Vegan No Bake Cheesecake

My husband used to make me a killer raw cheesecake that I loved so much. He was teasing that I'd never be able to find a replacement, so guess what, I had to outdo him....... Vegan-Style!! So here it is, funny thing is, this is the only cheesecake he wants. BOOYA!!!!

What you need:

CRUST:

• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup pecans 

FILLING:

• 3/4 cup cashews (soak over night or for a minimum of 4 hours)
• 3 pitted dates
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp agave Syrup
• 1/2 lemon juiced (3-4 tbsp)
• 1 recipe of coconut whipped cream

The how to:

CRUST:

• Put all ingredients into a food processor until you get a crumble texture like the picture above. Push into the bottom of the cheesecake pan. ( I used a 9-inch spring form pan)

FILLING:

• Prepare whipped cream, set aside.
• In a high-speed blender add the soaked cashews, 3 dates, coconut oil, agave, and juice from the lemon. Blend until smooth.
• Fold the cashew mixture into the prepared whipped cream, pour onto the crust and let it set in the fridge for 4 hours. 

Cut and serve with desired topping. I used fresh picked strawberries from my garden to make my strawberry sauce.

Loaded Vegan Veggie Lasagna

Mmmmmmm lasagna! I had a major craving for lasagna so here it is. This recipe is definitely not as quick to make as my other recipes but I had to have it. I know vegan and lasagna probably shouldn't be in the same sentence but bare with me. It's not only LOADED with all the veggies below, it is low fat, low in calories, and could satisfy a connoisseur of lasagna, if there was one. I know it seems like a pretty hefty recipe to tackle, but if you prepare the tomato sauce, vegan parmesan, and tofu ricotta before hand, it shouldn't take very long. I had left over tomato sauce and vegan parmesan from a spaghetti supper I had made earlier in the week. So, for me this recipe only took about 90 mins from start to finish (roughly 60 mins of bake time). So let's get started!

Loaded Vegan Veggie Lasagna

What you need:

• 9' x 13' x 2' baking dish
• 1 large eggplant, sliced thin lengthwise (cut off ends and compost)
• 2 small zucchini, sliced thin lengthwise (cut off ends and compost)
• 1 large onion, small diced
• 2 peppers, small diced
• 1 1/2 cups broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 1/2 cups cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 cup mushrooms, thin sliced
• 1 cup spinach, rough chopped 
• 3-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups tomato sauce  
• 1 recipe of tofu ricotta
• 1 recipe of vegan parmesan 
• 1/2 box of quinoa and brown rice lasagna noodles (oven ready) 
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup daiya cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

The how to:

• Prepare tomato sauce, vegan parmesan, and tofu ricotta if not done already.
• Start by slicing and dicing all of your veggies as stated above. (see pictures if unsure)
• Heat oil on med/high heat. Sauté onions until light caramelization. Add mushrooms and garlic, stir and let cook for about 2 minutes.  Add peppers, broccoli, and cauliflower.  Cook for about 3 minutes more, then stir in spinach and 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce. Add a splash of water if it seems a bit thick. Set aside. Remember these veggies don't need to be completely cooked through since it still needs to be baked. 
• Start layering:

1. 1/2 cup tomato sauce on bottom of pan.
2. Uncooked lasagna noodles 
3. 1/2 of the veggie sauce mixture, sprinkle with parmesan
4. 1/2 of the tofu ricotta
5. Eggplant slices sprinkled with parmesan
6. Remaining veggie sauce mixture
7. Zucchini slices
8. Remaining tofu ricotta 
9. Uncooked lasagna noodles
10. Remaining 1 cup tomato sauce or more if needed. Make sure there is a good amount of sauce on top of the noodles. They need moisture to cook. 

• Cover with your choice of vegan cheese. I used a mixture of Daiya's vegan mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit. Uncover after 40 mins and set oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Cook for 15 minutes longer. Watch to make sure cheese doesn't burn.
• Take out of oven, and let rest for 5-10 mins, cut, serve and enjoy. nom nom!!