Chocolate Lavender Cheesecake (soy, dairy, gluten, and nut free)

I’m dragging my feet. I have no clue why but I’m putting off taking my personal trainer certificate test. The perks of being certified are numerous: be official, make money, help people, do something I love/am good at, but for some reason I was just not doing it. My wonderful, inspiring mentor caught wind of this and gave me a deadline. As soon as he set the bar I got this huge smile on my face. I felt empowered, pressured (in a good way) and motivated to study my ass off.  So much time is spent talking about the things that we could do or want to do.

Enough talk!

Earlier this year I got inspired to try something new every month– took a motorcycle course, went to a sewing lesson, signed up for kickball, started this blog etc. This week I encourage you to make your spirit and adventurous side a priority. Go do something new and exciting – if you live in LA take me with you! 

Another project I’ve been meaning to try is a lavender cheese cake and also a nut free cheesecake…. And this blog just got delicious!

Ok so these were the guidelines for my experiment:

Flavor: chocolate lavender

Free of: soy, dairy, gluten, and nuts

Although I don’t have a nut allergy my roommate’s boyfriend does so he never gets to try my raw cheesecakes which are normally a cashew base and almond crust. I also have a dear friend, Andrew, who is also allergic to nuts and is vegan so this project is dedicated to him! (xoxo)

Crust

¾ cup oats (mine were certified gluten free)

¼ cup flax meal

¼ cup shredded coconut

2 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

3oz date paste

2tbs cocoa nibs

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor (only ½ the date paste) and process. It will start to rise up the sides push it down until everything is well combined.
2. Add the 2^nd half of the date paste and process.
3. It should be a mixture that can hold together with gentle pressure and be broken apart with a clean break.
4. Distribute crust evenly on the bottom of lightly oiled pan (using coconut oil).
• Put a little coconut oil on your clean hands to get the crust in the pan. I found this keeps the crust from sticking to your hands – a very frustrating experience.

      5.   Refrigerate until filling is ready.

Filling

3 cups soaked sunflower seeds

1 cup sunflower milk (or any other dairy, nut, and soy free milk)

¾ cups good quality sweetener (agave if you want it to be truly raw, maple syrup or brown rice syrup work as well)

2 tbsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

½ cup melted cocoa butter

1-3 teaspoon food grade lavender (depending on how much you like lavender)

¼ cup coconut oil

3 tbsp sunflower lecithin

For swirling

1 tbps sweetener

1 ounce cocoa powder

1 tbsp vanilla

1. Combine all ingredients for filling except for coconut oil and lecithin.
2. Blend well until smooth and creamy. 3-5 minutes.
3. Stop blending and add the lecithin and melted coconut oil then blend until smooth.
4. If you don’t want to swirl add the cocoa powder to this mixture and blend well.
5. Add mixture to pan and freeze for 1-3 hours or until middle of cheesecake is firm to the touch.
6. If you DO want to swirl. Remove 1 ½ cups of the mixture and set aside.
7. Put the original mixture in the pan.
8. Take 2 cups of reserved filling and add cocoa powder, vanilla, and sweetener.
9. From here you can swirl or layer depending on what you want to go for.
10. When you are done swirling and/or layering freeze for 1-3 hours or until middle of cheesecake is firm to the touch.

And that’s it people! You have a soy, dairy, gluten, and nut free raw vegan cheesecake. Your friends with allergies will thank you; promise. I must say the consistency was perfect. Plus sunflower seeds are SO much cheaper than cashews. I’m going to stick to this.

Moral of today’s blog: make yourself a priority; try something new in life and in the kitchen.

A few variations

1.      Don’t like lavender? Leave it out! With this recipe you will have an amazing vanilla base.

2.      Don’t like chocolate? We’ll you’re nuts but leave it out!

3.      This crust was really thin. Next time I’m going to double the crust.

4.      Don’t like coconut in your crust? Leave it out and swap it for more oats or flax.

Showing affection - Pomegranate Cheesecake

I hope you all had a magnificent and healthy Thanksgiving! I had a vegan, gluten free (mostly nut free) potluck at my place. With nearly 20 attendees we had quite the spread. My talented friend Max took pics of the occasion; as soon as I get them back I will write a post about the day and my recipes.

