Encounters of the Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake Kind

I grew up eating Jell-O brand box cheesecake mixes.  I loved it and I thought that was what a cheesecake was all about.  Now... fastforward to the day I ate some REAL cheesecake, it was like being hit with a photon torpedo!

I've made cheesecake a few times and my hubby even took a crack at it once.  Needless to say you really have to work at getting the cream cheese and egg well blended or you come out with something that is like a big baked egg thing with lumps of cream cheese! This is no longer a problem, thank you Vitamix!!!!

So let's get to it, you don't want to read and endless ramble do you?  You just want to know how to make this delicious wheatfree confection of AMAZING!

I apologize for the photo.  Also I didn't use a springform pan so it got a little mangled when I was trying to get it out of the baking dish!  I didn't get pictures of the process of making it, I just didn't think of grabbing the camera or posting it online at the time.  It truly is wonderful though.  Enjoy!

Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake

Crust

1 1/2 cups - ground pecans (or walnuts)
4 Tablespoons - melted coconut oil (or butter)
2 teaspoons - xylitol or 1 drop liquid stevia ( I used Truvia baking mix at less then 2teaspoons)
2 teaspoons - unsweetened cocoa powder

Filling

16 oz. - cream cheese at room temp
3/4 cup - sour cream
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon - vanilla extract
1/2 cup - xylitol or 1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia or to desired sweetness ( Ok I did less then a 1/2 cup of Truvia baking mix and eyballed it)
1 1/4 cup - frozen sugar-free raspberries, pureed and strained*
1/4 cup - raspberries for garnish

Chocolate Glaze

1/4 cup - bittersweet (85% cocao) I just used dark chocolate Hershey's Morsels
2 Tablespoons - butter
1 teaspoon - milk or half & half ( I just used some canned coconut milk I had leftover from something else)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Make the crust by chopping the nuts and mix the butter or oil, sweetener and cocoa.  Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Then bake for 10 minutes.

To make the filling.  With an electric mixer, beat all the ingredients (except raspberries) until smooth then stir in the pureed raspberries. Pour into the crust and bake for 40 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Cool completely on rack then refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove from springform pan an place on serving plate.  Glaze.

To make the glaze I placed chocolate chips, butter and coconut milk in a dish and melted it down in another pan of boiling water. Drizzle over the cooled cake.  Refrigerate for 30 mins or until glaze is set. Garnish with raspberries.

* Personal notes: I didn't puree or strain the raspberries since I threw everything for the filling into the Vitamix starting with liquids first and then hit the puree option. I also didn't drizzle the glaze I just smeared it on the top in a layer. I didn't have parchment paper to place under the cheesecake so I made the cheesecake in a round glass baking dish. Of course you can imagine how fun it is getting out the first piece without a proper pie server.  The picture may not show a beautiful, perfect piece BUT it was delicious!

The Vitamix Expanse

We have found ourselves adrift in the "Vitamix Expanse". 

After a meeting with the crew ( yeah ok it was my husband and I, but that doesn't really sound as fun now does it?), we decided to take the plunge.  He made the final call on the model and put an end to my almost OCD obsession with finding just the right one for the cheapest price.  I'm so happy he did, I'm a penny pincher and I admit that I can drive myself crazy and yes... I had made a spreadsheet.  Oh yes, yes I did. 

With a health scare too horrible to even talk about, I've been making changes over the last year and a half.  The Vitamix is going to help me build my immune system back up by helping me get more leafy greens, veggies and nutrients in my body.  A healthy immune system can heal the body on its own... without it, you will see all manner of symptoms pop up (which are categorized as different diseases).  I wont trip off into all that, I've learned a lot and it's easy to want go on about it!

Another GREAT reason for a Vitamix is the fact my hubby doesn't take the time to eat breakfast. To remedy that situation I've been mixing him up hearty smoothies in the mornings to get the nutrients and calories in him!  Take that! 

