Primal Pumpkin Cheesecake

If you’re a fan of Dandy Dishes on Facebook you already knew this post was coming!  So let’s talk cheesecake…my hands down favorite dessert of all time.  Believe it or not it is on my Bucket List to devour every single one on Cheesecake Factory’s menu.  And I’m not embarrassed to admit that I’m halfway there.

However these days I look at food a little differently, not by calories or fat content (obviously), but by the quality of ingredients and how they effect your body.  So when the boy and I were invited to a friend’s for dinner this past weekend and I was tasked with dessert, I knew immediately what I was going to make.

Fall is my favorite time of year, and as I mentioned in my Primal Pumpkin Bread post, I have tasked myself this holiday season with taking some of my favorite fall dishes and converting them to Primal.  I searched the web high and low for recipes and knew immediately that I could take one of my favorite desserts and make it organic, healthy, and 100% MDA approved!  The end result is a cheesecake not only packed with pumpkiny goodness but one that is light, fluffy and made even more amazing when topped with homemade whipped cream.

Do yourself, your friends, your family, heck even your neighbors a favor and make this tonight!  (Yeah I know it cracked but it was still delicious!)

Primal Pumpkin Cheesecake

Serves an army, or 10-12 healthy grown ups

For the crust

3 cups pecan meal

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

4 ½ tablespoons melted butter

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix with a fork until well combined.  Press the mixture evenly across the bottom and sides of a 9” spring form pan.  Bake in a preheated 300º oven for 15 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool.

For the cheesecake

3, 8oz packages of cream cheese (room temperature)

1, 15oz can of pure pumpkin

3 eggs and 1 egg yolk

¼ cup sour cream

1 cup pure maple syrup (I used Grade B, it’s cheaper)

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1 ½ tablespoons coconut flour

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add in the pumpkin, eggs, sour cream, maple syrup, baking soda, spices and combine well.  Add the coconut flour and vanilla and beat one last time until all ingredients are mixed through.  Pour into cooled crust and spread evenly.  Bake in a preheated 350º oven for 1 hour, or until the sides have browned and the center is still a little wobbly.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.  Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving, or even better over night.  Serve with homemade whipped cream.

Banana Pecan Muffins

I have an addiction, and its spelled B A N A N A S!  My morning breakfast is typically comprised of a protein shake or greek yogurt and a banana.  My evening dessert is more times then not, a slightly chilled banana chopped with toasted pecans, honey and a splash of heavy cream.  I bake with them, I put them in smoothies you name it I’ve tried it.  My only caveat is that I prefer them to be a little unripe.  When there is just a faint touch of green on the tips and the peels are still pale yellow.  They’re not too sweet and have a slight bitterness to them that reminds me of plantains. 

Since I prefer them this way more times then not I usually end up with a stray one or two that never quite made it in to my daily routine.  In the past, before the whole Primal transformation, I would have used this opportunity to make yet another favorite thing, Banana Bread.  But since carbs are a no-no I was at a loss at what to do with the stragglers...until I discovered this site.  Low and behold, what did I find?  Banana Muffins, finally the world made sense again.

Banana Pecan Muffins

Makes 9

2 medium bananas

3 eggs
¼ cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup coconut flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Preheat your oven to 350º and insert liners into your muffin tins.

Place bananas, eggs, oil and honey together in a bowl and mix until well combined.  I tossed everything in my food processor (love that thing) and pulsed it a couple times.  Add in the coconut flour, salt and baking soda and mix until smooth.

Transfer the batter from the processor to a medium sized bowl and fold in the chopped pecans.  Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the nuts to sprinkle on top.

Using an ice cream scoop or a ¼ cup measure, scoop the batter into the lined muffin tins.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Baked Apples with Cinnamon, Raisins and Walnuts

For about 3 weeks now I’ve been slowly transitioning over to a new eating routine. Not a diet per se, just a healthier way of eating. I’ve cut back on my need for a soda a day and all but eliminated carbs from my diet (and yes, that means beer too!). Truth be told, it hasn’t been easy, in fact I crave blue box macaroni and cheese on a daily basis…but my body tells me it’s been worth it. I have more energy through out the day, and the baggier pants are definitely a plus too!

But don’t worry, I’m not here to get on my soap box and preach to you the benefits of healthy eating, for the boy and I it’s a personal preference, but what I can promise is to share some of the amazing recipes that come out of it. One thing you can count on is the majority of them will be gluten free and contain no added sugar.

Now does this mean that next week I’m not going to post some delicious cheesy encrusted pasta or a monster chocolate cake recipe? Absolutely not! I’m not dead readers, and a girl needs to cheat every once in a while. So rest assured Dandy Dishes is not getting completely veggie-fied but what I do hope you will find are new recipes using ingredients you might not typically think of and that are much healthier for your bodies.

Baked Apples with Cinnamon, Raisins and Walnuts
Serves 4

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled or unpeeled
½ cup raisins
¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup water
Raw Honey for garnish (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375º. Wash and core your apples and remove the peel if you choose…truth be told the peels can get a little rubbery if left on but nutrition wise you will more then double your fiber intake. If leaving the peels on, using a knife, pierce the skin a couple times around the entire apple.

Combine the raisins, nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla together in a small bowl and mix well. Place the apples in a glass baking dish and stuff the raisin and nut mixture into the cored centers. Pack in as much as you can, if they’re overflowing a little its ok. Pour the water into the bottom of the baking dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Transfer to your preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove apples from the oven and transfer to a plate. Slice into wedges and drizzle with the raw honey. And please if you’re not into the whole healthy eating thing; serve a big old scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side so I can live vicariously through you!

Enjoy!