Raw Macadamia Lime 'Cheesecake' (dairy free)

One thing I love about living in tropical Far North Queensland is the abundance of delicious produce grown here. I love that I can go to the local markets and buy locally grown coconuts (and coconut oil), locally grown vanilla beans and cacao nibs and cacaco beans, luscious limes, macadamias, avocadoes, pineapples, lychees, passionfruit, mangoes, and I've even bought sugar cane juice that's juiced while you wait! Even better, lots of these yummy things are given to you by friends, family and acquaintances who just have too much and need to share. Love that.

Last week I did a Thermomix demo for a lady who sent me home with a big bag full of limes and bunches of fresh herbs and rocket from her garden. At other times I've come home with a box of vine ripened tomatoes, pumpkin, avocadoes, lychees and mangoes. I get given bags of passionfruit, boxes of black sapotes, chokos and lettuces. I always say to my husband, 'There's really no way you could starve living here. Why would anyone want to live in the city??' Besides, where in the city can you walk around the corner from your house and see views like this...



But I digress... back to the cheesecake.

So the other day I thought I should make something with some of the limes filling my fruit basket, and the avocados from mum's tree. I really wanted something a bit special, as I had a photo shoot with an online magazine on Friday (Confetti Mag - 1st issue, coming out in May, stay tuned!), and I thought something made with local ingredients would be a good thing to photograph. (We ended up choosing something else to make, and we had lots of fun cooking and taking photos! Two of my favourite things to do.)

{Photo taken by Karen of Confetti Mag}

I remembered a lime and avocado tart I'd made last year and really enjoyed, but I felt it needed to be creamier and less... well... tart! Okay, I know 'raw lime cheesecakes' are all over the internet and I didn't really need to make up another recipe, but I just like to play. I did get some inspiration from this lovely raw lime tart from Fragrant Vanilla Cake (a blog you really should visit if you're into raw food, vegan food, or just delicious desserts) - but I ended up changing it to make the most of some of our lovely local produce, plus whatever I had on hand.

It turned out amaaaaazing!!

My husband is very partial to a good cheesecake, and was very sceptical that my dairy free version would be something he'd want to eat... But after one bite he changed his tune and begged for more. :)

I had a lot of 'drop-ins' that day, and each one had to taste my cheesecake. I made them. (They didn't argue.) They all agreed it was a gem of a recipe, and they all told me I should save it for my book. But being the kind and generous blogger that I am, I dedided to go ahead and share it. And besides, I was a bit worried that after getting 235 comments on the photo I posted on Facebook, plus many private messages, asking for the recipe, I might have a riot if I didn't share!! (But I will have to start being a bit more secretive with new recipes I think, or there won't be any surprises left for the book!)

Consider this your Easter present from me. I think it would make a great Easter Sunday treat... because as much as I love chocolate, it can get a little 'overdone' at Easter time. I'm thinking lime will be a good change.

So here it is, the long-awaited recipe...

Oh, and just a couple of tips: buy the macadamia pieces, they're heaps cheaper than whole nuts and you don't need whole nuts for this recipe. And use organic or homegrown limes if possible, as you don't really want to be eating the zest from limes sprayed with pesticides. Just my opinion.

Raw Macadamia Lime 'Cheesecake'

(Makes one 20cm cheesecake)

Base:

Grind all the base ingredients up together in the Thermomix on speed 9 for 20 seconds, or until finely ground.

- 130g raw macadamia nuts (either unsoaked, or soaked and dehydrated)

- 70g organic shredded or flaked coconut (additive free)

- 8 fresh dates (eg. Medjool), pitted

- a pinch of fine Himalayan salt

   Grease the inside of a 20cm springform cake tin with coconut oil. Press the base mixture firmly into the base of the tin, and up the sides if you like. Set aside.

Filling:

Blitz vanilla beans and lime zest on speed 10 for 10 seconds.

- 2 vanilla beans, snipped into 4 pieces (can use 1 bean in a pinch)

- zest from 2 limes (just peel off with a sharp potato peeler)

Add cashews and grind on speed 10 for 8 seconds.

- 150g raw cashews*

Add remaining ingredients and blend on speed 9 for 1 minute, scraping down as needed, until lovely and smooth.

- flesh of 1 lime

- 320g fresh avocados (or frozen, cut in 1-2cm cubes)

- 100g pure maple syrup

- 55g coconut oil

- a pinch of fine Himalayan salt

Pour filling into springform tin, spreading over the base. Place in freezer for at least half an hour.

* If using soaked raw cashews, only soak for up to 6 hours, drain well and pat dry with tea towel, then mix with the other ingredients (lime, avocado, etc) all at once, blending until smooth.

Just look at those lovely little vanilla bean seeds in the filling.... Mmmm!

