vegan cheese Archives - Epicurean Vegan

Macadamia Nut Cheese

February 10, 2013 by epicureanvegan

I was immediately smitten when I saw this recipe for macadamia nut “goat cheese” over at The Holy Kale. I haven’t met many nut cheeses I didn’t like, and this one looked too delicious not to try. I followed the recipe as it was written, but when I tasted it, I found into be incredibly bland. After all, there wasn’t any seasonings besides the tarragon it was rolled in. . . I took matters into my own hands because I sure the heck wasn’t going to waste the $7 I spent on two cups of macadamia nuts! A little salt, lemon juice, olive oil, and agave saved the day . . . and the cheese! Other than the texture, I don’t think this resembles goat cheese, but that doesn’t mean it’s not tasty–it most certainly is!

INGREDIENTS:
2 C macadamia nuts (I used unsalted), soaked for 24 hours in water
1 cap veggie Probiotic
1/2 C water
2-3 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp, or to taste, salt
1-2 Tbs agave
2-3 Tbs fresh tarragon, chopped

DIRECTIONS:
After soaking the nuts, drain and transfer to a food processor along with 1/2 a cup of fresh water and the contents of the probiotic capsule. Blend until smooth (you will probably need to periodically scrape the sides).

Wrap in a cotton napkin or a few layers of cheese cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Keep wrapped in the cloth and place into a bowl. Do not seal the bowl.

Let it sit for 2 days on the counter and ferment. Unwrap . . .

. . . and transfer to a bowl. Using a fork, blend in the lemon juice, salt, and oil. Taste and adjust seasonings/flavorings if need be. Wrap the cheese in plastic wrap, shaping into a log.

Refrigerate for several hours to overnight to allow the flavors to meet and mingle. The longer you let it percolate the better! Spread the chopped tarragon on a cutting board and roll the log over it. Drizzle with agave and serve with crackers. This would also be excellent crumbled over a salad. Delicious and worth the long process! Enjoy!

Macadamia Nut Cheese

I was immediately smitten when I saw this recipe for macadamia nut "goat cheese" over at The Holy Kale. I haven't met many nut cheeses I didn't like, and this one looked too delicious not to try. I followed the recipe as it was written, but when I tasted it, I found into be incredibly bland. After all, there wasn't any seasonings besides the tarragon it was rolled in. . . I took matters into my own hands because I sure the heck wasn't going to waste the $7 I spent on two cups of macadamia nuts! A little salt, lemon juice, olive oil, and agave saved the day . . . and the cheese! Other than the texture, I don't think this resembles goat cheese, but that doesn't mean it's not tasty--it most certainly is!

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

2 C macadamia nuts (I used unsalted), soaked for 24 hours in water
1 cap veggie Probiotic
½ C water
2-3 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp, or to taste, salt
1-2 Tbs agave
2-3 Tbs fresh tarragon, chopped

Directions

After soaking the nuts, drain and transfer to a food processor along with ½ a cup of fresh water and the contents of the probiotic capsule. Blend until smooth (you will probably need to periodically scrape the sides).
Wrap in a cotton napkin or a few layers of cheese cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
Keep wrapped in the cloth and place into a bowl. Do not seal the bowl.
Let it sit for 2 days on the counter and ferment. Unwrap and transfer to a bowl. Using a fork, blend in the lemon juice, salt, and oil. Taste and adjust seasonings/flavorings if need be. Wrap the cheese in plastic wrap, shaping into a log.
Refrigerate for several hours to overnight to allow the flavors to meet and mingle. The longer you let it percolate the better! Spread the chopped tarragon on a cutting board and roll the log over it. Drizzle with agave and serve with crackers. This would also be excellent crumbled over a salad. Delicious and worth the long process! Enjoy!