So far the journey into The Vitamix Expanse has us exploring smoothie options, but we've recently discovered gazpacho, guacamole, cheesecake and I've made some nut meal.  Oh the possibilities!

See next post for a wonderful Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake!   

Strawberry (or blueberry) Coconut Biscuits

Since I didn't have strawberries, I decided to grab the wild blueberries out of the freezer.  So the recipe "Strawberry Coconut Biscuits" turned into Blueberry Coconut biscuits.  Another change I made was the use of sweetened shredded coconut instead of unsweetened and then I omitted the sweetener.

The original recipe is as follows, but I'll put my substitutes in ( ) for you!

This is what the strawberry-coconut biscuits are suppose to look like.

Sorry about the orientation, I do not know how to fix that.  :(

Strawberry-Coconut Biscuits

*Makes 20 biscuits*

1/4 cup ground golden flaxseeds

1/4 cup cold water

1    cup coconut flour 

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut ( I used sweetened )

Sweetener equivalent to 2 Tablespoons sugar ( I omitted )

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup strawberries, finely chopped ( I used frozen wild blueberries )

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 egg

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper ( or silicone baking liner ).

In a small bowl combine flaxseeds and cold water. Place in freezer for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl combine the flour, coconut, baking soda, salt, sweetener, and strawberries (blueberries).  Mix well and stir in the oil and combine thoroughly.

Remove flaxseed mixture from the freezer and whisk in the egg.  Stir into the flour mixture.  The dough  will be stiff!  Use a cookie scoop or a spoon.  I just used a spoon, it worked.

Bake for 17 minutes, or until a wooden pick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of a biscuit.

YES... The blueberries turned them green! 

My Review

 Ok when the directions said the dough would be stiff, the author wasn't kidding on that.  It took some effort to really mash it all around when I combined the flaxseed mixture to the dry.  I wanted to make sure everything was moist and wet.  I'm thinking now that perhaps I probably should have defrosted the blueberries.  Yeah, that might have gone a bit better!

Anyway it all was actually pretty easy and I enjoyed making this recipe.

Taste test.  Personally, I can taste the baking soda and I'm not diggin' it too much.  It seems a bit crumbly, but it is also moist and light at the same time.  The blueberries are making them look a bit weird, but I can get over that!  All in all, I would make this recipe again with strawberries and maybe try less baking soda.  For the most part, the texture and taste is a winner for me.  Now.. time for another bite.

P.S.  The recipe is from Wheat Belly 30-Minute (or less) Cookbook by William Davis, MD.  I HIGHLY recommend his Cookbooks.  His original book Wheat Belly is an awesome source if you want to know WHY we shouldn't eat wheat and a wealth of other info on health and nutrition.  He is a cardiologist and some of his patient stories are interesting.

Chia Pudding

I have been exploring a sector of nutrition in the Chia Cluster.  My findings show that they have amazing benefits, are rich in antioxidants, all the carbs in them are fiber, they are high in quality protein,  high in Omega-3 fatty acids, improve certain blood markers which may lower the risk of heart disease and type2 diabetes, and...

Chia seeds are reported to really pack a nutritional punch:

A 1 ounce (28 grams) serving of chia seeds contains (1, 2):

• Fiber: 11 grams.
• Protein: 4 grams.
• Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are Omega-3s).
• Calcium: 18% of the RDA.
• Manganese: 30% of the RDA.
• Magnesium: 30% of the RDA.
• Phosphorus: 27% of the RDA.
• They also contain a decent amount of Zinc, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B2.

I'm very fond of a Chocolate Chia Pudding recipe I found on YouTube.  But the recipe calls for chocolate drinking mix which is more sugar then chocolate so I just used 100% chocolate powder and added sweetener.  Sometimes I got too much of a Stevia aftertaste and sometimes I got it just right.  But that's the thing... tweaking is unpredictable.  Also each person will like more or less sweetener.  If you do not mind the sugar, totally go for the chocolate drinking mix.  I'm sure that would be very good!

