Recipes Archives - Page 78 of 115

Whole Steamed Artichokes with Tomato-Basil Salad Recipe

I remember the first time I ate an artichoke, I really ate the artichoke. Or at least I tried to. I had no idea that I was supposed to scrape the meat off of the leaves with my teeth and not (attempt) to eat the entire thing. Ooops. I just kept chewing and chewing and chewing and thinking, “why on earth do people love artichokes so much? This is terrible!” Fortunately, I was taught how to properly eat an artichoke before I swore them off for good.

But for many years I thought artichokes were too intimidating to cook at home, and were only a special treat to be ordered in restaurants. Until one day I saw my grandmother making stuffed artichokes and I quietly stood by and took mental notes. I’m sure you know what I am about to say. So easy! Really, once you learn how to trim an artichoke, the rest is a piece of cake. I am hoping these photos can help you get past any artichoke anxiety you might have.

Artichokes are so versatile. You can eat them hot, warm, room temperature, even cold. It’s fun to dip the leaves into a sauce or a vinaigrette before nibbling the tender meat on the bottom of the leaves. Mayonnaise sauces are probably the most popular, but I prefer to keep things lighter and fresher. I love this artichoke preparation which I first had at the Ivy Restaurant in LA. I could eat tomato-basil salad on most anything, from fish and chicken to pasta and toast. On artichokes, this classic combo is just as delicious, with the juice from the tomatoes creating a vinaigrette of sorts with the olive oil. Love it!

Artichokes are a good source of folate, fiber, and vitamins C and K. Artichokes are also packed with antioxidants; they’re number 7 on the USDA’s top 20 antioxidant-rich foods list. I also read somewhere that artichokes used to be considered an aphrodisiac. Well now.

I was advised by my produce friends at Grow in Manhattan Beach that artichokes are more tender when the leaves are more closed and tighter than more open. A little frostbite on the outer leaves is completely fine, just check to make sure the stems don’t have any evidence of rot. They’re in season now, so get them while you can!

Whole Steamed Artichokes with Tomato-Basil Salad

Pamela

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Servings -6

Ingredients

3 whole artichokes washed
4 garlic cloves crushed
2 bay leaves
1 lemon halved
1 ½ pints cherry tomatoes quartered (you can also use an equivalent amount of whole fresh tomatoes, diced, when they are in season)
1/3 cup fresh basil chopped
1 large garlic clove minced (or crushed for a more subtle garlic flavor)
2 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Trim the artichokes: Remove the outer layer of small, tough leaves from the stem end. Trim the stem to create a flat bottom and discard cut stem. With a very sharp serrated knife, cut off the top 1 inch of each artichoke. Use scissors to snip the thorny tips of the remaining leaves. Artichokes should fit into your pot so that the lid fits tightly.
Cook the artichokes: Fill a large saucepan with 2 inches of water and add the garlic, bay leaves and lemon. Arrange the artichokes in the saucepan STEM SIDE UP. Bring water to a boil, cover and lower to a simmer. Steam artichokes for 30-45 minutes (depending on the size) or until stem can be pierced easily with a knife. Remove artichokes from the saucepan and set aside until cool enough to handle. I like to put them in a colander stem side up to cool.
Make the salad: In a medium bowl combine tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the chokes: Pull out the center leaves of the artichoke. They are the ones that are closed together and light purple at the top. Underneath that you will see the spiky, lighter leaves around the heart. The fuzzy choke is hidden underneath. With a spoon, scoop out the spiky leaves and the choke and discard. Take care not to remove too much of the meaty heart which sits just underneath the choke. Repeat with remaining artichokes.
Arrange artichokes on a platter and spoon tomato salad into each of the cleaned out artichokes.

Notes

These can be served warm, room temperature or cold. Artichokes can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated. After removing the choke, they can also be quartered, brushed with oil and grilled.