Three-Nut Cheese

January 27, 2012 by epicureanvegan

I have been both fascinated and mystified by nut cheese. It wasn’t until I went vegan two years ago that I even learned you could make cheese from nuts. No, it doesn’t necessarily taste much like milk cheese, but it’s still delicious and of course, much healthier for you than the moo-ey version. This recipe is also from Big Vegan, and is actually for quesadillas topped with a mango salsa. I plan on giving that a try, but I think this cheese tastes phenomenal on crackers and apples. I melted some on a tortilla and the flavor really comes out. This recipe is a process, so allow a couple of days for it to magically turn into cheese.

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 C macadamia nuts
1/3 C raw cashews
1/3 C almonds, slivered or flaked
1 acidophilus capsule
1 Tbs cold-pressed corn oil (I used olive oil)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:
Place the nuts in a bowl and cover with cold water; refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain the nuts and puree them in a food processor with 1/2 C water. Add the contents of the acidophilus capsule and puree.

Transfer to a glass bowl and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Leave it at room temperature for 24 hours.

It will then give off a very cottage-cheesy smell. Stir in the lemon juice, oil, and salt. Refrigerate. Enjoy!

Three-Nut Cheese

I have been both fascinated and mystified by nut cheese. It wasn't until I went vegan two years ago that I even learned you could make cheese from nuts. No, it doesn't necessarily taste much like milk cheese, but it's still delicious and of course, much healthier for you than the moo-ey version. This recipe is also from Big Vegan, and is actually for quesadillas topped with a mango salsa. I plan on giving that a try, but I think this cheese tastes phenomenal on crackers and apples. I melted some on a tortilla and the flavor really comes out. This recipe is a process, so allow a couple of days for it to magically turn into cheese.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

⅓ C macadamia nuts
⅓ C raw cashews
⅓ C almonds, slivered or flaked
1 acidophilus capsule
1 Tbs cold-pressed corn oil (I used olive oil)
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp salt

Directions

Place the nuts in a bowl and cover with cold water; refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain the nuts and puree them in a food processor with ½ C water. Add the contents of the acidophilus capsule and puree.
Transfer to a glass bowl and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Leave it at room temperature for 24 hours.
It will then give off a very cottage-cheesy smell. Stir in the lemon juice, oil, and salt. Refrigerate. Enjoy!

Cheeze Swag is Awesome: Galaxy Nutritional Foods

February 21, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to taste and review rice and soy cheezes from Galaxy Nutritional Foods thanks to Sharon at Sharon Kitchens (and of course, to GNF)! I received full sizes of the following: Rice American Flavor slices, Rice Pepper Jack Flavor slices, Soy Mozzarella Flavor block, Rice Cheddar Flavor block, and Vegan Grated Topping. I’ve used the Grated Topping many times before on pastas and when making pesto. Galaxy Nutritional Foods has been around since 1980 and feels very strongly about providing tasty products made with natural ingredients. Their mission is also to help the environment and developed their Eat Green for Body & Earth Program where they take seriously, three things: Keeping Ingredients Organic, Reducing Their Carbon Footprint and Doing Their Part at the Office. Check out their Green Initiatives.

PEPPER JACK FLAVOR VEGAN RICE SLICES

Pepper Jack flavored slices were a first for me. These dairy, gluten and soy-free slices contain 2 grams of fat per slice, no saturated fat, 5 grams of carbs, and 120 mg of sodium. I made a panini using a slice . . .

And even though it didn’t really melt too much, the flavor was quite delicious and had the perfect amount of seasoning; ideal for a panini. I was impressed.

AMERICAN FLAVOR VEGAN RICE SLICES

I use these types of cheezes a lot, but this particular brand is new for me. I have always used Tofutti brand and I like the taste just a smidge more than these, however, with that said, I will be converting to Galaxy Nutritional Foods and here’s why: 1.) These slices are soy-free. I still enjoy some soy, but I think it ought to be in moderation—especially for women. 2.) GNF slices have 2 grams of fat, whereas Tofutti American flavor slices have 6 grams. 3.) GNF has 0 grams of saturated fat where the others have 3 grams. 4.) Tofutti has 290 mg of sodium, compared to GNF’s 120! That’s a big deal, too! GNF does have 5 grams of carbs, where Tofutti has 2, but for me, the other nutritional facts outweigh a couple extra grams of carbs. These slices are perfect for sandwiches, and for my favorite Boca chick patty sandwich.

