I love a good food challenge. Give me a few random ingredients and ask me to make something spectacular of them. It’s probably my favorite way to get the creative juices flowing. Just last Month I was challenged by my friend and brilliant Chef, Chef Adjoa Kittoe of Seulful Pantry to make a dish of my inspiration. Naturally, I leaned toward my current love and obsession with cheesecake. Since December of 22 I’ve been making this Burnt Basque Cheesecake on repeat! Here is what it looks like..
I made it for a family dinner that Chef Olayemi (@Chef_Yems on IG) and I put together for OQUPI Houston. I can drop my original recipe for Burnt Basque Cheesecake here if you guys want, just let me know down in the comments down below.
The only stipulation to Chef Adjoa’s challenge was that the dish I created had to include this product called Fonio, which at the time, I was not familiar with at all. I had only heard about it through listening to a podcast where a chef named Pierre Thiam of Yolélé Foods was being interviewed for bringing this product to market.
Fonio is a small and nutritious grain that has been grown and consumed in West Africa for thousands of years. It is a member of the millet family and is also known as "Acha" or "Hungry Rice". Fonio is a gluten-free grain and is rich in essential nutrients, including protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It has a low glycemic index, making it a good option for people with diabetes or those who want to control their blood sugar levels. Fonio is also a good source of amino acids, particularly methionine and cysteine, which are typically lacking in other cereal grains.
After being toasted slightly, Fonio has a nutty flavor and a delicate texture, making it a versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes, including salads, soups, stews, and porridges. It can also be ground into flour and used to make bread, pancakes, and other baked goods, such as Cheesecake ;) It’s easy to cook and takes only a few minutes to prepare. Fonio is now gaining popularity outside of Africa due to its unique nutritional profile, and is being introduced in specialty food stores and health food markets around the world. Its production and consumption have significant economic and cultural importance in West Africa, where it is a staple food for many communities. Overall, Fonio is a delicious and nutritious grain that has a lot to offer both in terms of taste and health benefits.
My favorite part about Fonio and what Chef Pierre is doing, is that the grain is only grown in those select farms of West Africa. Which means that as we patronize Yolélé Foods, we are actively supporting those farmers of Mali, Senegal, Guinea, Nigeria, and Ghana and stimulating the local economy. Available in your local WholeFoods, Fonio is the perfect healthy ingredient to add to your pantry. Go get some and try this recipe out!
*By the way, I made this recipe with the intent of it being a baked cake but this could double as a no-bake recipe as well. If you prefer not to bake it, or just don’t have enough time, skip step 7 and just allow your cake to set in the fridge for a couple of hours before enjoying it. The texture of this fonio crust is meant to be slightly chewier, while still equally crumbly as a normal NYC Cheesecake. Anywho, enjoy!
Ingredients:
For Filling
16 oz of softened Cream Cheese
½ Cup of Sugar
1 egg
2 Vanilla Bean Pods
1 Tsp Cinnamon
Ground Nutmeg to taste
For Crust
1 cup (128g) graham cracker crumbs, 9 to 10 whole graham crackers, crushed
1/2 Cup Cooked and dried Fonio
1/4 cup (28g) confectioners' sugar
5 1/3 tablespoons (74g) butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
2. Cook ½ a cup of fonio according to the instructions for porridge on the side of the package. Once the oats are cooked, lay them on a sheet pan in an open area or in the fridge so that they can cool down and dry out as much as possible.
3. When the oats are cool and as dry (about 1 hr) place them in a food processor with your graham crackers and sugar, and pulse until they are both combined evenly. Slowly stream in your butter until the mixture begins to clump a little bit.
4. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crust into a 9 inch circular baking dish. Bake the crust by itself for no more than 10 minutes and then remove from the oven and allow to cool while you finish making the filling.
5. For your filling, take your cream cheese and Sugar and beat with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer on a medium speed until all is well combined and smooth (no lumps). Add in your egg and beat until well combined (30 seconds on a medium speed).
6. Scrape your vanilla pods to extract the paste and add that to the mixture along with your cinnamon and nutmeg. Now finally add your filling to your crust and spread evenly.
7. Place your cheesecake in the oven for 40-45 min. You will know it's done cooking when the top of the cake has browned slightly. Allow for the cake to cool to room temperature before cutting into it and enjoying the delicacy that is Fonio Crusted New York Cheese Cake.
Thanks for checking out my recipe and if you found this information helpful and/or entertaining, feel free to share it with your friends on instagram and tag me! (@chefKhalieb) I’d love to see your renditions of this Cheesecake or how you use Fonio in your own kitchen! I will leave a link below to Yolélé Foods website where you can check out and purchase all of their products to be shipped directly to you!
Peace and love,
Chef Khalieb
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