Guilt-free Squash Cheesecake

If you are going to indulge on dessert, why not do it in a way that won’t expand your waistline or give you a sugar crash? Once again, my cheesecake-loving friend Terence inspired me to make a low-glycemic, higher fiber, lower fat dessert. This is a fabulous winter dessert; we discovered we liked it even better than store bought cheesecake.

To make the pureed squash, I cut a large butternut squash in half, baked it (cut side down) on a greased baking sheet for 45 minutes at 350 degrees until the skin was brown and the inside was totally soft. Then I scooped out the flesh and discarded the seeds. I put the flesh in a food processor until it was smooth. One squash will provide more pulp than this recipe calls for, so later I will post a curry squash soup recipe for the leftovers. You can use pumpkin or a can of pumpkin puree for this dish instead, if you prefer.

For more info on agave nectar, see the “Rejuvenating Refreshing Beverage” post below.

Equipment needed: 1 9-inch springform pan.

Timing note: This cheesecake needs to cool for a total of 5 hours, so plan ahead or make it the day before.

Ingredients for crust:

1 ¾ cup whole wheat graham cracker crumbs

¼ cup finely ground pecans

1 tsp cinnamon

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients for filling:

3 8-oz packages low fat cream cheese, softened

3 T oat or wheat flour

1 cup agave nectar

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 ¾ cup pureed squash

¼ cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

To make crust: Mix graham cracker crumbs, pecans, and cinnamon in a bowl. Sitr in melted butter. Press the mixture onto the bottom of the springform pan and an inch or two up the sides.

To make filling: In a mixer, whip the cream cheese until fluffy. Stir in the flour until combined. Whip in the agave, vanilla, eggs and egg yolks until combined. Fold in the squash and cream until you have a pretty gold and white marble effect. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the center appears nearly set when shaken.

Cool for 15 minutes. Loosen the sides of the pan and cool for another 30 minutes. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving. For an extra touch, we have served this in the past with whipped cream (sweetened with vanilla and agave).

Rejuvenating Refreshing Beverage

This is one of my summer standards, but we made this the other day after a hike -- refreshing. While it’s fresh in my mind I will post it! This beverage is hydrating and healing, great for digestion.

A few notes about ingredients: we have two local greenhouses that produce delicious English cucumbers year round, so good cukes are easy to come by in California. If you are buying the waxy kind from the grocery store, you probably want to peel them completely. Also, I’ve discovered that not all aloe vera juice is created equal; to avoid the bitter taste, buy a good quality aloe like George’s Always Active Aloe. This smoothie has raw agave nectar, which is sweeter than sugar but has a low glycemic index – can be found at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or other health food stores.

Other variations: you can add mint or basil or replace the limes with lemons for a fun variation on lemonade. One final note if you like to drink – this can make a fun cocktail, just add vodka or tequila.

Ingredients (makes two drinks):

Juice from 2 very juicy limes

1 large cucumber (partially or fully peeled), chopped

½ cup aloe vera juice

½ cup water

1-2 T agave nectar (or to taste)

Puree ingredients in a blender or Vitamix until completely smooth. Drink it up!

Carrot and Parsnip Soup

I just made this minutes ago and it was so good I wanted to make it for all of you. So I’m writing it down, hoping you will try it!

I woke up the other day and had a vision of a bowl of smooth, creamy orange-yellow soup. I immediately thought of the bags of parsnips my friend Marilyn gave me, along with some carrots, onion, and fresh sage. Mike was skeptical, but after trying it he urged me to write it down for you all. This is dedicated to my parsnip-loving friend, Marilyn.

Ingredients:

1 T unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 lb. of parsnips, peeled and chopped

3 large carrots, chopped

8-10 small sage leaves

paprika

white pepper

black pepper

freshly grated ginger (perhaps a scant tsp. or to taste)

4 cups of vegetable stock

8 sprigs of fresh thyme

milk or cream (I used Eden Food’s soy-rice milk blend)

Sautee the onions in butter for a few minutes. Add the parsnips, carrots, and sage. Stir frequently, cooking for just a few more minutes. Add just a bit of paprika, a touch of white pepper, and a generous helping of black pepper (I liked the soup peppery). Stir until the spices have coated the vegetables, then add the vegetable stock and ginger. Pull the thyme leaves off the stems and put the leaves into the pot. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the parsnips and carrots are soft, approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool a bit.

Puree the soup in a blender (in batches if necessary). Return the soup to the pot and bring it back to a gentle simmer. Taste it first, then add milk to taste (I probably used 1/2- - ¾ cup – sorry I didn’t measure!); the soup should be very creamy, and you want just enough milk to bring all the flavors together.

This soup is best just warm, not too hot. Enjoy!

Braised greens & wild mushrooms

This is a very easy side dish, the hardest part is washing and picking through the greens. Chanterelle mushrooms are in season right now and I have to use them every chance I get, but you can use white button, cremini, oyster, shitaki, etc. You could use dried mushrooms, though I have not tried it; soak them first.

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped leeks

Approx. 1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms (I used chanterelles and creminis)

Chard, collards, kale or other greens, washed and chopped, stems removed (I used one very large bunch)

1 cup vegetable stock

Olive oil

Optional: salt, pepper, hot sauce, lemon juice

Sautee the leeks and mushrooms in a little olive oil on medium heat. You can lightly salt the mushrooms to help them release their juices. When the mushrooms have begun to soften, add the greens and stir them in until they begin to wilt. Depending on the size of your pot, you may need to add the greens in stages. Add the veggie stock and simmer on medium high heat until the greens are soft and the liquid is mostly absorbed. This will take more time for tougher greens like collards and kale, less for softer greens like chard.

When I use brown or button mushrooms, I love adding a little lemon juice, a bit of extra olive oil, and hot sauce. The chanterelles and shitakis are rich enough that they did not require extra flavoring for my taste.

I could eat greens all day! I serve this with all kinds of dishes, and it was one of our Thanksgiving sides this year too. I used the leftovers with some pasta and leftover turkey to make a lovely quick dinner the other night!