Epicurean Vegan

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Crock Cheez

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Crock Cheez -- Epicurean VeganWhen I tell people I’m vegan,  a lot of them will say that they could probably give up meat, but cheese?! Are you kidding? They just can’t give up this coagulated, compressed, salty, melty product of milk. I can understand; back in the day, I was definitely a cheese-whore. But thanks to The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook, I can go back to my cheese-whoring days of yore. If  you don’t already have this cookbook, run, walk, bike, drive (carpool, if you can), ride the bus . . . to the nearest locally-owned and operated (if possible) bookstore and buy it!  Either that, or visit me often, because rest assured, I will be making (and posting) every recipe from this cookbook throughout the coming months. I am amazed at how delicious (and easy!) these recipes are. I know . .  *eye roll* . . .there may be a few cheeze recipes that won’t fool you skeptics out there, but that’s okay, I’m aware that some fake cheese taste, well, fake. It’s gonna happen, but I’m finding that there are enough out there to make up for those few. This crock cheeze is absolutely amazing! It tastes incredible. The cookbook also list several different variations of this recipe that I will definitely try–watch out for those posts. 🙂  I made it shortly before dinner and I wanted to eat just that on crackers, but my family would have gone hungry . . . I don’t know that I would have shared.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb (8oz) firm regular tofu, drained and pressed
3 Tbs nutritional yeast
2 Tbs Tahini or raw cashew butter (I used tahini)
2 Tbs lemon juice
1-1/2 Tbs light miso
1 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard

I love Denver Tofu (not just because I live in Colorado) but because it really is outstanding.

DIRECTIONS:

Cut tofu into large cubes. Place in a small saucepan and cover with water—just enough to cover the tofu. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and drain well. I used a fine mesh strainer to ensure any small pieces didn’t fall through. Chill uncovered in the refrigerator until it’s easy to handle. Crumble it up into a food processor and add the other ingredients. Process until smooth, scraping the sides, if necessary. Transfer to an airtight container and chill in the fridge for several hours to overnight. This is a pretty important step, like with the Party Cheese Ball and the Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip. The flavors really need a chance to mesh and mingle. That is, if you can wait that long. 🙂

Crock Cheez -- Epicurean Vegan

Cheddar and Rosemary Crackers

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Vegan MoFo, Day 22

Cheddar and Rosemary Crackers -- Epicurean VeganMonet, at Anecdotes and Apples Cores, made some cheddar and rosemary biscuits that had me salivating! They also reminded me of an old recipe for crackers that I made a million years ago. I will however, try her recipe (and veganize it), but for now, enjoy some amazing crackers!

INGREDIENTS:
1 C vegan cheddar, shredded
3-ox Tofutti cream cheese
1/2 C Earth Balance margarine
1 tsp sweet red chili sauce
1-3/4 C flour
2 Tbs sesame seeds
4 Tbs fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt, optional

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325.  In a food processor (with the dough blade) combine the cheeses. Add the butter.

Cheddar and Rosemary Crackers -- Epicurean VeganAdd the chili sauce, then flour, 1/4 cup at a time. Once combined, add sesame seeds and rosemary.

Cheddar and Rosemary Crackers -- Epicurean VeganDivide dough in half and roll out. Now, you can decide how big you want to roll them out. I wanted to make tiny nibblers, but you’re welcome to make larger crackers. Once you made that big decision, wrap in plastic wrap and chill. I stuck mine in the freezer for about 20-25 minutes, but if you have extra time, go ahead and just refrigerate them. Slice them as thick or as thin as you want. I find that somewhere between 1/8″ and 1/4″ is best.

Cheddar and Rosemary Crackers -- Epicurean VeganPlace on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with a smidge of salt, if desired.

Cheddar and Rosemary Crackers -- Epicurean VeganBake for about 10 minutes—just don’t let them get too browned. The bottoms will a little, but taken them out before the edges brown. Enjoy! (Thanks for the inspiration, Monet)!

Party Cheese Ball

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Party Cheese Ball -- Epicurean VeganI can’t tell you how excited I am about this!! You see, my mom has made this incredible cheese ball every Christmas for years now and since I went dairy-free, it is probably one of the foods I miss the most.  I finally made a dairy-free version after a couple of attempts and frankly, it’s so good, it brought a tear to my eye. (Also, this is also one of the most requested recipe and when invited to a shin-dig, I am instructed to not come without this cheese ball.)

UPDATE: After making this cheeseball so many times, I’ve tweaked the amount of some of the ingredients, so I figured it was time to update the recipe. I have found that I use about 10-oz of cream cheese, not 12. I also upped the pimento, green pepper and onion to about 4 Tbs each.

INGREDIENTS:
12-oz Tofutti* cream cheese
2 1/2 C Rice brand, or Daiya brand shredded cheese, cheddar flavor
2 Tbs pimento, chopped
2 Tbs green pepper, chopped
2 Tbs onion, chopped
2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 C walnuts, chopped

*Kite Hill is also a great option. I think it tastes closest to real cream cheese, however, it’s softer than Tofutti, so the cheese ball won’t form a perfect ball–more like a mound. It’s about presentation, otherwise it still tastes amazing regardless of which “cream cheese” you go with.

DIRECTIONS:
Combine softened cream cheese and cheddar. Like to use my stand mixer for this. A food processor works too, but I recommend using the dough blade. Add remaining ingredients except walnuts and mix well. (I tend to add 1-2 more tablespoons of the pimento, green pepper and onion; it just depends on your own tastes.) Transfer to a bowl and chill for several hours or overnight. Shape into a ball and roll in nuts. Serve with crackers. (Club crackers and Ritz always taste the best with this cheese ball.)

NOTE: Keep in mind that Rice cheese does have traces of casein.

Party Cheese Ball
 
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I can't tell you how excited I am about this!! You see, my mom has made this incredible cheese ball every Christmas for years now and since I went dairy-free, it is probably one of the foods I miss the most. I finally made a dairy-free version after a couple of attempts and frankly, it's so good, it brought a tear to my eye. (Also, this is also one of the most requested recipe and when invited to a shin-dig, I am instructed to not come without this cheese ball.) UPDATE: After making this cheeseball so many times, I've tweaked the amount of some of the ingredients, so I figured it was time to update the recipe. I have found that I use about 10-oz of cream cheese, not 12. I also upped the pimento, green pepper and onion to about 4 Tbs each.
Author:
Ingredients
  • 12-oz Tofutti cream cheese
  • 2½ C Rice brand, or Daiya brand shredded cheese, cheddar flavor
  • 2 Tbs pimento, chopped
  • 2 Tbs green pepper, chopped
  • 2 Tbs onion, chopped
  • 2 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 C walnuts, chopped
Directions
  1. Combine softened cream cheese and cheddar. Like to use my stand mixer for this. A food processor works too, but I recommend using the dough blade.
  2. Add remaining ingredients except walnuts and mix well. (I tend to add 1-2 more tablespoons of the pimento, green pepper and onion; it just depends on your own tastes.)
  3. Transfer to a bowl and chill for several hours or overnight.
  4. Shape into a ball and roll in nuts.
  5. Serve with crackers. (Club crackers and Ritz always taste the best with this cheese ball.)
  6. NOTE: Keep in mind that Rice cheese does have traces of casein.

 

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