Raw Vegan Cashew-Cranberry Cheesecake Bites

because one can only eat so many cookies.

Raw Cranberry-Cashew Cheesecake Bites.

shame-free.

Bake, eat, repeat. My perpetual holiday mantra. Bake the treats. "Quality test" the treats. Second round "quality test' the treats (because this is the very definition of important stuff, folks). Realize I don't have enough treats left to actually give as gifts. Bake the treats again. Feel shame.

I did not break the cycle this season. I did, however, supplement with something raw and full of whole food-y deliciousness and PRETTY.

The most important feature of any food gift.

I quality tested the entire first batch as my gift to you, my dear readers.

And then I made some more.

xoxox





 Raw Vegan Cashew-Cranberry Cheesecake Bites

(makes approximately 12 1" bites)

Crust:

1 1/4c raw walnuts

1 heaping cup pitted medjool dates

1/4c raw flaked coconut, unsweetened

1Tbsp flax seeds

pinch sea salt

Filling:

1 1/4c raw cashews, soaked for 2+ hours and drained

1c raw cranberries

1/2c liquified coconut oil

1/4c agave or maple syrup

1/4tsp sea salt

1.5Tbsp lemon juice

Raspberry-Cashew Cream Cheese Pinwheels in a Coconut Oil Crust

my head hurts and everything smells like berries...

Raspberry-Cashew Cream Cheese Pinwheels

in a Coconut Oil Crust.

worth it.

Did you ever have one one of those delayed hangover mornings where you don't realize the full extent of your hungover-ness until you undertake a way too massive baking project? C'mon, anyone? This is not a situation I find myself in too frequently as of late; sadly (?) my reckless "party like a rock star all night then bake vegan treats all morning" days are waning. But the weekend will ALWAYS call for baked goods and in that two day span I will, on occasion, go a little to hard at the brown liquor. And yeah, on some mornings those two things can create slightly unpleasant overlap. Last Saturday was a full day and night of social consumption but I jumped out of bed the next morning bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and almost annoyingly pumped to make use of my handpicked raspberry haul from the previous week. I had battled many a bee for those perfect little berries and they were destined for greatness. So tea was made and dough was cranked out like nobody's business. Then the fatigue set in. My eyeballs started to feel dry and the thought of continuing to move my body in any way at all became massively unappealing. But I was already in too deep, raspberry pinwheels were the chosen course of action for the morning and there was no turning back. The rest was a blur of whirring food processor blades, berry-stained fingers and uncontrollable sweating, but at the end there they were.

All pink and swirly, and totally worth it.

This is life in the fast lane, my friends.

It's not for everyone, but for those that can handle it...

Party like an aging rock star, make raspberry pinwheels, rest, repeat as necessary.

Or sub out the whole party thing and just make the damn pinwheels.

Your head will hurt way less and there are still delicious baked goods at the end.

do what the sign says.

seasonal rituals: u-pick at sunshine farm in sherborn, ma.

vegan cashew mac & cheese

the greatest love affairs are cheese-based.

Vegan Cashew Mac & Cheese

the sparkle is back.

One of my clearest food memories from early childhood is that of a baked macaroni and cheese casserole. My family did not eat such things, a fact which I regarded with resentment at the time but have grown to appreciate over the years. But there are perks to visiting relatives and sometimes those perks are cheese-covered. One sunny Florida day, my father's cousin took something from her oven the likes of which I had never seen. Surely my memories have been exaggerated over time, but this bubbly, cheesy, bread crumb-topped thing...I remember how it smelled and can picture it now,  majestically glowing like so many gold bricks. WHAT WAS MACARONI AND CHEESE CASSEROLE AND WHY HAD I NEVER EATEN IT BEFORE??? That was the moment our love affair began, macaroni and cheese and I.  In all of the intervening years, we have stayed true to each other. We even survived VEGANISM together; our bond is stronger than oak. Because of this unwavering devotion I have eaten A LOT of mac and cheese over the years,

some of it very very good and a good amount of it very very bad. 

I wouldn't say our relationship was in trouble (mac and cheese and I) but, as with any long term commitment, the sparkle might have faded, just a teensy bit.

So, I've been doing some (cashew-based) tinkering and what can I say? 

This stuff...YOU GUYS. 

This stuff is like a little bit of magic. Or a whole lot of magic. 

A whole lot of cashew-y cheesy-y magic. Without the cheese. 

The sparkle is back. 

(cashew) cheesy goodness.

Vegan Cashew 

Mac & Cheese

(serves 4... or 1 if you're me)

1 (heaping) cup raw cashews

+ water for soaking

1Tbsp tomato paste

1/4c water

2Tbsp nutritional yeast

1/2 lemon, juiced

1tsp sea salt

1/2tsp turmeric

1/4tsp black pepper

1lb pasta of your choosing.

I prefer rice (for gluten free) or 

whole wheat elbows.

optional:

1/2c unseasoned breadcrumbs 

1-2tsp olive oil

scallions/ crushed red pepper for garnish

Soak raw cashews in cool water for 1 hour.

Drain soaked cashews and place them in a food processor or blender.

Add nutritional yeast, tomato paste, salt, turmeric, pepper
and pulse a few times to combine.

Add lemon juice and water.

Blend until completely smooth.

Prepare pasta according to instructions.

Drain and combine with cashew cheese.

Add water, a tablespoon at a time, if sauce seems too thick.

Serve as is, with garnishes of your choosing

or

Spread prepared mac and cheese into a greased loaf pan.

Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and extra olive oil.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, or until top is lightly browned.

Garnish and serve.

we've got a lot of good years left in us, mac and cheese and i.

Raw Cashew Ricotta

dairy-schmairy.
Raw Cashew "Ricotta"

Soaked cashews and a sliced lemon, soon to be delicious raw cheese. 

Cashew cheese kind of changed my life. I can't pinpoint the exact moment it happened, but all you need to know is this: one day I discovered that raw cashews could be made into vegan cheese and things were never quite the same. As a long time vegan, the one (and really ONLY) thing I'd truly missed was creamy foods. Not really cheese per-se, but the richness of a creamy pasta dish like lasagna or baked macaroni and cheese. This recipe will satisfy all of those cravings and, brace yourself,
is actually GOOD FOR YOU.
Also completely raw and uncomplicated to make.
Enough said. 

Use it as you would ricotta in a raw or baked vegan lasagna, to fill vegan ravioli or to make your vegan mac and cheese extra creamy, throw some onto a veggie pizza or use it to top off soups and stews. The possibilities are really almost endless. Both the nutritional yeast and red pepper are optional and, while they add a bit of extra
flavor and color, won't be missed if left out.   

Raw Cashew "Ricotta"
makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 1/4c raw cashews
(whole or pieces)

1 lemon, juiced

1 garlic clove, minced

1tsp sea salt

1/2c water

*optional
1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1tbsp nutritional yeast




Place cashews in a bowl, cover with water and soak for at least 4 or up to 8 hours.
Drain water from soaked cashews.
Place them in a blender or the bowl of a food processor.
Add all other ingredients and blend until smooth.
Store in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to a week.

The finished product.