No Bake Mulberry Cheesecake

There’s an old English nursery song that I always think of when I see mulberries.

I guess it was this little ditty that gave me the false idea that mulberries grow on bushes. Nice little bushes that can be reached from the ground and even a child could go out and pick them.

I don’t think I even laid eyes on a real mulberry until I was well past nine years old. That changed when we moved out in the country and found several large TREES with blackberry-looking-things growing on them. We tried gathering these berries a few different ways, one of which was laying sheets under the tree and shaking the trunk with the tractor. It wasn’t very successful. We gave up after a year or two.

I hate it when the mulberries ripen, because it seems like such a waste not to gather them. The winds blow them down and they quickly get trampled by people and animals alike. This year, there were so many and they looked so good that I had to try again.

For the first picking I lugged Dad’s three-legged ladder over and pulled the branches over my head so I could reach the lowest ones. That yielded about 3 cups, some very stained fingers and a purple step ladder. The second time, I climbed into the tractor bucket and Anna lifted, lowered and moved me about to the best places. We got four cups from that. Not bad, really, but nothing compared to the amount of berries left on the tree high up in the branches.  Oh well! We couldn’t reach them anyway.

Now the question was, what to do with them?  I learned from previous experience that mulberries mold very quickly – within three days if chilled, so I had to use them fast.

I just have this thing with berries and cheesecake…Sorry, I know it’s not very original, but it’s just so good! This one happens to be gluten free (though I never even thought about that when I made it) and is sweetened with coconut sugar and raw honey. You could almost say it was a raw food cheesecake…if you used raw cream cheese and cream. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that on hand.

The crust -

1 c. almonds

1 c. unsweetened coconut

3 T. coconut oil or butter

3 T. coconut sugar

1/4 t. cinnamon (optional)

Blend almonds and coconut in processor until nuts are fine. Add sugar and coconut oil. If it doesn’t hold together when you pinch it, add a little more oil or butter. Pat into a 9 inch cheesecake pan.

The filling -

16 oz cream cheese

1/2 c. honey

1 T. vanilla

1/2 c. cream

Whip together on high until combined and the cream thickens. Spoon half of mixture onto crust. Layer 1 – 2 cups of mulberries over the top and repeat with remaining cream cheese mixture and berries. Chill and serve.

My Dad loves crust. So do I. Crust makes cheesecake what it is…in my opinion. :D

Cutting into it marbled the colors. Yum!

If you happen to have mulberries and happen to want to pick them and happen to make this cheesecake and happen to have leftovers, you MUST eat them the next day. Trust me on this. I saved mine for the day after the next day and the berries were already going bad. Sadness…

I’m glad I tried to be resourceful and pick the mulberries again this year, but you know what? I think it will be another decade or so before I feel bad about it again.

Flavors of Europe Tart

Just two years ago, my sister and I were over in Europe, somewhere between the Netherlands and Italy. You can read about our adventures over on our Sisters Four blog if you like.

Biking the lovely streets of Haarlem, Netherlands

I’ve been missing Europe a lot lately – the trains, the towns, the people, and, of course, the food.

There are several flavors that totally remind me of different places in Europe. Part of that is due to my ancestry, part to travels, and there’s probably a part in there that comes from what I’ve been told by cookbooks or people in general. Perhaps it’s faulty, but never the less, there.

I’ve been wanting to make something that was reminiscent of the amazing flavors we sampled on our trip, but when I saw the recipe for Brown Butter Tarts with Sour Cherries in the Midwest Living a couple months ago, I knew I had to incorporate cardamom whipped cream somehow as well.

Cardamom is native to India, but my viking relatives (I’m sure I was related to one of them!) introduced it to Scandinavia over 1,000 years ago. That’s why cardamom always makes me think of my Swedish grandmother’s delicious Cardamom cinnamon rolls and not Badam Burfi.

This fabulous photograph was taken by Moira over at Who Want’s Seconds? You’ll find some interesting facts about cardamom over there.