Here is the video I found that I really like for  Chocolate Chia Pudding

Just last night I made this Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding 

It was pretty good, instead of using all coconut milk, I used half greek yogurt to make the thicker version.  I just finished eating some for breakfast.  I like it.  I didn't have any toppings this time around, so the picture I took really doesn't look that appealing.  

Have fun with Chia!  I know I will.  :)

Wonderful Chocolate Chip Cookie Way

A crewman pointed out last week that we have not documented the wheatless chocolate chip cookie phenomenon.  After reviewing my logs, this was confirmed.  So we made a coarse correction and were on our way to a familiar and wonderful region of space known as "Chocolate Chip Cookie Way".  We've decided to spend a little extra time for shore leave and I didn't hear any complaints about that!

The chocolate chip cookies are wonderful!  I would prefer them over the regular type made with wheat flour any day.  I started out making the recipe with almond meal that I ground in my food processor.  The texture was not like the traditional cookie, but I honestly didn't care.  I LOVED the taste so much and the texture seemed irrelevant.  Eventually I did decide to splurge and purchase some finely ground almond flour and just see what the fuss is all about.  It did come out looking and preforming like a traditional cookie in the texture department.  I might consider using almond flour when preparing some as gifts or having people over to entertain!

I highly recommend this recipe.  Don't be afraid to dabble with it and change it up.  I do find myself wondering about using 1/3rd or 1/2 coconut flour?  But that is an adventure for another day.

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 cups almond meal/flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1/2 cup butter or coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup sour cream or coconut milk (I have used whipping cream and raw cows milk and it's fine)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia (Sweetener equal to 1/2 cup sugar)
10 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate chips ( I just use the semisweet)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together almond meal/flour, baking soda & salt in a large bowl.

Combine eggs, butter (or coconut oil), sour cream (or coconut milk), vanilla, and stevia in a small bowl and whisk.  Stir this into the flour mixture just until combined.  Stir in the chips.

Drop heaping tablespoons onto the baking sheet.  Press each cookie to 1/2 inch thickness.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.  Remove and place on rack to cool.

ENJOY!

Bread, oh lovely sandwich bread!

Sorry I haven't posted lately, but I'm back on the bridge of this crazy ship I call Wheatless.  I'm trying to take my duties seriously after being held captive for a while by the inhabitants of a dangerous planet in the star system Apathy.  Motivation free living was their game and it was a struggle to break free.  The tactical ship Discouragement is in hot pursuit, but I think with a little extra effort we can shake them!

I put some distance between us while exploring the Manna Cluster.  I've discovered several bread recipes that I hoped would be perfect to make sandwiches.  Who wants to explore Wheatlessness on basic, boring rations!  I had some failures with something I found called "Broccoli Bread" that called for whey isolate.  I attempted that recipe twice and then gave up on it and then I found Dr. Davis' Basic Bread recipe in "Wheat Belly Cookbook".  I was jumping for joy when I finally pulled out a loaf of bread that had risen to the occasion!

You know how I like to be thrifty, but so far I have not attempted to use almond meal or use more garbanzo bean flour then almond flour yet.  For me it would be cheaper, but I just LOVE this recipe cuz it works so well.  I will update with other versions and let you know how it goes.

I'm sorry I do not have the wonderful picture of it sliced.  I can't seem to find the photos on my camera.

Basic Bread

1 1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour
1/4 cup ground golden flaxseed (I've used milled regular and golden and it seems fine)
1 1/2 baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
5 eggs, separated
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 Tablespoon buttermilk (I've just used cream or regular milk)
1 Tablespoon xylitol or 4 drops of liquid stevia or to desired sweetness (I've tried both sweeteners and also just left them out all together on one go... why sweeten it?  It's for a sandwich!?)

Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan.