Topping:

Mix together until smooth on speed 9:

- 150g raw macadamias (soaked for a few hours, then drained and dried off a bit)

- 150g Ayam coconut cream (or other thick coconut cream)

- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

- juice of 1 lime

- 30g pure maple syrup

Pour over filling and smooth with spatula.

Decoration:

While topping is still soft, before freezing, add extra macadamia nuts and lime zest for decoration, sprinkling first the nuts, then the zest, around the edge of the cheesecake. (See photos)

- a good sized handful of macadamia nuts, roughly chopped (if you haven't bought them already in pieces)

- zest of one lime, grated with a zester

Place the finished cheesecake, covered with a plastic bag, in the freezer and leave it alone for at least 2 hours, preferably more. It's best eaten semi-frozen. It will last for weeks in the freezer... but we all know that's not going to happen. ;)

Enjoy!

Green Smoothies & Boost Juices... and a Giveaway!

I'm sitting here with the kids and their cousins, watching 'Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead'. I love how the kids are totally fascinated with the difference that freshly juiced fruits and veges can make to a person's health and well-being. The first time we watched this, Miss C (9 yrs old) decided she wanted to start drinking green juices. Before that, she'd always turned her nose up at anything too obviously 'green'. Now she often runs down to Grandma's house in the morning for a juice, if I'm too slow getting one going! (Grandma makes Thermomix juices every morning, without fail.)

I know some of you will be thinking, 'But that's just too much fructose all at once - too much fruit is not good for you.' I agree, too much concentrated fructose is not good - our bodies need the WHOLE fruit and veges for good health. Which is why I use a Thermomix for my boost juices and smoothies, blending up the whole fruit and veg, and not straining out the fibre. I call it a 'wholefood juice'! Most of us don't get enough micronutrients in our diet, so this is an easy way to do it. Think of it as a 'salad in a glass' - if your kids turn their noses up at salads, you can serve up a green juice with their dinner instead!

If you're worried about too much greens resulting in excess oxalates, have a read of this article. Your body naturally produces oxalates, and unless you have a tendency towards kidney stones, or you have a rare medical condition such as Primary Hyperoxaluria and Enteric Hyperoxaluria, the health benefits of leafy greens far outweigh the risk of forming kidney stones. For instance, dark leafy greens are a fantastic source of calcium, which is really important if you're dairy free. And raw parsley is amazing for your health - it's a rich source of potassium, which stimulates the kidneys to eliminate poisonous waste matter; it helps preserve the proper alkaline balance in your blood, and will promote healthy skin. It's the best vegetable-herb source of iron and vitamin C, is high in magnesium and calcium, and so much more. What I do is rotate my greens so that I'm having different ones each day. Sometimes kale, sometimes baby spinach, or lettuce, or parsley - sometimes a mixture. So add some parsley and greens to your juice and enjoy!

Green smoothies have become such a regular part of the day here that even visitors get handed a glass when they turn up... so be prepared for that if you drop by. ;)

Green juices and smoothies are a great way to start the day. If you leave the fibre in, you'll feel full for a fair while, so they can be used as a meal replacement if you are trying to lose weight, or just a 'pick-me-up' for when you're feeling tired and hungry in the afternoon. And since you're not straining out the fibre with this method of juicing, you can use organic fruit and veges without breaking the bank.  A couple of carrots, a couple of apples, a handful of baby spinach, and a stick of celery makes juice for four people - no need to use half the produce in the fridge!

There's so many different ways to make a green juice or smoothie. Here's some tips to get you started.

For a boost juice, just whiz up your fruit and/or veges and greens with a couple of handfuls of ice on speed 10 for two minutes. Add a little water if you need to thin it down to a drinkable consistency, and there you are. No wasted pulp, and the bowl is easy to clean up afterwards. The reason you need to add ice to your juice is because it helps to grind up the fibres of the fruit and veges, stops the juice from becoming foamy, and also helps retain the enzymes in the juice by keeping them cool. So don't leave out the ice. 

For a green smoothie, you may want a thicker, creamier result. I use frozen bananas and sometimes ground up raw almonds or cashews or sunflower seeds to create the creamy 'smoothie' texture. Some people like it so thick it's almost like soft serve ice cream - I like mine drinkable. Just add more frozen banana or ice or chia seeds (or all three!) if you like it really thick.

Tip for fussy kids: Start with a juice that isn't too thick and has plenty of sweetness, like the Shrek Juice. The texture is usually quite important to kids, so keep it thinned down. Another tip is get them to watch "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" with you. Once they know why it's so important to have lots of living enzymes from raw fruits and veges in their diet, and the difference it will make to their health, they're much more likely to want to drink one.