Almond is used everywhere and for good reason, it is AMAZINGNESS! The Swedes use mandalmassa (almond paste) in muffins and biscuits and other treats like the Swedish Mazarinmuffins. When we were in Haarlem, Paula, the hostess at our phenomenal B&B, served us a bread laden with liqueur soaked fruit and a whole log of almond paste wrapped inside. Oh my! That was a flavor worth savoring! I recreated the recipe for Kerststol in my Taste of Europe series here.

Okay, almond was a given. Maybe some orange. Cherries? I like that…

And so the Flavors of Europe Tart began to take shape.

I started with a crumb crust. Actually, I lied. I started with a pastry crust using almond paste, flour and butter. It was delicious, but it wasn’t what I was looking for. So we ate that and started over.

7 oz. almond paste

1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. butter

1/2 c. almonds, ground

Pulse in a food processor, until blended and press into a tart pan. Bake for 15 -20 minutes or until golden.

I wanted vanilla bean custard for the filling, so I went with my tried and true custard/pudding recipe that I use for just about anything I need pudding or custard for.

2/3 c. sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, scraped

1/4 c. cornstarch

1/4 t. salt

2 c. milk

4 lg. egg yolks

2 t. butter

1 t. vanilla

Whisk all ingredients together in a sauce pan while cold. Turn on the heat and whisk while it warms. As soon as it starts to thicken, remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla and pour into tart crust. Cover with plastic wrap to keep from forming a skin on top and chill in refrigerator.

The yolks I used are farm fresh and were so orange. That explains why the pudding is yellow. I knew you were wondering. :)

And guess what? The shell of the egg was green/blue! I LOVE that!

I decided to used dark sweet cherries for the topping and reduce them in their own juices. So easy! Just put 12 oz. of frozen cherries in a pan and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is a  syrupy consistency.

Cardamom Whipped Cream from Midwest Living

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)

1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Beat cream until it starts to thicken. Add sugar, orange peel, vanilla and cardamom. Beat until desired texture is reached.

Slice tart and serve with a dollop of cream.

So now, just to be totally random (and because I like it so much and I’m so excited about it :), I have to share my latest project with you.

I decided to paint my closet. I’ve done a lot of painting in the past working for my Dad or sisters or doing jobs of my own and I’m telling ya’, I really dislike painting closets. I mean, come on, it’s just a closet! Right?

Well, I don’t know what got into me.

I took a plain, decent closet…

And spiced it up a bit!

 I love it so much I’m doing to get rid of all my stuff, take the doors off my closet and enjoy it! :D Just kidding. But it was sad covering so much of it up.

Now it’s just a closet again…with an attitude.

Chia Pudding with Mango, Strawberries and Coconut

Today was perfectly beautiful. The breeze was cool, the sun was warm…everything is so green from all the rain we’ve been having. It was one of those days that make you wish you could stick it in a bottle and save it for a stifling August afternoon.

No, I’m not even going to think about August. August doesn’t exist – not here, not now, not for me.

Instead, I’m going to think about Chia Pudding.

I mentioned this in my last post and I wonder about your reactions…did it sound terrible? Or are you just waiting for the recipe?

I hope you want the recipe because that’s what I’m giving you this fine evening. It is so SO good. And after you taste it you will never believe that it has no dairy, no gluten and no processed sugars.

It is so easy… and fast…and it looks good too.

Gee, it sounds like I’m trying to talk you into something, but I know you already want the recipe so here it is.

Chia Pudding with Mango, Strawberries and Coconut

1 8oz. package pitted dates

1 – 13.5 oz. can coconut milk

13.5 oz.  water

2 t. vanilla

1/4 c. chia seeds

1 carton strawberries, de-stemmed, washed and diced

1 mango, peeled and diced

1/4 shredded unsweetened coconut

Combine dates, vanilla, coconut milk, water and chia seeds in a food processor or blender. Pulse until combined – it won’t be quite smooth, but you’ll want the dates well blended – pour into a bowl and chill.

