Hello Beautiful!

It looks like you're new to The Community. If you'd like to get involved, click one of these buttons!

In this Discussion

Chocolate Mint Cheesecake/Vitamineral Green

JoyceHJoyceH Raw Newbie

Hello raw chefs & bakers!

So I'd like to try Sweet Gratitude's Chocolate Mint swirl cheesecake sometime soon. They call for 2 teaspoons of Vitamineral Green for the mint green part of the cake. This is for coloring (yet you also use mint leaves). I don't have Vitamineral Green and don't really have a desire to purchase this expensive green stuff (but I will if totally necessary). I'm wondering if I could use some spirulina instead. Maybe not because 2 teaspoons of spirulina would be too strong?? I don't fancy the taste of spirulina in smoothies so I hardly ever use it. I was just wondering if I could find a cheaper and more accessible green powder to use in lieu of the Vitamineral Green stuff

Anyone make the choc mint cheesecake yet? It does look amazing from the photo in the book

Cheers,

Joyce

 

Comments

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    Why does it need to be green? It should still taste like chocolate mint without the green powder. ;)

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    a raw recipe i saw, suggested spinach. You could dehydrate spinach and make that into powder yourself, if you want. Or use spinach juice.

  • JoyceHJoyceH Raw Newbie

    Angie - the cake is going to be photographed so I need it to look pretty ;-).

    Basically this cheesecake has a mint green cake batter and a dark brown/black chocolate batter. They both get swirled together for a beautiful marble effect. So, that's why I need a lovely green color :-)

    Sweet Gratitude's cakes and desserts are not just super yummy but they are works of art . :-D

    Angie - if you're curious about the marble/swirling effect, check out my Valentine's day blog post. I made a while choc raspberry cheesecake from Sweet Gratitude that had a lovely swirling effect.

    http://beautifullivingfood.blogspot.com/2009/02/valentine-weekend.html

    Winona - you totally read my mind!!!! I was actually thinking of baby spinach as it's a very neutral tasting green!!!!

    Someone suggested I buy some of Matt Monarch's Vitamineral Green on sale for $50 at Raw Food Talk. Well, in this economy, I just don't feel very good about shelling out that kind of cash for some green stuff that will sit in my cabinet until I make another one of these mint cheesecakes :-)

  • I was a desset chef at a raw restaurant, and we always used baby spinach juice for green coloring, and beet juice for vibrant fuschia. Neither gave it any particular flavor. We also used baby spinach juice for mint chocolate chip ice cream, and beet juice for cherry chocolate chunk ice cream.

  • JoyceHJoyceH Raw Newbie

    Yeah the spinach juice is a brilliant idea. I don't have a juicer (yet). But I'm guessing I could use my vitmix. I've used beet juice for coloring as well and that works like a charm! Thanks Edamame3!

  • WinonaWinona Raw Newbie

    I'm salivating at the thought of your next cake creation, Joyce. I'm looking for inspiration for my next cake - i might try Heathy's dessert book. It's high time i bought that!

  • JoyceHJoyceH Raw Newbie

    You'll love Heathy's dessert book. She's got some lovely creations! Did you see the jelly rolls on her new blog post this morning? She used her cake batter recipe for those. The photos look sooooo yummy!

    Still not quite sure what I'll make this weekend as I'm waiting on an order of raw food stuff. But there are so many great choices even if I'm super low on cacao, irish moss, raw almonds and a few other things :-)

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    i think the sprilina will give it a slightly different color than the vitamineral green. the vitamineral green is lighter. i would go with the spinach juice.

    i'm taking a class by cafe gratitude tomorrow! whoppeee!

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    BTW, I love your cat pic.

  • JoyceHJoyceH Raw Newbie

    Hi Bitt! Oh wow that's so cool you're going to a class by Cafe Gratitude!! Please let us know how it went. Was it focused on desserts or entrees (or both)? I just love both their books! Someday I'd love to take another vacation out to San Francisco and do a tour of all the amazing raw restaurants out there. Cafe Gratitude would be our first stop :-)

    Oh, you were asking about a raw restaurant in Montpelier VT. The one that will open sometime this year is 15 minutes north of Montpelier. I buy raw supplies from Linda Wooliever who will be the owner of this raw restaurant. On Thursday afternoon, I drove over to her place to pick up my order. Actually I stopped in at the soon-to-be restaurant/cafe to get my stuff and got to see the place. It's going to be so cute and cozy! I can't wait!! I'll let you know when they do open. I'm very excited! I'd love to quit my boring day job and go work for Linda!

