As far as foods go, cheese is, in a word, exciting. Credit the indescribable allure of gooey for our cheese obsession. Its piquant, soft, stickiness is both comforting and unexpected. Yet we know that too much of a good thing-particularly when that thing is fat-filled cheese-can be less than a healthy choice. And for many of us, the ethical conundrum takes dairy out of the equation all together-milk belongs to baby cows, sheep and goats; industrial farming is wreaking havoc on our planet. So we turn instead to the world of alternatives. But many of those store-bought vegan cheeses can be loaded with not-so-healthy ingredients. Here are a few ways to make your own vegan soy-free cheese.
Read more about vegan alternatives to dairy products
Simple Cashew Cheese
Serves 4
Cashews are naturally creamy and make a terrific base for cheese. Use this recipe for a yummy sandwich spread, a dip, or try it in a lasagna instead of ricotta.
Read more about the health benefits of nuts
1 cup raw cashews soaked in 2 cups of water for at least 3 hours
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
*optional herbs or spices of your choosing
After the cashews have soaked, strain off the soak water. Combine remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. *Note, for a firmer cheese, reduce the amount of water, adding a little at a time. For a thinner cheese sauce, add more water.
You can also try this baked cashew "goat" cheese recipe that looks pretty yummy!
Nutritional Yeast Cheese Sauce
Makes 2-3 servings (when added to noodles)
I don't know about you, but I grew up worshipping a blue box for its addictive, delicious macaroni and cheese. While I know trying to eat a bite of it now would probably make me gag, the memory still delights some part of my brain. And now I get the ultimate fix from nutritional yeast instead of the day-glo stuff Kraft uses.
¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
3-4 tablespoons water (roughly)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
pinch of paprika and cumin
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir until smooth. For a thicker sauce, go lighter on the liquid; for thinner, add more. I like it a bit on the thick side for noodles. You can also make it really thick, turn up the heat on this by adding some crushed red peppers and pour it over your nachos.
Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger
Photo credit: guzzphoto
