Vegan cheese

[nettiesaur]

(05-26-2010 03:34 AM)Irezumi_Muzan Wrote:  I never really liked cheese before I was vegan but sometimes I get the urge to make food a little more interesting...

For hard cheese, I use the cashew one from Real Food Daily. I make up a batch once a month, grate it, and freeze it. It is always available to throw in sauces or on pizzas. My local supermarket has also started stocking a dairy-free parmesan-type grated cheese that I now put on pasta. It doesn't taste like what I remember it to taste like... it's just kind of savoury...

I have spent the last few years trying to perfect a cream cheese recipe, though. I worked my way through numerous tofu-based ones and I just couldn't stand them (not a fan of tofu at the best of times...). I then switched to cashew-based recipes. I, again, tried various ones but they were always much too strong for me. This morning, I finally found my perfect recipe - and I made it all up myself...

2 cups of soaked cashew nuts (water discarded)
1 cup of filtered water
1 medium size tomato
10 Kalamata olives
20 fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon of nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper to taste

Throw the lot in a blender, whizz to the desired consistency. Done.

I had it with Ryvita and a sliced olive. Then I had it with fresh baked bread... Later I will have it mixed in with hot pasta...

Does anyone have any other recipes, though? I am always open to try new things.

It's interesting that you were able to make your own cheese. I haven't been able to find a non dairy version that I like, and I'm allergic to nuts, so this won't work for me... but it's great that you can make a cheese substitute that you like!