Tofu Cheesecake by Brook Katz

Percentages are a nutritional shell game
When you see an advertisement that says, "low fat", what are they really saying? The fact is that your expected to believe that there isn't a lot of fat in the product, and by total weight, there may not be a lot of fat. Does that mean this is a low fat product? Not necessarily! Depending on the total weight you could still have 3 or more grams of fat per serving, and you donít know what kind of fats are being referred to either. This could refer to saturated fats, which include hydrogenated oils or to mono or polyunsaturated fats, which are much better for you. Also, even if the fat content is low, it may be because itís loaded with sugar and processed carbohydrates.

The best way to be sure is to check the actual product nutritional label. Each product manufactured in the U.S. is required to have a nutritional label on the outside of the packaging. Locate it and check to see how many grams of fat, and what kinds of fat, per serving. Anything with more than 5 grams of saturated fat per serving, I personally would not want to consume (that is the amount of saturated fat in 1 avocado). Most things I eat wouldnít have anywhere near that amount of saturated fat.

Take the recipes below for example. The first one is from a very popular restaurant, and is loaded with dairy and animal fats. The second is mine from my most recent cookbook, "New Favorites". Although both recipes will give you sweet creamy delicious cheesecake, mine sports half the fat of their recipe and of that fat, theirs is 10 times more saturated fat than mine. In addition, theirs has about twice the sodium and 126mg of cholesterol, where mine has none. Making the foods you love shouldnít hurt your health or the planet. Send me your favorite recipes and foods and Iíll show you how, by changing some of the ingredients, to make your same favorite dish. All new recipes will be totally vegan (without animal products), but will duplicate even your most favorite meat recipes.(see services page) Iíd love to show you how to make your eating truly a healthy pleasure. Send your recipes to: Recipes@brookkatz.com
Bon Appetite,
Brook Katz

Brook's Tofu Cheesecake
This cheesecake recipe is 5 star! I can sit this on any dessert cart in any fancy restaurant world wide and defy anyone to tell the difference!
Ingredients
Filling
1 lb. soft or silken tofu - you can omit any oil and water, OR 1 lb. firm tofu - add 1 tsp. oil (optional) and additional water until creamy
3 - 4 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. arrowroot
1/2 - 3/4 cup raw sugar or fructose
1/2 tsp. vanilla (optional)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (pastry or sifted)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. granulated sweetener (i.e. fructose, Sucanat, raw cane, etc.)
1 tsp. baking powder (non-aluminum!)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. water or juice as needed (i.e., apple, orange, pear, etc.)
Preparation:

Crust:
Combine all the dry ingredients together and mix well. Combine the wet ingredients and add to the dry mixture and mix into a crumbly dry batter. (Note: In place of the maple syrup, you can use 1/4 cup of dry sweetener instead. Will make a dryer batter.) Press the batter into pie pan, (Do Not Roll!) Filling: Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor until smooth, except the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the crust for 5 - 7 minutes, remove from the oven, and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Fill the crust with the filling and return it to the oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until the tofu SETS and turns a pale yellow. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool, then refrigerate, and serve. (top with fresh fruit or garnish before the pie cools)
Makes one pie

PER SERVING:
Calories 239
Total Fat - 9g
Saturated fat - 1g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 185mg
Fiber - 3g
Sugars - 16g

 Note: the following recipe is for comparison sake only - I do NOT recommend using these ingredients
Bistro Cheesecake
Ingredients:
2 cups cottage cheese
2 cups whole-milk yogurt
3 eggs
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
7 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. water
PER SERVING:
Calories - 346
Total Fat - 18g
Saturated fat - 11g
Cholesterol - 126mg
Sodium - 303mg
Fiber - 1g
Sugar - 17g
Preparation:
In a food processor combine the flour, butter, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and the salt and process till the mixture resembles course crumbs. Add the water and pulse again. Place the batter in the freezer for 10 minutes. Roll the batter flat between waxed paper and place carefully in a pie plate. Trim the edges and place in a preheated 350 degree oven. Cook for 8-10 minutes till the crust edges start to brown. Remove from oven, and with a fork, puncture the crust and let the air out. Press the crust flat again and allow to cool. Combine the cheese and the yogurt and place them in a sieve to drain. Allow it to drain till the mixture is mostly dry. Place in a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and process till smooth. Pour the mixture into the cooled shell and return to the oven. Bake until the center is set, approximately 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack. Chill slightly and serve.
Makes 8 - 10 servings

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