July 24th, 2013
Frozen Berry Cheesecake on a Sunflower Crust
Food blogs have become a big part of my life, and there are so many that I look at for inspiration and ideas daily. I often feel like I know some of the people behind them very well, even though we’ve never met. David, Luise and Elsa of Green Kitchen Stories are certainly among those people. Theirs was one of the very first food blogs I started reading and a major inspiration for Golubka.
GKS combines gorgeous photography, amazing ideas, simple and clever recipes, and overall irresistible charm. It is definitely the blog that I cook from the most, and it’s no surprise that I was impatiently awaiting the arrival of their first cookbook Vegetarian Everyday.
The book is absolutely stunning, full of amazing photography and approachable, nourishing recipes. I’ve cooked quite a bit from it – all to delicious and healthy results. Today I will be sharing two favourite recipes – Orange-Kissed Seed Crackers and Frozen Berry Cheesecake.
The crackers became a sort of obsession for me and Paloma and I’ve made them numerous times, using different types of flours like buckwheat, quinoa and spelt. They taste great in all variations and go well with the Sage and Walnut Pate, Rhubarb and Pear Compote, or just about anything else.
The Frozen Berry Cheesecake is made with strawberries in the book, but I used blackberries instead due to the abundance of beautiful blackberries at the local market. And I cannot say enough about the sunflower crust, which is simple and incredibly tasty. Regardless of the type of fruit you use for this cheesecake, it is sure to be a winner and a breeze to make. Paloma has requested that I make it again for her birthday, which is coming in August.
I’ve also made their Quinoa Cakes and Beet Bourguignon, and am intrigued by the Apple Ketchup, Swedish Crispbread, Vegetable Chorizo and Elderflower Lemonade to name a few. Next on my list is the Mascarpone “Beanotto” with Oyster Mushrooms and Spinach.
Thank you David, Luise and Elsa for such a beautiful book! For more amazing recipes, check out Vegetarian Everyday.
Orange-Kissed Seed Crackers
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup flax seeds – ground
1/2 cup hemp seeds
scant 1 cup amaranth, quinoa or almond flour
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1. Preheat the oven to 300 F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine all the seeds. Scoop out about a quarter of the seeds and reserve for the topping. Add flour, salt and olive oil to the bowl together with 1 1/4 cups cups of water. Stir to combine. You should now have a loose batter. If it’s not loose enough, add some more water.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the batter over the parchment paper and spread with a spatula as thinly as you can.
4. Bake for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the honey/maple syrup and orange juice in a small bowl. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, brush the cracker with the orange glaze and sprinkle with the reserved seeds. I also added a handful of pumpkin seeds and a sprinkle of poppy seeds.
5. Cut into 2 inch pieces and bake for 30 more minutes or until crunchy.
Frozen Berry Cheesecake on a Sunflower Crust
for the crust
2 1/2 cups sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons hemp seeds – optional
12 fresh medjool dates – pitted
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
for the filling
2 cups fresh berries such as strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries or frozen unsweetened berries, or other fruit
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup honey or agave syrup
2 cups Greek yogurt (or vegan cream cheese for a vegan version)
to make the crust
1. Toast the sunflower seeds on a baking sheet in a 350 F oven for 6-8 minutes. Let cool.
2. Pulse in a food processor together with the hemp seeds for about 20 seconds, the seeds should be chopped but not powdered.
3. Add the dates, coconut oil and salt and to the food processor and process until the mixture sticks together. Transfer the mixture into an 8-inch springform cake pan and press it against the bottom to create the crust. Place in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
to make the filling
1. Puree the berries (if using blackberries or raspberries, strain out the seeds), lemon juice and honey in a food processor or blender. Pour into a large bowl and add the yogurt.
2. Mix well and pour on top of the crust in the cake pan. Put in the freezer for 1 1/2 hours or until no longer soft.
3. Top with more berries and edible flowers for decoration. Slice and serve immediately or keep in the freezer for a few days, but let it thaw for about 20 minutes before serving.
Tags: blackberries, book review, cheesecake, crackers, recipe, sunflower seed, vegetarian everyday
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