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Grain-free White Bean Coffee Cake Recipe

Trust me that this cake is so good! It does NOT look like it has white beans in it, nor does it taste like white beans (which may I remind you taste like nothing.) And lest you think I am a genius coming up with blending white beans to make a high-protein, downright delicious cake, I will come clean and tell you this is nothing that hasn’t already been done about 16,7000,000 times, according to google. Even my idol, Martha Stewart, has made cupcakes with white beans! If it’s good enough for Martha, it’s definitely good enough for moi.

I thought this would be such a different, delicious and healthful cake for your Mother’s Day brunch, and what a conversation-starter! It’s always fun to quiz your family and friends — “Can you guess what the secret ingredient is?” I would never suggest making this for Father’s Day because most dads I know would rather have doughnuts than a cake with nutritional benefits. Moms are different. We’re always looking to have our treats without the guilt!

This cake was a huge hit in my classes last year. I first told everyone to open their minds because this would not resemble a classic coffeecake. Most people that come to my classes are pretty open-minded anyway. In fact a few ladies said, “Ah, of course. Black beans in brownies, white beans in coffeecake.” I agree, it makes perfect sense. But I would never make any dessert or any recipe for that matter just because it’s kind of healthful. Of all things, dessert should be enjoyed, and you will love this cake! It’s very moist, just sweet enough and light. I ate quite a bit of this cake last year and I never felt uncomfortable or sick after eating it. That’s an indication of a pretty clean dessert.

I normally encourage you to make your beans from scratch, but for this recipe it is very important that your beans be nice and creamy soft. So if you want to be on the safe side, just used canned. I love Eden which doesn’t use BPA in its can liners. The one ingredient which might throw you for a loop is the coconut flour, although I do have a great muffin recipe on my site that uses almond flour and coconut flour. At my Whole Foods, you can buy coconut flour from the bulk bins, which is nice if you just need a little bit. Most recipes which use coconut flour only call for small amounts of it because it is so absorbent. Don’t go thinking you can substitute regular grain flours for coconut flour! They are completely different!

If you decide you don’t want to make this coffee cake with the faux streusel topping, just make the cake with your favorite frosting or serve it with fresh fruit and whipped cream or whipped coconut cream. Either way, moms deserve a treat on Mother’s Day, so indulge or do something generous for all the special moms in your life! Happy Mother’s Day!

Grain-free White Bean Coffee Cake

Pamela, adapted from The Spunky Coconut

4.86 from 7 votes

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Ingredients

Crumble Topping:
3 cups walnuts
2 Tablespoons coconut oil or butter
¼ cup coconut palm sugar or brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon optional
2 cups cooked white beans make sure they’re soft and not crunchy, such as cannellini or Great Northern, drained and rinsed if canned (cold or at room temperature)
6 eggs
¾ teaspoon vanilla liquid stevia or plain stevia and add an extra ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup melted coconut oil plus extra for greasing pan
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12 x 9 or 13 x 9 baking dish with coconut oil or butter.
To make the topping, place the walnuts, coconut oil or butter, sugar and cinnamon in the food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse until combined and the texture resembles a crumb topping. Remove from food processor and set aside.
In the same food processor (no need to clean it) place the beans, eggs, stevia, vanilla coconut oil and honey and puree until smooth.
Then add the coconut flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder to the white bean mixture and process until smooth. Pour into the greased pan.
Spread the topping over the top of the batter and use a fork to swirl into the batter, then pat down to set.
Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator where it will stay good for up to a week.

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coconut flour coconut oil eggs honey stevia vanilla white beans

Mexican-style Sauteed Greens Recipe

You know what never happens? I never make at home for dinner something that I am currently teaching in one of my classes. Why? Because I normally eat it several times a week and I am not super motivated to eat it any more than that, no matter how good it is! This is even more true towards the end of the month after I have taught the same recipes a dozen or more times.

Well, never say never because I have been teaching this Mexican-style sautéed greens recipe all month and I made it for dinner Monday night. Why? Because there is never any left after my class! Everyone has just gone crazy for this recipe and finished every last morsel before I had my chance. I look forward to these slightly spicy, tart greens and then….none for me.