Teaser: GF rice stuffing, GF mushroom gravy, home made cranberry sauce, and raw GF pecan pie!

And this – my centerpiece!!!!

Yes those are hand carved radish flowers thank you for noticing!

I also made sure to take care of myself by cleansing my system, taking a digestive enzyme, and getting some raw sauerkraut in to keep my stomach – and the rest of my body working properly.

Moving on. Let’s talk about affection. I’m not going to get all mushy on you but in my 20-some years on this planet I learned a few things and one is that people show affection very differently; physical touch, financial support, being present emotionally etc. With me I noticed when I care about someone I get very domestic. It’s weird because I can be such a hard ass most of the time but I like making great meals for those I like/love. So naturally when my lovely roommate’s birthday came up I wanted to make her a special treat.

I came up with raw, gluten free, nut free (so her man could have some too) pomegranate cheesecake.  

I’m not going to lie guys…. this turned out f-ing fantastic. I was particularly proud. I had a little mess up that turned into a discovery and I think all my future cheesecakes will be better. 

It went something like this:

Crust:

Same as the Chocolate Lavender Cheesecake (but I doubled it)

Filling:

3 cups soaked sunflower seeds

1 ½ cups pomegranate juice

¼ cup lemon juice

¾ cup maple syrup (agave works too)

1 tablespoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sunflower lecithin

¾ cup coconut butter

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients for filling except for coconut butter and lecithin.
2. Blend well until smooth and creamy. 3-5 minutes.
3. Stop blending and add the lecithin and melted coconut butter then blend until smooth.
4. Add mixture to pan and freeze for 1-3 hours or until middle of cheesecake is firm to the touch.

That is it my dears! I really loved this one. Also, I must brag for a minute. I juiced the pomegranate myself. 5 of them! If you want to know how leave a comment below. I think this entry is long enough!

I realized I’ve posted a lot of desserts, at first I felt bad but it is dessert season and if you are going to have them they should be as healthy as possible. But I promise I have some work out reviews and main courses coming your way soon!

Today, do something to show affection for someone you care about. It feels good plus you are making your emotions a priority! 

V-Day - Benefits of Roses - Raw Chocolate Rose Cheesecake

O Valentines Day. It has so many meanings for each individual. Regardless if you celebrate or not you can take advantage of the post V-Day rose sales and not just to spruce up your place. 

Roses are another everyday plant that we just pass by. (Remember our talk about dandelion?) So what can you do with roses? Make rosewater! Here's why:

• Improves depression and anxiety (aroma therapy).
• Soothes capillaries.
• Improves circulation.
• Heals sunburn, bug bites, and rashes.
• Curbs skin and bladder infections.
• Helps removing dirt, makeup and oil from the skin (toner).
• Helps in maintaining the pH balance of the skin, and provides calming effect on acne and eczema.
• Adds shine to hair (spray on), can be used as a conditioner, helps controlling dandruff.
• Promotes hair growth.
• Aides digestive issues.
• Remedy for diarrhea and ulcers.
• Soothes inflamed sore throats (gargle).
• Relieves tooth ache.
• Strengthen teeth and provide relief against gum pains. Helps with bad breath.
• Used to clear eye infections.
• Relieves PMS symptoms, menopausal symptoms and gently balances hormones.
• Relives menstrual cramps and improves mood swings.

How to incorporate rosewater into your diet? 

Raw Chocolate Rose Cheesecake

For more food pics and ideas follow PlantBasedPaige on instagram, twitter and vine!

Crust

• 1¼  cup almonds ½ cup hemp seed 
• 2 ounces cacao powder
• 4 ounces date paste
• 2 tbsp liquid vanilla    
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 

*nut free crust here

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor (only ½ the date paste) and process. It will start to rise up the sides push it down until everything is well combined.
2. Add the 2^nd half of the date paste and process.
3. It should be a mixture that can hold together with gentle pressure and be broken apart with a clean break.
4. Distribute crust evenly on the bottom of lightly oiled pan (using coconut oil).

o        Put a little coconut oil on your clean hands to get the crust in the pan. I found this keeps the crust from sticking to your hands – a very frustrating experience.

