This is a very nice dish, not excessively sweet but tastes rich and can be eaten as a main part of the meal. It’s like millet pudding but firmer and smoother. The secret is the coconut milk and Vita Mix blender. Even with a home blender, you can still achieve this texture if you blend it in small quantities. Time consuming but worth it.
Ingredients for Filling: Part 1
1 8×8” pan with a prebaked Granola Crumb Crust (see below)
1 ½ c millet, dry
½ c sweet rice, dry
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
Ingredients for Filling: Part 2
1 cup pineapple chunks with juice
¼ cup apple juice concentrate
1 1/2 tablespoons agar gel powder (or try 5 tablespoons of cornstarch)
½ cup cashew pieces, washed
½ cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup honey
3 cup cooked millet/rice mixture
1 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons vanilla flavor
½ teaspoon salt
Directions:
Add the millet and rice to boiling water with salt. Cook on low heat with the lid on until all the water is gone. About 45 to 60 minutes.
Blend together the pineapple chunks with its own juice, the gel, and apple concentrate.
Pour mixture into a small pot and heat to a boil. Pour into medium size bowl.
Blend cashews, the ½ cup of the second pineapple juice, and honey until smooth. Add to bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
Place about 2 cups of this mixture into the blender and blend till very smooth.
Carefully stir the mixture with a spatula while blending. Be CAREFUL not to get the spatula caught in the blades! Repeat this blending process until all the mixture is blended.
Pour mixture over the baked granola crust.
Chill overnight.
Make a fruit topping to put on top of cheesecake before serving. Blueberry or raspberry is very nice. You can arrange fresh cut fruit like kiwi, etc. on top. Another option is to slice bananas into the filling as you pour or spoon it onto the crust.
Granola Crumb Crust
This is a healthful and tasty alternative to the store bought graham cracker crust. The granola must be ground very fine for it to hold together. Vary the amounts of liquid according to your taste: more oil will make it more crumbly; more water will make it crunchier.
Ingredients:
2 cups granola, ground very fine
½ teaspoon coriander
2 tablespoons cold-pressed, virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon honey or other liquid sweetener
Directions:
Grind granola in blender or food processor until very fine. Pour into bowl.
Mix coriander in well.
Mix oil, water, and honey together in a small bowl with a fork.
Add this to the granola and mix well.
Add more water if it is too dry. (Too much water will make crust hard.)
Press the ingredients into an 8×8” pan for the cheesecake or into a pie pan if you prefer.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Berry Topping:
Just about any berry will do for this easy and delicious recipe.
Ingredients:
4 cups frozen (or fresh) blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or cherries, etc.
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup fructose or organic cane sugar or coconut sugar OR use 1/2 cup date butter. See next line on how to make date butter:
(Begin by cooking dates in water with a 3:2 parts ratio of dates to water (like 3/4 c. dates to 1/2 c. of water) or barely cover the 1/2 c. dry dates with water (about 1/3 cup) to cook. Cook over medium heat until dates are soft. Blend mixture to a cream consistency. Remember the goal is to use about 1/2 cup of date butter.)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup water
Directions:
Place the fruit, salt, and sugar OR date butter in a pot and heat on low setting.
Cook until berries fully thaw and release juice. Then boil for 1 minute or so.
Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir well into the berries.
Let the mixture cook until it thickens and becomes “clear” berry color instead of milky colored.
Chill. Then spoon on top of the cheesecake (or waffles, biscuits, granola, shortcake, etc.)