I had the chance to visit many parts of China with Chinese friends and was quite amazed with the wide variety of foods that the Chinese are able to prepare from a seemingly limitless collection of produce. I guess that’s because China is a huge country which is home to over a billion people. Everybody seems to be a chef with astonishing cooking skills.
It was on the way home at the airport in Chengdu, while waiting for our flight to board that I got introduced to the Dragon Fruit. It was the first time I saw the huge deep pink fruit which indeed seems to have come from a dragon. Knowing that I have never seen it before, my friend immediately cut up one, and gave me a taste. Wow, it had a kind of mild kiwi-like taste which I then thought was from another world.
Also read: Vegan Cake Recipes
Back at where I live I never had any dragon fruit again, until recently during a tour of the northernmost province, I discovered that there are now many dragon fruit plantations where they produce for both local and international export. In keeping with my notion of dragons, it was like entering another world as I walked through rows of scifi-looking cacti with reddish globular scaled fruits dangling from ther stem tips.
Dragon Fruit Berry Raw Cheesecake brings back memories of the the world of dragons. Oozing with deep pink sauce, this dessert, replete with almonds, dates, cacao, cashew, coconut, raspberry and maple syrup is truly a healthy dish loaded with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and fiber.
Dragon fruit has lots of phytonutrients that are good for detoxification, strengthening the immune system and the muscles so they may perform when needed. Dates and cacao are good sources of essential minerals and various vitamins. Nuts like almond and cashew are also rich in minerals and vitamins like Vitamin E and K, which are good for the heart.
So make this Dragon Fruit Berry Raw Cheesecake today, and have as much as you like anytime. Anyway, what you don’t finish you can keep back in the freezer for another healthy snack later.
DargonFruit Berry Raw Cheesecake
Ingredients
For Base:
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup medjool dates pitted
- ¼ cup raw cacao
- pinch of salt
For Cheesecake Layer:
- 2 cup cashews soaked overnight
- ¾ cup coconut cream full cream
- 6 tbsp coconut oil melted
- ½ cup rice malt syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Juice of one lemon
- Zest of one lemon
For Dragonfruit Layer:
- 1 medium dragonfruit chopped
- ½ cup raspberries frozen or fresh
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Blend almonds, dates, cacao powder and salt in a food processor until sticky and forms a dough.
- Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the lined pan using the back of a spoon or a flat spatula.
- Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
- Add the dragon fruit, raspberries and maple syrup in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the fruit breaks down into a thick syrup approximately 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Drain soaked cashews. Blend cashews, coconut cream, coconut oil, rice malt syrup, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a food processor until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture into the pan, spreading evenly.
- Pour dragon fruit berry sauce on top of the cheesecake layer. Using a skewer or knife, make swirls through the cheesecake until it gives a marble look.
- Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Thaw for 10 minutes before serving.
Are you ready, to see the sun come up again, to climb higher than you’ve been, to have a fire that burns within, courage to stop a cannonball, standing thirty feet tall?1
You are probably taking your unlimited dosage of Dragon Fruit Berry Raw Cheesecake. Welcome Dragon Heart, to the Land of the Dragonhearted.
1 paraphrased from a video game song “Dragonhearted”
