Strawberry Cheezecake

"Spa Water" is one of my favorite refreshing drinks.
Try tossing some cucumber and lemon slices in a pitcher of filtered water

I am glad you can't see me right now because I am lounging at my computer with my hair slathered in dye ($8 compared to the $90 I paid at the salon last time--Yay!) and slopped on the top of my head. I am sporting not-so-stylish sweats and eating raw cheezecake topped with strawberries.... lots of sweet, yummy strawberries. What a combination, right? I'm not quite sure why I decided to make a raw cheezecake, but the sweet strawberries and bursts of lemon make for a refreshing treat. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I am a little bitter that I had to work all day while spring forged on without me. The skies were blue, sun bright, birds chirping and I was stuck in front of a computer at the office. We are in the middle of some major transitions at SCH. Two of our full-timers were accepted into internships (extremely exciting!) and a few of our relief staff are moving on up as Registered Dietitians after completing their internships and passing their RD exams. As for me, I have officially accepted the job as a full-time DT covering the dialysis, nephrology, rehab, urology, cardiology and PICU/CICU services. My plan is to spend the next 10 months gaining clinical experience and volunteering before applying to dietetic internships in February 2012. I am excited to be back on a schedule. I will mostly be working Monday through Friday and definitely less weekends, but I will have to make some adjustments to my sleep schedule. The shift starts at 6:30 a.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m. This ultimately boils down to my alarm going off at 5:00 am and me trying not to hit the snooze too many times so that I can be out the door no later than 5:40.

Anyways back to that dessert...

 Crust Ingredients:

• 1 c almond meal
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 c pitted Medjool or other semi-soft dates

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
• 1/2 c lemon juice
• 1 1/2 c  cashews
• 1/3 c filtered water
• 1/4 c liquid coconut oil
• Seeds from two vanilla beans or 2 Tbsp alcohol-free vanilla extract

Topping Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c strawberries
• 2-4 Tbsp agave syrup (depending on the sweetness of the berries)

Crust: Combine the almond meal and salt in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle some of the mix on the bottom of the pie pan. Add the dates to the remaining almond meal in the bowl and mix into a dough with your hands. Press the dough into the bottom of the pie pan as thinly as possible. The crust should reach at least halfway up the side of the pan.

Filling:  Combine the zest, lemon juice, cashews, water, coconut oil and vanilla in the high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Scoop onto the crust. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to allow the filling to firm up.

Meanwhile make the topping by combining the strawberries and agave syrup in the blender and pulse a few times to coarsely mix into a chunky sauce.

When ready to serve, cut a slice of cheesecake, top with strawberries and ENJOY!

*Stored separately from the strawberry sauce, the filling and crust will last up to 5 days in the fridge and several weeks in the freezer.