I’ve been interested in raw foods for a while now but I hadn’t yet dabbled into the actual ‘cooking’/eating of it- until now. I decided I would make a raw cheesecake. As I study to become a holistic nutritionist, I think it is very important to experience many different ways of eating, in order to be able to give effective information to my future clients. I’ll definitely be trying more raw foods but I will probably stick to savoury recipes. I was thinking of purchasing a pack of cookbooks from Kristin’s Raw. Has anyone tried these?
I noticed that most raw foodists use cashews as their cheese and I was curious as to how the flavour would be, especially in a dessert raw food. The crust tasted quite like a Larabar- just fruit and nuts blended throughly. The cashew cheese was actually quite nice and I really felt like it wouldn’t be difficult for me to adjust to. All in all, I think this would probably be a delicious recipe as a treat for any raw foodies out there, and it’s definitely an interesting dish to try. I think smashing some of the berries into a sauce of sorts would be quite nice on top!
The recipe came in my e-mail from Vegetarian Times.
Raw Cheesecake
2 cups macadamia nuts
1 1/2 cups cashews
1/2 cup pitted medjool dates
1/4 cup dried coconut (I used unsweetened of course)
6 tbs coconut oil (liquid)
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 raw agave nectar
1/2 of a sundried vanilla bean (I just used a regular vanilla bean…not sure if it was sun dried or not)
3 cups mixed berries (I used blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cherries)
Place macadamia nuts and cashews in two seperate bowls. Cover each with cold water and soak for four hours. Rinse, drain, set aside.
Pulse the macadamia nuts and dates in the food processor to a sticky, crumb-like consistancy. Sprinkle dried coconut on the bottom of a 8 inch pie plate. Press macadamia nut mixture onto it, to form a crust.
Place cashews, lime juice, agave nectar, coconut oil and 6 tbs water in the food processor. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into the food processor. Puree until smooth and then pour onto crust. Freeze 1 to 2 hours, or until firm. Slice while frozen, but defrost on counter or in the fridge. Top with berries and enjoy! (*I think the mixing some of the berries into the cashew mixture could be neat as well, but I have not tried it!)
Tags: cheesecake, dessert, Fruit, no cooking, Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian
Her books are fabulous!! And I HIGHLY recommend checking out my raw food counselor’s site – she’s also incredible:
http://www.choosingraw.com/
Thanks VeggieGirl
MMMMM,…the cheese cake loks so lovely: I prefer your version!!! I am going to try it soon,…
This cheesecake looks interesting and yummy! Actually, I believe it is a great way to discover new flavors and new ways to cook.
Ooh thank you so much VeggieGirl. I probably will buy those books then and I’ll check out the site you recommended right after I post this!
Thanks Sophie!
It’s true Karine, it’s so neat to just try out different foods- even if you are unsure of how it may turnout!!
[...] Raw Cheesecake from Koko’s [...]
mmmmm you’re so right! So similar to the one I posted! Macadamia nuts sound like a good addition! yum. i love this cheesecake
Nice cheesecake…macadamia nuts! Yummie!
Cafe Gratitude in San Fransisco California created a beautiful Raw food cookbook filled with delicious recipes called, “I am Grateful”
I Am Grateful: Recipes and Lifestyle of Cafe Gratitude
by Terces Engelhart and Orchid
Oh MY GOD – this looks and sounds amazing. And it seems really easy too! I used to really enjoy deserts until I went vegan and refined-sugar-free, now my desert is fruit and nuts. And not that there is anything wrong with it, but why not make the fruits and nuts into this!!! I have so got to make this!!!
Thanks for the great recipe!!!
i don’t understand why “raw” enthusiasts are so obsessed with cashews…they are far from raw. the cashew is naturally housed in a shell that is covered with a particularly nasty chemical that causes blistering similar to that of poison ivy when it comes in contact with human skin. the process of extracting the edible portion requires repeated roasting…rendering it *gasp* cooked. i understand that you’re trying this out to expand your natural food repertoire, but the fact is that the raw lifestyle is a sham. a huge percentage of the people who follow a “raw vegan” diet end up in a state of malnutrition… some because they were drawn to it as an extension of a preexisting eating disorder, some because they truly thought they were doing something good for their body, and some because they were just following the latest trend. the really infuriating part, though, is that it’s not even real! so many of the foods this diet champions are, in fact, cooked. cashews are not raw…nor is maple syrup, nutritional yeast, or a grande soy mocha late.
[...] Needed This recipe comes from Koko of Koko’s Kitchen. Check out her recipe for the goodies needed and preparation [...]
Thank you for your comments Amanda Mae, Juliana, Diana!!!
Evita- thanks so much, and I’m so glad to see that you tried out the recipe, as well. Looks great!
Aaron- I was, like you said, just trying to expand my food horizon, and I appreciate the information you’ve brought forth. I didn’t know that raw cashews are in fact, not raw. I’m not here to knock anyone’s lifestyle choices or anything but I’m sure that there is no criminal punishment for being for a raw foodist who isn’t 100% raw. I think that raw foodists are most often looking to achieve a healthier lifestyle and whether that can be accomplished with a raw food diet is always going to be debated. (I recently stumbled across an article about how raw foods contribute to how much light we humans emit…and yes, we do emit light. I’ll post the link at the bottom of this) But I say hey- either way, at least it’s better than a diet filled with trans fats and genetically modified foods!
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/08/15/Your-Body-Literally-Glows-With-Light.aspx
I second what VeggieGirl said… Gena’s website and services for coaching people with raw food – she’s awesome. And, ehem, I’m partial to my books, so yeah, I’ll say I like them – LOL.
Cheers,
Kristen
I have taken Susan Schneck’s book, “The Live Food Factor” to several natural food stores and health practictioners and have had such comments as, “Susan’s book is the most comprehensive book written on the Raw Food lifestyle.” I think you would glean much wealth for yourself from this resource.