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Kate Metzner

Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cheesecake - Three Silver Spoons Isn’t it a wonderful thing when you discover something so amazing it changes your life forever? Like an amazing new brunch spot, or an incredible new face cream?

Part of you probably doesn’t want to disclose this information to the public, scared that the restaurant might become so busy that getting a table will now become a challenge, or that the beauty product might sell out so quickly, you’ll be left without your new discovery. I’m not going to lie, for a moment I second-guessed sharing this recipe, but after rationalizing the outcomes, realized that I was in safe territory and that the supply of the few ingredients needed for this recipe were not likely to disappear. So without further ado, allow me to kindly introduce you to “The New Cheesecake”.

This recipe consists of only a handful of ingredients, most of which you might have in your pantry. Easy, healthy and no baking required.

A vegan lifestyle is quickly becoming to hippest trend here in southern California, and eating “raw” would be considered the hottest accessory to this lifestyle. Turning cashews into cream might seem like a strange concept, but once you have tried this recipe, your kitchen confidence will skyrocket and you’ll be attempting all sorts of magical tricks (nuts into cheese?).

Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cheesecake - Three Silver Spoons

The best part about this recipe it is versatility. I have tried so many variations. Raspberry, lemon, chocolate…endless really. If it blends, it might just work!

Is this raw vegan peanut butter cheesecake healthy? It sure it! Now, let me clarify – being that it is basically all nuts, it will carry a pretty high caloric number, BUT, if you consider the ingredient list, what you are swapping it out for (high refined sugars and animal fat!) then yes, it is by far the healthier choice. Also, being raw means that the vitamins, enzymes and minerals of the ingredients are not broken down in the cooking process, and therefore completely available to your health-inspired goals.

So dig in my friends and enjoy!

Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cheesecake
 
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This delicious raw vegan cheesecake is endlessly versatile and super easy to make.
Three Silver Spoons Author:
Serves: One 7" cheesecake
Ingredients
  • Crust:
  • ½ cup raw almonds (pecan or walnuts will also work)
  • ½ cup soft Medjool dates
  • ¼ tsp. sea salt

  • Filling:
  • 1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours (overnight is best)
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • the seeds of 1 whole vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract)
  • ⅓ cup raw coconut oil, melted
  • ⅓ cup agave nectar
  • 1 tablespoon of peanut butter for the middle layer
Instructions
  1. Place nuts and dates in a food processor with sea salt and pulse to chop until they are to your desired fineness. If the ingredients hold together, your crust is perfect. Scoop out crust mixture into a 7” spring-form pan, or any baking dish. If it is not a spring-form pan, line the bottom of the dish with saran/cling wrap to avoid the crust from sticking to the bottom. (I used 3 mini spring-form pans for this specific recipe).
  2. Press firmly, making sure that the edges are well packed and that the base is relatively even throughout. Rinse food processor well.
  3. Warm coconut oil and agave in a small saucepan (or microwave) on low heat until liquid. Whisk to combine.
  4. In the most powerful food processor/blender you own, place all filling ingredients (except peanut butter) and blend on high until very smooth. This may take a couple minutes so be patient.
  5. Pour about ½ of the mixture out onto the crust and smooth with a spatula. Add the peanut butter to the remaining filling and blend on high until smooth. Pour onto the first layer of filling. Place in freezer until solid (approx 2-3 hours).
  6. To serve, remove from freezer just minutes prior to eating. Run a smooth, sharp knife under hot water and cut into slices. Serve on its own, or with chocolate ganache toppings and crushed nuts as pictured.
  7. Store leftovers in the freezer.
 

Spinach Power Smoothie Shake

Green Power Shake Smoothie - Three Silver Spoons

Daily I am confronted with the urge to satisfy my carb-loving/sugar-fiending taste buds (it does not help that my Instagram feed consists solely of top chefs/bakers). Note: I have tried to unfollow these desires, but life becomes quite mundane without them.

So in order to stay sane, I adhere to the spiritually-focused/cognitively-challenging health ritual of portion control. This practice, which is thought to be one of the toughest feats to conquer, requires the subject to eat minimal amounts of the unhealthy stuff (i.e. typically mouthwatering foods) in order to achieve their health/fitness goals. It has taken me many, many years of practice, but as I embark on the latter side of my quarter-century life phase, I am aware that these sacrifices are necessary.

One way I combat the urge to not eat as much throughout the day is making sure that I eat enough of the right stuff at the start of the day. After 30+ years of eating breakfasts, I have finally discovered my go-to meal: Spinach Power Shake Smoothie.

The key is having ingredients that keep you full for a substantial amount of time. A lot of people love the to-go oatmeal every morning, thinking the slow digesting carbs will keep them full (and for many people it does), however for myself, it never did the trick! See, when having oatmeal, you really should only be having ¾ of a cup. This is a pitiful amount in my opinion, so what I ended up doing was having twice as much, thus consuming quite a lot of carbs/calories. The comforting bowl of oats would leave a 300+ calorie deficit of my daily total and over 50 grams of carbs (although not necessarily the bad carbs, albeit carbs non the less), and most importantly, a grumbling tummy within an hour.

Green Power Shake Smoothie - Three Silver Spoons

So I turned to the breakfast shake/green smoothie. I have always enjoyed a good protein shake, but this time I started adding a new ingredient: spinach. Spinach, when blended in a smoothie, is virtually tasteless, but adds so many nutrients that it would be silly for anyone not to add it their shakes.

Spinach is a powerhouse leafy green, with a boat load of dietary potassium (almost twice as much as a banana and great for muscle recovery), rich in iron, and also has ton of magnesium, which is necessary for energy metabolism. Also adding a healthy dose of Vitamin K to your diet, this green hero was a life changer in my daily routine.

Spinach Power Shake Smoothie
 
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Easy, lightning fast shake to get you through your mornings post-workouts, or when you need something fresh, light and green in your belly.
Three Silver Spoons Author:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • A handful of baby spinach
  • ½ frozen banana (doubles as a fruity ice cubes to cool down the smoothie)
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder


  • Additional options:
  • Chia seeds
  • Any other fruit (I also love blueberries)
  • Any powder supplements you may be taking
Instructions
  1. Add the smoothie ingredients to your blender and whizz up until smooth.
  2. Top with your favourite toppings.
 

Easy Protein Banana Pancakes

Banana Protein Pancakes - Three Silver Spoons …Or how I ate 20 pancakes and stayed on track with my diet.

I’m sure after reading the subtitle of this recipe you are thinking, “Ohhhhh, she is one of those girls, who can eat anything and never gain a pound”… well, you couldn’t be further from the truth. This is me: I like food. A lot. I also like a lot of food.

As a personal trainer, I am well aware of the do’s and don’ts of the eating game. After a quick stint in the body building world, I became even more aware of the lengths “fit” people go to in order to incorporate their favorite foods without diverting from their very strict eating plans. In the body building industry, where people’s “jobs” are to constantly look like a character from Spartacus, or the super-fit woman who grace the covers of all the fitness magazines that we all have stashed away in our gym bags, it’s safe to say that these people have done, or eaten, their research….

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