Figalicious

May 17, 2013

Raw Cheesecake {Dairy & Gluten Free}

Would you believe me if I told you that a cheesecake without any cream cheese is delicious? Skeptic? I was too, until I tried this... all the goodness without all the guilt. Get your belly ready ;)

When I've told others about this cheesecake, the first thing they've asked me is, "Then what is it made out of?" You can imagine the faces I see when I say it's all fresh raw natural ingredients- nuts, lemon, vanilla beans, agave, and berries. But yep, it's true... all natural, all in their raw form, all absolutely delicious. How could those ingredients end up tasting like cheesecake you ask? It's rather surprising, but all it takes it the combo of fresh lemon juice and vanilla to create that delicious cheesecake flavor. Those two ingredients along with the creaminess of cashews does the trick. Who would've thought?!

I've heard of raw cheesecakes, and I have definitely tried raw treats and been surprised by their deliciousness, but I honestly didn't think a cream-based dessert could be this good, not without dairy at least. That all changed a few weeks back when I was cruising through the market and a girl offered me a sample of raw cheesecake. I tried it, gasped, and was hooked. Just like that.

I use a springform pan for this... it allows the cheesecake to stay together while freezing, but then be easily cut and served with its removable bottom. (They are the pans that have the detachable bottom.) If you don't have one, you can make this in a standard pie pan and then scoop it out as you would any pie. Having one helps though, I think! :) (You can buy them at stores like Marshall's & Ross for fairly cheap!)

The beauty of this recipe, beyond the taste and guilt-free aspects of course, is the ease. No baking required, no water-baths, no worrying about timing. You just blend the ingredients, place them all in the freezer, and enjoy. The toughest part is planning to soak the nuts overnight before making it... and that's just a matter of placing some nuts in a bowl of water. Can't get much simpler really :)

INGREDIENTS

for the crust...

2 cups almonds (whole & raw), soaked overnight

7 dates, whole with pits

1/4 cup raw coconut flakes (not sweetened)

for the filling...

3 cups cashews (raw, halved or whole), soaked overnight

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (3 large lemons)

1/4 cup agave syrup (or honey if preferred)

1/4 cup raw coconut oil

1 vanilla bean (about 6-7 inches in length)

for the topping...

1/4 cup agave syrup (or honey)
1 tsp cacao powder
3/4 cup frozen cherries
3/4 cup frozen raspberries

note: if you live near a grocery store with a bulk section, you can buy many of these ingredients in small amounts- just what you need for this- if they aren't ingredients you normally have around your kitchen

DIRECTIONS
The day before you make the cheesecake, soak almonds and cashews in water overnight
They will absorb the water and expand- heads up :)

The next morning, you'll be ready to concoct and create your masterpiece!

Start with the crust...

Using your fingers, open up dates and remove seeds

Place the soaked almonds, dates, and coconut in a food processor

Blend until smooth

Empty "dough" into a springform pan (nonstick)

(see note in the introduction to the recipe about using other pans if you don't have a springform)

Press the almond crust down, creating an even smooth crust along the bottom of the pan

Now make the filling...

To get the vanilla out, cut down the center of the vanilla bean (lengthwise), but don't cut all the way through- you just want to open the bean up

Scrape the vanilla out using the flat/dull side of a knife

You'll get roughly a tsp vanilla from one bean

Juice the lemons...

Place the soaked cashews, lemon juice, and vanilla in the food processor (if using the same processor used to make the almond crust, clean it out before making the filling)

Blend until smooth and creamy

Pour the filling over the almond crust

Place the cheesecake in the freezer, uncovered, for about 5-6 hours

About 15 minutes before eating, make the topping...

Add cocoa powder to agave syrup

Stir until blended and all cacao lumps are smoothed out

Remove the cheesecake from the freezer

Top with frozen berries and cherries

Then drizzle the cacao-agave syrup over the berries and cheesecake

Remove the springform pan

Let the cheesecake and berries soften a bit, about 10-15 minutes, cut, and serve!

To store, place remaining cheesecake back in the freezer- it will keep well for days, being eaten and refrozen again over and over... if it lasts that long that is!!

Enjoy!
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!!

