Household Blog

I have a new favorite dessert. It’s summer, and I’m avoiding sugar, as well as anything else that contributes to heat in the body—caffeine, meat, salt, etc. I run hot already, and to stay cool and happy, adjusting my diet to the season helps. I still eat moderate portions of meat and a bit of salt or sweetener here and there, but it’s drastically reduced (probably a good thing regardless) and more and more of my meals consist of raw foods made from fresh fruits and vegetables and some sprouted grains. Who needs recipes this time of year? All you have to do is pick it off the vine/tree/bush, wipe it off on your shirt, and dive in. Sun-warmed and divine.

But, well, you might still want this recipe—it’s raw, vegan (except for the honey, but you could substitute agave nectar), and of course gluten-free! a cheesecake that actually tastes like cheesecake, except that it’s much easier, much less expensive, you don’t have to worry about it cracking across the top (if you’ve ever made homemade cheesecake, you know what I’m talking about), and you don’t end up heating your kitchen up unnecessarily by running the oven. Perfect.

I found this recipe originally in The Complete Book of Raw Food cookbook—a favorite of mine, filled with creative ideas for eating a raw diet. The original version, if you’d like to check it out, is titled “Just Like Cheesecake.” Below is my version, altered only slightly to lower the amount of sweetener (honey) and allow for more variation. If you don’t want to do the topping as prescribed, you can just use fresh fruit or low- or no-sugar jam to top it. Trust me, we took it to our friends Robbie and Jeff’s last night for dinner (great polenta pizza, Robbie!) and it was a hit, shown above with some of our watermelon t’ej as dessert wine. Life is very, very good.

Raw Vegan Cheesecake

Crust:

• 2 c. nuts (I liked pecans best, but walnuts and brazil nuts were good, too)
• 1/2 c. dates, soaked and drained
• 1/4 c. dried, unsweetened coconut

Filling:

• 3 c. raw cashews, coarsely chopped and soaked for at least an hour
• 3/4 c. lemon juice
• 2/3 c. honey
• 3/4 c. coconut oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt

Topping:

• 1 to 2 c. fresh or frozen fruit
• 1/2 c. dates

Place all the ingredients for the crust into your food processor. Pulse until thoroughly chopped and well mixed—it should be sticky and slightly crumbly. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate or springform pan. Set aside.

Drain the water off the cashews. Place all filling ingredients in a high-powered blender or a food processor. Blend just until smooth. (If using a blender, do not run it too long or you may overheat the engine). Pour the filling into crust—it may not be perfectly smooth, but it’s okay. Cover and put in the freezer for at least an hour to set up. Once it has frozen—or at least gotten thoroughly chilled—you can move it to the refrigerator. It will have the consistency of regular cheesecake.

Combine topping ingredients (I’ve used raspberries or blackberries with dates, but some no-sugar jam would be lovely…) in food processor and pulse till smooth or thoroughly combined. Spread over the top of the cheesecake before serving.

Eat just one slice if you can, I dare you. But then again, not much guilt if you eat more than one piece *grin*  Enjoy!

Credit for this simple epitome-of-summer recipe goes to my wonderful grandparents, Buddy and Marie. For as long as I can remember, this (along with their recipe for tomato pie) has been the ultimate summer meal. Fresh in-season ingredients brought in still warm from the garden, chopped, mixed, et voila: perfection. Serve with some fresh corn on the side, and it truly is the quintessential summertime meal. For me anyway. And the amounts are not specific—sorry—the measurements are just sort of till-it-looks/tastes-right.

Tomato Basil Pasta

• Tinkyada gluten free spaghetti or fettucini pasta
• 2 cloves garlic
• sea salt
• 2 or 3 large fresh tomatoes or the equivalent amount of grape or cherry tomatoes, coarsely chopped into bite-sized pieces
• a couple handfuls of fresh basil, coarsely chopped
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan for garnish, optional

Smash and peel garlic cloves, and put the whole smashed cloves in the bottom of a mixing bowl. Mix in enough sea salt to coat the garlic and press garlic into the salt. Add tomatoes, basil, a drizzle of olive oil (not too much, just a tablespoon or so, max), and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside at room temperature to let the flavors develop.

Cook your pasta per usual and drain, then immediately toss pasta with the tomato mixture. Serve, garnishing with parmesan, if desired. That’s it!

What’s your favorite summertime dish?

