collect excess water from yoghurt. Pour in your greek yoghurt, put into the fridge overnight. The longer it drains the firmer it gets.
  2. Coconut butter: blend shreded coconut (at least 400g) until they turn into a liquid and smooth coconut butter. You can use coconut oil instead. For details check here.
  3. Using a cofee grinder, grind rolled oats and chia seeds into a flour consistency.
  4. In a food processor mix dates and almonds. Add rolled oata, chia coconut flour and juice of two oranges. Mix once more to combine all the ingredients.
  5. Line a 24cm cake ring with baking paper. Add the crust mixture and press well to form an even bottom.
  6. Mix drained greek yogurt, peel of three organic lemons and a sweetener of your choice. Than add liquid coconut butter or coconut oil while mixing.
  7. Spread two tablespoons of yogurt mixture over the cake crust. Evenly add a layer of raspberries and greated chocolate. Pour over the rest of the yogurt mixture
  8. Let set in the fridge for at least 6 – 7 h, the best overnight.
  9. Decorate with raspberries, chocolate chunks and mint leaves.

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Red DETOX smoothie

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After a busy end of the year and all that feasting and festivity the time has come to start a new chapter. New year – new beginnings, they say. And to start well, mind, soul and body need to be free. And clean. So, for the last couple of weeks I’ve been trying to detoxify my body, do more sports and just breathe that fresh winter air. I left out a party or two and switched from wine to smoothies. Since I’ve got this diabetes thing I learned how important it is to listen to my body. Once you do that, you start acting differently and you feel great.

This smoothie has been replacing some of my breakfast lately. It’s really boosting and nourishing. In the morning I sometimes mixed it up with oats and hemp seeds and it was definitely my favorite 5 o’clock thing.

Beet is a great source of folic acid and potassium. It also contains high level of antioxidants and supports detoxification. It has a slightly higher level of carbs than other vegetables (5g carbs/75g), but that’s not much of a problem since it is also a good source of fiber. It can be eaten raw or cooked. Also, and that is something I did not know, leaves were highly appreciated in ancient times. That’s no surprise since they contain up to 25% magnesium. They can be prepared the same way as spinach. Superfood.

Carrot A, B, C, E, K. Nuff said.

Orange is the best winter fruit. I’ve got an orange tree in my apartment and it just started blooming (don’t know how that’s possible), but the smell…it’s amazing. Of course, a super source of vitamin C that will boost your immune system in those harsh winter months and hydrate your body. Just make sure it’s heavy when buying. That means it will be really juicy.

Strawberries are a good source of antioxidants, folic acid and vitamins B and C. They have a high water content and are beneficial for digestion. They also have low glycemic index, so go for it!

Green tea is said to have more health benefits than the black tea which is most widely used. This is due to un-oxidation process which retains more antioxidants and vitamins.

Chia seed has high fiber and slows down digestion. It’s also rich in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, minerals like potassium, calcium and iron. It has high protein content so it is perfect for balancing fruit or vegetable smoothies.

Ginger is a good source of vitamins and minerals. It is considered a medicinal plant in alternative medicine. It’s said to have beneficial effects on digestion, respiratory system and nausea, but its recommended daily amount is between 3 and 10 g. It has a nice lemony, but very sharp taste. When grated and used with fiber it will gradually become even sharper. If you want milder taste, use squeezed (grated) ginger juice only.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 carrot
  • 1 beet (raw or cooked)
  • 100 g strawberries
  • 1 orange
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tsp grated ginger
  • 2 Tbsp chia seed
  • 1 cup green tea

Preparation:

  1. Make 1 cup of green tea and let cool.
  2. Wash and peel all the fruits and vegetables and cut into bigger pieces.
  3. Put all the ingredients into smoothie maker and blend on the highest speed.

 

 

Yoghurt coconut lemon pie – raw

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Raw yoghurt coconut lemon pie or how to make a fake cheesecake vol. 2.

Making desserts without using any sugar in whatever form it comes can be a tricky thing. Even more with cheesecake. Whether you’re using curd, ricotta or cream cheese, you always need a lot of sugar to balance the acidity of the cheese. The recipe I came up with is actually a lemon ”cheesecake”, but doesn’t contain any sweetener. Where’s the trick?

The secret ingredient is coconut flour. It is sweet enough to balance the acidity of yoghurt and lemons. Besides, it’s packed with dietary fibers and good fatty acids. Also, one of the main properties of coconut flour is that it will soak up all the excess water, so you don’t have to use any firming agent, like gelatin or vege gel. So yes, it’s gluten free and vege friendly.

When you mix all the ingredients you will get a sort of light and airy yoghurt coconut lemon mousse. If you’re in a hurry, you can always combine it with fresh berries or peaches and make some lovely verrines. If not, make a coconut date walnut crust to add a hint of sweetness to this light and fresh summer dessert.

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Ingredients (makes approx. 2 mini cakes):

Crust:

  • 25 g finely ground oatmeal
  • 25 g coconut flour
  • 25 g dates
  • 25 g walnuts
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 3-4 Tbsp water

Cream:

  • 400 g plain yoghurt
  • 80 g coconut flour (I use Vegalife coconut flour)
  • peel of 3 untreated lemons
  • 4 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 Tbsp coconut oil

Preparation:

  1. Finely grind oatmeal and walnuts (I use coffee grinder).
  2. Coarsely chop dates, than using a mortar transform them into a paste.
  3. Mix ground oatmeal, walnuts, coconut flour and add date paste. Mix with fingertips.
  4. Add coconut oil and water. Use 3-4 Tbsp of water, but add some more if the dough doesn’t hold together.
  5. Mix everything, form a ball and set aside for at least 2 hours. Than roll and form pie crusts using a cake ring.
  6. Mix all the ingredients for lemon cream.
  7. Using cake rings, assemble crust and cream and set into fridge overnight.