Raw Cheesecake

This is kind of a weird one.

But magically tasty.

Whilst Foodgawker-ing the other day, I stumbled across a beautiful picture of what appeared to be a regular cheesecake. After clicking the link and re-directing to the owner's site, I saw that it was actually a vegan/raw cheesecake. This of course means there is no cheese, no other part of an animal and it was never baked.

Oh I had to try this.

I did have to change the recipe a bit to suite the ingredients I had on hand:

• Soaked cashews: Substituted soaked almonds
• Nut/Date Crust: Substituted crushed graham cracker and honey (yes I know, no longer raw but go with the original)
• Coconut oil: Substituted applesauce
• Raspberries: Substituted strawberries
• I also pretty much halved the recipe, so my final product didn't have those nice thick layers. If you have a mini springform pan, my version would be perfect for 2 people.

All in all, twas delicious!

Raw Cheesecake Recipe:

• 3 whole graham crackers, crushed
• 1/3 cup honey
  
• 1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp applesauce
• 3 tbsp honey
• pinch of salt
• pinch of cinnamon
  
• 1/2-1 cup strawberries, sliced

In a bowl, mix the crushed graham crackers and honey. With greased hands, pour into the pan and spread evenly on the bottom. In a blender (I highly recommend a Vitamix for this because my mixture never got quite smooth enough), combine all the ingredients except strawberries. You want an almost peanut butter texture: thick and creamy. Pour 1/2 the mixture on top of the crust and smooth. Then add the strawberries to the remaining 1/2 mixture, blend and pour on top. Cover and freeze for at least a few hours and then thaw 30 minutes prior to serving.

Definitely doesn't taste like "cheesecake," but it was unlike anything I'd ever had...and I loved it.

Grilled Steak and Pasta Salad

The sun is shining, the weather's warmer and spring has sprung.

I don't know about you, but that just makes me want to sip a cold beer and grill somethin'.

I live in an apartment and don't have a grill, which makes this a little more difficult, but luckily the complex has a relatively nice brick charcoal grill. Yesterday was my first attempt at starting a charcoal fire myself and after about 30 minutes, it worked.

Threw on my favorite steak (sirloin) and paired with a cold pasta salad that I made earlier that day. Fast and no post-dinner dishes. Win.

Grilled Steak and Pasta Salad Recipe:

• MEAT (I used 2 sirloin steaks, but grilling possibilities are endless)
• salt, pepper, olive oil
• 1 pkg Farfalle pasta
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/3 cup green peas
  
• 1 tomato, diced
• 2 cups spinach, chopped
• 2 green onions, diced
• 1/3 cup assorted olives, sliced
• 2 pepperoncinis, sliced (reserve juice for pasta)
• fresh basil
• salt, garlic powder, black and cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes
  
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• feta cheese

First, prepare your grill. If you have a gas grill, even better. If you're doing charcoal, place the coals in a pyramid stack, douse with lighter fluid, wait a minute to soak and then light. Ideally you want to light from the bottom to let the coals burn more evenly. I didn't really know what I was doing so I just added more lighter fluid here and there until the coals started turning grey. When they're smoldering, throw on your steaks. I just like salt and pepper on mine; my boyfriend adds some olive oil. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side (for rare).

Now for the even easier dish: pasta salad. Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain, pour into large bowl with a touch of olive oil to prevent sticking and let sit.

Saute the shallots in a little olive oil with some salt, pepper and red pepper flakes until caramelized. Remove from heat and toss into pasta. Add more salt and black pepper to taste, along with cayenne and garlic powder. Place in fridge for about 20 minutes to let cool. Then add the remaining ingredients and put back into fridge until ready to serve. BAM. Done.

Chicken and Sausage Etouffee

I love me some Cajun food. Definitely one of my favorite types of cuisine.

It reminds me of Tex Mex in that Cajun food is basically the same core group of flavors reorganized in different presentations. I mean really, gumbo, etouffee, jambalaya; all the ingredients are pretty much the same, but they transform into something a little unique the way in which they're prepared.

I think etouffee is probably my favorite application of Cajun ingredients. I like the thick richness of the roux served over rice. Crawfish etouffee is by far the best, but I rarely (like maybe once) have crawfish around. I decided to make a variation of etouffee with chicken and sausage. I cheated though and didn't make a roux. I just browned flour to get that smoky depth and added it to a tomato sauce-based blend. I think it turned out rather scrumptious even though real Cajuns might scoff.

Chicken and Sausage Etouffee Recipe:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt, fresh black pepper
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
  
• 1-2 chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 red bell pepper (or green), diced
• chicken broth (as needed to deglaze pan and create sauce, about 1 cup)
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp Creole seasoning
  
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup Louisiana hot sauce
• 3 tbsp browned flour
  
• 1 cup frozen okra
• 1 jalapeno sausage, pre-cooked and sliced
• 2 cups cooked white rice
• green onion for garnish

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt, black and cayenne peppers. Cook in the pan until slightly browned, remove and set aside. Deglaze the pan with a little bit of chicken broth to remove browned chicken bits and reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion and cook for a few minutes, until slightly browned. Add garlic and carrot, cook for a few more minutes. Add the second tbsp of olive oil as needed to prevent burning or sticking. Add the bell pepper and cook for a couple minutes. Add the tomato sauce, about 1/2 cup chicken broth, Creole seasoning, garlic powder, Worcestershire and Louisiana hot sauce. Bring to a boil and then quickly whisk in the browned flour. Add more chicken broth to desired consistency. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Taste sauce and add more salt and pepper to preference. Add the okra, chicken and sausage, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.

