PARMESAN SHAKER

It's sometimes hard to find substitutes for staples that I used to enjoy when eating a non-plant based diet such as Parmesan Cheese.   This version of the cheese that is so connected to pasta, pizza and many other classic Italian dishes it is easy to make  and very addicting, not to mention delicious.  I used a dry spice container on my Vitamix, but you can use any coffee grinder, spice grinder and many other blenders to achieve the same result.

To your blender/grinder add:

1/2 cup raw, unsalted cashews
1/2 cup raw, unsalted almond slivers
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
for a twist you can add some cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, dried Italian herbs, or herbs d'provence.  Be creative, but most importantly, enjoy.

        



CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PIE

This recipe comes to me from a friend of mine that I was visiting in Colorado back in 2015.  Pat Krummerei is famous for his Cheese Cake but he discovered this recipe and it turns out it's Whole Foods Plant Based.  Sue and Pat hosted us for a great get together and capped off the Pasta Bolognese that I made and Avocado Kale Salad that Bryan prepared (from the Engine2 Diet book) for our dinner.  It was a great way to end the meal....thanks again Sue and Pat.  The recipe above is doubled as I used a spring form pan instead of a pie pan.

Ingredients:

For the Crust
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup oat flour
6 Medjool dates (pitted)
1/2 cup non dairy milk (I used flaxseed)
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Pulse all ingredients in a blender or food processor until they become a thick dough ball.  Press these into a pie pan and bake for 15 minutes or until the crust starts to darken slightly around the edges.

For the filling:

12 oz. firm tofu (weighed after water is squeezed out)
8 oz of 100% Cacao chocolate for baking or melting.  I used Guittard brand
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup almond milk (or other non dairy milk)
pinch of sea salt

In a double boiler, slowly melt the chocolate until completely smooth stirring often.  Add all of the filling ingredients to a food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Taste for sweetness and if it's not to your liking, add a bit more agave syrup and blend until you get the desired taste. Pour the ingredients into the pie crust and place in the refrigerator to allow the filling to firm up.   Serve with some fresh or macerated fruit for a delicious and rich dessert.