      5.   Refrigerate until filling is ready.

Filling

• 3 cups soaked sunflower seeds
• 2 cups sunflower milk (or any other dairy, nut, and soy free milk)
• ½ cup good quality sweetener (agave if you want it to be truly raw, maple syrup or brown rice syrup work as well)
• ¼ cup vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp lemon juice 
• 1tsp finely shredded beets (for the pink color)
• 1tsp food grade rose water (more or less to taste)
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 3 tbsp sunflower lecithin

For swirling

• 1 ounce cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients for filling except for coconut oil and lecithin.
2. Blend well until smooth and creamy. 3-5 minutes.
3. Stop blending and add the lecithin and melted coconut oil then blend until smooth.
4. If you don’t want to swirl add the cocoa powder to this mixture and blend well.
5. Add mixture to pan and freeze for 1-3 hours or until middle of cheesecake is firm to the touch.
6. If you DO want to swirl. Remove 1 ½ cups of the mixture and set aside.
7. Put the original mixture in the pan.
8. Take 1 ½ cups of reserved filling and add cocoa powder, vanilla, and sweetener.
9. From here you can swirl or layer depending on what you want to go for.
10. When you are done swirling and/or layering freeze for 1-3 hours or until middle of cheesecake is firm to the touch.

What a delicious way to make you and your loved ones a priority this Valentines day!

Other unique - eco friendly - vegan Valentines Day ideas from one of my favorite longevity gurus! 

Home Made Nut Butter

One of my favorite snacks is nut butter of just about any kind. Nuts have a variety benefits including protein,  antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. It can also aid in stress reduction: the nutrients in several types of nuts can help protect your body against the damaging physical effects of being stressed out. Boosts the immune system with vitamin E, vitamin B and magnesium. Improving heart health: may help reduce LDL cholesterol - According to a Harvard review. And so much more!

I really love nut butters but like most products, the store bought brands aren't up to standard! They often contain harmful oils, sugar, preservatives, aren't raw, are loaded with sodium, or are just over priced. Once I realized how unbelievably easy it was to make them I'll never go back!

Hopefully you caught my blog the other day about juicing -  one wonderful perk to the kind of juicer I have is that it can also make nut butters (and pasta). I've had an Omega 8000 series masticating juicer for about 5 years now and it is still going strong. For a solid 2 years I was using it daily and I've seen this model take a beating! If you do the math on this:  juice can be anywhere from $7-$14 in LA and I got the juicer for about $250, if you juice daily it will pay for itself in a few weeks! And thats not including the yummy, healthy, raw, nut butters you can make.

Lets get down to business. For this I used hazelnuts so that I could make a raw chocolate hazelnut cheesecake. 

Step one. Decide on your nut butter - literally the hardest part.
Step two. Assemble your juicer with the proper parts. Follow instructions that came with your particular juicer.
Step three. Turn on the machine and slowly start to feed the nuts through. You will get a nut meal/flour type of substance and first, this is totally normal. Go with it!
Step four. Feed the ground up nuts back through 5-6 times. You will eventually get a paste.
Step five. Add your favorite healthy oil - for me it would be cold pressed coconut oil. Just add a little bit at time until you get the consistency you want.

And thats it! I was skeptical at first because it didn't come out all creamy from the get go but trust me this is way worth it. The entire process took less than 10 minutes and I felt so DIY.

Taking control of the ingredients in your nut butters is an easy way to make yourself a priority - and feel like a total bad ass!

Healthy Holiday Treats – Rice Crispy Treats (vegan and gluten free)

Just like everyone else I was in a treat making mode over the last week. I was testing new recipes, making  thank you cheesecakes, creating warm winter meals to show my affection and making healthy gift boxes for the people in my life.

With so many treats I was able to create different versions of Healthy Holiday Treats and a second blog! Lucky you.

This one has: Mini Cheesecake - Raw Red Velvet Cookies - Rice Crispy Treats - Raw Brownies

Rice Crispy Treats

• 1 cup brown rice syrup
• 2/3 cup almond butter
• Dash of vanilla
• Dash of salt
• Dash of cinnamon 
• 3 Cups gluten free brown rice cereal

Directions

•  Over medium heat warm brown rice syrup, almond butter, vanilla, salt and cinnamon until mixture is smooth and bubbling a little.
• Remove from heat and combine with brown rice cereal.
• Pour into an oiled pan (I use coconut oil), flatten and let cool.

