Scrummy raw and dairy, wheat and sugar free cheesecake, yum, yum!!

I finally made (well sort of finally made) this most scrummy raw food dairy-free, wheat-free and sugar-free cheesecake that my brother's girlfriend introduced to me in the summer.  Very easy to make, even for me, although Mum did take over as she gets very impatient with my efforts in the kitchen!!!

Yummy indeed.  Although I guess we should remember that while it is dairy, wheat and sugar free, it does contain a lot of fats and while these may be deemed "good" fats, they still put a lot of pressure on the liver (read Barbara Wren and her fabulous books on cellular awakening/into the light" for more on this) so save as a treat.

Happy making and eating!

x

Raw ‘Cheesecake’

Makes one 7” cheesecake

Crust

½ cup Brazil nuts
¼ cup almonds
¼ cup dessicated coconut
1 tablespoon cacao or carob powder (both hard to find in Gsy so used 85% plain choc)
Pinch salt
2 – 4 dates (stoned) – depending on size
1 teasp raw agave nectar or honey

Blitz in food processor until crumbly – the mixture should stick together when pressed between your fingers. If it doesn’t either add a little water or more honey. Press into bottom of 7” springform tin or similar container.

Filling

2 cups fresh or frozen fruit (the original recipe called for blueberries but I have also made it with mango and loganberries. I think apricots, nectarines etc would work as well)
1 cup cashews, finely ground
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons melted cacao butter (hard to find in Gsy but internet gave good quality white chocolate as an dairy alternative or more coconut oil if non-dairy)
¼ cup raw agave nectar or honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Large pinch salt

Blitz in blender until smooth and creamy. Pour over the crust and chill until ready to serve.
Sauce - Optional
You could make a sauce to go with it using perhaps one cup of the same fruit and a small amount of honey – blitzed.

Decoration 

I have used some of the fruit to decorate the top i.e. whole blueberries on the blueberry one and sliced mango washed in lemon juice on the mango one etc.



It doesn’t take long to set and seems to keep for several days. However, keep in the fridge until just before serving as, because the coconut oil is the setting ‘agent’ it becomes less solid if allowed to get too warm.

Taking time out

It has been a while since I have last written here.  We have been away, taking a much needed time out, albeit much resistance on my part to taking time out, but a necessity I now realise!

Two weeks ago, I flew up to Edinburgh with Elijah for a little more than 48 hours to celebrate my best friend's 40th, which was fabulous but exhausting - travel with a baby on your own certainly brings a whole new perspective to travelling!!

So I cannot say I was relishing the idea of yet more travels with Elijah, and indeed Ewan, only a week later, more packing and unpacking and washing and organising and catching up with work and friends, and preparing for more time away and all that comes with this when you work for someone else and for yourself and have a cat and a house.

But anyway, we were going away regardless and despite my resistance - which is always an indication that whatever is happening is necessary - it was indeed all meant to be...

Initially we stayed with one of Elijah's spiritual parents in Brighton and enjoyed our first swim in the sea at Hove as well as much ramblings along the coast, easing us into our holiday, never easy to switch off, especially with WIFI available!!

From there we headed back to Gatwick on the train and flew to Geneva before another train to Neuchatal, where Ewan's Swiss family live.  Now I had it in my head that hereI could indulge in hours of yoga practice and catch up on all the work I have not yet done with websites and articles and manuals and information packs and all sorts of things that happen in the background with Beinspired. 

But alas, this was not meant to be as we were instead too busy entertaining Elijah and visiting family members and swimming in the Lake and walking instead.  I noticed myself getting a little wound up about this - which was an interesting observation, not least this conditioned need to always be "doing" but also the feeling of things not being as they should be.  Which is of course utter rubbish, because things areas they are meant to be - but more often than not, not how our ego wants them to be.

So I finally gave in to it and realised that this was indeed a necessary break, enforced then, because if you do not take time out like this, there is no space for integration, and this is essential, especially with one's spiritual practice.  You have to lettings settle.  A little like in a yoga practice itself (which of course, on the mat, is a reflection of one's life in any event) it is essential to rest and allow the effects of the practice to integrate into the cellular memory, to literally let things settle in.  So in our lives too, there is a need to allow things to settle and integrate.