May 04, 2013

Horiatiki Salata... A Traditional Village-Style Greek Salad

Truly one of my favorite things to eat ever... a simple village-style Greek salad. When in Greece, I literally crave these for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Lucky for me, Greek-style dining usually entails feasting on a plethora of varied plates, often including one of these delicious salads. You simply just cannot go wrong with a horiatiki salad (horiatiki = village-style, salata = salad). I don't typically write posts about salads (especially not ones this simple), but I just can't hide this lovely treasure from anyone, simple or not. :)

You'll notice there's no lettuce in this salad. Of course if you want some, add it in, but traditional Greek salads don't have lettuce. Instead, they have an assortment of chopped veggies- usually tomatoes (okay okay, veggies and fruit!), green bell pepper (not usually something I add to salads, but in this, it's perfect), cucumber, red onion, kalamata olives, feta cheese (good quality, of course), and a light oil and vinegar dressing. Sometimes, they're topped with capers and/or oregano. I leave out the capers, and instead go with oregano and if I have it lying around, fresh dill. Since I had a colorful assortment of tomatoes, I used them, but good old classic red are common in Greek salads. Wild that something so simple would be soooo amazing, but not much beats a classic horiatiki salad in my book.

My mom just got back from Greece and brought me these delicious Greek kalamata olives. Most people won't have olives hand-delivered from Greece, so just find what you like at any grocery store near you. Kalamata olives are pretty easy to find these days.

I made this a few days ago to go along with a turkey moussaka I made- a traditional eggplant and potato dish (recipe HERE). It was the perfect combo... felt like I was in Greece!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 large European cucumber (or other cucumber you like)

3-4 ripe tomatoes

1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

8-10 kalamata olives

Greek feta cheese, good quality

dressing...

red wine vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

salt & freshly ground black pepper

garnish...

dried oregano

fresh dill (optional)

DIRECTIONS

I realize it seems silly to write directions on how to make a salad haha, but for those who are visual, I thought doing it step-by-step might be nice :)

Otherwise, toss the stuff together however you want and enjoy!!

Peel cucumber- you can leave some streaks of peel for color and texture

(European cucumbers don't have to be peeled, but for this salad, I do)

Cut cucumber into bite-sized chunks...

I usually slice the cucumber lengthwise first- so it makes hexagonal wedges- and then chop it up

Cut the tomatoes into similar-sized bite-size pieces

Add the cucumber and tomato together in a salad bowl

Very thinly slice the bell pepper- you can make rings or long slices... your choice!

Lay them over the cuke and tomato

Very thinly slice the red onion... paper-thin is good!

Lay around the salad

Top with olives

I personally love that in Greece, horiatikis are often served with large chunks of feta, rather than little crumbles... sometimes even just one huge chunk laid over the entire bowl!

For this, since I was serving three people, I decided to have three chunks of feta...

one for each (plus a wee crumble sprinkled throughout)!

Cut however you'd like :)

Lay the feta pieces in the center of the salad

To dress, drizzle some olive oil over the entire salad, followed by a light sprinkling of red wine vinegar

Then toss a pinch of dried oregano over the entire thing and

if you have it on hand, some chopped fresh dill if you'd like, too!

Refrigerate until ready to eat and enjoy!!

Eggplant, Potato, & Turkey Moussaka... Layered Greek Goodness

There are many versions of moussaka out there. This, by far, is my favorite yet... the lightest and most scrumptious to date. Coming from a Greek, that's a big statement. :)

For those unfamiliar with this Greek classic, moussaka is a dish traditionally made with eggplant, meat, and sometimes potatoes. It's topped with a creamy bechamel-like sauce and is usually spiced with cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg like flavors. While that may sound strange to those who have never tried it, it's really quite delicious. My only gripe? It tends to be really heavy. This is why I'm so in love with this version... heavy it is not. Delicious, yes it is!

I have made a ton of moussakas in my day... it was actually one of the very first things I ever learned to make! While I would never dare to say this beats out my yiayia's or my mom's version, it is by far the best one I've created yet! What's so great about it you ask? The flavors are perfectly balanced and it's incredibly light. In fact, I made this for my boyfriend and dad's wife last week and must admit, was very surprised when all three of us reached for seconds and even thirds! Typically, moussaka is a one-helping kind of meal- pretty hefty stuff- not nope, not this one... we went in for many!

