Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake

A few weeks ago, I took a friend to my new favorite vegan restaurant, Sanctuary Bistro, to celebrate her birthday. All the dishes were delicious but the dessert, a gorgeous strawberry cheesecake, was especially memorable. It was rich, decadent, and berrylicious! Ever since that night, I’ve been dreaming of it and looking up recipes in an attempt to recreate it. Sanctuary Bistro was kind enough to share the recipe with me for you all to try. It’s featured in their cookbook Sanctuary Bistro’s Recipes for Everyday Living.

Ingredients for Raw Cheesecake Crust
(requires 1 day advanced prep and needs a springform pan)

1 cup almonds

1 cup pecans

6 dates, pitted

Pinch of salt

Ingredients for the Cheesecake

3 cups cashews

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups strawberries

1 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup agave

1/4 cup lime juice

Directions

Crust

1. Process all ingredients of the crust in the food processor until the nuts are coarsely chopped and mixture holds shape when pressed.

2. Place the mixture into a 9" springform pan and firmly press to the bottom evenly.

Cheesecake

1. Place all of the ingredients into the high-powered blender and process until smooth, keep tamping and stirring until well incorporated.

2. Pour into the springform pan over the crust.

3. Refrigerate overnight to set.

Chocolate Chip Energy Truffles

Chocolate Chip Cookie Truffles

A few months ago, I got an email out-of-the-blue from a local high school student who wanted to share some of her keto-friendly baked goods with my Diabetes Prevention Program. Who could turn that down? Tanya amazed our group with a delicious carrot cake and custard tart. Both treats were low in sugar and grain free. Yesterday, she brought in these delightful Chocolate Chip Energy Truffles. They were tasty, also grain free, and had the addition of sugar-free chocolate chips to add just a hint of sweetness. Besides being an excellent baker, Tanya has a heart of gold. All the proceeds from the sale of her baked goods will go directly to St. Jude’s Hospital. You can learn more about Tanya’s treats, and how to order by visiting her facebook page Bake4Cause.

Chocolate Chip Energy Truffles

Yield: around 24 servings

1 cup oats
1⁄3 cup flax seeds
3⁄4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1⁄8 cup chia seeds
1⁄2 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp honey
1⁄2 cup of sugar-free sweetened chocolate chips (ex: Hershey’s sugar free chocolate chips)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients and roll into balls.

Sweet Potato Hummus

A couple of weeks ago, I created this recipe to serve at a corporate health fair. Adding turmeric and an herb (seed) you may not have heard of, Nigella Sativa, made this humble dip a powerful anti-inflammatory food.

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato (12–14 ounces), steamed until soft
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1⁄4 cup tahini
1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice (about the juice of one lemon)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small cloves garlic, halved
1-½ teaspoon Himalayan salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric, ground or fresh
1 Tbsp black seed (Nigella Sativa)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and purée until smooth. Sprinkle the black seeds on
top.