No-Bake Vegan Strawberry Pie

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons agar powder (or 2 tablespoons agar flakes)
• 0.5 cup apple juice 
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds 
• 3 tablespoons juice of lemon 
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest grated
• 2  medjool dates pitted chopped
• 1 cup rolled oats gluten-free (use certified oats if gluten is a concern)
• 0.5 cup cashew pieces raw
• 12.3 ounce silken tofu organic firm
• 6 servings stevia to taste
• 12 ounces strawberries stemmed sliced
• 1  vanilla extract 

Equipment

• food processor
• sauce pan
• blender

Directions

1. Place the 8 chopped dates into a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
2. Drain the cashews and place them in the blender (a Vitamix or other high-speed blender works best, but others should be able to do a good job).
3. Add the tofu, 2 dates, lemon juice, chia seeds, and lemon rind. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds inside; add them to the blender. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides to make sure all ingredients are incorporated. Taste the filling mixture and add sweetener to taste. (I increased the lemon flavor by using NuNaturals Lemon Stevia.) Leave the mixture in the blender as you continue with the next step. The next steps require you to work quickly.
4. Heat the 1/2 cup of apple juice in a small sauce pan. As it’s heating, sprinkle it with the agar powder. Stir and heat until agar dissolves and juice begins to boil. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute after boiling. Quickly, add the agar mixture to the contents of the blender.
5. Put the top on the blender and blend at high speed until well-blended. Scrape down the sides and blend again briefly.
6. Pour into the prepared crust and smooth the top. Refrigerate until chilled and set. Top with sliced strawberries before serving.