I am really obsessed with Mexican food. I love the bright, fresh, punchy flavors. And the ingredients are easy to come by in Southern California. I do find it hard, though, to come up with a wide variety of vegetable side dishes to complement whatever Mexican main dish I am making. I have a lot of salads in my repertoire. If you haven’t tried my Mexican Chopped Salad or my Avocado, Jicama and Mango Salad or the Cilantro Lime Slaw, those are just fabulous and deliver a lot of nutrition at the same time.

But when I stumbled up this recipe for Quelites, I knew I found a new favorite Mexican side dish. Quelites actually refer to a type of weed, also known as lamb’s quarters, but in the above mentioned recipe, mustard greens are used. Mustard greens are a tad bitter for my husband and Mr. Picky, so I tried this recipe with lots of combinations of milder greens, like spinach, baby kale and chard, as well as dinosaur kale. Love, love, love, love, LOVE!

What I like best about this recipe is how the acidity from the lemon juice and the sweetness from the tomatoes tone down any bitterness from the greens (if you’re using mature kale, for example.) I don’t think this recipe is very hot, even with an entire jalapeño, although I do remove the seeds, which is where the heat is more concentrated. But it’s hot enough for my heat-averse guys. I just add a few shakes of hot sauce to my greens and I’m happy.

I have eaten these Mexican-style greens with rice and beans (so simple and so good!), as well as chicken enchiladas and tacos. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you saw that I made them for dinner this week with a veggie paella (Spanish, not Mexican, but so what) and then the next day with scrambled eggs and a corn tortilla. Whatever you’re making for Cinco de Mayo, this will be the perfect, healthful side!

Mexican-style Sauteed Greens

Pamela

5 from 5 votes

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Servings

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon unrefined cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil
½ onion finely diced
1 jalapeno thinly sliced (remove seeds to make it milder)
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1 pound kale stems removed and leaves cut into strips or 10 ounces baby greens such as baby kale, Swiss chard and spinach
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeno and cook until onion is tender and translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes, or until tomatoes just start to lose their shape.
Add the greens and a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted and just tender. Sturdier greens will take longer than baby greens.
Pour lemon juice on top and taste for seasoning. Serve immediately.

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cherry tomatoes jalapeno kale lemon onion spinach swiss chard

Whipped Coconut Cream Recipe

This has not turned into a dessert blog, I promise. I haven’t really kept track of what I was posting here and I just realized I have been a little out of balance lately. I promise to post a few Mexican recipes next week in anticipation of Cinco de Mayo. But since I posted a picture of this fluffy cloud of coconut cream last week on instagram, my cooking class students have been begging me to share how I made it.

I love how popular coconut products have become. I remember when I first started teaching cooking classes about 6 years ago, people were a little skeptical about using coconut oil, despite all the health benefits. Now, these same ladies are rubbing on their faces at night and cooking their pancakes in it. So awesome.

Coconut whipped cream is something I’ve wanted to master for a while. I’m sure you have realized by now I adore anything coconut, and I also don’t digest pasteurized cow dairy all that well. So being able to enjoy a whipped cream made from coconut would be a GAME CHANGER for me.

It seemed simple enough. Chill a can of full-fat coconut milk overnight. Scoop out the fat that firmed up at the top of the can, leaving any liquid behind. Whip it like heavy cream until soft peaks form, adding sweetener if desired. But unfortunately, not all coconut milks are alike and even within the same brand, not all coconut milks separate they way they need to, leaving me on more than one occasion with a puddle of coconut milk . I did some research and learned that sometimes stabilizers are added to help the coconut milk become more uniform and blended, which is exactly what you don’t want if you are trying to turn it into whipped cream.

I actually gave up on this dream until I spotted a can of coconut cream at Trader Joe’s. This is literally just the cream from the coconut milk. Light bulb! I brought the can home and stuck it in the refrigerator until the next day. I chilled my mixing bowl and the whisk attachment, too. Voila! I was so delighted to open that can (BPA-free, mind you) and scoop out the hardened coconut cream. Success! With very little effort I was able to beat this into a light and fluffy whipped topping. This is something to rejoice if you are dairy-free or vegan!