When ready, serve over white rice and garnish with green onion.

Spinach Pesto Pasta

More green stuff!

Maybe it's because it's almost St. Patrick's Day. Maybe it's because I have a lot of fresh spinach that I don't want to go bad. Regardless, this spinach pesto is the the bomb. Use whatever veggies and meat you have in the kitchen to go along with it.

Spinach Pesto Pasta Recipe:

• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 lemon, squeezed
  
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp chicken broth
• 2 tsp red chile flakes
• salt, pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp fresh basil

• 1 chicken breast
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 bunch asparagus
• 1/4 lemon, squeezed
  
• 1/2 pkg whole wheat spaghetti
  
• green onions, olives, banana peppers (optional)
  

Blend the first set of ingredients together and set aside. Place the chicken breast in a small baking pan and season with Italian spices, paprika, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and place in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, throw in the asparagus and squeeze with lemon juice. Place back in oven for 10 minutes. Cook pasta according to package directions. When finished, drain, add pesto and asparagus and top with sliced chicken. Add fresh cheese, scallions, olives, etc.

Green Breakfast Smoothie

Mmm, nothing like a cold glass of green stuff to get the day started.

I'm actually not one of those people that judge foods by their natural color. I love green stuff. Artificial coloring, on the other hand, is different. No green or purple ketchup please. That's weird.

Juice fasting is the all the rage these days, and green juices are especially good for you. I usually need something a little more dense to keep me full in the morning though. This green smoothie is perfect.

Green Smoothie Recipe:

• 1 pre-sliced frozen banana
• handful fresh spinach, rinsed well or 1/4 cup frozen spinach
• 1/3 cup milk
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp honey
• more ice as needed (to make smoothie thicker)

Blend everything together and enjoy! It didn't occur to me until after I already started drinking it that some fresh grated ginger would be a fantastic addition too. I'll add it next time :)

Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream

Peanut butter jelly time! Peanut butter jelly time!

Peanut butter jelly...ice cream time, that is.

For some reason, I've really been craving strawberry ice cream. Like need-to-go-to-store-now-to-feed-my-insane-craving.

I didn't want to go to the store though; I wanted to make it myself. I used the 'ol banana ice cream trick and added some berry jam. So tasty. Then instantly it dawned upon me that I should, nay NEEDED, to add some peanut butter. And I did. And I'm glad. Peanut butter and jelly ice cream rules.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream Recipe:

• 1 pre-sliced frozen banana
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp berry jam
• 2 tsp peanut butter
• dash of milk

Blend yo ingredients! I used an immersion blender this time instead of the regular blender. It worked even better and didn't require me to add a lot of liquid or refreeze.

Photos aren't too pretty, but who cares? Honestly, the crappier the photo, the tastier the food because I simply could not wait to eat it.

Broccoli Beef

I love Broccoli Beef, but sometimes find the Chinese take-out varieties too drenched in sticky, flavorless brown sauce. No thank you. I purchased some wafer thin round steak at the grocery store this week (because it's super cheap), and decided to use it for some tasty Broccoli Beef. This recipe is a little different than the traditional, since it incorporates Thai chiles, lime and tomato, but I recommend.

Broccoli Beef Recipe:

• 1 lb Thin Round Steak
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 lime
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 4 Thai chiles, diced
  
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp red chile paste
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
  
• fresh black pepper
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped
• 1/4 yellow onion, chopped

Lay the steak in the bottom of a shallow dish and tenderize with a fork. Top with the minced garlic, ginger, tomato and chiles. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy, vinegar, honey, chile paste, sesame seeds and black pepper. Pour over the steak. Squeeze the lime half over top. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let marinate for at least 4 hours.

Heat a skillet over medium-high. Lay the steak on the pan and cook until no longer pink. Remove the steak and slice on a cutting board into strips. Set aside. Add some of the marinade and the onions to the pan and cook over medium low heat.

Meanwhile, blanch the broccoli. When ready, add to the pan with the onions. Let that cook for a couple minutes and then add the meat and remaining marinade. Simmer until everything is heated through. Serve with brown rice.

Immunity Boosting Meal

I was sick all last week and it was no fun. Started with a bad sore throat, turned into congestion, headache, fatigue, etc. Just your average crummy cold.

After countless cups of hot tea and Ibuprofen, I was ready for a really good, healthy meal. I was craving protein-packed foods and lots of vitamins. I pretty much made this meal up in like 5 minutes in my head. I just knew all these flavors would work excellently together, and they did.

If you're in need of an immunity-boosting meal, eat this.

Baked Atlantic Salmon with Spinach Salad:

• 1 salmon fillet
• 1/4 lemon, sliced
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• fresh black pepper
• 1/2 bunch fresh spinach, torn
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
  
• 1/4 cup raw almonds, chopped
• 1 green onion, diced
• 1/2 tomato, diced

Preheat oven to 35o-degrees Fahrenheit. Place salmon in a shallow baking dash. Whisk the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, minced garlic and black pepper in a small bowl. Pour over salmon and top with lemon slices. Cover with foil and bake in oven for about 25 minutes or until salmon easily flakes with fork.

Combine the remaining ingredients for the salad. When salmon is finished cooking, poor the dripping sauce over the spinach salad and top with the fish.

Feel your body thank you.

I paired it with this little number:

Magic Hat Spring Seasonal Brew

What? People have been using alcohol as medicine for centuries...