Simple Easy Raw Cheesecake - Raw Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free

If you have never tried vegan cheesecake before, don't stick your nose up until you have taken at least one bite.

It tastes the same, looks the same and it is potentially prettier than cheesecake made with actual cheese...plus the ingredients are all wholesome and healthy. So basically what I am saying is vegan cheesecake is better. Better for you, better for the animals. *Happy cheers*

So how do you know I'm not just talking up a recipe that I am about to give you? Well, cheesecake has been one of my favorite (if not my no.1 favorite) foods since the first time I tried it, back before my age even hit the double digits. I have high cheesecake standards.

I had not tried vegan cheesecake until earlier this year when my friend introduced it to me and I've been a fan ever since.

So here is a small list of reasons you should make raw vegan cheesecake:

1. Tasty

2. Pretty

3. Healthy

4. You only need a small slice to feel satisfied

5. Have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert - you won't feel guilty! Sure, I think we can all admit to eating a slice of cake with all of the processed sugars for breakfast...but now you can eat a slice of cake without all of the processed sugars and feel full enough to not need a second slice (although you might want one because it tastes so good).

Q: So what's in this cake?

A: Well, there is a full list of ingredients below but it is basically just dates, nuts and cashews, a little coconut milk and some lemon juice.

Now before we get started, keep in mind that this is the most basic cheesecake recipe. Once you know the basics then you can go on to making prettier, more exciting and/or more flavorful versions. Raspberry cheesecake? Blueberry cheesecake? Strawberry cheesecake with chocolate drizzle? The possibilities are endless!

Simple Easy Raw Cheesecake

Ingredients:

~ Cashews - 2 cups, soaked overnight

~ Coconut milk - 3/4 cup

~ Dates - 1 cup

~ Nuts - 1 cup (best to stick with almonds or walnuts)

~ Shredded coconut - 1 cup

~ Maple syrup - 1/3 cup

~ Juice of a lemon - 1/2

~ Coconut oil - 1/4 cup

~ Vanilla extract - 1 tbsp

~ Cake tin - Preferably a cheesecake tin but any tin around 23cm x 3.5cm will do, like the one I used to make the raw carrot cake.

Instructions:

1. Soak the cashews if you haven't done so already. Do this by putting the cashews in a bowl and filling it with water the night before you plan on making the cheesecake. I always find soaking to be a pain when I want something immediately, but patience is key. :)

2. First we will make the crust. In your food processor, blend the dates, nuts and shredded coconut until it has reached a doughy consistency. You should be able to roll it in a ball if you wanted to...not that you are going to do that.

3. Spread the crust into the bottom of your cake tin until it's about 1/8 of and inch thick. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to harden the crust a tid before adding the cheesecake.

4. While the crust is hardening, blend cashews, coconut milk, maple syrup, lemon juice, coconut oil and vanilla extract in your food processor. Blend until it has reached and smooth and creamy consistency. This is going to be the cheese part of the cake.

5. Evenly spread the 'cheese' on top of the crust.

6. Place in the freezer for at least 6 hours before enjoying. (More waiting...UGH.)


So you want to get more creative than just a simple cheesecake? Keep reading!

~ Try adding berries in with the cheese ingredients. Still blend until smooth and creamy. A pretty color should have been created.

~ You can also get creative with different layers of colors. Add different berries to achieve different colors. Between each layer, refreeze the cake for 10-15 minutes to assure the colors don't run into one another.


Q: How did I get mine to look and taste the way it does?

A: I spread 1/3 of the 'cheese' evenly over the crust. I plopped some raspberries on top. I froze the cake for 10-15 minutes. I blended some raspberries into the remaining 2/3 of the 'cheese' until I reached a smooth and creamy consistency with a pretty color and then spread that over the plain cheesecake. I froze the cake for 6 hours. Then I had a blast eating a nice slice.

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Sunny Summer Dinners - Spinach salad with mango, strawberry, blueberry, avocado and feta cheese

I really love Toronto in the summer time because I can finally come out of hiding in my apartment and get some good old Vitamin D. If it's not summer time here, it's freezing. I'm talking winter, fall and spring too. All three of those seasons are for hibernating until summer comes around. Now that it's finally warm again, I'm taking full advantage by spending all day everyday in the sun. The sun, as you probably know, makes people very hot. And while some people have the luxury of going back to their air conditioned apartments, I am a broke student living in a studio apartment and air conditioning is not available. That being said, I need to eat cool and refreshing dinners. Since today was an especially hot and humid day, I needed an especially fresh and cool dinner. My food options in my refrigerator are pretty limited right now so I thought about what I had a lot of. Fruit. So that's how I came up with this genius salad! It's an easy one to make. Just chop chop, snip snip and you're good to go.

Spinach salad with mango, strawberry, blueberry, avocado and feta cheese:

Ingredients:

I know you're really curious to find out what's in this salad.

~Spinach - As much or little as you'd like
~Mango - 1/2
~Strawberry - 4 or 5
~Blueberry - Plop on as many as you want
~Avocado - 1/2
~Feta cheese - Crumble to your heart's content
~Maple balsamic dressing

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut up a bunch of spinach leaves and place them in a bowl.

Step 2: Cut a mango and dice 1/2. Save the second half for another time.

Step 3: Slice the strawberries vertically.

Step 4: Cut an avocado and dice 1/2. You guessed it, save the second half for another time.

Step 5: Toss the mango, strawberries and avocado onto the salad. Add blueberries.

Step 6: Crumble as much or as little feta as you'd like.

Step 7: Add the maple balsamic dressing.

Enjoy!


Cinnamon Toast:

This is a silly little side dish but it's delicious and so quick to make.

Ingredients:

~Bread - 1 slice, I use spelt bread
~Butter - just enough to coat one slice of bread
~Cinnamon

Instructions:

Step one: Generously butter one slice of bread. Shake cinnamon on top. I personally think the more the better.

Step 2: Put it in the toaster.

Genius! Enjoy!

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