I do think this tastes very much like coconut, though. So if you’re not a coconut fun, this recipe is not for you. I love it with fresh or roasted berries, on pie, or as part of a banana split. Really, anywhere you’d use regular whipped cream you can also use coconut whipped cream. Let’s just not do a nose-dive into the bowl since it is still super high in fat and calories. Enjoy!

Whipped Coconut Cream

Pamela

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Ingredients

1 can coconut cream not coconut milk
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
optional sweetener to taste: 15 drops of stevia or 2-3 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions

Chill the can of coconut cream in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Chill the mixing bowl and beaters or whisk attachment to your mixer for about 20 minutes or longer.
Turn can upside down and open the bottom. If there is any thin liquid (it should only be about a tablespoon or so), pour that out and save it for a smoothie. Scoop out all the hardened cream (it should be waxy, almost like Crisco) and place in the chilled mixing bowl. Start beating on high speed and add vanilla and sweetener if desired. Beat until soft peaks form, about a minute and a half. Serve immediately.
If you have leftovers, cover and refrigerate and rebeat to make fluffy again.

Notes

I used Trader Joe's Coconut Cream, but Native Forest is also good and the cans are BPA-free.

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coconut cream stevia vanilla

Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce Recipe

It’s amazing what a little fruit sauce can do.

“How about some waffles for breakfast?”

“No00, thaaaanks.”

“How about some waffles with strawberry-rhubarb sauce for breakfast?”

“Really? Is it a special occasion or something?”

Making fruit a little extra special always turns something standard into a little party!

I used to make this strawberry-rhubarb sauce to go with the Lemon-Ice Torte that I have been preparing for Passover since I graduated from college. (If you’re new here, that was a loooooong time ago.) I have always thought that the torte is delicious on its own, so one year I decided to stop making the sauce. No one will miss it. Wrong! There was a revolt. I should have realized that would happen since my family loves all things fruity and saucy.

Even though I can find fresh rhubarb for a few weeks in the spring, I still follow the original recipe and use both frozen rhubarb and frozen strawberries. These fruits make such a classic spring combo. Unfortunately, because rhubarb is a tad tart, so many strawberry-rhubarb recipes are loaded with sugar. I used as little coconut sugar as I my family would allow here, but feel free to adjust according to your taste. I also tested this with maple sugar and I couldn’t tell the difference between the sauce with coconut sugar and the maple sugar. Both are less refined sweeteners, but coconut sugar is a fraction of the price of maple sugar, FYI.

I thought this might be nice recipe to make for Easter since you can make it today and keep it refrigerated until Sunday. The sauce goes beautifully with pancakes, French toast and waffles for brunch, or Greek yogurt and granola. Or serve it over a simple pound cake or the Lemon Ice Torte I posted a few years back. Even if you’re looking to make this for a “special occasion,” the sauce is delicious on oatmeal, matzoh brei, frozen yogurt or ice cream. The truth is, this sauce is really simply to make, especially if you use frozen fruit. You need no particular reason, no occasion to turn any day into something special!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce

Pamela, adapted from epicurious.com

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Ingredients

¾ cup coconut sugar maple sugar or cane sugar, divided
6 Tablespoons water
1 vanilla bean split lengthwise
1 16- ounce bag frozen unsweetened rhubarb
1 16- ounce bag frozen unsweetened strawberries

Instructions

Combine half the sugar and all of the water in a heavy medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pot along with the pod. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Add remaining sugar and stir to dissolve.
Add rhubarb. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, covered and simmer until rhubarb is just tender, about 8 minutes.
Add strawberries and bring to a simmer. Cool. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Can be prepared several days ahead. Remove vanilla pod before serving.

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rhubarb strawberries vanilla

Easy Healthy Banana Carrot Muffins Recipe

Healthy, grain-free, and dairy-free Banana Carrot Muffins are made with wholesome ingredients like almond flour, honey, bananas, carrots, dates, and nuts. This muffin recipe freezes beautifully and makes a perfect on-the-go breakfast or midday snack.

