Tag: noaddedsalt

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Raw Vegan Cheesecake

Raw Vegan Cheesecake

Nataliya Bryantsev "Being in Best Health" , https://beinginbesthealth.com/raw-vegan-cheesecake/
Raw Vegan Cheesecake
Happy weekend!
Inspired by raw vegan recipe creators, I was looking for a no-oil added raw vegan version of a cheesecake. Most of the recipes call for coconut oil or coconut milk. While coconut oil or milk can make cheesecake very smooth and rich, it also adds a handful of calories and fat.
I wanted to make a cheesecake using only nuts and fruit, without added oils, sugars, or colorants. So that I could have a cake and eat it, too. And not to feel guilty, heavy, sleepy, or comatose after eating a dessert.
By the way, do you know that a piece of cheesecake can contain up to 1,000 cal or even more? This recipe provides only 390 calories per slice; moreover, it is low in salt, has no added sugars and oils, and zero artificial ingredients and trans fats.
Here we go: for this recipe, I used soaked raw cashews, fresh berries, and dates. That’s it. And it was heavenly.
Equipment:
A 9-inch springform pan, blender with a plunger (I used a Vitamix), parchment paper, and bowls.
Ingredients:
3 cups of raw cashews - soak them overnight or for 8 hours in cold water to get about 6 cups of soaked nuts (they expand about twice in size).
Blueberries (fresh or frozen) - 1/3 cup
Raspberries and blackberries (fresh or frozen) - 1/3 cup
Dates Medjool, without pits - 14
Filtered water - at least 3 cups
This recipe is 100% plant-based, gluten-free, flour-free, and has noadded oils, sugars, colorants, or salt. I made it for the fourth of July holiday.
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Prep Time 1 day
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 slices
Calories 392 kcal

Equipment

  • 9-inch springform pan
  • blender with a plunger
  • bowl for soaking nuts
  • parchment paper - a square of 12x12 inches

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups raw dried cashews - Nuts reqiure an overnight or 8-hour soaking in 4 cups of cold water
  • 1/3 cup blueberries - I used fresh
  • 1/3 cup a mix of raspberries and blackberries - I used fresh
  • 14 pieces dates, Medjool, without pits - take care to remove the pits and stems
  • 3 cups filtered water - for blending the ingredients

Instructions
 

  • 1. This step needs to be done in advance. Prepare the nuts: Soak the nuts for 8 hours or overnight in 4 cups of cold water. Drain the soaking water, rinse, and drain again.
    2. Prepare the springform pan: Release the lock, cover the bottom of the pan with a parchment paper, and lock in place.
    3. Prepare the white layer:
    Measure 2 cups of soaked cashews, add 1/2 cups of water, and blend into a thick mixture using the plunger. Add a bit more water if a blender stops. Add 6 dates and blend well. Add a bit more water if needed. Taste for sweetness and add a few more dates if needed. Transfer the white mixture into the pan and let it freeze for at least 4 hours or until firm.
    4. Prepare the red layer:
    Divide the remaining cashews into two parts (about 2 cups each). Put 1 part of cashews into a blender, add raspberries, 1/4 cups of water, and blend with a plunger. Add a bit of water if blender stops and blend again. Add 4 dates and blend well. Taste for sweetness and add a few more dates if needed. Take the pan out of the freezer and transfer the red mixture on top of the frozen white mixture, and let it freeze for at least 4 hours or until its firm.
    5. Prepare the blue layer:
    Put the remaining cashews into a blender, add blueberries, 1/4 cup ofwater, and blend with a plunger. Add a bit of water if blender stops. Add 4 dates and blend well. Taste for sweetness and add a few more dates if needed. Take the pan out of the freezer and transfer the blue mixture on top of the frozen red mixture. Let it freeze for at least 4 hours. Decorate the top of the cake with berries and return to a freezer for another 12 hours to set.
    6. Serve the cake:
    To slice a cake, remove it from the freezer. Release the lock and take the cake out of the pan. Peel the parchment paper away from the bottom of the cake. Put the cake onto the bottom of the pan and let it thaw for 5 minutes. Slice with a sharp knife into 8 or 10 pieces. Put the pan back on, lock it, and put the cake in the freezer. Store it in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. To serve a cake, take out slices and let them thaw at room temperature for about 15 minutes before eating.
    This recipe is 100% plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, flour-free, and has no added oils, sugars, colorants, or salt.
    Nutritional analysis by Chronometer: One serving (1 slice out of 8) contains:
    Calories - 392, protein - 9.75 g, fat – 21.5 g, carbohydrates - 42.8 g, trans fats – 0 g, saturated fat – 3.8 g, monounsaturated fat – 11.6 g, fiber – 5 g, sodium- 6.4 mg, and added sugars – 0 g.
    Enjoy!
    Nataliya @ https://beinginbesthealth.com/
    References:
    Andrews, A. (2019). Raw strawberry cheesecake: gluten-free. https://lovingitvegan.com/raw-strawberry-cheesecake/
    Baird, L. & Rodwel, J. (2005). The complete book of raw food.Healthy Living Books: New York, NY
    Chronometer. (2020). Recipe analysis. https://cronometer.com/
     
Keyword dairy-free, flour-free, gluten-free, gut health, no-bake, noaddedoil, noaddedsugar, plant-based, raw, vegan

I hope you try this recipe. Let me know how it turned out for you.

Best wishes,

Nataliya

 

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Homemade Chocolates

Hello! Several years ago, I learned how to make raw chocolates from scratch. I believe that it was a recipe by Any Phyo that I found in the book and wanted to give a try as the chocolate-making at home seemed to be a pretty straightforward process.

