In fact, cheese was the last animal food we completely eliminated from our diet. Up until last year, we were completely vegan at home but would still have a little cheese from time to time if we were eating out. But now that we're completely cheese-free, I can honestly say that I don't miss it at all. Having it sporadically over the past few years, I got to see the affect it had on my body that I never noticed when I ate it all the time. And trust me, I don't miss the gastrointestinal distress one bit!
That said, the Sprouts do get super excited about vegan cheese or anything that remotely resembled cheese. And we all get super excited whenever I make the Pepper-Crusted Cashew Cheese recipe I discovered a few years ago in Vegetarian Times . . . which isn't often because I can't get past the guilt of making a recipe that consists almost solely of nuts and oil.
So recently, I decided to see if I could take a little of the guilt out of this favorite treat and still make it worth eating. I swapped the oil and water quantities so that it had 6 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of oil (rather than the opposite) and I left out the tahini, mostly because I didn't have any. I also shortened the prep time by quickly simmering the cashews rather than soaking them overnight.
The result, if I do say so myself, was phenomenal. Because the mixture was a little thinner to start, it blended more easily and ended up even creamier. Definitely a big hit with Sprouts of all sizes!!! Oh, and I had to use the original Vegetarian Times photo because I didn't get to photograph ours before the Sprouts dug into it.
Cashew Cheese Log
Ingredients
3/4 cup raw cashews
6 tablespoons water
3/4 cup raw cashews
6 tablespoons water
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon salt
Preparation
1. Place cashews in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Drain the cashews, then put them in a food processor or blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend for 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy.
3. Spread mixture into a piece of cheesecloth, and shape into a 6" log. Wrap the cheesecloth around the log, then twist and tuck under the ends to secure. Place the wrapped log in a strainer and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 35 minutes. Chill, unwrap, serve and enjoy!
Sprout Ratings
Big Sprout - 5 sprouts
Little Sprout - 5 sprouts
Mama Sprout - 5 sprouts
Daddy Sprout - 5 sprouts
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