In a food processor, combine the almond flour, garbanzo bean flour, flaxseeds (in my case flaxseed flour), baking soda, cinnamon (if using), and salt.  Pulse until blended then add the egg yolks, butter, buttermilk, and xylitol or stevia and pulse just till blended.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.  Pour into the flower mixture and pulse until the egg whites are evenly distributed, but do not run the machine at a constant speed.  Spread into the pan and bake 40 minutes, or until a wooden pick comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Remove and cool completely on a rack.

I am VERY HAPPY with how this bread turned out!  I will admit that the smell of the bread reminds me of my aunts beauty shop!  My mother-in-law says that is the smell of the baking soda.  It doesn't affect the taste at all and I just ignore it.  It is easy to do when you are slapping on lovely sandwich ingredients and enjoying the ability to eat a nice GLUTEN and STARCH FREE sandwich!  Oh yeah... awesome.  

Set phasers to "Knock You Out" because it will.  

I can't wait to get in there and do some tweaking.  I have considered... BLUEBERRY bread!!!  Imagine pumpkin bread, whatever you like!  Then on the savory side... break out different seasonings and go for it!  I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!!!!!

Minefield of Maltodextrin

I've been navigating a minefield of Maltodextrin lately and didn't even realize the danger of it.  Sure, I thought it was some kind of sugar alcohol or something and I've been compromising on my sugar off and on since my mom passed away. BUT I know that is no excuse and if she were here she would bust me to the Starship Wheatless' brig!  Anyway, this evil thing called Maltodextrin is actually part of a larger minefield of the most problematic hidden sources of wheat and gluten.  I share the list at the end of this post.

For the past year and a half, I've been eating some meal replacement bars off and on (Adkins).  A friend had given us a cargo bay full of them!  We try to pass them on to people that we might find in need (people on the side of the road and etc).  Sure, I checked the labels and nothing sounded like wheat or gluten, but I should have known better!  Anyway, I got lazy and they came in handy.  So that said what affects did it have on me?

Looking back on my romp through this minefield, I've noticed several things: increase in cravings and a regression of my health (pain & discomfort).  As I type this, I am munching on some semisweet chocolate morsels.  Yeah... I just can't keep those in bulk anymore because I will eventually lead daily raids on the supplies!  Potato chips and ice cream have also been and urge.

Besides the sugary cravings, there is the pain and discomfort.
Ok... it is NOT to the level of before I totally went wheat free, but I've been regressing steadily enough to worry me.  Oh and there has been the tiredness too, heck some days I have crashed on the couch just warn out.  So as of today, I am saying NO to these meal replacement bars and along with them the slight weight gain (off and on), the literal pain in the neck (and other places), and they have given me some digestive issues that has resulted in a trip to the pharmacy aisle!

Through all this, I've learned that if I do not have Ciliac Disease, then I most certainly have a gluten sensitivity.  I suspect Ciliac due to the severity of certain symptoms throughout my life before going wheat/gluten free.

Anyway here is a list of some of the most problematic hidden sources of Wheat/Gluten according to Dr. Davis' book "Wheat Belly Cookbook".  I urge everyone to go buy his books.  Keep them, highlight them and refer back to the information!  The excerpt follows:

Colorings/fillers/texturizers/thickeners:
These hidden sources can be among the most problematic, since they are often buried deep in the ingredient list or bear misleading names that suggest they have nothing to do with wheat or gluten.  Unfortunately, there is often no way to tell from the label, nor will the manufacturer be able to tell you, since these ingredients are often produced by a supplier.  A useful rule of thumb: Whenever possible, avoid processed foods that are likely to contain such ingredients.

Artificial colors, Artificial flavors, Caramel coloring, Caramel flavoring, Dextrimaltose, Emulsifiers, Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, Hydrolyzed wheat starch, Maltodextrin, Modified food starch, Stabilizers, Textured vegetable protein.

So as of today, the Starship "Wheatless" is in need of a good overhaul!  As captain of this ship, I hope it is swift and I do not have a mutiny on my hands brought about by crazy withdrawal behavior!  Here is focusing on the best!

I feel tired... oh no... crashing?  Yes, I had eaten a few of those bars yesterday!