    Glad you like the kitty photo. That's Murphy, my little luv!

    Take care and enjoy your weekend!

    Joyce

  • JoyceHJoyceH Raw Newbie

    PS - Linda gave me a free sample of the Vitamineral Green to use for the mint choco cheesecake. I'm planning on making that cake on a weekend near St Patty's day weekend :-) Right now I have the Cappuccino pie from Sweet Gratitude chilling! OMG!!!! I think it's going to be a home run. Even my husband wanted to lick the batter out of the Vitamix and he never does that! There are two layers. The top layer is a mocha meringue which is simply divine. I just love Sweet Gratitude! It's my favorite raw book!!! :-D

    bye for now

    Joyce

  • carrie6292carrie6292 Raw Newbie

    I think i need to buy a few new books ;) These all sound delicious! I'm not a mint fan at all, but the other mentions sound delicious!!! I just made Vanessa Sherwoods Black Forest Cheesecake and it was absolutely divine!!!!! My non-raw friends couldn't believe it was raw! Yum!!!

  • JoyceHJoyceH Raw Newbie

    Hi Carrie! Oh I've heard nothing but great things about Vanessa's cheesecakes! I was also thinking her white choc strawberry cheesecake would be another great one too. mmmmmm.....black forest sounds sooooo good. Glad it turned out well! Another to add to my mental list of desserts to make :-)

  • greenghostgreenghost Raw Newbie

    Is there a recipe for the Chocolate Mint Cheesecake here? Or is everyone just talking about it?

    If so - that's kind of a tease.

    I could just be overlooking it.... maybe.... ?

  • Basic Cheescake:

    Food process 3 cups soaked cashews, 3/4 cup agave, 3/4 cup lemon juice and 1.5 cup coconut oil liquified, adding coconut oil last. Process until smooth. Add whatever flavoring you want! cacao, mint, blueberries, etc, and process until well mixed.

    Pour into an 8" spring form mold and let set in the fridge. Done!

  • greenghostgreenghost Raw Newbie

    Thank you edamame3! ;)

  • Do you have to use cashews?? Wil it work with other nuts or seeds??

    Peace

    Lo~

  • Cashews are best...they have the best texture. I really wouldn't try it with anything else, personally. Macadamia nuts get too oily when they're processed, pecans have too strong of a taste even when soaked, and walnuts are a little bitter, once again, even when soaked. Brazil nuts have the problem of being too oily after being processed as well, and almonds are being irradiated in the US, so I try not to use them because of that.

    I know the concern for a lot of raw foodists is the fact that it is coming out that raw cashews are not trully raw, as they are heated when in the shell to open the toxic shell without getting shell residue on the cashew nut. Personally, I've eaten raw cashews from the store, and the wild indonesian 'really raw' cashews, and I could not tell a difference with flavor. Usually something cooked tastes different than something raw, so...for me personally, I still use cashews!

    Right now the jury is still out on cashews, agave and almonds where true 'rawness' is concerned.

  • JoyceHJoyceH Raw Newbie

    Hi - my first post mentions that the particular recipe I'm going to make is in the book **Sweet Gratitude**, Cafe Gratitude's second book which focuses on desserts only. It's a very cutting edge raw dessert book. If you're into making really wonderful, fancy (over the top) raw desserts, this is a must have! You can purchase this book for $16.47 on Amazon. Worth every cent!! :-)

  • That book would be my demise!! LOL

    I'm loving the simple combo of dates and handful of seeds or nuts... I chew and chew and savor that flavor too MUCH lately I can only imagine what those other sinful dishes would do to me. I have to get my body more raw and get the excess junk out to determine my real hunger and not overindulge like I have been the majority of my life. I am looking forward to trying all the wonderful food combos this raw lifestyle offers though. it's never-ending which is a foodie's fantasy!!