And let's face it, what an amazing environment within which to allow this to happen - Switzerland, with all that clean living and clean air, wow, it is quite amazing, the resonance that is with all the greens and blues and the huge Lake.  Ewan and I were fortunate to swim the Lake each day too, it felt like swimming in silk after the coarseness of swimming the sea all summer.  I found it healing, truly.  And while Elijah slept poorly, which meant we had very little sleep, I felt energised just by being in this environment.

On our last evening we walked in the most glorious forest,  before visiting family for pre-dinner drinks and here we were treated to marvellous views of the Alpes, which always helps to put things into perspective - what marvellous mountains, majestic, powerful, steadfast.  Amazing.  See, it is all about timing.  A million times thank you to the Swiss family and Auntie Anne in particular for such fabulous hospitality and introduction to Swiss living.

My time in Switzerland was interesting though, because on the one hand the healing and integration and feeling of being held and healed and energised by nature like this (and very lovely people and yummy seasonal foods) and my interest (for want of a better word) in the current chaos of the world and in particular the actions of the extremists in Syria and Iraq.  As fear worked its way out of me - the effects of the Ayurvedic herbs I have been taking and the opportunity for this release and integration - I could feel the fear that these people are creating through their barbaric actions and hatred.

And this has led me to wonder really what is going on in this world.  Which is fitting in rather well with where I find myself now, here in London, attending a (so far) fabulous yoga workshop with the West's leading authority on the Chakras, Anodea Judith, who believes that we are transitioning from a world in which we love to have power, to a world which is powered by love...

So perhaps the world is going through the healing crisis that will enable this enlightening...

Let's see.  I have two more days of the course to gain more understanding/awareness of this.

On that note, time to go and get myself ready.

Keep well.

Love and light

x

Yummy immune boosting soup for the seasonal transition

So here we are, September, and with that the hint of autumn in the air.  The summer has simply flown by but what a wonderful one it was this year with all the visitors and Elijah's naming ceremony and beach days and swims in the sea.  We are very blessed and indeed lucky to live on an Island like this.

There is a certain heaviness that comes with letting all this go and welcoming in the new beginnings that autumn brings.  You have to let go to let in.  And today the children return to school and we are back into the usual routine with peak traffic, and the nights drawing in.

Plus of course there will be the usual seasonal cold and sniffles circulating, the change in season often brings this, and especially the transition from summer to autumn, as if it is clearing you out from the inside, and releasing all that excess phlegm!

I crave soup at this time of year, packed full of vitamins and minerals to support and help boost the immune system.  Now I am sure I have probably shared this before but it truly is yummy and everyone should have a stash in their freezer for when they are feeling energetically challenged.  Admittedly the photo does it no justice - I challenge even the best of food photographers to make this look yummy by photograph!!!

Immune boosting soup

3 cups of sweet potato cut into cubes
1 leek
2tsp cooking oil
1 garlic glove minced
1 tbsp. grated ginger
1.5 ltrs of vegetable stock
1 medium broccoli head, small florets and thin stalks of tender stalk
2 cups of seasonal leafy greens such as kale or spinach
1/2 cup cashew nuts (I often leave this out)
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 large bunch flat leaf parsley (if using curly parsley add more)
fresh cracked peppercorns
high quality extra virgin oil

Pre heat oven to 200 degrees Celcius

Toss the sweet potato in oil to coat, place on a roasting tray and roast for 25-30 minutes, or until the potato is tender inside and golden outside.

In a large, heavy-based saucepan sauté the leek in cooking oil for 8-10 minutes or until soft and golden. Add the garlic and ginger; sauté another 2 minutes. Next add the stock, dislodging any brown bits at the bottom. Add the broccoli pieces, leafy greens, roasted sweet potato (whenever it is ready, it can be added later if necessary), cashews and salt. Simmer covered for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add 3/4 of the chopped parsley (it will cook almost instantly in hot soup).

Turn off the heat and purée the soup either with a hand held blender or a food processor. Reheat, then mix in a few grinds of peppercorn and taste for seasoning. Garnish each serving with the remaining fresh parsley and a glug of olive oil.

Enjoy!

x