This dish is so good I made it two nights in a row, the first night with just eggplant, then again last night I used eggplant, zucchini, sweet bell pepper and onions. I could easily see this being adapted for fall and winter veggies too. So easy. Just chop, stir bake, and serve over rice, millet, quinoa—your grain of choice.

You can substitute your favorite hot sauce for sriracha or use honey instead of agave nectar, just do so to taste as they have different potency.

Spicy Summer Vegetables

• 1.5 pounds vegetables, chopped into largeish bite-sized pieces
• 6 oz. (3/4 cup) tomato paste
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. Sriracha (depending on your heat tolerance)
• 2 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 heaping Tbsp. dried oregano, or 3 Tbsp. minced fresh oregano

Preheat oven to 400. In the bottom of a large bowl, combine everything but the veggies. Add vegetables and mix well. Spread mixture onto a cookie sheet and bake until fork tender. Serve over your grain of choice—rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, etc. Garnish with sesame seeds. Rub your belly for joy.

Serves 4 as a main course, 6—8 as a side dish.

Springtime, the farmer’s markets have reopened, glory be to the PTB! Another winter past, another year springing anew, and nothing shakes off the last residual frosty shivers like a curry. In celebration, I got more produce from the farmer’s market than one girl could possibly stand a chance of eating on her own. But I’m going to do it. With a little help from my friends of course. And here was last night’s creation.

Spring Lentil Curry

• 1 1/2 c. dry lentils
• 1 to 2-inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 whole Arbol pepper, or similar dry medium-hot pepper
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 3 to 4 spring onions, white parts and greens chopped and separated
• 1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• several handfuls fresh spinach, chopped (3 cups maybe? ish?)
• 1 can organic coconut milk
• 2 T. curry powder
• sea salt to taste

I use sprouted lentils, and if doing this, be sure to start them sprouting the day before. Regardless, cook your lentils, sprouted or otherwise, in chicken or vegetable broth. Set aside, reserving a little bit of the liquid.

Heat a broad, deep skillet over medium heat. Add butter, ghee, or coconut oil for sauteing, and then add ginger and bay leaves. Cook until aromatic, about a minute. Add carrot and the white parts of the chopped onion and sprinkle with a smattering of salt, stirring until the carrot is slightly tender.

Add lentils, coconut milk, the hot pepper, and curry powder. Mix well and adjust curry to taste, adding more salt if necessary. Allow to cook and thicken a bit, uncovered, about twenty minutes. Add spinach, cilantro, and the reserved green onion. Cook another five minutes and adjust salt and curry to your taste.

Serve over rice. Rub your belly with joy and gratitude for spring.

It may not be the prettiest dish in the world, but it is probably on my top ten list of favorite meals, and on the top five list for sheer nostalgia. I grew up eating Cajun’s Delight – apparently one of my dad’s patients gave him the recipe once upon a time. So hearty, warm, it satisfies all the tastes, and the textures, oh the textures! Crunchy, smooshy, gooey, firm… this is the definition of comfort food to me. And it’s pretty good for you, too. Shoot, when I was vegetarian I probably ate this at least twice a month. Now I’ve made a few alterations, improving in my opinion the taste and nutritional value. Got a picky vegetarian in the family? Give this baby a whirl…

Cajun’s Delight

• 1/3 c. dry lentils
• 1/3 c. dry lima beans
• 1 c. dry rice (I like a wild rice blend, like Lundberg’s)
• 3/4 c. celery, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 c. pecans
• 2 T. sesame seeds
• 1 t. sea salt
• 2 T. barbecue sauce (gluten-free)
• 3 T. oil
• 1 c. tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 t. sriracha!! (I’m sorry, I just can’t say/type sriracha without shouting gleefully :)
• 6 to 8 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded

For the beans and lentils, I prefer them sprouted, in which case, start them the day before (a post on sprouting will be coming soon). If you’re not sprouting them, soak them for 2 to 8 hours before you start preparing dinner.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cook rice. Cook beans and lentils (it’s okay if the limas are still a little bit firm, it adds a nice texture). Drain if necessary and pour into a large mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients, but reserving about a third of the cheddar cheese to the side (for topping later). Mix well.

Pat mixture evenly into a 9-inch square casserole. Bake on center rack for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over the top, then bake for another 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving, if you can stand it. I usually end up burning my mouth in my eagerness, so fair warning.

Serves 6 to 8. Enjoy!