Cheesecake, mmm

B.V. (before veganism), I was a huge fan of cheesecake, a.k.a. saturated fat + sugar + more sugar + more fat + dairy + eggs = slow death.  Hahahha.  My favorite was chocolate chip peanut butter cookie dough cheesecake from, yes, The Cheesecake Factory.  Where else would they create such a ridiculous combo??

With my history in cheesecake, I was very leery of vegan "cheesecake".  Why bother if it contains practically none of the same ingredients??  So I never truly considered making one.  Enter Hy-Vee's sale on raspberries, combined with my husband's adoration for raspberry cheesecake.  Hmm.

Since I have Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet, I decided to have a go at the Mixed Berry Cheesecake on page 192.  The two main ingredients are silken tofu and nondairy cream cheese.  Bonus, it's only sweetened by 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup.  I added the fresh raspberries to the top, and we were all shocked to discover how delicious and cheesecakey this tastes!  It could even be considered better than "real cheesecake"-- it's much lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sugar.  No heavy feeling afterward.  No sugar highs.  Just satisfaction.

Anyone else tried vegan cheesecake?  What's your favorite recipe?

The Best Vegan Pizza EVER.

Ok, maybe that's not the fairest title, as this is the only vegan pizza that I've ever tried. But seriously, you are all doing yourself a huge injustice if you do not make Isa's Pizza from Vegan With A Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. It may seem like a daunting task, as this pizza is actually a blending of four recipes from the book: Pizza Dough, Pizza Sauce, Classic Pesto (ohh this is actualy made with walnuts instead of pine nuts), and Basil-Tofu Ricotta. It's the scrumptious combo of the last two recipes that make this totally yummy and unique. I was worried that a pizza without cheese would be sorely lacking. I had not faith in it right up until the point when I took my first bite. It was then that my life changed... THIS PIZZA IS SOOO AMAZING! It's refreshing, unlike heavy, meat-and-dairy laden pizzas from my past. Just make sure that you starting preparing the different recipes about two hours in advance, as the dough needs time to rise, the ricotta time to chill, and the pizza has to bake of course. Do it do it do it.