MOZZARELLA FLAVOR SOY VEGAN BLOCK

I decided to make pizzas using this cheese. I often use Daiya or Vegan Rella cheezes because they’re soy-free and I like the tastes. Vegan Rella, however, can be sticky and hard to use when it’s shredded. All of these cheezes, including this one from Galaxy Nutritional Foods, melts quite nicely. And the GNF shreds great.

I just wasn’t nuts above the flavor. In fact, it lacked a lot of flavor. Perhaps it’s the soy—it seems I prefer their rice-based options more. The texture is great though–I have no problem with that; very much like real cheese.

But here’s what can be a game-changer for you: Again, GNF comes out on top when we’re talking about nutritional facts. 1.) GNF has 3 grams of fat, half that of Daiya. 2.) 60 calories (30 fat calories) and Daiya has 90 calories (60 from fat) 3.) Daiya has 2 grams of saturated fat, while GNF has .5! 4.) Again, GNF rocks with their lower sodium content at 150 mg whereas Daiya as 280 mg per serving. 5.) GNF has 6 grams of carbs and Daiya has 7. So overall, it may come down to the soy and whether or not you prefer to avoid it.

CHEDDAR FLAVOR RICE VEGAN BLOCK

Today, I made nachos with the Cheddar Flavor Rice Vegan Block. This would also work with quesadillas, or a grilled cheeze sandwich, too. Like the Mozzarella flavor, this one shreds well and I like the texture.

I nuked the nachos for about 45 seconds and it melted well. However, like the Mozzarella block, it lacked flavor. I know it’s not easy making fake cheese taste like the real deal, but I prefer the taste of other vegan cheddars. BUT . . .we have to look at nutritional facts. Again, GNF scored mega points with that. Total fat is again 3 grams with .5 grams of saturated fat. The sodium content is higher in this one (compared to the Mozzarella) at 240mg—but still under other vegan cheddar brands.

VEGAN GRATED TOPPING

I’ve been using GNF’s Vegan Grated Topping for a while now. The texture is great and I enjoy the flavor. It’s ideal for pesto, on pasta, and anything else you’d need Parmesan for.

Overall, I was greatly pleased with these Galaxy Nutritional Foods products and I am glad I had the opportunity to try them out. I’m definitely going to be buying the rice slices–I think they’re tasty and much better for you than other brands.

It’s A Cheeze Extravaganza!

December 25, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Well, first of all, Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has had a wonderful, fabulous holiday full of family, friends and happiness. Even Moe-Dog is having a happiness hangover:

And apparently, he’s a little embarrassed about it:

My mom surprised me with a copy of The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook and I have had uncheese on the brain since. For Christmas Eve, we typically do drinks and appetizers, games and movies, so I made three different cheezes from the recipe book and one from Vegetarian Times. A few of the cheezes will require a couple days’ worth of time—but rest assured—they’re easy and worth it. You will need to blanch almonds, something I had never attempted before, but found it to be quite an easy process.

First up:

Port Wine Uncheese

This is super simple to throw together. The pinto beans give it that dry cheese taste and texture and even if it doesn’t taste exactly like cheese, it still has excellent flavor. I recommend adding some nutritional yeast–maybe a 1/4 C for more of a cheesy flavor if you feel it needs it. Otherwise, it’s fab on its own. The recipe calls for nonalcoholic red wine, but I went with an actual port.

INGREDIENTS:
2 C (1-15 or 16 oz can) pinto beans
1/4 C nonalcoholic red wine or port wine
3 Tbs sesame tahini
1 Tbs light or chickpea miso (I used light miso)

DIRECTIONS:
Throw it all in a food processor then let it chill several hours or overnight. You could then roll it in roasted walnuts or pecans for extra flavor, if desired.

Source: The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook

Incredible Almond Creme Cheez

This one has a fluffy, lemony flavor that pairs really well with herbed crackers. The taste is very mild, so herbed crackers work great with this one. You will need to blanch the almonds for this, which is very easy: place almonds in a saucepan with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes, then drain and allow to cool. Pinch the skins between your finger and the skins will slide right off. Dry them off well.

