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Cheezy Sauce

April 6, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Cheezy Sauce -- Epicurean VeganYep…here is yet another “cheese” sauce–this one quite impressive from Veganomicon. The ingredient list is relatively small and the flavor is not soy sauce-y like most (’cause there isn’t any in this recipe)! It’s quite simple to make and can be used on nachos, pastas, baked potatoes and as a dip for veggies. I think this sauce tastes closest to real cheese and I’ll certainly try it on other food. Like most “cheese” sauces, I recommend not microwaving any leftovers, but rather reheating it on the stove. Also, it does help to have the ingredients measured out and ready to go before starting…and of course, I went to my go-to ingredient for added creaminess…Tofutti sour cream!

INGREDIENTS:
2 C vegetable broth
1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 Tbs olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of dried thyme (crumbled in your fingers)
1/4 tsp salt
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper (I did 4 pinches)
1/8 tsp turmeric
3/4 C nutritional yeast
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp prepared yellow mustard
Optional: 1/4 C Tofutti sour cream
Optional: Vegan Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the broth and flour in a measuring cup and whisk until dissolved. Preheat a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Place the oil and garlic in the pan and gently cook for about 2 mins, stirring often and being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 15 seconds. Add the broth, turmeric, and nutritional yeast, and raise the heat to medium. Use a whisk to stir constantly. The mixture should start bubbling and thickening in about 3-5 mins; if it doesn’t, turn the heat a bit higher.

Once the mixture is bubbling and thickening, stir and cook for about 2 more mins. Add the lemon juice and mustard. The mixture should resemble a thick, melty cheese. Taste for salt (you may need more depending on how salty the vegetable broth is), turn off the heat, cover the pan to keep it warm until ready to use. (If using the sour cream, add it now). The top might thicken a bit while it sits, but you can stir it and it will be fine. Serve warm and enjoy!

Filed Under: Dinners, Dressings/Condiments Tagged With: cheese sauce, dairy-free, Nacho cheese, nondairy, Vegan

Product Review: Vegan Gourmet Nacho Cheese Alternative

March 5, 2010 by epicureanvegan

The quest for tasty queso seems to be a never-ending task for vegans. The queso recipe posted earlier, is pretty darn good, but does require a lot more ingredients, so if that doesn’t appeal to you, the folks at Follow Your Heart have a great alternative and just as they claim…it DOES MELT! And $3.69 for 10-oz is not bad.

I chopped the block and added it to my electric fondue pot. FYH says you can melt it in a sauce pan as well. It is thick and solid enough to shred over tortilla chips and microwave, too.

After about 15 minutes, the “cheese” definitely resembled nacho cheese and quite surprisingly, tasted like it, too. It certainly has a spicy kick, but at the same time, that was about all I could really taste. That cheesy taste just wasn’t there–which is good in a way, too, because fake cheese can taste, well…fake. This didn’t taste like that, but it just was lacking something.

So what’s a vegan to do? I decided to add about 1/3-1/2C of rice (Galaxy Foods) Shredded “cheese” and it really gave it a much more cheesy taste and texture. It was just what it needed. The only thing that changed was, of course, the consistency. It made it a bit more elastic-y. It didn’t really allow one to “dip” a chip, but more, “scoop” the cheese. The taste was outstanding though–the closest that pre-packaged vegan cheese is to regular nacho cheese.

Follow Your Heart not only makes many great products such as Veganaise and salad dressings, but they are one of the most environmentally conscious companies around. Their manufacturing plant in California operates on 100% solar energy and used all recycled products in their facility. Check out the April 2010 issue of VegNews for more!

Filed Under: Appetizers, Product Reviews Tagged With: dairy-free, Follow Your Heart, Nacho cheese, nachos, Vegan

Queso is Back!!

January 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Queso is Back!! -- Epicurean VeganFinally! I have found a queso I can eat!! You’d never know this is dairy-free! It makes about 4 cups, so it’s perfect for a get together.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 C minced onion (I just chopped them really fine)
1/4 C oat flour or finely ground old fashioned oats ( I ground the oats)
2 Tbs Tahini
1/2 nutritional yeast flakes
1/3 C soy milk
1 tsp maple syrup
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (4oz) can diced green chilies, drained (I diced up half a large Anaheim pepper)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oat flour, tahini, nutritional yeast, soy milk and maple syrup. Stir in the tomatoes and mix well. Lower heat and cook, stirring constantly. When mixture starts to bubble, add the chilies, chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne and salt. Continue to cook, stirring for about 10 mins. Stir in lemon juice. The recipe recommends adding more soy milk if it is too thick, but I added 1/2C Tofutti sour cream, because, well, I just love that stuff and it made it very creamy and delish! I also transferred it to my electric fondue pot to keep warm. Love it! Hope you enjoy it!

Queso is Back!! -- Epicurean VeganRecipe Source: 1000 Vegan Recipes

Filed Under: Appetizers Tagged With: dairy-free, dip, Nacho cheese, queso, Vegan

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The Epicurean Vegan is devoted to those wanting to eat healthy, save animals, and reduce their carbon footprint. My decision to go vegan started out as a quest to get healthier, but the more I learned about veganism, the more I realized how damaging the meat and dairy industries are to the environment and, of course, the animals. And it is for these reasons, that I would never go back to eating or wearing animal products. Ever.
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