 These take literally 5 min to prepare and are stupidly good. They remind me of elementary school when you would bring in treats on your birthday. I made traditional rice crispy treats and accidentally melted a spatula into the marshmallow - o how far I have come. :) 

Raw "Oatmeal"

I'm a big fan of eating in season. Living in Southern California the summers are so warm that my body is always craving raw foods.

You all know I'm a huge fan of raw foods like juice, smoothies, cheesecake and pasta for their living, nutrient dense properties; lately i've been wanting to expand. I used to have oatmeal almost everyday but in the warm weather my body just didn't want it - and sometimes I was being left very tired and over full. Then I discovered raw and grain free oatmeal from one of my favorite nutritionists.

Hopefully you have seen my cinnamon buckwheat pancake blog (because you are really missing out if not) to learn the incredible benefits of raw groats. So here is a raw way to incorporate groats in your diet. 

Fast, easy, delicious, and nutrient dense - the perfect breakfast! I felt full and energetic for hours after this. 

What you need

• 1/2 avocado
• 1 cup soaked oat groats or buckwheat groats
• 1/4 tsp pink himalayan salt
• 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
• Water as needed

Possible supper food additions

• Cinnamon to taste
• Vanilla
• Clove
• Nutmeg
• Chia Seeds
• Cayenne Pepper
• Cacao Nibs
• Cacao Powder 

Directions

• Soak groats overnight then rinse well. 
• Place groats and avocado in a food processor. and processes well.
• Add salt and maple syrup pulse until well mixed.
• If you want a smoother consistency add water and mix. 
• Top with super food additions and enjoy! 

To really make yourself a priority have some celery, carrot sticks or a handful of greens before hand to alkaline your body and prepare your GI tract. 

Sugar - What's the deal?

My study materials arrived yesterday for my personal training certificate! I’ve been using loaner books until now. As of today I have my very own – I feel official. I spent a solid two hours at Train Gym today; side note I absolutely love this place. I’ve never walked into a gym and felt comfortable before. It is privately owned and everyone there has been incredibly nice. More on that later…..

After my two hour leg work out, I was famished! Luckily I planned ahead and brought celery sticks to munch on and a Vega protein bar for recovery. Those bars are not only Plant Based Paige approved but so f-ing delicious I swear I work out more just as an excuse to eat them. The great thing about all Vega products is they only use truly natural sweeteners like stevia or dates.

Avoiding traditional sugars (white, brown, cane) are vital to your health. Dropping those crappy sweeteners was one of the best things I did for my body, skin, moods, and energy levels.

To keep this simple I’m just going to toss out a few facts about sugar and what it does to the body. Please feel free to add any questions or comments to the comment section!

·         White sugar leeches you of minerals contributing to anemia, osteoporosis and anxiety among other things.

·         With sugar we lose B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron and peace of mind.

·         Produces acidic blood (because it steals alkaline minerals).

§         Viruses, cancer and all other types of illness love an acid environment.

·         It causes inflammation and can constrict nerves causing pain.

·         Can contribute to chronic spasm, scattered thinking and is considered a major player in mental illnesses like Schizophrenia.

·         Sugar is addictive and may be the underlying factor in every addictive behavior: depression, compulsive behavior, scattered thinking, and in states of withdraw: lethargy, intense cravings, anger, negativity, night sweats, nightmares, and crying to name a few.

·         Messes with our pancreas and insulin levels that can lead to diabetes.

·         Sugar causes weight gain because it supplies only empty, low quality calories and excessive carbohydrates that are converted to fat.

·         Some studies show that sugar can actually age the skin faster causing wrinkles, pimples, dry and/or splotchy skin.

·         Coupled with other negatives influences it contributes to the eventual breakdown of the body.

Now the good news! You need sugar in your life. Good quality sugar. I’ve heard people talk about a completely sugar free diet (including no fruit) which is a bad thing. The brain cannot function on anything but glucose. Fruit is glucose in the body. Some facts:

·         Less refined sweeteners made from fermented complex carbohydrates, like brown rice syrup, barley malt, and amasake, take a longer time to hit he bloodstream and don’t take us on quiet the roller coaster ride.

·         Maple syrup and molasses also contain lots of minerals to help metabolize them well.

·         The sugar in fruit is un-tampered with and supplies the body with the nutrients it craves. It also supplies fiber.