EDIT: Some people have had trouble with the pudding coming out too watery. I recommend, 1 – chilling your coconut milk before using and draining the watery liquid (simply poke a hole in the solid cream and drain over the sink), or 2 – going easy on the water until you can gauge what the consistency will be. Keep in mind that the chia seeds absorb the liquid, so it thickens as it chills.

Variations -

Christy commented below and left some great ideas – “I used dried figs, goji berries, apricots and prunes for the fruit ( it gave the pudding a beautiful apricot color),I also added a few dashes of cardamom.”

To satisfy a chocolate craving, add 1/8- 1/4 c. cocoa powder.

For a “less mess/less dishes” variation, use maple syrup or honey in place of the dates and water and stir together with a spoon. 

Anyone else have tasty variations? I’ll post them here. :D

Toss together fruit and coconut. Serve atop the pudding and garnish with mint leaves if you like.

Oh! And isn’t this bowl so cool? My sister, Sage, made it. I have such talented sisters. I hope someday to have an entire kitchen furnished with Sage’s pottery and Tera’s glass.

Anyhow, do let me know what you think if you try this recipe out. I think you’ll like it.

Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Three of my five brothers coach this sport called Volleyball.

I guess you could say they are all a bit crazy about it. I know you would say that if you hung out at our house for a day or two. Typical conversations revolve around the best coaching techniques, playing styles, who’s good and who is not, frustrations with teenage drama, (Don’t ask me the details I’m sworn to secrecy.), rosters, scores, rival teams, and all that good stuff.

These three brothers also play competitive volleyball. And they are pretty good at it. Needless to say the working out and nutrition topics rate pretty high around here, too. We’ve had some fine debates on weight lifting vs cardio and protein vs. carbs.

While we all have our own ideas, we can pretty much agree when it comes to protein – you’ve got to get enough of it.

Then we argue about what enough is…

Oh well, the last one living wins! It’s all in fun.

Protein is vital for building and retaining muscle and living a healthy lifestyle. Running around all day, coaching, playing volleyball, putting kids through suicide drills (properly named. Trust me, I’ve tried them.), and hitting more balls…sometimes it’s hard to make time to refuel with healthy food – or even find healthy food to refuel with.

My mission this year is to get the guys to bring their own snacks to munch on. Hence, the new rage on the courts – P3Bs (Peanut Protein Power Balls). It’s a good start.

P3Bs

1 jar Smuckers chunky peanut butter

1/2 to 3/4 c. Raw honey

4 scoops unsweetened whey protein powder

1 T. Vanilla

1/4 c. Chia seeds

1/2 c. Raisins

1 c. 60% cocoa chocolate chips

makes 45 balls

First mix together the peanut butter and honey. I make it a rule to never measure honey because it’s the stickiest stuff ever and half of it ends up staying in my measuring cup. So I recommend eyeballing it. If you get too much in, you can always add more protein powder to even it out.

Add protein powder and vanilla and stir until combined.  Added bonus – You get a nice workout making these by hand.

It should look like this… and you may want to put the spoon down and take to kneading it.

Add the fun stuff – raisins, chips and chia seeds.

I have to tell you about chia seeds now… just in case they are as new to you as they were to me a couple years ago.

Chia seeds are high in fiber and are a complete protein. They are also high in Omega-3 essential fats, calcium and include trace minerals and vitamins. When soaked, you can make a pudding with them, not unlike tapioca. Try it with coconut milk, dates and vanilla. Yum!

So, yeah, do yourself a favor and add chia seeds to the mix! :D

Roll into balls and coat in unsweetened cocoa powder. Be sure not to breath in if you snitch a bite!

Chill in take-away containers for the road.

And, for your information… each ball has approximately 5.6 grams of protein and 9.5 g. of carbohydrates. Not bad for a bite this yummy, aye?

