Fat in food can cause discomfort in the gut and trigger symptoms, so it is important not to include too much in the diet. This low fat alternative to cheesecake contains a high proportion of fresh and dried fruit and seeds which are all important sources of dietary fibre. The seeds also contain polyunsaturated fatty acids which are good for overall health.
Preparation time: 20 minutes plus 2 – 3 hours to freeze
Serves: 8
What You’ll Need:
- 300g sunflower seeds
- 14 medjool dates, stones removed
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, warmed slightly to soften
- 450g fresh strawberries, raspberries or mixture of berries
- juice of 1/2 lime
- 120ml clear honey
- 500g Greek yogurt
- edible flowers to decorate
What To Do
- Preheat the oven to 180oC/Gas mark 4. Place the sunflower seeds on a baking sheet in the oven for 5 minutes or until the seeds begin to brown. Remove the seeds from the oven and pulse in a food processor for a few seconds so they roughly chopped. Add the dates, coconut oil and process until the mixture resembles a thick paste. Press the date and seed mixture into the base of a 20cm (8in) spring form cake tin.
- Purée the strawberries with the lime juice and honey in a food processor and add the Greek yogurt. Mix well and pour onto the date and seed crust in the cake tin. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours to freeze. Remove a few minutes before serving. Decorate the top of the cake with berries and edible flowers.
Cooks tip: Some examples of edible flowers are violas, lavender, oxalis, marigolds, chamomile, rose petals.
Variation: For a vegan version use a vegan cream cheese. Raspberries, blueberries and blackberries can all be used instead of strawberries.
Recipes by Dr Joan Ransley for Love Your Gut www.loveyourgut.com