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 C blanched almonds
1/2 C hot water
1/2 C cold water
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs kuzu, arrowroot, or cornstarch (I used cornstarch)
1/2 tsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:
Grind the almonds to a fine powder. Transfer to a blender (I did as the recipe said, but I’m sure just using the food processor is fine) and add the hot water; process until thick and creamy. Add the cold water and remaining ingredients; blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once it thickens, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly for another minute. Let it cool. Fluff with a fork or whisk and transfer to a storage container.

Chill for a few hours. Before serving, beat again with a fork or whisk.

Source: The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook

Onion, Dill and Horseradish Cheez

If you like cheese with a kick, you’ll love this one. The horseradish is perfect in this and makes for a great sliced cheese. I’m not crazy about dill, so next time I will go easy on it and not add the full two teaspoons, but aside from that, it’s a great addition to any cheese platter.

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 C water
5 Tbs agar flakes
1/2 C chopped raw cashews
1/4 C nutritional yeast
3 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs tahini
2 Tbs white horseradish (not creamed)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried onion flakes
2 tsp dried dillweed

DIRECTIONS:
Lightly oil a 3-cup plastic (I used glass) container and set aside. Combine the water and agar flakes in a saucepan and boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently 5-10 minutes, or until flakes are dissolved. Transfer to a blender and add the cashews, nutritional yeast, tahini, horseradish, mustard, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Process until smooth. By hand, add the onion flakes and dillweed. Pour into the prepared container and cool uncovered in the fridge. Once it is completely cooled, cover and chill several hours to overnight. Before serving, slice thin.

Source: The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook

Almond Cheese: Spreadable and Feta-Style

(Spreadable)

(Feta-Style)

Now this is probably my favorite. This one comes from Vegetarian Times and despite the time and effort, I’ll be making it over and over again. I doubled the recipe because it can be made into a spreadable version and a feta-style. The only difference is that the feta-style requires baking—a very simple step.

INGREDIENTS: (undoubled)
1 C blanched almonds
1/4 C lemon juice
3 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled (I used minced)
1-1/4 tsp salt
Cheesecloth

DIRECTIONS:
Place almonds in a medium bowl and cover with 3″ of water; soak for 24 hours. Drain and rinse twice with running water.

Puree the almonds, lemon juice, 3 Tbs olive oil, garlic, salt and 1/2 C of cold water in a food processor until smooth. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with a triple layer of cheesecloth. Spoon mixture into cheesecloth.

Bring the corners and sides of the cheesecloth together and twist around the cheese, squeezing out any excess moisture. Secure with a rubber band.

Chill 12 hours or overnight. Discard any excess liquid—I squeezed a little more out. One half I left in the fridge and for the feta-style: Preheat oven to 200. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and unwrap cheese and transfer it from the cheesecloth to the baking sheet. Flatten to a 6″ round with a 3/4″ in thickness on the sheet.

Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool. I then transferred it to a bowl and used a fork to break it up into feta-like chunks. Place in a storage container and refrigerate for several hours. Add to salads or soups—you’ll love it! Enjoy!

I’m sure Moe will recover from his Christmas overload soon . . .

Product Review: Tofurky Vegan Cheese Pizza

December 15, 2010 by epicureanvegan

For the Sixth Grader, finding a tasty vegan pizza is a must. Pizza parties are a thing of the past for him, so I think it’s important for him to have this treat every now and again.

Tofurky claims that this is the “1st Non-Dairy Cheese That Really Melts”. Well, they use Daiya cheese, just like Amy’s Mac and Cheeze so that is promising! The 12-oz frozen pizza will cost you $6.79 at Vitamin Cottage Grocers, but $8.99 at Whole Foods (gee . . .big surprise). I certainly don’t think that’s right to pay that much for a frozen pizza. Unfortunately, I think that’s one of the reasons why vegan food gets a bad rap as being more expensive. But I think the more people eat vegan, the cheaper the products will become. (The Sixth Grader, of course has no problem with the price . . . 😉 )

You bake it at 420 for 11-12 minutes (10 was perfect). It was quite good! They don’t skimp on the cheese and like they claim, it melts beautifully. Very impressive.

