Raw Vegan Key Lime Cheesecake

Key lime pie is my favourite flavour of anything ever. I once had a gluten free key lime pie in Seattle when I was lucky enough to travel America’s west coast for a month and I still dream about it it was that good. This raw cheesecake recipe is most definitely a great deal healthier however – no sugar overload, no dairy – instead a simple bunch of clean, whole, raw foods.

Every raw vegan cheesecake recipe I’ve come across looks amazing, but they all seem to use cashew nuts in the filling, which for me are seriously high up on the FODMAP scale. When I came across the recipes from Karielyn and Allison which used macadamia nuts instead of cashews, I knew I had to try my own.

I made this on a Sunday for a BBQ in the garden with a big crowd and it went down a treat – even with non health foodies! Next time I’d like to try little ones in cupcake cases like these Key Lime Bites which look so good and I think would be even easier to serve.

For the crust:
– 1 cup mix of raw almonds and walnuts (you can use all almonds but I find the walnuts help to make the dessert lower in FODMAPS see more notes about this on my Raw Fudge Brownie Tart recipe!)

– 1 cup organic medjool dates

– 2 tablespoons organic coconut oil

– splash of organic vanilla extract

– pinch of salt

– 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder (optional for a chocolately crust)

For the filling:

– 1 1/2 cup organic raw macadamia nuts

– 1/2 cup almond milk

– 1/2 cup lime juice

– 6 tablespoons organic maple syrup (*I know there are big debates surrounding maple syrup not being completely raw, but alongside having to avoid other sweeteners such as honey and agave on the low FODMAP diet, I’m with Marquis from Real Raw Kitchen on why I’d pick maple syrup  every time) 

– 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

– 6 tablespoons organic coconut oil

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To make:

Crust:

1) Put all the crust ingredients into a food processor and process until it’s a sticky coarse meal.

2) Scoop out the mix and put in the bottom of the cheesecake pan, pressing down firmly.

3) Set in the freezer to harden while you prepare the filling.

Filling:

1) Put all the filling ingredients into a powerful blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

2) Remove the cheesecake pan from the freezer and pour the filling on top of the crust.

3) Return the cheesecake pan back to the freezer for approximately 2 – 3 hours or until hard and firm.

Assembly:

1) Remove the cheesecake from the freezer after it’s hardened and set at room temperature for 5 – 10 minutes to thaw slightly, but not too long because it will become too soft if left out at room temperature. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great just out of the freezer, especially on a hot day (not that we get many of those in the UK), but if you let it thaw you’ll get a creamy consistency closer to that of regular cheesecake.

2) Garnish the cheesecake with whatever toppings you like – I used crushed walnuts and lime zest, try shredded coconut, lemon zest or lime wedges, there’s even a great recipe for whipped coconut cream topping recipe here.

Enjoy!

 

The best raw – vegan – key lime pie cheesecake

 

Chocolate orange bliss balls

Before I was diagnosed with a thousand and one food intolerances, I was a really big fan of Jaffa Cakes.  The whole full moon, half moon, quarter moon thing – I was all over that. These are the perfect substitute.

Completely:

– raw

– vegan

– gluten free

– dairy free

– egg free

– grain free

And so easy to make and have on the go!

Chocolate orange raw Bliss balls

These are addictive.

Ingredients:

– 1 cup almonds

– ½ cup walnuts

– 3/4 cup dates

– juice of 1 orange

– rind of 2 oranges

– 2 tbsp liquid coconut oil

– ¼ cup cacao powder (or carob powder, or cocoa just note it won’t be completely raw)

– pinch of salt

– dash of cinnamon

To make:

Literally chuck everything in a food processor until you get a thick, sticky dough. Roll into small balls and dust with a layer of cacao powder if desired!

Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Raw Vegan Fudge Brownie Tarts

These are completely raw, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, grain free AND full of antioxidants with a bit of protein snuck in. What more could you want in life. Rich, chocolately brownie tart heaven, made from ingredients that are actually good for you. No processed ingredients and no crap, plus they’re really easy to make and look pretty fancy too.

It would be a complete lie to say these were zero calories and fat-free but made with whole, clean, natural ingredients, I promise they can fix that chocolate craving without ripping your bikini body diet plan to shreds.

*N.b. I know some people can struggle with dates and almonds on the low FODMAP diet but I can manage a small amount – I added walnuts into the base layer mix to balance out the almonds a bit, but just be cautious when trying out this recipe first time if you’re unsure of the amount you can tolerate or whether you can at all.

You can also use cocoa powder instead of the raw cacao to make it a bit cheaper – just note it won’t be completely raw. If you’ve got a bit of cash to splash however and you’re considering buying the stuff, I find cacao really does last a while and is full of health benefits! (I Quit sugar has a great post on the topic).

