Raw Berry Cashew Vegan mini Cheesecakes

This makes 12 cupcake sized cheesecakes

Ideal prep time = 36 hours: Soaking the cashews overnight + leaving 24 hours to set & mature
Minimum prep time = 4½ hours: 2 hours soaking, ½ hour to make + 2 hours to set

Ingredients:

Crust:

¾ cup pecan nuts
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup dates (presoaked for 2 hours)
a pinch of salt

Filling:

1½ cups of cashews 
         (presoaked overnight or at least 2 hours)
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup coconut oil
1 Tbsp Tapioca Flour
Optional: 1 tsp Baobab Powder
Optional: 1 tsp Lucuma
Optional: 1 tsp Maca
juice of 1 lemon
the water leftover from soaking the dates

a pinch of salt

zest of 1 lemon

Topping:

save ¼ cup of the filling
1 cup of strawberries / blueberries
(or a half/half mixture or simply mixed berries)

Instructions:

Pre-preparation:

Pre-soak the cashew nuts overnight (or at least 2 hours) in 2 cups of water

Pre-soak the dates overnight (or at least 2 hours) in a jar with enough water to cover them. Do not throw out the date water.

Crust:

Blend the nuts first. When they are fine enough add the dates and blend.

Press into the cupcake containers as a base.

Pop into the freezer while you make the filling

Filling:

Blend the nuts to fine first before adding all the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the lemon zest.

Blend until creamy. 

Set aside ¼ of this mixture for the topping


Stir in the lemon zest manually.

Spoon into the cupcake containers

Topping:

Blend the ¼ filling mixture with the berry mixture.
Spoon in on top in the cupcake containers

Put the cheesecakes into the fridge and leave to mature overnight (or at least try wait at least 2 hours for them to set)

Macadamia Nut Vegan Cheese

This cheese is a nice substitute for feta and can also be spread on a sandwich.

Recipe makes a roll about 11cm long with a 4cm diameter
It takes 36 hours in total, but about 10 minutes of actual prepping time

Ingredients:

1 cup raw unsalted Macadamia Nuts
1 cup water
1 tsp liquid probiotics
Optional: 1 tsp Baobab powder (adds prebiotics as well as calcium and adds a slightly tangy flavour)
Optional: 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast (adds Vitamin B12 and a more 'cheesy' flavour)
Optional: rosemary, cumin, coriander and black pepper

 

Instructions:
(You don't even need cheesecloth for this)
Simply soak the Macadamia Nuts overnight
Drain them well and place into your food processor with the S-blade
Add in any of the optional dry flavouring you prefer (suggestions listed above)
Process in your food processor
Add the probiotics about halfway through

When it's at a creamy consistency scoop it out and put it between two sideplates and refrigerate for 24 hours while it matures.
Shape it into a roll and roll it in some herbs: rosemary, cumin, coriander and black pepper.
(if you prefer you can add the herbs in when blending, so the taste goes the whole way through.
If you'd like your nut cheese to be a bit more tangy you can also add a teaspoon of lemon juice.

Serving suggestion
- served as Hors d'Oeuvres on crackers, 
- spread on bread/toast 
- or chopped into squares and sprinkled into a salad

Cashew & Avo Vegan Cream Cheese

This can be eaten as a sandwich spread or a chip dip.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cashews
1 medium sized, ripe avocado
1/4 cup lemon juice
Optional: a pinch of mixed herbs, salt to taste & 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast. I also sometimes add a tablespoon of celery & peppers to switch it up!

Instructions:
Pre-soak the cashews overnight (or at least 2 hours)
Rinse and drain the cashews and add to your food processor.
Grind the cashews to a crumbly powder first 
Add the avocado, lemon juice and optional flavouring.
Blend all together for a minute or so until your mixture is a creamy consistency.

Eat within about 5 days - if it lasts that long - store in the refrigerator.

Spreadable Vegan Butter

This quick and easy recipe makes 1½ cups

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Coconut Oil
3/4 cup Rice Bran Oil / Olive Oil
   (I prefer the taste of Rice Bran Oil)
¼ tsp Xanthan Gum
¼ tsp Oryx Desert Salt
¼  tsp Tumeric (to give it that butter colour)
add a few shakes of black pepper to activate the tumeric.
Optional: a few drops of lemon juice

Instructions:
Leave the Coconut Oil out so it's at room temperature.
Place all the ingredients in the food processor and blend for 60 seconds.
Pour in to a bowl and refrigerate for an hour before serving.
Keep in the fridge until you need to serve. 

It is spreadable directly from the fridge and will melt if left out. 

Tastes great with sweet bread toppings or savoury toppings.
Lasts for weeks.

(For baking purposes you can just mix equal amounts of Coconut Oil and Rice Bran Oil/Olive Oil to the amount required in your recipe)

Vegan, Wheat-Free Bread Loaf

This super easy recipe makes a delicious 1kg (2 pound) loaf of bread

Ingredients:
1 cup of Teff Flour
1 cup of Oat Flour (try find gluten free if available)

1 cup of Coconut Flour

½  cup of Chickpea Flour

½  cup of Tapioca Flour
2 tsp Xantham Gum

2½ tsp Baking Powder (aluminium free)
4 tsp Sugar (can be replaced with 4 tsp Xylitol to make it sugar free)
1½ tsp Salt
1⅓ cup of warm water
1 Flax Egg (prepared an hour before)
4 tsp Coconut Oil
3 tsp yeast replacement (combine 1½ tsp lemon juice and 1½ tsp baking soda and add immediately)
Optional: 1 Tbsp Pumpkin Seeds + 1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds

Large Loaf Pan - 21cm x 11cm x 7cm

Instructions:
Prepare the Flax Egg first.

Set your oven to preheat to 100°C.

Sift together the flour, xantham gum, baking powder, sugar and salt. 
Start mixing in on a low speed and slowly add the warm water - 1 cup or as much as you need, until you make a nice consistent dough. You don't want the dough to be too soft. If you add too much water, just add a touch more flour. 

Add the coconut oil to the mixing dough.

Add in the flax egg.


Combine the yeast replacement: 1½ tsp lemon juice and 1½ tsp baking soda, add it to the mixture and place it into your breadpan & put it straight into the oven.
Wheat-Free baking works better over longer periods at a lower heat - so cook slowly at 100°C for 1¼ hours.

When it's done, take it out and let it cool at least 15 minutes before cutting into it.

Yeast Alternative / Replacement

If you'd prefer not to use yeast when baking then you can simply replace the exact same amount that the recipe notes with half fresh lemon juice and half baking soda.

i.e. 3 tsp yeast = 1½ tsp lemon juice + 1½ tsp baking soda

Do NOT leave the dough to rise with this yeast replacement. Ignore where the recipe tells you to add yeast, instead add this mixture last and start to bake immediately.

Flax / Chia 'eggs' (Vegan Egg Replacement)

Serving size: Makes 1 "egg" replacement.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Flax / Chia meal (ground up flax seeds / linseed or ground up chia seeds)
3 Tbsp water

Instructions:
Mix together in a bowl and place in the fridge for an hour before you intend to start baking.

If you have seeds then grind them finely in your coffee grinder. 
I'm happy to buy the pre-ground meal.
Note: I generally use flax meal because (a) it's cheaper and (b) I prefer to eat my chia seeds raw, but you can use either.

Alternatively
PS you can also use a cup of almond milk with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar as an egg replacement.