Two Easy Dinner Ideas…and Lemon Coconut Gelato for Dessert

I have a confession to make.

I’ve been sliding back into my old ways. You know, the old ways of making up a recipe as I go and not taking any pictures along the way. It’s liberating really…until I taste the finished product and think, I have to blog about this!  Then, I make a mad dash up the stairs to see if I can get the camera before the food is all gone.

Sometimes I win. Sometimes I look at the bottom of the dish and wonder if you would like a picture of a scraped pan and a licked spoon. The ultimate picture of past enjoyment. I think not.

All that to say this – don’t expect too many pictures in this post.  My passion is preparing food, not photography, apparently. :P

My sister and I made over 100 tortillas the other day.

Yes, keep scrolling. The stack will end.

Promise.

It was a warm spring afternoon, so I wanted something cool and refreshing to serve for dinner.

Black Bean Mango Salsa over Spicy Rubbed Sirloin Steak with Chipotle Orange Sour Cream in a homemade tortilla.

It’s a wrap.

You’ll find the tortilla recipe here.

Black Bean and Mango Salsa

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup corn, fresh or frozen, rinsed and drained

1 mango, peeled and diced

1 tomato, seeded and diced

2 green onions, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

juice of 1/2 an orange

juice from one lime

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.

 

Spicy Rubbed Sirloin Steak

4 sirloin steaks

olive oil

1 T. garlic powder

1 T. chipotle chile powder

1 1/2 t. salt

Mix together garlic powder, chile powder and salt. Coat steak with olive oil and rub spice mixture into meat – about a teaspoon on each side.

Grill to your liking.

 

Chipotle Orange Sour Cream

1 c. sour cream

juice from 1/2 orange

1/2 t. chipotle chile powder

1/4 t. salt

1 t. honey, or 2 t. sugar

Whisk together.

 

Dinner or Lunch Idea #2

I’ve been on the hunt for delicious, GMO free corn, tortillas and I think I found them. Food For Life Sprouted Organic Corn tortillas. The flavor is amazing!

I was craving fish tacos the other day. Fresh fish isn’t something we keep on hand unfortunately, but we had a can of salmon in the pantry.

I sprinkled salmon on one of these amazing corn tortillas and topped it with my Magenta Sauerkraut, some Chipotle Lime Sour Cream (Okay, I admit it. I’m kind of on a chipotle kick…just kind of.) and fresh cilantro. It was good. <Major understatement.

You don’t really need a recipe for this, but I have to share a little secret. It’s rather obvious what goes in Chipotle Lime Sour Cream – Chipotle Chile powder, lime juice and yeah, sour cream. But get this – smoked apple wood sea salt. Makes all the difference in the world. Believe me.

Now comes the part I know you all have been waiting for…dessert. After all, we eat our dinner just to get to the dessert right?

Someone said they wanted ice cream last night. That’s all it takes to get me started. Well, usually I block it out because someone says they want ice cream nearly every single night and I can’t deal with that. So last night was an exception, I guess.

Here’s what I came up with -

Tangy Lemon Coconut Gelato

1/2 c. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 c. sugar

1 can coconut milk

cream

unsweetened shredded coconut

In a 4 cup measuring cup, mix lemon juice, sugar and coconut milk until sugar is dissolved. Add cream to the 3 1/2 c. line. Blend and pour into ice cream maker to freeze. Heat a cast iron skillet on the stove until hot. Sprinkle in 1/4 c. shredded coconut. Turn burner off and stir coconut. It will turn golden very quickly. Remove skillet from burner to cool. Sprinkle on frozen gelato and serve.

And there are no pictures. I was lazy last night and didn’t make it up the stairs until the gelato was almost gone. Sorry. Maybe next time…as I’m sure there will be a next time. The lemony tangy-ness is perfect for summer. Be warned though – there’s just enough sugar to keep from puckering your face all up, so if you like things sweeter, add another 1/4 of a cup.

So what do you think of the idea of Chipotle Lime Ice Cream?  :P