Raw Vegan Papaya Cheesecake with Passionfruit Fig jam and Mint Sauce

I haven't felt inspired to create anything in a really long time, but I think these good summer vibes have finally done the trick.  This tropical spectacle is sure to engage your pallet on a beautiful summers day. 👌🌞 

Filling:

2 cup Papaya

2 limes (juiced)

1/3 cup honey

2/3 cup melted coconut oil

2 tbsp soy lecithin

2 cups soaked cashews

Crust:

2 tsp matcha powder

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 cup pecans

1 cup walnuts

3 tbsp coconut mana

a dash of salt

Jam Topping

2 figs

4 passionfruit

1 orange

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp chia seeds

Mint Sauce

1/4 cup of mint (packed)

1/4 cup water

1 lime (juiced)

3 tbsp coconut oil

3 tbsp honey

1. Blend all crust ingredients in a food processor until it sticks together.  Press into the bottom of a springform pan and place in the freezer.

2. Blend papaya, lime juice and honey.  Either melt coconut oil on the stove on the lowest setting or with a double boiler, set your bowl of coconut oil atop a pot of boiled water and wait for the oil to melt, stirring occasionally.

3. Mix in coconut oil and soy lecithin and blend once more.  Pour on top of the base and set back in the freezer.

4. To make the jam topping, place figs (with skins), the contents of 4 passionfruit, one peeled orange and maple syrup in a blender and blend until smooth.  You will still see the flecks of passionfruit seed in the mixture.  Pour the mixture out into a small bowl and mix with chia seeds.  You can wait a while for this to thicken or just pour on top of the filling layer and place back in the freezer.

5.  Let the cake set for a good 5h or overnight.  Then decorate with fresh figs and mint of basal leaves.

6.  For the sauce, just blend everything in a high speed blender and drizzle on top.  It may be a bit runny but when it's refrigerated for a while, the consistence becomes more viscus. 

Rosemary Cardamom Kumquat Tarts

These little beauties are tart with a pinch of savoury and sweet.  

The perfect transition from winter into spring/summer flavours.  

Rosemary Cardamom Tart Shells

1.5 cup Soaked Cashews

1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder

6 cardamom pods (extract seeds and blend in a spice blender)

2 tbsp fresh rosemary

4 dates

Kumquat Cashew Filling

3/4 cup seeded kumquats

12 tbsp water

4 dates

1/2 cup soaked cashews

White Chocolate Top Layer

1 cup cacao butter

2 tbsp coconut sugar( I used 2 tbsp honey but it separated when solidified)

A dash of grey sea salt

Candied Kumquats

8 kumquats

2 tbsp water

A pinch of vanilla bean powder

1.5 tbsp honey

Prep 2 cups of cashews the night before by soaking them in water in the fridge.  If you’ve forgotten, an hour or 2 before of soaking will do, if you have a high speed blender.  

Dry off your cashews with a fresh dish cloth.  Place 1.5 cups of cashews in a food processor with the rest of the crust ingredients.  Blend until smooth and press into silicone muffin tins or paper wrappers.  Place in the freezer.

Slice 3/4 cups of kumquats in half and remove seeds.  Place in a blender with the last of the cashews (1/2 cup), 12 tbsp of water to thin it out and 4 dates to cut the tartness. Blend until smooth.  The mixture should still be quite thick but at a touch more water if it’s not blending.  Fill the tart shells leaving a bit of room at the top and rerun to the freezer.

For the white chocolate layer, melt in a pot over low heat with coconut sugar and sea salt.  Let it cool slightly but not so much so that it starts to solidify again.  Pour over frozen tarts and return to the freezer.

Slice kumquats into wheel shapes and de-seed.  In the meantime, in a small pot, allow water, honey and vanilla to come to a boil.  One it’s boiling, add the fruit and bring it back up to a boil.  Then reduce to a simmer for 10m.  Remove from the stove and allow to cool before placing in a glass dish with the syrup in the fridge. 

Once the white chocolate layer is solidified, remove from their silicone tart shells and top with candied kumquats.  These tarts can then be stored in the fridge.  

Makes about 9 tarts

Could easily be made into a cake as well, using a spring form pan.

Takes ridiculously too long to make.

Zucchini Bacon Stacks with Basil Curry Nut Cheese and Sun dried Tomato Tapenade

With an overflow of zucchini finally popping up in my family garden, I came up with this tasty way to experiment with their neutral flavour and sturdy texture.

 

Slice zucchini as thin as possible.  Drizzle with olive oil and sea salt to soften and set aside.

For the basil curry nut cheese, blend half a cup of soaked cashews, 1/2 tsp curry powder, a dash of sea salt, a couple of sprigs of purple basil and water for desired texture.  

Crisp up some bacon in the oven.  425 degrees for 12m.  Remove from the baking pan and pat dry with paper towels.  

Dice up some kale as small as possible.  Massage with some sea salt and set aside.  Then combine, 1/2 lemon juiced, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 1 tbsp of grainy mustard.  Massage the dressing into the salad. 

I used some store bought sun dried tomato tapenade but feel free to experiment with making your own.  