In reality, the process was straightforward and a bit messy, however, the results were totally worth all the efforts. The homemade chocolates were so heavenly delicious that the store-bought varieties could not come anywhere close. Since then, I experimented with many different raw chocolate recipes. There are many variations posted on the internet. Some of them recommend using fewer oils or fats and more of the cacao powder, and vice versa. Others called for different types of sweeteners such as maple syrup or honey. All these recipes turned out pretty good. One thing I want to mention is that the quality of the ingredients really matters! To get the best tasting, smooth, homogenous, bitter-sweet chocolate, use the best ingredients that are available. You want to select the ingredients that are raw, unrefined, organic, and pure (without additives or preservatives or flavors). Today, I’m sharing with you one of the recipes that I like the most; I can call it a “full-proof” recipe. Every single time I followed this recipe, I got great results.

 Download the recipe!

The ingredients:

  • 1/8 cup raw, unrefined, virgin coconut oil
  • 1/8 cup raw cacao butter
  • 1/4 cup raw coconut nectar or any other liquid sweetener (maple syrup, date syrup, or honey)
  • 1/2 cup raw cacao powder

Equipment:

  • A double boiler (or a large and a small pot) for melting the coconut oil and the cacao butter
  • A wooden teaspoon
  • Silicone molds

The method of preparation:

  1. In a double boiler, bring 2 cups of water to a boil and turn the heat off. Alternatively, boil the water in a large pot and put the dry and empty smaller pot into it.
  2. Place cacao butter in the double boiler (or into a smaller pot) and allow it to melt completely. Add coconut oil and let it melt as well. This step may take a few minutes.
  3. When both fats turn into liquid, stir in the liquid sweetener of your choice.
  4. When the liquid becomes homogenous, add cacao powder and mix it all well. The final mixture looks glossy and homogenous and has a rather thick consistency.
  5. Start filling up the molds using a teaspoon. If the chocolate mixture hardens, warm it up a bit to make it liquid. Place the filled with chocolate molds into a freezer for at least 8 hours to firm up.
  6. To serve, press the chocolates out of the molds. Enjoy with tea or fresh vegetable juice. Store in a refrigerator for up to 14 days.

Enjoy! Nataliya

References: Baird, L. & Rodwel, J. (2005). The complete book of raw food. Healthy Living Books: New York, NY

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Quinoa Pancakes

Happy Independence Day weekend to everybody! It is a middle of the year and almost a middle of the summer. What is your favorite summer-time activity? For me, it is the appreciation of the long days filled with the sunshine and the delicious and colorful summer foods. 

Today, I’m sharing with you one of my favorite recipes – the quinoa pancakes.

It needs just a few ingredients, is easy to make, and tastes very good. Actually, both the sweet and savory versions of this recipe can be enjoyed year-round. 

 

 

 

You will need the following ingredients:

  • Quinoa (white, red, or multicolored),
  • ripe banana,
  • flax seeds, 
  • water.

That’s it. You may use a little bit of coconut oil, however, it is optional if you use a non-stick skillet.

You will need this equipment: a bowl, blender, and non-stick skillet. The amount of preparation time can be reduced if you have more than one skillet. I typically use 3 small non-stick skillets, and in this case, the total preparation time takes about 5-7 minutes. 

What I love about this recipe is that the pancakes have a neutral taste and can be enjoyed with both sweet and savory meals or snacks. As a sweet version, I like to serve them with berries, fruits, and coconut yogurt. For a savory twist, I serve them with veggies, salads, and dressings (taco-like style). On this image below, you can see 3 pancakes, each served with the arugula leaves, slices of tomato and red onion, and avocado cubes. In this version, the pancakes work as flatbreads or soft tacos. 

Additionally, I soaked and sprouted the quinoa seeds, which is an easy step that can improve the digestibility and nutrient availability. Moreover, soaked and sprouted quinoa gives you more pancakes if compared with those made from the unsoaked quinoa. Note that this recipe does not need any flour; the whole quinoa seeds were soaked and sprouted and blended together with banana, flax seeds, and water. Here is a full recipe, enjoy!

Download the recipe: Quinoa Pancakes

By the way, it is the middle of the year, and I’m wondering how are your new year resolution goals doing? How successful have you been so far? Which obstacles came your way?

Let’s discuss how I can help you to get back on track during the next 6 months.

Our first 20-minute discovery session is free of charge, and I can work with you as a wellness coach or/and a nutrition consultant, depending on your needs. Contact me today, I’m happy to see how I can help!

In best health,

Nataliya.

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Tomato Celery Cucumber Juice

It is the end of summer and I like to celebrate it with vegetable juice prepared from some local and seasonal produce.

My favorite is a homemade version of V-8 juice. The original V-8 recipe calls for eight vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, spinach, and watercress.

However, I found that if I only have three ingredients, it still tastes pretty yummy.

For this Tomato Celery Cucumber Juice recipe, I like to juice tomato, celery, and cucumber, in any proportion, depending on what I have. The taste of this juice is sweet and salty and can satisfy the salty cravings in a very nutritious way.

To make an easy homemade version of V-8 juice, you will need these ingredients:

  • Tomatoes, 8-10, average size
  • Cucumber, 1 large, or 2 small
  • Celery, 2 stalks

Preparation

Wash and scrub the vegetables. Depending on your juicer, you may need to cut them in halves or quarters. Put the vegetables in the juicer. Enjoy immediately or store in a refrigerator for up to 12 hours to preserve the maximum nutrition.

Here is a quick video on how to make this juice.

To your health,

Nataliya

Reference:

Campbell’s. (2018). V-8 vegetable juice. Retrieved from https://www.campbells.com/v8/vegetable-juice/v8-vegetable-juice/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwiJncBRC1ARIsAOvG-a5wF6jqgUboThqErspcWGGcFK8tUE-FmjSz-EGGVAd2690ad0Le10QaAoiFEALw_wcB