What Makes This Recipe Great

A few years ago I posted a recipe for some delicious almond flour muffins with banana, chocolate, and chia seeds. I will for sure make a batch or two of those next week, but I will also be making these amazing banana-carrot-coconut muffins. I found these Carrot Banana Muffins in Andrew Weil’s True Food cookbook and made a few adjustments to make them even more healthful.

These healthy muffins are a great cross between carrot cake and banana bread and have a subtle, natural sweetness and a delicious banana flavor. I actually make one batch as a 2-layer cake for my Passover seders and spread my vegan frosting in between. I’ll make another batch and freeze them for breakfasts and school lunches since I think these are the perfect size and can serve as a meal-in-a-muffin.

Ingredient Notes

blanched almond flour: (not almond meal) I use Honeyville. This is our grain-free and gluten-free flour substitute. See notes below for tips.

baking soda

sea salt

ground cinnamon

unsweetened shredded coconut

large eggs: At room temperature.

very ripe bananas

raw honey or pure maple syrup

unrefined coconut oil or unsalted butter

pure vanilla extract

apple cider vinegar or white vinegar

dates: Pitted and chopped (or raisins or dried cherries).

fresh carrots: I prefer using a box grater to make my grated carrots, but you can use pre-shredded carrots if preferred.

chopped walnuts or pecans

Step-by-Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or silicone muffin liners.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: almond flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and coconut. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, mashed banana, melted coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and vinegar together, making sure that the oil is well incorporated into the other ingredients.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Fold in the dates, carrots, and walnuts. Divide the muffin batter among the muffin cups. You will fill the cups to the top since these muffins don’t rise very much.

Bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown or a toothpick/skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. (Since there is no actual flour, the muffins will not rise significantly.)

Cool in the pan or on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn out the muffins onto the rack and let cool to warm or room temperature.

Expert Tips

If you don’t have overripe bananas, substitute ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce + an extra 2 Tablespoons raw honey
This recipe calls for blanched almond flour, which is much finer and lighter than almond meal. Bob’s Red Mill “almond flour/meal” is not fine enough. You can use almond meal in this recipe, but the results will be heavier and coarser.

Storage Tips

To store muffins, let them cool completely after baking. Place them in an airtight container with a paper towel on the bottom and top to absorb moisture, and keep them at room temperature for up to 2 days.

For longer storage, refrigerate the leftover muffins in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To freeze them, wrap each muffin in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, place them in a resealable freezer bag or airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen muffins in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.

More Easy Muffin Recipes

Grain Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Strawberry Jam Flaxseed Muffins

Gluten-Free Raisin Bran Muffins

Chocolate Banana Muffins

Blueberry Spelt Muffins

If you give this recipe a try, snap a pic and tag @pamelasalzman on Instagram so I can see your beautiful creations. I also really appreciate readers taking the time to leave a star rating and review! Lastly, subscribe for free to my site for the latest recipes and updates.

For more delicious recipes and to learn how to be a better cook, check out my monthly online cooking classes. I have been teaching people for 15 years how to cook healthy food that their families love! Join me!

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Easy Healthy Banana Carrot Muffins Recipe

Pamela, adapted from the True Food Cookbook

4.72 from 7 votes

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Ingredients

2 cups blanched almond flour not almond meal I use Honeyville.
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3 large eggs at room temperature
3 very ripe bananas* mashed
2 Tablespoons raw honey
1/4 cup 4 Tablespoons unrefined coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
1 cup dates pitted and chopped (or raisins or dried cherries)
2 medium carrots peeled and shredded
¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and coconut. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, bananas, melted coconut oil, honey, vanilla and vinegar together, making sure that the oil is well incorporated into the other ingredients.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Fold in the dates, carrots, and walnuts. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. You will fill the cups to the top since these muffins don’t rise very much.
Bake for 40 minutes, until golden brown or a skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. (Since there is no actual flour, the muffins will not rise significantly.) Cool in the pan or on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn out the muffins onto the rack and let cool to warm or room temperature.

Notes

Expert Tips

If you don’t have overripe bananas, substitute ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce + an extra 2 Tablespoons raw honey

This recipe calls for blanched almond flour, which is much finer and lighter than almond meal. Bob's Red Mill "almond flour/meal" is not fine enough. You can use almond meal in this recipe, but the results will be heavier and coarser.

