Sometimes I feel like my life has turned into one big detox run. I started running. Quite literally. It's actually a big statement for me, since anyone who knows me well knows that I would never go for a run. I tried running a few times but always gave up after two or three days. Catching up breath every time I would run for more than two minutes didn't appeal to me at all. I seriously hated running and thought it is the only sport I could never do.
Well... Never say never!
Three month ago I started running and haven't stopped since. I run 3-5 times a week and I love it. My body loves it and asks for it! Something I would have never imagined.
But let's get back to the detox part. About a month ago, shortly before FBC5, I decided I need to detox. The whole house joined me in a mutual effort and together we passed ten days of a 14-day mini summer detox; a vegan one. Then FBC5 came and the detox was over. Feelings of guilt from indulging all the lovely food from FBC5 street food vendors and gained pounds convinced us to start another detox, this time a one month long one. The only problem is, that I'm naturally not a vegetarian nor a vegan and 18 days of a vegan detox just proved the fact. What started as an interesting experiment and challenge proved to be almost dangerous in the end. Those few weeks without any wheat, sugar, alcohol, tea, coffee, eggs, dairy, meat and fish were the longest weeks in my life. I was seriously losing my mind and I had to say stop.
I've never been craving eggs, yogurt, cheese and fish so much in my life. Strangely enough I could do without meat for much longer if I was allowed to eat everything mentioned earlier.
Long story short. We celebrated 18 days (out of 28) of vegan detox with cheese burgers (in lettuce cups)! They never tasted so good! I had to admit though that I was feeling really good after almost a month of detoxing and didn't want to go back to my normal eating habits. The result is reducing wheat, gluten, dairy and meat (and alcohol) in my everyday diet. I still eat those things but not as often and not as much. I also started experimenting with different recipes and combination of ingredients.
Sugar is also not allowed in my daily repertoire of ingredients which doesn't mean I don't have sweet cravings. And because blackberries have finally started to ripen and there are so many of them everywhere, I decided to make a cake. I was thinking how can I incorporate all new eating rules and habits and still be able to make my favourite summer non-bake quark cake. The result is almost better than my original recipe! I already had two big slices of this creamy goodness and I'm afraid I will go for more very soon! :)
This cake is not vegan but it's gluten, egg and sugar free and absolutely delicious!
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No bake blackberry quark cake
Serves 8 - 12
Ingredients
150g walnuts
150g hazelnuts
1/2tsp sea salt
2tbsp coconut oil
8-9 pitted large soft dates (medjool or similar)
70g ground flaxseed
1tbsp water
750g quark
250g soured cream
4tbsp honey
1 punnet blackberries
zest of one lime
1tbsp fresh mint leaves
Method
Add all nuts and sea salt to a food processor and pulse for a few seconds until the nuts are finely chopped but not powdered. Transfer nuts into a bowl. Add dates and coconut oil into the food processor and process until they reach paste consistency. Add the chopped nuts, flaxseeds and water and pulse until all ingredients start to come together. They don't have to be combined completely. Place into a bowl and mix with your hands until all ingredients are completely combined into a sticky ball.
Transfer the nut mixture in a 20cm round spring-form tin and press down with you hand to evenly cover bottom of the pan. Chill in the fridge while you prepare quark filling.
In a bowl, add quark, soured cream, honey and lime zest and stir with a spoon until combined. Add 3/4 of blackberries and stir again. Remove the cake tin from the fridge and spoon the filling on top of the crust. Spread evenly and decorate with the remaining fruit. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. Just before serving sprinkle with fresh mint leaves.
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