Testing 1..2..3: No-Bake Clean Eating Key Lime Pie

Friends, Romans, Countrymen...

So, first, a life update.

After two weeks here in DC, I found a part time job. The next week I got another one. Two weeks later, the second job offered me a full-time position. I am now officially a pastry baker.

Also, we got a cat. This is him. His name is Bilbo and he is a handsome devil. He is also much, much naughtier than his namesake

This is all in under two months in this city. Crikey.


Suffice it to say, I don't have much time for doing anything else. Today is my *MUCH NEEDED* day off, so I am taking the opportunity to whip up a blog post.

Having as little time as I do of late but still obsessed with fitness, I have developed a not-so-mild addiction to Blogilates, a fitness website/YouTube channel run by the unceasingly chipper Cassey. Once a week, she also posts a video with a recipe for eating clean on the cheap. One of them particularly inspired me: No-Bake Vegan Key Lime Pie. Original video here. I decided I would try it myself and let you guys know how it went. So thanks, Cassey, for your inspiration!

Here's what you need:

Crust:
3/4 C. walnuts
6 dates

Filling:
2 avocados
2 limes
1 T stevia
2 T tapioca flour

A heads up: in the video, Cassey uses fresh avocados and a food processor. My grocery store's avocados were rock flipping solid, so I used these (yargh) packaged avocado halves. I do not recommend doing that. I also lack a food processor, so I used a blender. Also not advisable. All in the name of science, though.

Soak your dates in water for an hour. This will plump them up and make them easier to work with. Now, pit those suckers. Honestly, dates freak me out a little bit because they look like bugs. They taste great, of course, but in their un-processed state? Shudder. They give great sweetness, though, and without any white sugar. Bonus.


Combine the dates and walnuts in your food processor (or less-than-ideal equivalent). I threw in a touch of cinnamon because EVERYTHING IS BETTER WITH CINNAMON. Plus, it's good for you. Blend until it comes together and is sticky enough to spread on the bottom of a pie plate or casserole dish. Then, do that. Very nice.


Rinse out your processor, we need it again.

Peel and pit your avocados. Sadly, I had to miss that step. I actually enjoy cutting up avocados. Put them in the blender. Zest some lime into your avocados. Juice the lime into the processor with the avocado. You can use the juice of as many limes as you like. I ended up juicing two and a half, because I like my key lime pie extra lime-y. As I mentioned in my post on lemon ricotta cookies, I love citrus. All the time. In everything.

Dump in your stevia and the tapioca flour and puree to make your filling. This filling is crazy green, let me tell you. Spread the filling on top of the crust. I also opted to garnish it with some leftover lime. I think it makes it cute.

Freeze for two hours or so, until it's set. In the interim, I made my lunch, prepared dinner, and watched some vintage Star Trek.

The taste? I tried the filling before I popped it in the freezer. I started to worry. It didn't taste like I was hoping it would. But after freezing, it was so much better. Does it taste EXACTLY like full-fat, full-calorie key lime pie? Of course not. But it is surprisingly refreshing. I may use this crust for other recipes in the future. And not bad for less than 200 calories a slice. Hopefully I'll be able to try it again some time and make it properly.

Kampai,

BB