Storage Tips

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

almond flour banana carrots coconut dates

Dairy-free Cashew Cheesecake Recipe

I taught this luscious dessert in my classes two years ago, but I had seen cashew “cheesecakes” all over the place for many years. But of course I didn’t get it. I didn’t understand how blended cashews could be turned into something that resembled cheesecake, a cheesecake that I would actually want to eat. So I put off trying all these recipes that I saw on Pinterest and Foodily. I caught glimpses of vegan cheesecakes made with chocolate, key limes, pumpkin, lemon and lavender, blueberries and so on. I just wasn’t convinced.

My mother-in-law and I have an arrangement for Passover — I make all the desserts for both seders and she does everything else. I clearly got the easier, more fun job. However baking for Passover, a holiday which revolves around NOT eating anything with grains or flour made from grains, isn’t as straightforward as baking for any other holiday. But I still have lots of fun coming up with delicious treats that don’t involve a box of Manischewitz cake mix. Every year I make the very traditional coconut macaroons, as well as a lemon ice torte that I have been making since I graduated from college. And no holiday would be complete without something chocolate, so I bake a few mini-flourless chocolate cakes. So delicious.

But I can never leave well enough alone, so one year I decided to give this cashew cheesecake thing a go. OMG. Get out of here. I was blown away! And then super bummed I had let so many opportunities to go by when I could have been enjoying this deliciousness. The texture is so much like cheesecake. Very rich and creamy, and slightly sweet. I really couldn’t get over it. Of course the crust is raw and vegan, consistent with the rest of the cake. But I think you could go with a graham cracker crust and fool everyone into thinking this is cheesecake.

What amazed me about this cake is how digestible it is and how clean the ingredients are. We use soaked raw cashews (read my post about why soaking nuts and seeds is beneficial to your health,) coconut oil (such a good, healthful fat), honey or maple syrup (not going to save your life, but less acid-forming than refined sugar), lemon juice and vanilla. Amazing. Although, I did a little rough math and this isn’t the kind of dessert you can eat very often because it’s really high in (good) fat and calories. Just saying, in case you were tempted to eat half a cake. Not a good idea. In fact, I put on a few pounds in the months I was testing this recipe. True story. But this is a fantastic idea for Passover or Easter and no one will ever in a million years guess what’s in it. Another fun Passover dessert coming soon!

Dairy-free Cashew Cheesecake

Pamela

5 from 1 vote

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Servings -12 (because it's rich, you want to cut small slices)

Ingredients

Crust:
1 cup raw almonds or pecans or walnuts
1 cup soft Medjool dates pitted (about 10)
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Filling:
3 cups 1 pound raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours or overnight, and drained
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup unrefined coconut oil melted (if you have a Vitamix, no need to melt)
2/3 cup raw honey not vegan or Grade A maple syrup (vegan, but not raw)
Seeds from 2 whole vanilla beans or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups fresh strawberries my preference or raspberries (thaw completely if frozen)

Instructions

Place almonds, dates, coconut and salt in a food processor and process until the mixture holds together (it should be sticky). Transfer the mixture onto the bottom of a 9” spring-form pan and press firmly, making sure that the edges are well packed and that the base is relatively even throughout.
In a Vita-Mix or food processor, place all filling ingredients (except strawberries) and process on high until very smooth. This may take a minute or two.
Pour about 3 cups of the mixture onto the crust and smooth with a spatula. Add the strawberries to the Vita-Mix/food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the strawberry mixture onto the first layer of filling. Place in the freezer until solid. Cover with foil to protect from freezer burn.
To serve, remove from the freezer at least 60 minutes prior to eating. After it has defrosted, store in the refrigerator until ready to eat. Run a thin knife between the cake and the pan and then release the springform ring. Serve on its own, or with fresh fruit. Store leftovers in the refrigerator if you plan to eat within a few days. Otherwise, store leftovers in the freezer.

