Raw Persimmon Cheesecake with Pomegranate Coulis

I am really proud of this cheesecake – I think it might be the first raw persimmon cheesecake to hit the interwebs! I couldn’t find a recipe for raw persimmon cheesecake so I made my own based on Sweetly Raw’s Mandarin Orange Cheesecake on a Pecan Ginger Crust with a Cranberry Pomegranate Compote, and Candied Pecans. I give it a 4/5 Happy Monkeys.  The texture is spot on and it makes a nice, healthy treat.

Raw Pumpkin Pie With Vanilla Cream – OMG!

Another recipe culled from EachPeachPearPlum’s Thanksgiving 101 thread.  Oh my god, is this good.  Wow, wow, wow.  This was the highlight of our Thanksgiving dinner.  All my cooked friends loved it and you’d never know it was raw. It also freezes well so you can enjoy it later.  No question 5/5 happy monkeys.  This freakishly delicious recipe was also submitted to The Nourishing Gourmet’s awesome Pennywise Platter Thursday.

Virgin Pina Colada

Boy, how old is this post!  Time to get it off the draft shelf:

Just got our new Vita Mix in the mail!  We were super excited so we made a yummy homemade pina colada to celebrate.  We got a fresh young coconut and pineapple from whole foods – the guy who worked there was so nice, he helped us pick out good ones and even cut the pineapple in half for us.  I give this a 3.5/5 happy monkeys because I looove pina coladas, but I still want to perfect the recipe.

Ingredients:

– fresh pineapple
– fresh young coconut
– fresh young coconut water
– shredded dried coconut,
– bit of orange juice
– ice

Directions:

Throw in Vita Mix and blend away. Enjoy!

Next time: I would use water instead of oj because oj has too strong of a sweet, oj taste.  Also, wouldn’t use the shredded coconut because it made it kind of gritty.  Also I want to experiment with regular fresh coconut, instead of the young ones to see if that gives it a different flavor.

Raw Date Nut Torte

Wow! Yum, yum, yum.  I have been thinking about this date nut torte sitting in my fridge all evening, and as soon as I finish this post, I’m going to go indulge in some dessert. I’m drooling just thinking about it.

The funny thing is that Alyssa Cohen has this listed as one of the first recipes to make under her weekly plan in Living in Live Food, but I decided against making it.  At the time, I was much more strict about my anti-candida no-food diet, and the thought of a lot of sugary raisins and dates wasn’t sitting well with me.  But I’ve relaxed my diet a bit now and am allowing myself to enjoy this delicacy.  It is awfully sweet though, so beware.  It’s a little addicting and really not healthy, but delicious none the less.

Ingredients:

Crust

– 2 cups raisins (I used flame)
– 2 cups walnuts

Frosting

– 1 cup dates, pitted and soaked
– Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Mix the crust ingredients in a food processor until they are well blended. Scoop out and mold onto a plate in a round circle about 1.5 inches thick. Mix the frosting ingredients in the food processor and spread on top of the crust. Sprinkle with copious amounts of cinnamon. Serve immediately or chill for firmer slices.

OK, so I couldn’t wait until after this post. I had to go to the fridge and get some now. Yuuumm!

This gets a strong 5/5 happy monkeys. The best part is the cinnamon I added on top. Next time, I think I’ll mix it into the crust for a cinnamon raisin crust. Also, I think I want to try adding hemp seeds and more lemon juice to the frosting to make it creamier without the added sweetness of more dates.

Raw ChocoNut Balls

Yum! I made these last night as a treat and they’re gone already! I had a rather down day at work today (a disturbing trend I’ve noticed lately) and I ended up eating all of them by early afternoon. Not completely recommended but at least I can console myself by telling myself that they are “healthy.” Right now these get a 5/5 happy monkeys for being the bright point in my day.

Ingredients:

– 3 dates, pitted
– 1/4 cup almonds
– 1/4 cup cashews
– 2 tbsp raw carob
– 2 tsp raw cocoa
– cinnamon to sprinkle/roll in

Directions:

Combine all but the cinnamon in the Vita Mix and blend until your Vita Mix gives up. It will be sticky but not completely homogeneous. Form into balls and roll in cinnamon or sprinkle cinnamon over them. They might be crumbly when bitten. Try not to eat all of them at once.

Next time I might: add more cocoa, add more cinnamon directly into the mix, use another date for more stickiness or soak dates first. Make them again tonight! And make a double or triple batch.