Layer the ingredients, stating with a layer of zucchini and build the stack to your liking.  Top with a dollop of basil curry nut cheese and a fresh sprig of purple basil.  Adapt this meal for vegans by using coconut bacon or omitting it all together. Enjoy! :)

Citrus Mango Ice Cream Cake with Mint Lime Coulis (Raw Vegan)

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups Walnuts
• 2 Medjool Dates
• A Dash of Sea Salt
• 4 pieces of Soaked Dehydrated Mango (insulated)
• 2 tbsp Coconut Flakes

Filling

• 3 cups Soaked Raw Cashews
• 1 Lemon, Zest and Juice
• 1 Lime, Zest and Juice
• 2 Oranges Zest, 1 Juiced
• 1 Mango
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
• 2 Medjool Dates
• 1/2 cup Melted Coconut Oil

Mint Lime Coulis

• 1/4 cup Fresh Mint (packed)
• 1/8 cup Water
• 1/8 cup Maple Syrup
• 1/2 tsp Chlorella
• 1/2 Lime, Zest and Juice
• 1 tbsp Chia Seed
• 2 tbsp Coconut Cream

1. For the crust, soak mango slices for at least 2h.  Then drain them and throw them into the food processor with the other ingredients.  Blend and press into the bottom of a spring form pan.  Place this in the freezer to solidify.
2. In a high speed blender place 3 cups of soaked cashews, lemon, lime and orange juice and zests, along with mango, honey, dates and melted coconut oil.  To melt the oil place it in a glass dish in a late bowl of boiling water.  Stir consistently.  This keeps all components of the cake raw.  Blend everything together and top off the crust with the filling layer.  Put this back in the freezer to set.
3. Then blend all coulis ingredients until smooth.  The chia will help to solidify the sauce slightly.  The colour may be off-putting but trust me, it’s taste is worth a mouthful.
4. When the cake has set, cut into slices and drizzle with coulis to serve. 

Gingerbread Cheesecake (Vegan)

Gingerbread Cheesecake (Vegan)

Base:

9oz raw Almonds

A pinch of Sea Salt

10 Dates

1/4 cup Coconut Oil

Bottom Layer:

1 cup soaked Cashews

1/3 cup Vanilla Almond Milk

1/3 cup Molasses

1 tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp fresh grated Ginger

1/4 tsp Cloves

A pinch of Sea Salt

The juice of 1/3 a Lemon

1/3 cup Soy Lecithin

Coconut Cream Centre:

1/3 cup Coconut Cream
1/3 cup Raw Cashews

1 tsp raw Vanilla Bean Powder

1/4 cup Vanilla Almond Milk

2 tbsp Maple Syrup

1/3 cup Coconut Oil

Top Layer:

Repeat recipe for bottom layer.

Blend all base ingredients until they stick together and then press into the bottom of a well greased springform pan, with coconut oil.  Place this in the freezer.

In a high speed blender, blend all the bottom layer ingredients except for the lecithin, until smooth.  Then mix in the lecithin until the granules are no longer visible and the consistency is thick.  Spread this out over the base and place back in the freezer.

Once again, in a high speed blender, mix all the ingredients for the coconut cream and pour over the first layer.  This one with take a while to set so give it a bit of time to freeze before re-making the gingerbread layer for the top.

Let the whole thing set in the fridge over night or in the freezer for 10-20m or so.

Vegan Turkish Coffee Pudding

This is a great pick me up treat that's satisfying and just enough sweet.

Vegan Turkish Coffee Pudding

1 1/4 cup Soaked Raw Cashews

1/3 cup Coconut Milk

3 tbsp Water

1/2 tsp Cardamom

1 tbsp Raw Cacao Powder

1 tbsp Instant Coffee

8 Deglet Noor Dates

Blend everything in a high speed blender until smooth.  Place in the fridge first to solidify a bit or eat as is for a nice coffee treat. 

Raw Vegan Chocolate Orange Mango Cheesecake

This cheesecake is punk taste test approved! Vegan ponx potluck anyone? 

Crust: 
1 1/4 cups Pecans
5 medjooll dates
Pinch of sea salt
2 heaping tbsp raw Cacao powder

Base Filling:
250g raw organic cashews (Soak overnight and drain to use)
3 Oranges juiced with pulp
THe zest of 1 orange
30 drops od sweet citrus essential oils
1/3 of a lemon juiced
Light pinch of turmeric for colour
1/2 tsp fresh ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Cardamom
1 tbs soy lecithin
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 tbsp Maple Syrup

Top Layer:
The Zest of 1 orange
1 orange
2 heaping tbsp Chia seeds
1 small Mango

Instructions 

1) Mix all base ingredients in a food processor till everything is mixed evenly.
It should stick together when squeezed.  If it doesn't add more dates one at a time.
Press flat into the bottom of a spring form pan and set aside.

2) In a high speed blender or food processor (regular blender is not strong enough to blend that cashews finely)
Blend everything until smooth.

3) Pour this on top of the base and place in the freezer while you make the top layer.

4) In a blender, Blend chia, orange and zest until the chia is fully broken down.
add mango and blend for a second or two at low speed so that it's still a bit chunky.

5) Pour this mixture on top of the base filling.

6) If you're going to be serving it soon after you can place it in the freezer to solidify faster.
If not, let it set in the fridge overnight.