Here's some recipes that we love - change them around to use what you have on hand.

My Favourite Green Smoothie – makes 4 large serves
(photo at top of page)

- 1 or 2 frozen bananas, quartered
- 2 apples, quartered (no need to peel or de-seed)
- 1 lime, peeled
- 2 handfuls of ice
- 300g coconut water
- 2 or 3 big handfuls of fresh greens (kale, baby spinach, English spinach, cos or butter lettuce)

Blend in the Thermomix on speed 10 for 2 minutes.
Check texture – if it’s too thick, add some more water and reblend briefly.

Tip: You can also add a tablespoon of a nutritious vege powder like Nutra Organics' Vital Veggie Power or Super Greens & Reds if you want an extra micronutrient boost!

Green Coconut Boost Juice

- a couple of big handfuls of kale

- the flesh of a young coconut
- coconut water (from young coconut)
- a frozen banana or two, quartered (depending how thick you like it)
- 1 lime (peeled)
- 2 teaspoons of mesquite powder
- 300g water
- a couple of handfuls of ice

Blend on speed 10 for 2 minutes.

Note about mesquite powder: Mesquite powder is made from the bean pods of the mesquite tree, dried and ground up. It has been used as a staple food for centuries by Native Americans. It is a high protein meal that contains good quantities of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc, and is rich in the amino acid lysine as well. Its low GI of 25 helps maintain stable blood sugar levels. It adds a sweet, nutty taste with a hint of caramel, and can be added to smoothies and other drinks, to jellies, and to baking (breads, pancakes, muffins, cakes and cookies). When used in baking, the mesquite bean powder/flour is used in combination with other flours – substitute ¼ cup-to-½ cup mesquite flour in each cup grain flour.

Lime & Parsley Juice
This may sound a bit scary, but it really is deliciously refreshing!

Grind up Rapadura for 20 sec speed 9.
- 60g rapadura (or more if not adding stevia)

Add and blend for 1 minute, speed 10:
- 300g ice
- 2 limes (peeled)
- a big handful of organic parsley
- 1/2 tsp green stevia powder (opt)
- 300g water

Add water or soda water to the 2 litre mark, or to taste.

Variations: Use 1 orange and 1 lemon instead of the 2 limes. You can use 80-100g Rapadura instead of adding stevia powder.

(Based on the Lemon & Parsley Juice in Thermomix Everyday Cookbook)

Cucumber Orange Juice

Cucumber is another great addition to green juices. This is a great one for the kids, as it's sweet, not too thick, and doesn't taste too 'green'.

- half a cucumber (peeled)
- 2 green apples (quartered)
- 1 orange (peeled)
- 1 lime (peeled)
- 1 frozen banana (quartered)
- 2 big handfuls of ice
- 2 big handfuls of cos lettuce
- 300g water
- 2 tsp of Vital Veggie Powder

Blend on speed 10 for 2 minutes.

Note: Vital Veggie Powder is optional, but I love to add some to the kid's drinks for extra nutrients. It's made from oranic carrot, mango, pumpkin, tomato, broccoli sprouts, barley grass, spirulina, alfalfa, psyllium husks and chlorella. Available from Nutra Organics.

Fruity Green Boost Juice

This one can really just be a mixture of whatever fruit you need to use up in your fruit basket. Get creative and see what you can come up with!

- a nectarine or two, deseeded
- a lime, peeled
- an orange, peeled
- a handful or two of grapes
- a couple of handfuls of fresh pineapple
- an apple, quartered
- a big handful of cos lettuce
- a big handful of parsley
- 2 big handfuls of ice
- 300g (or so) of water

Blend on speed 10 for 2 minutes.

Blueberry 'Yoghurt' Green Smoothie

Here's one I promised to share on my Facebook page - I love the way this tastes like it has yoghurt in it, but is completely dairy free! The secret is the creamy cashew or almond milk with lime and banana - so simple. The colour doesn't always look so good with creamy berry green smoothies, and I find you need to drink them quickly or they turn greyish - but they really do taste delicious. Just drink it up quickly before the colour changes. :) Here's the recipe:

- 100g raw cashews or blanched almonds

- 2 frozen bananas, quartered

- 100g frozen blueberries

- 1 lime, peeled

- 2 big handfuls of ice

- 1-2 big handfuls of cos lettuce or baby spinach

- 300g coconut water or water

Grind up the dry nuts first for 10 seconds on speed 9. Then add remaining ingredients and blend on speed 10 for 2 minutes.

  

Purple Power Green Smoothie

For a brighter, prettier purple smoothie, try this one!

- 300g frozen blueberries
- 2 nectarines or peaches, deseeded
- 1 frozen banana, quartered
- 2 big handfuls cos lettuce
- 2 big handfuls of ice
- 300g coconut water or water

Blend for 2 minutes speed 10.

