Raw Cheesecakes…

Raw Carob Cheesecake with Almond Crust...

As I may have mentioned before, I always found raw food recipes to be rather intimidating with all the soaking, dehydrating and time consuming preparation, and have therefore hesitated to try my hand at raw desserts…Well, I don’t know what took me so long! The actual assembly of this dessert is simple & fast – all you really need to do is blend the ingredients & pop it in a dish. The only advanced preparation needed is to soak the cashews the night before, and even this isn’t completely necessary,  but I would recommend it as it gives the nuts a creamier texture as well as activating the enzymes in them and making them easier to digest. Coconut Oil can be a bit pricey, but you will need it for this recipe as it is responsible for ‘setting’ the cheesecake (Coconut Oil solidifies in cold temperatures) – it’s also worth investing in to use for baking & cooking, as it is safe to heat to very high temperatures [incidentally, my Indian friends swear by using it on their hair once or twice a month!]. These ‘Cheesecakes’ are so much like the original, in texture and taste, you wouldn’t guess they are raw…Here are two variations for you to try out:

Raw Lemon Cheesecake (modified version of the one found in Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen: Easy, Delectable Living Foods Recipes)

Ingredients:

Crust

1 1/2 cups Nuts (your choice, I used a mixture of Hazelnuts, Walnuts & Cashews) or 1 cup Nut Meal (eg: Almond or Hazelnut)

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 cup pitted Dates (soaked in hot water for about 15 mins. to soften)

1/4 cup shredded Coconut

Filling

3 cups raw Cashews (soaked overnight, or atleast 8 hours, in filtered water) and rinsed

3/4 cup fresh Lemon Juice

3/4 cup Agave Syrup (or 1/4 tsp. Stevia powder & 1/3 cup Agave)

3/4 cup Coconut Oil (liquid form)

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

zest of 1 Lemon (optional)

1/2 cup Water, as needed (use the soaking water from the dates)

 

Method:

– For the crust: Process the nuts into small pieces with the salt in a food processor. Slowly add Dates and mix well, then mix in Coconut. Press ‘dough’ into the bottom of a Cheesecake dish or pan (9-inch), and place in refrigerator until needed.

– For the filling: Blend Cashews, Lemon Juice, Agave (and Stevia, if using), Coconut Oil, and Vanilla (and Lemon Zest, if using), in your blender/food processor. Add just enough Water to blend into a smooth ‘cream’. Pour onto the crust in the dish and place in freezer for about an hour until firm. Then refrigerate until serving. (Keeps for about 5 days, if it lasts that long…)

Raw Carob (or Chocolate) Cheesecake (based on a recipe in Kristen Suzanne’s EASY Raw Vegan Desserts: Delicious & Easy Raw Food Recipes for Cookies, Pies, Cakes, Puddings, Mousses, Cobblers, Candies & Ice Creams)

Ingredients:

Crust

1 cup Almond Meal

dash of Salt

1/2 cup of pitted Dates (soaked for about 15 mins.)

1/4 cup shredded Coconut

Filling

3 cups of raw Cashews, soaked overnight (or atleast a few hours) and rinsed

1/3 cup Agave Syrup

1/4 tsp. Stevia powder or another 1/3 cup Agave

1/2 cup fresh Lemon Juice

1/4 cup Water (use soaking Water from Dates)

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

3/4 cup Coconut Oil, liquid form

3/4 cup Carob powder, or Chocolate powder

 

Method:

– For the Crust & Filling: Same as with Raw Lemon Cheesecake, but adding Coconut Oil and Carob powder at the end for the filling, after blending the rest of the ingredients.

Raw Lemon Cheesecake...

 

*Keep in mind that this dessert is packed with calories, albeit good ones, so take it easy…(says me, who devoured a whole Cheesecake to myself in a matter of 2 days -whoops!)