When talking to younger people about nutrition I always get this sense that they aren’t worried about it. Many still have that “invincibility” thing going on. I highly encourage you to think about future you. If you have parents in the retirement age talk to them, go to an event with them and see what the topics of conversation are for that age range, in my experience: death, disease, cancer, diabetes, weight issues, etc. AGING DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY. Make yourself a priority and start eating, acting, and being better now.

There is a great quote from Fit for Life that sums it up.

“Picture a large bay window. If you were to throw a small pebble at the window, it would not break. But throw one hundred thousand small pebbles, and the window will shatter. Each negative influence on your body is like one pebble, and all together those influences can and will break down your body’s health.”

For your sweet tooth check out my chocolate lavender cheesecake!

Zucchini Spaghetti with Tomato-free Marinara Sauce and Walnut Sausage

This was supposed to be my dinner tonight – I was trying to plan ahead, but like every good cook I was tasting as the meal developed and I ended up eating it for lunch. I’m licking the plate as I write this.…

But that’s ok I made enough for two meals!  (#benefitsofbeingsingle - ?)

Anyway.

I had an amazing weekend rep-ing Vega and the LA Green Festival. I met some inspiring people, talked about hippie things, and learned so much about organizations, companies and products I didn’t know before. (More to come on this.)

The only thing is that I was there all day for two days and didn’t have a chance to make myself any really hearty meals. I made up for it today. Last week I was talking to someone in my kickball league about this dish and decided to make it.

This is surprisingly easy, a great alternative to using traditional pasta (where my gluten free peeps at!?) and a sneaky way to get more veggies in your diet.  

Sauce

This is a tomato free macrobiotic recipe. Why no tomatoes? According to macrobiotic gurus nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplants) are high in alkaloids, substances associated with hallucinogens, medicines, and poisons. They are known for leeching calcium from the bones, are difficult to digest and cause inflammation/anxiety. I try to avoid them for the most part.

Basic Sauce

6 carrots and 1 small beet

1 large onion, quartered

1 celery stalk

1 bay leaf

1 ½ cups water

• Place all ingredients in a pot and boil for 30 min.
• Puree in a blender.
• Add water as needed for the texture you want.

That’s it!

To get a little fancy you can add

• Garlic
• 1 tsp basil or thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• ¼ cup parsley, minced
• 2 T miso
• 1 cup minced seitan
• 1 cup sautéed mushrooms

Mix and match these additional ingredients and add after you puree. I love love love this recipe!

Zucchini Spaghetti

Another simple and amazing trick!

A few months back I invested in a turning slicer that gives you the spiraled veggies. If you don’t have one use a vegetable peeler to make linguini shaped “noodles”.

• Prepare the noodles (spirals or linguini)
• You can stop here and have them raw if you like!
• If you want them cooked – boil a pot of water and place noodles in for 1 minute. Seriously just 1 minute so they stay slightly crunchy and don’t fall apart.

Walnut Sausage (raw)

I was blown away at how amazing these were. I had a really great experience as I was preparing these. I was working my magic in the kitchen, my roommate and her boyfriend came in and said it smelled like I was making meat (he knows I’m vegan) before I could even say what I was making he said it smelled like sausage. It dawned on me he smelled the fennel. The fact is that meat doesn’t really taste like much of anything, most people who like meat dishes like the flavor, sauces, spices etc that are added to it, like fennel in sausage. If you are not vegan and reading this (first of all thank you) but also consider the alternatives, think about what you ACTUALLY like in a dish, it’s probably the flavor or texture which can be created in a plant based meal.

I got this recipe from another vegan blog: Fragrant Vanilla Cake. You MUST go check it out. She is incredible.

Walnut "Sausage":
1 1/4 cups raw walnuts, soaked and dried
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp dried thyme
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1-2 Tbsp filtered water

• Combine all ingredients except water in a food processor and process until combined and finely chopped.
• Add 1-2 Tbsp water, enough to make the mixture clump together. 
• Form into balls.

This was soooo easy!

I put everything together and had a warm, hearty, meal that made me feel good. Although I have a lot to catch up on I had to make myself a priority and get a great meal in.

Now I’m off to the gym to share my pomegranate cheesecake with the trainers who are coaching me. (This post coming soon!)