I hope that's given you lots of green smoothie inspiration. If you check out this post on my Facebook page you'll get plenty more ideas from readers!

And now for the GIVEAWAY!

Would you like to win a set of these lovely, eco-friendly, Stainless Steel Straws? I asked Ash n Jules if they'd be willing to donate a couple of packs of 4 straws for my lovely readers, and they said, "The less plastic straws in the world, the better!" and sent me a WHOLE BOX FULL!! Wow, I'm so excited to share these with you all. So instead of 2 sets of 4, I have 10 sets of 4 to give away to my readers, and more to give away at our next cooking class* as well! Very exciting.

[Note: Ash & Jules has since sold up and the straws are now available through Biome Eco Stores]

As an added bonus, I also have a 250g pot of Nutra Organics Super Greens & Reds and a 300g pot of Nutra Organics Vital Veggie Power (both worth $39.95) to give away! After researching the ingredients in Nutra Organics products, I'm happy to say I totally recommend them - check out the ingredients for yourself here.

To win a pack of 4 straws

or a pot of Nutra Organics Vege Powders

all you need to do is comment on this blog post,

sharing your favourite green smoothie or juice combo.

If you're new to green juices/smoothies,

comment on which of the above recipes you would love to try!

I'll pick a winner using Random.org next Saturday (9th March) at 5pm - so get those comments rolling in! You've got one week...

Thanks to Ash n Jules for donating the stainless steel straws for this giveaway, and also to Nutra Organics for sending me some of their products to try. They're great! :)

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED - SEE WINNERS BELOW.

Happy Green Juicing!

* I run Thermomix cooking classes in Far North Queensland, so if you're in this area, I hope to see you at one soon! A list of the cooking classes being held around Australia are here on the Theromomix website.

Stainless Steel Straw Winners:

Leanne: "I think I want to try them all! The colour looks fantastic and I can't wait to see if they taste as good as they look"

Kelly: "I love making a combo of ice, watermelon, pineapple, silverbeet and passionfruit pulp or frozen yoghurt blocks. sometimes add coconut milk too."

Anna Malcolm: "Oh, I totally want to try the purple power smoothie. It looks so yummy. I absolutely agree with the thermo version of a juice....getting allll the goodies in your juice. On a side note, I totally want a thermomix ...my goal this year is to save for one, yay :-) "

Susan: "Straws sound amazing! Would love to try! I keep trying with smoothies for my kids especially green. I think I may have a winner with the purple power or the blueberry "yoghurt" one and go from there!"

Rebecca: "Great post, Jo and awesome giveaway! I don't use a set combination of greens but usually something like a couple of stalks of kale, a handful of baby spinach, a Lebanese cucumber, a stick of celery, a green apple, a kiwi and some spirulina :) "

Selina Purdy: "I have been eyeing off those straws for a while now! My favourite smoothie for a long time has been your green chocolate smoothie - I have it for breakfast a couple of times a week, so good! After seeing this post I realise I should really branch out more - so many yummy possibilities!"

Karen Cole: "I have also been inspired by watching "Fat, Sick and nearly dead" and have discussed with my partner that we should also introduce Green smoothies to our lives. I love the look of the Purple Power Green Smoothie. Yum!!!"

Bec: "I would love to try cucumber organge juice. My kids are 6 and 3 - do you think Fat,sick and nearly dead will be okay for them? My son is so fussy and won't drink anything that doesn't look normal - so if I hide it though he may try it"

Tebasile of Tebasiles Kitchen: "I blend whatever is in my fridge or garden, including weeds :-) (My recent post: Warm Green Smoothie / Soup)"

Cathi: "My favourite Juice: 1 Carrot, 1 stick of Celery, 1 green Apple, 1 Red Apple and a piece of fresh Ginger to add bite! This is one serving. My daughters and friends all love this one! Of course, I had to be careful how much Ginger I added when making it for the girls but my older daughter loved it with plenty of Ginger, as I do. Your Recipes sound delicious and I know I'll be trying some of them out, if not all of them!

Nutra Organics Powders Winners:

Dianne: "I watched Fat,Sick and nearly dead this afternoon too. I must admit that I hadn't heard about the movie before. Glad I did as I went straight out to get some fresh fruit and veg for smoothies.Good to be motivated again. I think my favourite at the moment is kale,carrot, apple.celery and ginger. Like the idea of pars...ley too." - winner of the Nutra Organics Vital Veggie Power!

Nicola: "I think I could get the kids to go a blue berry juiice first and then work-up to a green boost juice. Love the stainless straws - what a great idea!" - winner of the Nutra Organics Super Greens & Reds!