Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake

Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake ( Vegan, 6-inch pie )

For chocolate the crust

• 1 cup pecans or walnuts

• 1 cup ( pitted ) Medjool dates

• 1.5 Tb cocoa powder

• 1 Tb maple syrup

• pinch of sea salt

  Mix all ingredients in a food processor until well combined (dough should look like a crumble). Press into a 6-inch springform pan. Please make sure you de-pitted all the dates before blending.

For the strawberry “cheesecake “filling

• 1 cup of raw cashews soaked (for at least 4 hours or up to overnight)

• 1.5 cups fresh strawberries, destemmed, rinsed and dried

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/4 cup coconut oil (raw, extra virgin)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• pinch of salt

  Drain and rinse cashews. Then, with a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients until a thick “yogurt-like “ consistency is formed. Pour filling on top of the crust in the spring form pan. Add whatever topping you like ( vegan chocolate chips, fresh fruit, or nuts ) Place in the freezer to set overnight. To serve, remove from freezer 30-60 minutes before slicing to defrost. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3-4 days.

My Favorite Green Juice

I’m not going to lie, I definitely go in spurts when it comes to juicing. I’ll juice upon waking for two weeks straight and then go without it for 2 months. But I gotta say that when I start my day with a green juice ( vs a large coffee ). I end up feeling a hundred times better! No contest.

Summertime is a great time to start juicing. It’s hot and sticky in Hawaii right now, so a cold green juice just sounds really good to me. So, here’s my go-to recipe that I’ve been using for at least 10 years. Hope you like it.

Note: Don’t be scared of leafy greens in your juice! The trick is adding lemon. This REALLY cuts the “green” taste down and makes this juice taste like a refreshing lemonade.

Green Juice - about 16 oz - juiced in a Breville highspeed juicer

• Several leaves organic kale. The amount of kale you decide to use will completely depend on your tolerance for its’ “slightly bitter” taste. I tend to use several leaves with the stems still intact. You can use spinach instead of kale if you prefer.

• 2 medium organic cucumbers - I leave the skin on

• 1 large organic apple - skin on

• 1 peeled lemon

• 1/2 inch fresh ginger

*I try to use organic produce as much as possible when juicing.