A labor of love indeed, but one well worth the efforts. Like a great lasagna, moussaka takes time and great care, but when done well, it's one of the best things ever! I made a classic horiatiki salad (a "village" salad in Greek) to serve along with it (will post that recipe asap!). 'Twas a perfect combo for a lovely night of eating and catching up! :)

Everything is lightened up in this recipe, for those on the health-conscious side (I know I am!). If you're wanting a gluten-free version, simply substitute sweet rice flour for the flour in the bechamel sauce. It won't change it much. :) Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!! (Goes perfectly with horiatiki salata- a classic Greek village-style salad, recipe HERE.)

INGREDIENTS

for veggie layers...

2 eggplant, medium-large in size

3 russet potatoes

drizzle olive oil

salt and pepper

for meat sauce...

1 lb ground turkey (or other meat you like)

1/2 large onion (1 cup chopped)

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 cups diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

drizzle olive oil, 1-2 tbsp

for bechamel...

2 tbsp ghee or butter

1 1/2 tbsp flour (use sweet rice four for gluten-free version)

1 3/4 cup milk, I use 2%

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

for topping & layering...

1/4 cup grated/shredded parmesan cheese

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, the powdery type

sprinkle of paprika (optional)

for sauce...

for bechamel...

for topping...

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Begin by prepping the eggplant...

Slice, with skin on, into 1/4 inch thick slices

Slice both eggplants, discarding the end pieces

Liberally salt eggplant slices

Places slices in a colander and let sit for at least 30 minutes to sweat- this process

draws out moisture and cuts down on the bitterness- it's an important step!

You'll see it sweat before your eyes!

While this is happening, begin prepping other ingredients...

Peel and clean up potatoes

Slice into 1/4 inch slices (it's okay if they're a little thinner, but keep them even

in size so that they cook evenly)

Lay potatoes out on a greased baking sheet and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper

Roast for 15 minutes

Lay potatoes on a plate and set side

By now, the eggplant slices should be ready to go!

Rinse the salt and "sweat" off of each slice- very important!!

Lay on a towel and pay dry- get as much moisture out as you can

Lay eggplant slices on the baking sheet

(you can use the same one used for potatoes- no washing necessary!)

Some overlapping may occur... no biggie :)

Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper

(light is key- even rinsed, the slices will still retain some of the salt from the sweating process)

Roast for 15 minutes, still at 450 degrees

When done, set aside until ready for assembling

Lower oven heat to 350 degrees so that when you're ready to bake it, your oven is ready to!

While the eggplant is roasting, you can begin making the meat sauce...

Finely chop onion

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat (I prefer cast-iron for this)

Add onion and half of the oregano, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and pepper

(you will add the other half of the spices later)

Stir and saute for a few minutes, until onions are soft and beginning to turn translucent

Add ground turkey and cook for a few more minutes, stirring periodically

Finely mince garlic and parsley

Add them to the onion and turkey mixture

Then add the diced tomatoes (some juice is fine) and wine

Continue cooking until turkey is no longer pink

Add the other half of the spices (oregano, cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper)

Then lower heat to low and let simmer to evaporate some of the liquid

While it is simmering, begin assembling the veggie layers- don't worry if the liquid doesn't completely evaporate- using a slotted spoon when scooping up the meat mixture will allow the liquid to stay behind :)

To assemble, you'll need a large baking dish, such a lasagna pan

Get the eggplant slices and potatoes near and you're ready!

Grease the pan on bottoms and sides

Layer potato slices along the bottom of the pan

Overlapping is fine, as long as evenly distributed :)

You'll have two layers of eggplant- one over the potatoes and one for the top of the moussaka

Select the best looking eggplant slices and set them aside for the top layer

Use the remaining slices to layer over the potatoes

Using a slotted spoon (as mentioned earlier), scoop up the meat mixture,

letting the juices drain a wee, over the eggplant slices

Evenly spread the meat over the veggies

Top meat with grated/shredded parmesan

Then layer the remaining slices of eggplant (the ones you set aside earlier) over the parmesan

Now start the bechamel... it doesn't take long :)

Heat the ghee/butter over medium heat and add flour

Using a whisk, blend until smooth

Don't add remaining ingredients until it's a smooth consistency,

or else the flour will remain chunky- no bueno

Then add milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper

Stir and let come to a light boil, whisking frequently

The sauce should begin to thicken

Then add parmesan cheese- stir until melted

At the very last minute, add the egg (pre-whisked), and whisk rapidly until forms a smooth creamy texture (you want to whisk quickly to prevent the egg form cooking in the sauce)