    Ok ok where do you find truly raw cashews at reasonable prices. I go to the Inidan community's shops here in NJ. They have packs of roasted nuts and then there are nuts that LOOK raw BUT they are not labeled as such. I dont know if any of you have shopped at these types of stores and bazaars but it is very confusing. I guess I'm going to have to ask the manager next time I go in. I just asked him for kokum to make a dish and he looked at me like I was nuts. He asked WHY do you need it? I said to make Gujrati dal. He was so surprised he says DO YOU know how to make that? I said yes. He said HOW? I said my auntie showed me LOL he said that is very amazing to me. See it's true...You can't always judge a book by its cover!! Ok I'm off track so anyway im not sure that he would know honestly. What they would define as raw may e totally different than raw foodist term ya know what i mean??

    I bought a 2lb tub of dates there...$6.99. Container says contains date pitts so figured thats why they were cheaper...meanwhile there are pitted, sweet and moist! It also said keep refridgerated and they were stacked on shelves. It was NOT sealed like most dates one gets at a regular store...but they looked good and I was eating them in my car drive back home--maybe I'm a thrill seeker hahha

    All right i have rambled enough for this thread. Have a great week..look forward to your replies and comments.

    Peace

    Lo~

  • I love both of Cafe Gratitude's books. Simply Divine!

    I saw Goddess Heathy's Jelly Roll on Sunday.

    Dehydrating the banana leather tonight.

    Tomorrow will put together a Strawberry Jelly Roll.

    mmmmm....

    Currently, doing a 42 MC (Master Cleanse), so everything I make

    is for my dh and dd. Everything just smells so heavenly as I prepare it.

    Veggies and Fruits.

    Made Chocolate Mousse and Fudgsicles yesterday morning.

    Oh, the smell!!!!

    Also, made Snowdrop's ranch dressing. My dd and dh have been using it in veggie

    wraps as a mayo of sorts. Even non-raw fooders are going ga-ga over the smell.

    (I cannot wait for "Raw Delights" to be released.)

    Anyway, I have not tried the Chocolate Mint Cheesecake yet....but I look forward to

    seeing how yours turns out. I am positive it will defiantly be Marvelous!!!

    Cheers!!

  • JoyceHJoyceH Raw Newbie

    Hi SimplyRaw, wow that's great you're doing the MC for 42 days. Geez, I'd be lucky to last 4 days! Well someday if I can ever give up coffee, I think I could go longer. I tried it once and lasted 3 days due to severe caffeine withdrawl headaches....not good! I know! Oh well, someday I feel I'll do it right :-)

    Oh yes, I saw Heathy's Jellyrolls too! Love to try those too eventually! Gotta save up that almond pulp! ;-)

    I love Snowdrop's recipes too! Her Sesame Chicken is divine! OMG!!! Yes, I'm really looking forward to her book, Raw Delights!

  • Hey Joyce -

    Yes, I am feeling a little proud of myself right now...in regards to the MC.

    I decided to say good-bye to my morning cup of joe. For the first two days

    went through some awful caffeine withdrawals. (The caffeine withdrawals tend

    to only last 2-3 days.) When you decide to try it again....just remember if you can

    get past the third day it is pretty smooth sailing from then on.

    But...yes, I have to say I am proud of myself right now. Un-cooking all this wonderful

    stuff and not able to try it. OMG!

    I am keeping myself busy looking at some of my favorite blogs (yours included).

    Looking at others marvelous creations and thinking what can I get myself into today.

    Heathy's JellyRoll came out perfectly!!

    I didn't use the apricot/pineapple and flax seed.

    I also used Cashew Vanilla Frosting from GR posted by nancyk70, instead of whipped cream.

    http://goneraw.com/recipe/cashew-vanilla-frosting

    Working with what I had on hand.

    It came out marvelous (from what I understand). It defiantly smelled heavenly!!

    The smell of the fresh strawberries about drove me mad.

    AnyWho....It is a keeper!!!

  • JoyceHJoyceH Raw Newbie

    ooooh, good to know about the Jelly Rolls. So glad they were a success. They look so good! And thanks for the tip on the Cashew Vanilla Frosting! yum!! :-)

    And thanks for the encouragement on the coffee. I'll remember the 3 days if/when I try to give it up again. It's by that 3rd day that's so killer for me. Guess I just need to stick it out to the next day.

Sign In or Register to comment.