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Mum’s Strawberry-Yoghurt Fridge Tart…

One of the many things I hate about not having my Mum around anymore is that I can’t ask her for her recipes. I have her precious recipe binder which I keep safe, but for some reason none of my favourite dishes that she used to make are in there – which means they were probably her own creations & will be locked in that talented head of hers for eternity. So the only way for me to bring her food back to life is by way of memories…. This recipe is based on one she used to make quite often as a light dessert after our weekly family dinners, and I have been desperate to duplicate it, but it hasn’t been easy! Vegan Yoghurt isn’t always the tastiest of products, so I decided to add some Cream Cheese which turns it into a kind of unbaked Cheescake (I’ve been obsessed with using it in desserts lately), but I’ve also tried adding Silken Tofu  instead which turned out alright, just not as good. If you can’t find Strawberry Yoghurt, you can use Plain, but bump up the amount of Strawberries to give it extra flavour. So here it is, after my 5th attempt I think I have finally managed to Veganize my Mum’s delicious fridge Tart!

Ingredients:

1 cup crushed or crumbled Cookies (Use any kind you prefer, whirl in processor or blender to make crumbs eg: Digestives, Graham Crackers, GF cookies)

3 – 4 Tblsp. Coconut Oil or melted Vegan Butter

1/3 cup Water

1 1/4 tsp. Agar Agar powder

1 tub non-dairy Cream Cheese (I use Tofutti) or  soft Silken Tofu

1 x 6oz Strawberry Yoghurt or Vanilla/Plain (I use Wildwood)

1 1/2 cups chopped, fresh Strawberries (add more if using plain Yoghurt)

juice of 1/2 Lemon

1/4 tsp. Stevia powder or Agave or Sugar

1/2 – 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Soy milk as needed to make mixture smooth

 

Method:

– In a processor or bowl, mix together Cookie Crumbs and Coconut Oil until combined. Press into a 9″/23cm pie pan or glass dish. Place in fridge until needed.

– Place Water and Agar Agar in a saucepan and allow to sit for a few minutes, then bring to a boil for 3-5 mins. until the Agar Agar has dissolved.

– Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine Cream Cheese, Yoghurt, Strawberries, Lemon Juice, Stevia and Vanilla Extract until smooth. Once Agar Agar has dissolved, remove from heat and add to the Strawberry Yoghurt mixture. Blend until combined, adding Soymilk if needed for a better consistency. Taste, and adjust Sweetner & Extract as desired.

– Pour into prepared Crust, cover with Glad-wrap and refrigerate for 2-4 hours until set.

*For a bit of info on Agar Agar see my Black & Blue Berry Ice Cream recipe…

 

 

 

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Passionfruit-Cheesecake Ice Cream…

I cannot hold onto this recipe any longer – it must be shared! This is the BEST Ice Cream I have EVER had in my LIFE, Vegan or otherwise!! If you have an Ice Cream maker, go and make this immediately…If you don’t have one, go and buy one now, you will never want to have Ice Cream from a store ever again! I’m quite pleased with myself for coming up with this combo because it truly is a match made in heaven. For some reason I used to avoid eating anything flavoured with Passionfruit when I was younger (Granadilla to South Africans…), now I can’t imagine why! The original recipe from Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love is for Lemon Cheesecake Ice Cream (which is also amazing, but still has nothing on my version!), so if for some reason you can’t get hold of Passionfruit then just substitute with the zest & juice of 1 Lemon…Apparently there is a way to make Ice Cream manually by freezing & blending every hour, over a 4 hour period – so if you’re desperate, you can give it a try & let me know how that turns out!

Ingredients:

3/4 tsp. Agar Agar powder

1/3 cup Water

fruit of 4 Passionfruits, scooped out (and extra for serving)

1 asceptic box Silken Tofu, soft

1 (80z) tub of non-dairy Cream Cheese (I use Tofutti)

2/3 cup Agave Syrup (or 1/3 cup Agave + 1/4tsp. Stevia)

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

2 Tblsp. Soymilk

 

Method:

– In a saucepan, let Agar Agar soak in Water for a few minutes. Then bring to a boil and allow to cook until dissolved, about 3 mins.

– Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, blend Passionfruit, Tofu, Cream Cheese, Agave, Vanilla Extract and Soy Milk until smooth. Add Agar Agar Water, blend again until combine.

– Cover and chill in the refrigerator for atleast 6 hours, or overnight. Then freeze in an Ice Cream maker according to directions. Freeze for a further hour or 2 if you would like a firmer texture.

Serve with some fresh Passionfruit on top.

*Welcome to Vegan Bliss….

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