 |
LIGHT & LOCAL |
| • | It's a piece of cake |
Whenever I have my car worked on at the Toyota dealer on South Street, I chat with one of the clerks, a very sweet person who doesn't want her name divulged. She said she was an avid reader of my column and requested that I make a healthier version of her favorite dessert: cheesecake.
Personal chef Alyssa Moreau and I had a great time testing the following recipe. We made a yogurt cheese — a healthier alternative to cream cheese and easy to make by allowing the whey (liquid) to drain from yogurt.
We made the graham cracker crust from scratch, but you can buy the ready-made crust if you like, and you can use a higher fiber graham cereal instead to boost nutritional value. For the filling, we combined the yogurt cheese, low-fat cream cheese, a little flour for thickening and agave for sweetening.
Agave (uh-GAH-vee), made from nectar contained in certain cactus leaves, has become one of my favorite sweeteners. The native inhabitants of Mexico regarded this plant as sacred; they believed that the nectar would purify their body and soul. Spaniards fermented the nectar and created a drink we now know as tequila.
Agave has a very low glycemic level, meaning it is taken up by the body slowly. The syrup is about 90 percent fructose, and no chemicals are used in processing. Agave is sold as "syrup" or "nectar" in health-food stores; honey, brown rice syrup and maple syrup are substitutes, though all taste a bit different.
CHOCOLATE SWIRLED CHEESECAKE
For the crust:
For the filling:
For the topping:
To make yogurt cheese: Place 1 cup of low-fat plain yogurt (made with natural cultures) in a cheesecloth-lined colander or funnel-shaped strainer or yogurt-maker basket. Allow to drain one-half hour at room temperature, or covered, overnight, in refrigerator. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place crust ingredients in food processor and process until it holds together when pressed between your fingertips. Spray an 8-inch pie pan and press the processed mixture against the bottom and sides of the pie pan. Bake 15 minutes and cool.
Place the yogurt cheese, cream cheese, flour, agave and vanilla in the food processor and process until well blended and smooth. Pour a thin layer of chocolate on the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Pour the yogurt mixture into cooled pie crust and, using a chopstick, stir carefully, swirling the chocolate up into the yogurt until it's attractive. Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of chocolate on the surface of the filling and swirl again with chopstick. Place a piece of aluminum foil over the pie to prevent the crust from burning and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until firm in the center.
In a saucepan, heat together the berries, agave, salt and arrowroot mixture. Spoon over cooled cheesecake and chill.
Makes 8 servings.
Want a local recipe lightened up? Write Light & Local, Taste Section, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; or taste@honoluluadvertiser.com. Carol Devenot is a Kaimuki-raised kama'aina, teacher and recipe consultant, and author of "Island Light Cuisine" (Blue Sea Publishing, paper, 2003). Learn more at www.islandlightcuisine.com.
