Southwestern Cheesecake
Ingredients:
4 cups tortilla chips
3 tablespoons olive oil
14 ounces firm tofu (not extra-firm), pressed and drained
16 ounces Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese
1 medium lime, halved
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons diced pitted black olives
2 tablespoons diced roasted red bell peppers
2 tablespoons pickled sliced jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream
1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can of chilies in adobo
Topping: approximately 1/3 cup each chimichurri, pico de gallo, or the like, plus additional pico and optional roasted and lightly salted pepitas for passing
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tortilla chips in large bowl of food processor and pulse until finely chopped. With motor running, drizzle in olive oil and process or pulse until mixture begins to come together. Turn off motor, transfer crumb mixture to bottom of 8-inch springform pan, and press firmly to cover. (The bottom of a sturdy glass can be helpful for this task.)
Bake 15 minutes and remove from oven. Meanwhile, in large food processor, process tofu and Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese until very smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add lime juice from half a lime, garlic and onion powders, cumin, smoked paprika, sea salt, and cornstarch, and process until well combined and creamy-smooth.
Stir in olives, roasted red peppers, and jalapeno peppers by hand and transfer mixture into baked crust. Smooth top and bake for one hour. Remove from oven to wire rack and cool completely.
In a medium bowl, whisk together Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream, lime juice from remaining half lime, and adobo sauce. Spread in thin layer over top of cheesecake all the way to edges. Cover with foil and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Spread chimichurri in a circle in center, spoon salsa around perimeter, run sharp knife around edges, and remove sides of pan. With a sharp knife, cut into 12 slices and serve with additional salsa and optional pepitas.
*Created exclusively for Tofutti Brands, Inc. by Betsy DiJulio of The Blooming Platter.
