Some people are just so creative. While watching Foodcrafters, I saw an unbelievable recipe for cheesecake. Instead of containing cheese, it has blended cashews, which has a wonderful, creamy texture. Neat, right? Interested in this raw food creation, I typed the words “cashew cheescake” into a search engine and stumbled upon this recipe. I wished that I had some coconut oil to add to my filling, but unfortunately I did not have any. The filling still turned out nicely! Be sure to adjust it to your taste level. Also, if you have fruits on hand, top the cashew cakes with them to make a fruit tart.

Servings: 13 mini cashew cakes

Crust

• 1 1/3 cups dried dates, pitted
• 2/3 cups raw almonds, soaked for 2 hours

Filling

• 1 1/3 cups cashews, soaked for 2 hours
• 3-4 tbsps lemon juice
• 2-3 tbsps honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 2-3 tbsps unsweetened coconut flakes

1. Rinse and drain the cashews and almonds. 
2. Pulse the almonds with the pitted dates.
3. Line the mini muffin tray with parchment paper and press the mixture into each cup. The recipe that I found did not require any parchment paper, but I just used it to be safe.
4. Pour the cashews, honey, lemon juice, and water into a blender. Blend until a smooth consistency is reached.  Add in the coconut flakes and blend for a few seconds. 
5. Pour the mixture into each mini muffin cup.
6. Place the tray in the freezer for about 2 hours. When ready to serve, allow the tray to thaw. 

If you offered me bread two years ago, I would have flat out refused. At that time, I had drastically reduced my consumption of carbohydrates, thinking that they caused weight gain. Well, that is not the case anymore. Over the weekend, I found this no-knead bread recipe, which shocked the culinary world due to its sheer simplicity. Jim Lahey from Sullivan Street Bakery is a genius. I took his recipe and made a few tweaks to it. While the bread was baking, the house was filled with the wonderful aroma of a little bakery. However, that is not the reason why I am writing this post. After I removed the bread from the oven and allowed it to cool down, I was left with a good looking, but most importantly scrumptious loaf of bread. Do you see the holes in the slices? Not bad for my first attempt at making bread. Let’s just say that this loaf did not last for more than a day in my house. 

• 2 1/2 cups bread flour + more for dusting
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1 1/4 tsps fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp + 2 tsps ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup dates
• 1/4 cup grounded flax seeds
• lukewarm water

1. Chop up the dates and set aside.
2. Pour the first five ingredients and chopped dates into a bowl and mix well.
3. Slowly pour the water into the bowl. Use yours hands to mix everything and form a dough. It should be “shaggy” and sticky. 
4. Cover and let it rest for 20 hours at a warm temperature of about 70 degrees. 
5. Dust a surface with flour, then place the dough on it. Fold it over itself once or twice, then cover it with a plastic wrap to rest for about 15 minutes.
6. Use just enough flour to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface and shape it into a ball. Coat a towel with some of the grounded flax seeds. Place the dough on the towel and sprinkle the rest of the seeds on top of it. Cover the dough with another towel and let it rest for 2 more hours.
7. At least a half-hour before the dough is ready, heat oven to 450F with a heavy covered pot in it. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven. Slide your hands under the towel and turn dough into the pot. Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes. Cool on a rack.

I can’t believe that I had enough time in the morning to prepare breakfast! This is the second day in the row. Well, if you are a fan of rice pudding like me, then you will love this recipe.

• 2 1/4 cups brown rice, cooked
• 1 3/4 cups unsweetened soymilk
• 5 tbsps dates, pitted and chopped (7 dates for me)
• 1 tsp cinnamon

1. Pour all of the ingredients into a pot.
2. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer for 35-50 minutes. Stir often. When the mixture becomes rich and creamy, remove from heat. Allow it to rest for about 10 minutes. During this time, the mixture will thicken up some more. Scoop out contents for serving, then refrigerate the rest.

It looks like a log with moss on top. Doesn’t that sound appetizing? Moving on now. This is the best thing that I have made up to date. I am salivating as I type up this post. Some words to describe this creation are fudgy, rich, chewy, and perfect. Now wait for it. There are only three ingredients! It is literally too good to be true.

• 1 3/4 cup whole pitted California dates
• 1/2 cup pistachios
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cacao powder

1. Process pistachios into small pieces. Remove some to be used for the coating.
2. Add in the cacao powder and process one time.
3. Add in the dates and process until a batter is form.
4. Remove the batter and roll into a log.
5. Add in the remaining pistachios into the food processor and process until they become a powder.
6. Roll the log in the pistachio powder.
7. Put in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Can’t stand the high price tag of a Larabar? Make your own! You can save money and customize the bars yourself. I made my own today and loved it! This is the first of many to come.

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1 1/4 cup whole pitted dates (19 of Dole’s dates for me)
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon 

1. Pulse the almonds, chia seeds, and cinnamon.
2. Add in the carrots, cranberries, and dates, then process until everything is well mixed.
3. Pour the mixture into a rectangular dish lined with parchment paper, then flatten it out.
4. Place the dish in the refrigerator for about 35 minutes. 
5. Remove the dish from the refrigerator and cut into bars. I was able to get five bars from this recipe.