Cheese: the final frontier
I don’t think about wanting, or eating meat anymore. Could not care less about milk. Eggs kind of gross me out.
But cheese, that was probably the hardest hurdle for me to overcome when eating a plant-based diet. Usually, I just need to think of the baby calves who are not getting their mother’s milk, in order to stay strong. But I can’t deny that I used to love eating cheese.
I’ve given up on buying the standard soy vegan cheeses at the grocery store, most of them taste like plastic or wood a little. It’s just strange. Although recently the high-end nut-based ones are pretty delicious, but not cheap! Michikyo’s cheese and Vtopian cheese in particular as a semi hard French-style. Heidi Ho makes some yummy cheeses too.
I can skip cheese on most things like tacos, and I can make a decent mac n’ cheese or cauliflower alfredo myself.
The one dish that really benefits the most from cheese is pizza.
I’ve tried pizzas with different bases like butternut, spinach, or pesto, and that works pretty well. But, let’s face it they are just a different kind of delicacy.
In my search for making my own cheese I have two recipes by the same author. They are similar and have almost a velveeta quality (which I secretly love). Works perfectly on pizza or with nachos. I think it is best fresh and warm since it can gel up a bit as it cools.
Serves: 3
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup Raw Cashews
- 1 Cup Hot Water
- 3 Tablespoons Tapioca Starch (also known as Tapioca Flour)
- 3 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1½ teaspoon Salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1½ teaspoon White Miso Paste (or other light miso such as chickpea miso)
- 1 teaspoon Maple Syrup or Agave
Instructions
- Soak the cashews for four hours or overnight. Or if you are impatient like me, just boil them for 10 minutes until soft. Drain before using.
- Add the cashews the hot water, and all the remaining ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth. It will be very watery.
- Pour into a small sauce pan and heat over medium high heat, while stirring. If you don’t have a high powered blender, you may want to pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth into the pot, to remove any cashew bits that didn’t grind up. This will ensure a smooth cheese texture.
- As you stir it will start forming clumps, and then all of a sudden it will become a cheesy gooey mass of yumminess. This takes about 5 minutes. Continue to cook and stir for an additional 2 minutes to make sure it has firmed up completely.
- Use for anything you like! Make a big plate of nachos, load up a baked potato, make a grilled cheese sandwich, a vegan cheese burger, stir into pasta for a quick mac and cheese, or whatever your heart desires. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Best of all, these are easy to make, they take 5 minutes and I usually have all the ingredients on hand. And they are healthier than cheese.
Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozarella
Author: It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3
Inspired by Vedged Out.
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup Raw Cashews
- 1 Cup Water
- 3 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Tapioca Starch (also known as Tapioca Flour). I have used corn starch but tapioca is better.
- 1 Tablespoon of Nutritional Yeast
- 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon Juice
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
Directions
- First boil or soak the cashews. To Soak the Cashews: cover with water and soak for 4 hours or overnight. To Boil the Cashews: Cover with water and bring to a boil for 10 to 15 minutes until tender.
- Drain the cashews and add them along with the water, and all the remaining ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth. It will be very watery.
- Pour into a small sauce pan and heat over medium high heat, while stirring. If you don’t have a high powered blender, you may want to pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth into the pot, to remove any cashew bits that didn’t grind up. This will ensure a smooth cheese texture. As you stir it will start forming clumps, and then all of a sudden it will become a cheesy gooey mass of yumminess. This takes about 5 minutes. Continue to cook and stir for an additional 2 minutes to make sure it has firmed up completely. Use for anything you like! Scoop up with tortilla chips, dollop onto pizza before baking, make a grilled cheese sandwich, or whatever your hearts desire. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
*If you want to return the cold mozzarella back to dipping consistency, reheat over medium heat while stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn. Once it is hot and bubbling it might have thickened up too much. You can thin it out by adding a tablespoon of water at a time, stirring it in until desired consistency is reached.
Take a look at It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken‘s delightful website for more inspiration and reasons to kick the dairy. Please let me know if you try one of her other 16 recipes!