 

Bottom layer ingredients:

– 1 cup pitted medjool dates

– 1 cup mixed raw walnuts & almonds

– 1/4 cup raw cacao

– 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil

– pinch of salt

– dash of cinnamon

– dash of vanilla extract

nb. to make a basic base you can simply process together dates and nuts which still tastes amazing, but after debates (and lots of testing) the rest of the ingredients just add something good

Top layer ingredients:

– 2 ripe bananas

– 1/2 cup raw cacao

– 4 tbsp raw almond butter

– 4 tbsp raw maple syrup

– 2 tsp of peppermint extract and mint leaves to garnish (optional)

 

To make:

1. Mix together all of the bottom ingredients in a food processor until well blended
2. Spread the mix into the base of some tart cases or anything you fancy, and push down with your fingers to the edges until evenly distributed (line the trays with cling film first to make it to much easier to get the tarts out too!)
3. Mix together the top ingredients in a food processor until well blended
4. Spread the chocolately top mix over the bottom layer base until evenly distributed
5. Place in freezer for at least 30 minutes
6. Serve and enjoy!

Plus you can just re-freeze whatever you don’t eat and have at a later date!

Low FODMAP Carrot and Coriander soup

I really love soup. It’s so easy, so versatile and you can shove a load of veggies and spices in and get a ton of nutrients and minerals in one low fat meal. I hate however, that I can no long buy any store made version – even the healthier, cleaner ones, because they all contain onion and/or garlic!

This recipe from Karina at the Gluten-Free Goddess is one I use so often (I just switch the curry powder for coriander powder because I am yet to find a suitable low FODMAP brand).  I love serving mine with lactose free cream cheese, adding in parsnips every now and then or using almond or coconut milk to make it a bit creamier. Go wild. The possibilities are endless.

You need only:

– 2 lbs. organic carrots, trimmed, peeled, chopped

– cold fresh water

– sea salt, to taste

– good shake of cumin powder

– good shake of coriander powder

 To make:

1. Toss the chopped carrots into a soup pot and add just enough cold water to cover them before seasoning with sea salt and a dash or two of coriander or cumin

2. Cover and bring to a boil; lower the heat and simmer until the carrots are very tender (about 20 mins). Add a bit more water if you need it

 3. Puree the soup with blender/smoothie maker until the carrots are blended and the soup is silky smooth. Then gently heat it through!

Gluten Free Bread sticks

Sorry for my lack of posts over March, a 14,000 word final-year dissertation to write, an infinite number of mad job application send outs and three weeks of a flu virus alongside a course of antibiotics didn’t really make for the most chirpy or interesting read!

I am now feeling a bit more back on track however (wooo!) and after a busy few days in London I made these yesterday morning for a family lunch time snack. These are the easiest, tastiest, gluten and dairy free vegan bread sticks I’ve ever made, flavoured with just olive oil, sea salt and cracked black pepper. The recipe is from the wonderful Mel at Pig in the Kitchen and came in my March gluten and dairy free box from Crate of Nothing (another blog post to follow on how good that was later).

Please ignore the not-so-symmetrical shapes but my skills with a homemade piping bag aren’t the best – or the most patient…

Mel Pig in the Kitchen

 

You will need:

• 100g Cornflour
• 50g Potato flour
• 100g Brown rice flour
• 1 and a half tsp. dried yeast
• half a tsp. xanthan gum
• 1 tbsp sugar
• half a tsp salt
• 50g dairy free spread
• 180ml (approx). tepid water

Then simply:

1. Preheat your oven to 190C and line a baking tray with some baking parchment – you may need two trays!
2. Tip all of the flours into a large mixing bowl along with the yeast, xanthan gum, sugar and salt and mix well until everything is evenly distributed
3. Pop the dairy free spread into the bowl and rub together until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs
4. Carefully add the tepid water to the mix (you may not need it all) until you have a thick mix – almost like a thick cake batter
5. Beat everything together with a wooden spoon for around 1 minute to make sure all the ingredients are combined (and to get rid of any nasty lumps and bumps…)
6. Next, take a big spoon and dollop some of the mix into a piping bag with a thin nozzle (5mm)
7. Now, it’s time to get your piping skills on! Gently pipe the mix onto your baking trays in a long, smooth and simply elegant fashion
8. Using a pastry brush (or your finger) carefully brush the surface of each stick with olive oil
9. Season the sticks with a little sea salt and cracked black pepper then pop the lot into your oven
10. Bake for 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown, then remove and allow to cool before serving

 

Gluten free bread sticks