Notes

Unfortunately, there is no substitute for the cashews which become very creamy when blended, nor the coconut oil, which solidifies when refrigerated and gives the cake its firmness, otherwise it would be a gloopy mess.

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cashews coconut oil honey lemon juice maple syrup strawberries

Homemade Larabars and Laralollipops!

Larabars were one of the first snack bars that I remember buying. There are no scary ingredients, no added sugars or colors, just dates and nuts. I liked having them for the kids in my diaper bag, as a snack for the plane when we traveled, and more recently for all-day soccer tournaments in the middle of Taco Bell-land. I don’t know why it never occurred to me that I could actually make them in my own kitchen. Without a special Larabar machine! And when I finally realized how disappointingly easy these are to make, I really wanted to hit myself over the head. And I could have been making them organic to boot!

I had so much fun teaching these bars in my classes last month. Once I revealed the secret ratio of dates to nuts (1:1 !), we came up with lots of interesting combinations of ingredients and shapes. The most important ingredient is something sticky to hold it all together. Usually Larabars contain dried dates, which you might remember are one of my obsessions! But I had success making bars out of raisins and dried cherries, too. Are we having fun yet?! Then take your pick of a nut or seed — I use either almonds, cashews, pecans or sunflower seeds. You can make a Larabar with just dates and nuts if you want. Or you can add some yummy things like chocolate, cacao powder, cinnamon, candied ginger, coconut, peppermint extract, instant coffee powder and so on and so forth. Are your wheels spinning?

These are very yummy, but let’s keep it under control and limit ourselves to one for a snack and not the whole delicious batch. After all, you wouldn’t sit down and eat 14 dates just because. I also wouldn’t use these as a meal replacement because they generally have under 200 calories which ain’t enough for anyone. Larabars get bonus points with me because you can make them in approximately 5 minutes and they last for a heck of a long time in the refrigerator or freezer.

I thought it would be great to post this “recipe” now because Easter and Passover are coming up. Larabars are a great Passover snack because there’s nothing not kosher for Passover in them, unless you use peanuts. I think making them in the shape of a traditional Larabar is great, but you can also make little mini squares, or shape them into small, flat discs like a cookie, or a little round ball like a truffle. And then I went to Michael’s and bought lollipop sticks and made…Laralollipops!! How cute would these be for Easter? Dip them in chocolate if you have to! I’ve given three different combinations here, but you can really make up your own according to what you like. Or go over to the official Larabar site and copy some of their flavors. Just don’t tell them I sent you!

Homemade Larabars and Laralollipops!

Pamela

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Ingredients

CHOCOLATE:
1 ¼ cup dried unsweetened dates (about 14), pitted
1 ¼ cup whole raw almonds cashews or pecans
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
¼ cup semi-sweet MINI chocolate chips or shredded unsweetened coconut optional
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
OATMEAL RAISIN:
1 cup unsulphured raisins or dried cherries for an oatmeal cherry bar
¾ cup rolled oats not quick cooking or instant
¾ cup raw cashews or pecans
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

The easy way to do this is to place all of the ingredients (except chocolate chips) in a food processor and process until the mixture comes together in a tight ball (about 2 ½ minutes). Everything will be really finely processed. See the lollipop images for what that looks like. Or if you want a little more texture from the nuts, process the nuts and dates separately and mix them in a bowl with the remaining ingredients. See the other images for examples of that.
The chocolate chips can be added at the end and mixed in with your hands.
Lay a piece of plastic wrap on the counter and transfer the ball to the plastic wrap and press down to start to flatten into a rectangle. Fold the excess plastic over the top and use your hands to shape and flatten the mixture until it is about ½” thick, about 9” across and 3” down. Or make whatever shape you want!
Refrigerate for a couple hours until firm and slice as desired. Keep wrapped in the refrigerator. Or transfer unwrapped bars to a tightly sealed container.

Notes

You can also do a Peanut Butter Cookie Larabar: 1 ¼ cups pitted dates + 1 cup roasted, salted peanuts. Sometimes I add 2 Tablespoons of Maca powder and a pinch of salt with or without a few mini chocolate chips.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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