vegan chocolate cheesecake with heavenly raspberry-schizandra jelly

i mostly make my desserts raw, but decided to switch this one up, and it did not disappoint! the jam adds a punch of tart with a soft, sweet & creamy filling + salty crust. all good things in one! plus, the added health benefits of the amazing schizandra berry!
i really wanna highlight the jam in this recipe...cause it was SO GOOD. i ate it with flax crackers all week long. yum.

crust:

1 c almonds

1 c almond meal

1 c shredded coconut

room temp coconut oil as needed

-preheat oven to 325F. grind the nuts in a food processor until semi-fine. add the coconut, almond meal and enough coconut oil and rub with your fingers to make a dough (you want to add enough oil to make a dough-not too much). press into the bottom (& up sides if desired) of a 9" springform pan & place into the oven to bake for 5–8 minutes until starting to turn golden. remove and allow to cool completely. 

filling:

1 c grated cacao butter, gently softened

1/2 c cacao powder

1/4 c raw honey or pure maple

2 c full fat coconut milk 

1/4 t vanilla bean powder

1/4 t sea salt

-add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until very smooth. pour into cooled crust and set in fridge until firm, 4-8 hours.

raspberry jam:

1 c raspberries fresh or frozen

2 T water

2 T chia seeds

1-2 t schizandra powder

1-2 T rice malt syrup or raw honey

-add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. transfer to a sauce pan and heat until it begins to bubble. reduce heat and whisk constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes. cool completely and spread over cheesecake. slice & serve! 

butternut squash bruschetta toasts with turmeric-brazil nut "cream cheese"

for a bread-less "toast" that will nourish and satisfy!

toasts:

1 large butternut squash, stem cut off and the neck of the squash sliced into 1/2" thick rounds (no need to peel-you can eat the skin!)

-place squash rounds on a baking sheet, sprinkle with sea salt + pepper and bake at 400F for 30 or so minutes until soft and golden on top. 

cream cheese:

1/2 c raw organic brazil nuts, soaked overnight

1/2 c nutritional yeast

1 t turmeric

s + p to taste

2 T lemon juice

1 T acv

-add all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until very smooth and creamy.

-spread a layer of cream cheese on squash toasts and top with avocado, tomatoes, kraut + parsley. drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of black sea salt + eat!

easiest way to hard boil eggs perfectly every time

for a creamy, buttery center, no green ring, easy to peel hard eggs:

-preheat oven to 350F. 

-place an egg in each cup of a muffin tin. bake for 27 minutes, then immediately transfer eggs to an ice bath for 10 minutes.

-peel, eat, store in refrigerator.

make a big batch with farm fresh eggs to have on hand when you need a healthy snack!

ice cream sandwich heaven: raw vegan chai spiced apricot-hemp cookies + ginger-black sesame ice cream

these tasty little things are the best treat when craving ice cream but it's freezing outside! the warming spices make them perfect for winter and the health benefits of the spices + cacao + black sesame are nearly infinite. gently sweetened with pure maple syrup (or your natural sweetener of choice), makes these low in sugar and high in nutrients!
enjoy this yummy treat this weekend with a loved one!

cookies:

1 c sprouted almonds

1 c hemp seeds

2 t Chinese five spice

1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 t sea salt

10 soft, dried apricots 

2 1/2 T cacao powder

6 T coconut oil, melted

-add all ingredients to a food processor and process until it forms a dough. press 1/2 of the mixture into a lined square dish & set in freezer. 

ice cream:

2 frozen bananas

1 can coconut cream

1 T ginger, ground (or 1" fresh ginger)

4 T raw black tahini

1/3 c pure maple syrup or raw honey 

1/3 c coconut oil, melted

1 t sea salt

-add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth. pour over crust and set back in freezer until firm--8ish hours. then press the rest of the cookie mixture evenly on top and set back in freezer for an hour or so. 

