Mini Chocolate Kahlua Cheesecake

Mini Chocolate Kahlua Cheesecake

Crust:

1/2 C favorite cookies, crushed ( I used chocolate chip)
20 ml melted butter

Filling:
8 oz package light cream cheesecake
20 ml packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp cocoa
scant 1/4 C whipping cream
2.5 oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces
2 Tbsp Kahlua

Garnish:
Whipped Cream
Coffee Beans

1. Preheat oven to 350F. 
2. Grease a 6 inch springform pan. 
3. To prepare crust, melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the crushed cookies. Press the mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan. 
4. To prepare filling, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs, cocoa and ginger in a large bowl until smooth. 
5. Bring whipping cream to a boil in a small saucepan, remove from heat, and stir in chocolate until melted. Stir in the Kahlua and blend into the cheese mixture.
6.  Bake for 45 minutes or until set. Cool before removing from pan. 
7. Garnish with fresh whipped cream and coffee beans. 

Nutritional Information per serving without garnish ( 4 servings)
cal 400
fat 20g
  sat fat 12.5g
carbs 52.5g
   fiber 2.5g
   sugar 30g

protein 5g

Cinnamon Plantain Chips

Cinnamon Plantain Chips

adapted from " Crunchy Cinnamon Plaintain Chips" in The Thrive diet by Brendan Brazier 2007

1 large plantain

1/2 Tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 300 F

2. Oil the baking sheet with a small amount of coconut oil

3. Peel and thinly slice the pantain. Place on the prepared sheet.

4. combine the remainig oil with lemon juice, and rub on each plantain piece with fingers. 

5. Sprinkle with cinnamon and salt. 

6. Bake for 25 minutes

Nutritional Information for 1 serving ( serves 1 ):

cal 355 

fat 14.5 g

   sat fat 13 g

carb 58.7 g

   fiber 4.7 g

   sugar 10.2 g

protein 2.1 g

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

adapted from "sweet pepper hemp pesto" by Brendan Brazier in the Thrive Diet 2007

2 cloves garlic

2 roasted red peppers, seeded

1/2 C fresh basil

1.5 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

1.5 Tbsp sesame seeds

2 Tbsp hemp seeds

2 Tbsp olive oil

salt to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. 

2. If desired, heat gently in a saucepan. 

3. Use as a pizza sauce, a dipping sauce, a topping for burgers, a pasta sauce or a topping for meat, fish or veggies. 

4. Store left overs in the fridge

Nutritional Information for 1 serving (serves 8):

cal 65

fat 5.6 g

  sat fat 0.9 g

carbs 2 g

  fiber 0.8 g

  sugar 1.7 g

protein 1.8 g

Cuban Black Bean and Potato Soup

And I'm back after a crazy hiatus! I apologize to my loyal followers, but it was a much needed break to take a university nutrition course as well as get a small business up and running. Of course, even though I haven't been posting anything on here lately, I've still been cooking lots of yummy food and taking pics, so I'll be posting something every day or two until I'm all caught up. Today it's going to be Cuban Black Bean and Potato Soup. Its one of those recipes you want to keep going back for more, and its okay because its loaded with protein and fiber and low in fat and sugar.  

Cuban Black Bean and Potato Soup

adapted from 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart by Neal Barnard, M.D which can be found here; recipe by Jason Wyrick of the Vegan Culinary Experience.

1 onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

6 cloves garlic, sliced

6 cups cooked black beans, low-sodium if canned

Water

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves

Bay leaf

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 small potatoes, chopped

1. Sauté the onion, peppers, and garlic over medium heat until they are soft. 

2. Puree the onion, garlic, and peppers. Add about half the beans and puree with enough water to create a semi-thick soup. 

3. Return this to the pot and add the remaining ingredients (except the potatoes). 

4. Bring the soup to a simmer. Add the potatoes and continue simmering until they’re soft. 

5. Before serving, remove the bay leaf (or eat around it). 

Nutritional Information Per serving (for 4 servings):

Calories: 407

Fat: 1.9 g

Saturated Fat: 0.3 g

Protein: 20 g

Carbohydrates: 80 g

Sugar: 5 g

Fiber: 26 g