Raw Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake - Vegan

Raw Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake - Vegan

Crust  

1 cup nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, your favorite, one or all)

10 dates

1/2 t vanilla

pinch salt

Lemon Cheesecake Layer  

1 cup cashews (a little creamer if soaked 8 hours or overnight)

zest of 2  medium size lemons

juice of 2 lemons (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup coconut cream (1/2 can coconut milk, chilled; cream will be on top)

1/4 cup honey 

1 t vanilla

1/4 t salt

Topping:

2 cups frozen raspberries, thawed

2 T honey

2 T chia seeds

To Prepare:

Crust

Place the nuts, dates, vanilla and salt in a food processor and pulse until a fine crumb forms and holds its shape when squeezed into a ball. Press into an 8" x 8" pan and place in the fridge (or use an 8” spring form pan)*

Lemon Cheesecake Layer

Give the cashews a good rinse (after soaking) and place into a blender with lemon zest, juice, coconut cream (the cream that forms on top of a can of full-fat coconut milk when refrigerated), honey, vanilla and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Take some time at this step using a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender to make sure you end up with an ultra creamy consistency.

Pour batter onto the chilled crust using a spatula to smooth it out. Cover with saran wrap and place in the freezer while you prepare the topping.

Raspberry Topping 

Allow raspberries to thaw in a bowl. Stir in honey and break the raspberries apart with a fork. Stir in two tablespoons of chia seeds and set aside, allowing to gel for at least 15 minutes. 

When the lemon cheesecake layer is firm, carefully spread the raspberries on top. Cover and allow to chill in freezer (for a firmer cheesecake) or fridge (for an ultra creamy cheesecake).

OR grate dark chocolate on top of cake and drizzle with blended raspberry and honey. 

*To make a thicker cheesecake, double the recipe or use a smaller pan. 

'Tis the Season

If there was a "Sugar Season" it would begin Oct 31 and end sometime after Jan 1. And with all that sugar comes sickness and the blahs. So to get through this "season" well and happy you need a plan. Remember that "sweet" doesn't always have to mean the harmful sugar that is in almost every packaged food we eat. Here is where the planning comes in. If you have the right kind of sweets on hand you won't feel the need to grab the bad stuff (yes, it is a need for some of us).

Try substituting Coconut Crystals for highly processed brown sugar. It has a low glycemic index and has better flavor than the brown sugar we grew up with. Other subs are Sucanat, Rapadura, Pure Maple Syrup, Coconut Syrup, or honey. Some may argue that these have the same calories as the white sugar, and they would be right. So keep that in mind with the amount you eat. It is the way your body reacts to these sweets that makes the difference. The secret is that these are still REAL FOOD. Your body recognizes them as food and can process them. They don't cause havoc within your body. Bottom line, they won't make you sick.

For me, I have to have something with chocolate in it to keep me from that box of See's Candies that always shows up this time of year. My favorite go-to chocolate treat is easy to make and fun to have on hand. It satisfies that chocolate craving and doesn't leave me feeling like I just blew it. Try this simple recipe for Fudge:

Place 1/2 cup slivered almonds (found them at Costco even cheaper than the whole almond or you can start with almond meal) in a food processor with the S blade (a blender works well too). Keep whizzing it, scraping down the sides until it is very fine powder if you like it with a little crunch, or keep going until you have almond butter for a creamer fudge (I like the crunch and don't have the patience for the butter). Add 2 1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil, 2 1/2 Tbsp. cacao powder, 2 1/2 Tbsp. maple syrup (you can use honey or coconut syrup, but I like the maple flavor), 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Blend until a ball forms. Scrap out into a small ziplock baggie. Smash to thickness you like, place in freezer. After about an hour, cut away the plastic and cut fudge into bite size squares. I put them in small containers and put back in the freezer for easy access. When I get a craving, I pop a couple of bites of fudge and it takes care of my cravings AND it isn't harmful AND the antioxidants in the cacao are even good for me! Find what works for you and make it a healthy, happy season.

Celery

We have looked at celery before, but are we really taking it seriously enough? It is such an available, easy-to-eat vegetable.      

Can something as simple as celery lower your blood pressure? Using the recommended dosages to lower mild cases of high blood pressure, one would eat about four ounces of celery (about a cup of chopped celery) daily. You should begin to see results after only a week or two.  Juicing 2 stalks of celery per day would also achieve the same results.

That's not all this under-rated vegetable does. Eating only two stalks of celery a day has been shown to lower cholesterol levels by upwards of 7%. The presence of butylphthalide (an oil which gives celery it's peppery taste and smell) has been tested and shown to treat hypertension in animals and protect cholesterol levels with its powerful antioxidant properties. This essential oil reduces bad cholesterol and aids in the production of healthy cholesterol.

Celery also reduces inflammation. Since inflammation is the starting cause of ALL disease that would be an important food to eat.

Unlike most nutrient rich vegetables, celery contains both soluble and insoluble fiber. When compared to kale, celery has as much soluble fiber in a serving as cooked kale has in a 1/2 cup serving.

The phytochemicals in celery also prevent swelling and tissue inflammation, a primary source of pain in older adults. These healthy chemicals also rev up the body’s natural defenses by ramping up white blood cells which fight malicious bacteria – including carcinogens.

Of all the many benefits of celery, the one that got my attention was that it reduces the wear and tear in the brain that causes dementia. I will have to admit, I don't like celery. But to avoid dementia, I will start eating it anyway! It is going into my salads and soups. I bet I can hide it in my morning smoothie! I have found that I actually enjoy it in a Waldorf Salad (email me for a healthier version).

While there is no one thing that is the "wonder food",  adding more of each of the outstanding foods available to us will enhance our lives and bring back the balance.