-remove from pan, slice into squares, enjoy! (best when thawed for 10-20 min)

pineapple chicken cashew stir fry with grainless coconut-lime hemp seed rice

this easy dinner came together quickly & the hemp seed rice was delicious! this was my first time making "rice" this way and i was pleasantly surprised. a perfect alternative for those trying to reduce their carb load and looking to get some great proteins + fats.

stir fry:

3 T coconut oil

1/3 c raw cashews

2 green onions sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled & minced

pinch of chili powder

-add oil to a larger skillet and warm. add all other above ingredients and sauté 5 minutes. 

then add in-

1 lb free range organic chicken, cut into 1" pieces

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 red onion, largely sliced 

1 zucchini, chopped

2 large carrots, shredded

1 c sugar snap peas

1/2 c fresh basil, torn

2 T fresh mint, chopped

1 c fresh pineapple cut into chunks

1/4 c coconut aminos

-cook until veggies are soft and chicken is cooked through. serve over hemp rice, sprouted brown rice, or quinoa & top with fresh lime + cilantro. 

coconut-lime hemp rice:

1 T coconut oil or ghee

1/4 c coconut flakes

1 c hemp seeds

1/4 c lime juice

1/4 c bone broth or water

1/4 c chopped cilantro

1/2 t garlic powder

s + p to taste 

-in a skillet, add oil & coconut flakes over medium heat. stir for a few minutes until bubbly, then add hemp and mix well. add lime juice & broth and bring to a boil, then simmer until absorbed. stir in herbs & spices and cook another minute or so. remove from heat and serve!

dark chocolate tahini skillet brownie (grainless)

I'm not totally into all the dieting and fitness goals that always start at the beginning of a new year. i'm more of a weekly/monthly goal setter--helps keep me on track! this week, my goal is to be more present at meals & with people. 
so here's something we all can enjoy this gloomy January. a quick, healthy, and easy solution to all your chocolate cravings. tahini+chocolate is one of my favorite pairs!

ingredients:
(dry)

1 1/2 c almond flour

⅓ c coconut sugar

½ c cacao powder

½ t baking powder

(wet)

3 fresh, organic eggs 

⅓ c pure maple syrup or honey

½ c coconut oil, melted and cooled

½ c chopped cacao paste or dark chocolate chocolate chips

6 t creamy tahini 

-preheat oven to 350 degrees & lightly grease your skillet with coconut oil.
-mix together dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. in your blender, add all wet ingredients and blend until smooth. pour into dry and mix well. fold in cacao chips then pour onto skillet. add dollops of the tahini throughout the brownie then swirl using the end of a spoon or toothpick.

-bake in oven to 20-25 minutes until done. enjoy with your favorite healthy ice cream or plain!

perfect grain-free stuffing

as you can probably tell by my instagram & blog, i am not big on bread. I've never had great success making it and don't feel great when i eat it. I've gotten to the point where it really doesn't appeal to me at all...but, stuffing during the holidays was sounding soooo good. so i knew i needed to make it in a way my mouth, head, stomach and body could all enjoy together (:
this recipe is sooo easy and comes together perfectly.. and the flavors are amazing!

2 loaves of my grainless blender bread, cut into 1" cubes

6 T ghee

2 c onion, diced

1 c celery, diced

1 c carrots, diced

2 T chopped flat-leaf parsley

3 t ground dried sage

2 t dried rosemary

1 ½ t dried marjoram

1 ½ t dried thyme

2 t salt

½ t freshly ground black pepper

¼ t powdered ginger

2 c bone broth

-preheat oven to 350º F.

-spread bread cubes evenly on two baking sheets. bake for 7 or more minutes until dried and toasted.

-in a large sauté pan, melt ghee and add onion, celery, and carrots. sauté for 10 to 15 minutes until onions are translucent. add parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and ginger and mix well.

-combine the bread cubes and cooked vegetables in a large bowl and add the broth. gently toss together and put in greased baking dish. 
-bake for 40 to 45 minutes until heated through and the top begins to brown.
-serve plain, or with your favorite gravy+turkey! i ate mine with some homemade butternut squash soup and it was delish!