Pomegranate Cheesecake

My very good friend Christina just got married. After having their private civil ceremony they had a small gathering at a bistro to celebrate. Because it wasn’t a typical wedding with a reception, I wanted to surprise the couple with one of my tasty raw delights. I also thought that since they had gotten married and all, that there should be cake, or some form of it at least. I always love an opportunity to get in my kitchen and get creating!

Christina and I share a very similar healthstyle when it comes to food. So making raw treats for her is always a win as she so eagerly eats them and appreciates them. Not everyone can enjoy raw desserts. One has to know their crowd. Christina is my crowd 😉

The crust is original Pamplemousse, and I am very happy with how it turned out. Full of texture and flavor, it was a perfect switch from the usual pie crust. As for the filling, it was an adaptation from Tiziana Alipo Tamborra and Matthew Roger’s recipe. It’s in a cookbook or I would share the link with you all of the original recipe.

Since we were at a venue, I couldn’t keep the cheesecake in the fridge the whole time and it got a little soft, one of the downfalls of raw desserts. If you are to make this, I definitely recommend keeping it in the fridge until you serve it. It was still so delicious and extra creamy 🙂

Ingredients for the crust:

• 2 cups raw almonds
• 1/2 cup buckwheat crsipies  (raw buckwheat sprouted then dehydrated). You could probably just use buckwheat groats if this step is not convenient for you.
• 1/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup cacao powder
• 1/4 cup cacao nibs
• 1 cup soft dates (I used medjool)
• salt
• 1/8 cup water

Steps:

• put everything in a food processor except water, and blend until well combined. If it is not sticky enough to stick together, slowly add water while the motor is running until you achieve a “dough” that is somewhat crumbly but that will stick together once pressed down.
• press it in a 10 inch springform pan and put in fridge while making the filling

Ingredients for filling:

• 3 cups soaked cashews
• 2 cups pomegranate juice
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3/4 cups agave
• 1 TBS liquid vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 TBS lecithin
• 3/4 cups coconut oil or butter, melted

Steps:

• put all ingredients except oil and lecithin in blender and blend until really smooth
• add oil or butter, and lecithin and continue blending until well incorporated
• pour in pan on top of crust
• put in freezer to set for about 2 hours
• transfer to fridge until ready to serve

Advertisement

Bitter Sweet Belly Love

This  juice is just that: bitter, sweet, tangy and definitely full of love for my body. I have been loving playing with all the deep crimson colors and coming up with different tasty combinations.

The combination of the pomegranate (super high in antioxidants), grapefruit (high in vitamin C), beets (great blood purifier) and ginger (immunity boosting) makes for another winner of health for this winter season, when people seem to get more sick than other seasons.

Starting my day with another belly full of love.

Ingredients:

• 1 large pomegranate, seeds only
• 1 large beet
• 1 large pink grapefruit
• 3 stalks of celery
• 1 packed cup of greens (I used fenugreek)
• 1 large chunk of ginger (2 inches)

Steps:

• wash everything
• juice in juicer
• serve and drink up!

This made enough for 1 adult and 2 kids.

Purple Hug

Because that’s what it feels like to drink this juice: a hug to my insides. The color of this juice itself makes me want to drink it. The beets have amazing blood purifying qualities as well as help fight off diseases. Combine that with the amazing immunity boosting benefits of pomegranate as well as the high vitamin C content of the grapefruit and you got yourself a recipe for health!

Of course, the little extras such as lemon, ginger and kale, definitely help in making this juice extra concentrated in high quality immunity support vitamins.

This juice is perfect for this holiday season. If you are feeling run down, or if you’ve been over indulging in not so healthy meals, this will help cleanse you as well as balance you.

This juice simply makes me want to dance.

Ingredients:

• I large pomegranate, seeds only
• 1/2 peeled grapefruit
• 1 large beet
• 8-10 large leaves of kale
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 lemon with rind
• 1 2inch chunk of ginger

Steps:

• wash everything
• juice and enjoy!!

This made 32 oz. I shared it with my husband and two older kids, but this could easily be a nice serving for just 2 people.

Pomegranate Smoothie

This came out rich, sweet, satisfying and simply delicious. The kids couldn’t drink it fast enough. I had to make sure to put myself a glass aside so I could have some! And this is a great preventative beverage. Preventative of the flu and colds that is. Although “flu“is not a season and just an illness people get from not having proper nutrition, not protecting themselves enough from the environment, or simply being unfortunate to have had a dip in their immunity to catch the dang bug, it is good to be ready and step up our immunity boosting game at this time of year, which is called fall season, not flu season 😉

Pomegranates are packed with antioxidants, which is extremely important for cellular health in order to prevent free radical damage. Free radical damage will cause us to get sick much more rapidly.  They are also loaded with vitamin C (protects from immune system deficiencies). And they are also sweet and delicious.

I added some fresh ginger which is a potent anti-inflammatory, and has incredible germ fighting and immune boosting abilities.

If all these natural cold fighting capabilities aren’t enough for you, just drink it because it is delicious.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pomegranate juice ( I juiced 2 large fresh pomegranates, but if you have some store bought juice that will work too).
• 1 large chunk of ginger (I juiced that along with the pomegranate, but if you aren’t pulling out the juicer today, you can just blend it)
• 1 large handful of fresh spinach (Because I just can’t help add green things to foods, especially smoothies)
• 1/2 banana

Steps:

• Juice pomegranate and ginger
• put in blender with spinach and banana
• blend on high
• serve and enjoy!
• Make sure to sip slowly in order to let digestion kick in and to fully appreciate the goodness that is feeding your body.

For a cold fighting elixir recipe, click here.