It's the New Year again and to me that associates with new resolutions, new decisions, new plans and of course new diet with the promise that from now on I will be eating healthily in the smaller amounts (quitting cakes would be just too much!). Well... this year I am trying DETOXING (I know, it's not great time to start blog about food when I am detoxing, but I will try...). My best friend Vicki loughs at my decision to detox as she recommends that I should be doing all year round (eating in moderation, not detoxing). But I can only say this, after eating all this food during Christmas and New Year I need to prepare mentally to eat less... Anyway, I read that to detox you need at least to cut on four main ingredients: alcohol (no problem, I don't drink that much), coffee (I drink it occasionally in very milky version), sugar (ouch!!), Saturated fat (that pretty much comes together with sugar in cakes!). So ever since I have started to "detox", I have been trying to satisfy my sweet tooth with natural sugars and somehow fruits doesn't do it.... And guess what! The other day while shopping at the health shop I have came across a recipe for Apricot and Banana Cheesecake without sugar (from the book called "Cooking Without"). Interesting, how can that be!? And I tried it... it may not be the sweetest thing, but at least I can say: "I am detoxing and I can eat cheesecake". Try it for yourself ;)
APRICOT AND BANANA CHEESECAKE (makes 4 small tall glasses or 2 big sundae glasses)
Base: 45g haselnuts
30g desiccated coconut
1 rice cake
Topping: 55g dried apricots
1 chopped banana
290g firm silken tofu (you definitely don't need to go to health shop for that, I found mine in Sainsbury's even though the staff there did not know they were selling it! It's where they keep cupboard ingredients etc)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated lemon
1. First, make the base. Toast the hazelnuts in and hazelnuts separately in oven until golden brown. Allow to cool then rub the skins off the hazelnuts.
2. Place all the base ingredients into a food processor until the nuts are chopped properly. Remove from the processor
3.To make the topping cut the apricots into small pieces and simmer in a small amount of water until soft then drain.
4. Process the apricots, banana, tofu, cinnamon and lemon rind until smooth
5. To assemble apply base first then the topping (you can make more layers if you are on the creative mood).