A third of the pizza contains 240 calories, 2 grams of saturated fat, NO CHOLESTEROL, and less sodium than regular cheese pizza.

Overall, this is a great choice for a vegan pizza, if you don’t mind the price tag.

Hard Cashew Cheese

September 11, 2010 by epicureanvegan

When I made this block of cheese, I was wondering what in the world am I going to do with that much cheese?! It wasn’t hard to figure that out once I tasted it. Eat it! The recipe is from The Vegan Table and her Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese recipe, but with just one alteration: agar flakes. You can find these flakes in the Asian section of most grocery stores, but be prepared to spend a little. One 1-ounce package (you’ll need 1-1/2 packages) is about $8. But, it does make one big block of cheese. I’m sure halving the recipe would be fine.

I think this recipe is an excellent base for a block of cashew cheese, but we found that it just needed a little extra punch. Next time I will add some vegan Worcestershire sauce and perhaps some minced onion. It needed just a bit more saltiness. It’s a delicious mild cheese and easy to slice and would be fantastic on sandwiches or even on nachos. Really, anything you can think of needing some cheese, melted or not, this would work—even shredded.

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/4 C raw cashews
1/2 C nutritional yeast
2 tsp onion powder
1 to 2 tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp white pepper|
3-1/2 C nondairy milk
1 C agar flakes
1/2 C canola oil
1/4 C light (yellow or white) miso
2 Tbs lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
Place cashews in a large-sized bowl of the food processor and finely grind–just don’t let the cashews turn to a paste. Add nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. Pulse three more times to blend in spices.

In a heavy saucepan, combine milk, agar flakes and oil. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease heat to low-medium, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

With the food processor running, gradually add milk mixture to cashew mixture. Blend for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Next blend in miso and lemon juice. It won’t take long for the sauce to start thickening up. Transfer to a mold. I used a glass bowl, but plastic would be fine, too. In fact, it may work better.

Let it harden in the refrigerator for a few hours—after 3 hours, it still wasn’t quite ready, so I left it over night.

It did not stick to the sides of the mold at all, but there was a tiny bit of liquid on the bottom acting as a suction and the cheese wasn’t budging. I inserted a straw in the middle of the cheese, took it out, creating a hole and then turned it upside down over a cutting board. It came right out. With a plastic mold, you could probably squeeze the sides enough to loosen it enough. Enjoy!

Product Review: Dr. Cow Vegan Cheese

May 24, 2010 by epicureanvegan

So I found some vegan cheese that is pretty darn good! It’s called Dr. Cow’s Tree Nut Cheese and here is what the company has to say about their product:

“Our cheese is made from 100% raw, organic nuts. First we carefully select the nuts and seeds, then we mix the raw nuts with our own home-made acidophilus and a little royal pink himalayan salt (one of the best salts available in the market!).Thus we have made nut curd by applying the same procedures for making traditional dairy-based cheese! Our cheeses are made with absolutely no preservatives, stabilizers, artificial ingredients or additives of any kind. 100% dairy free, no gluten, no casein, no soy and lactose free, 100% organic and vegan!”

Unfortunately, it’s tough to get a hold of since it is only available in a few stores and can get pricey from online stores. Dr. Cow offers a 5-cheese sampler for a whopping $75, or you can buy just one or two from other places such as www.veganessentials.com. Here’s a link to where you can buy it.

I bought 2 from Vegan Essentials: the Aged Cashew and Hemp seed and the Aged Cashew and Dulse. $38 and 2 days later, I receieved my box of (2) 4oz cheeses. Yep. I paid $38 for two tiny things of “cheese” that were a lot smaller than I was expecting…but they were damn good! They do have a bit of a mayonaise taste, but otherwise, they’re very cheese-like. I only tried these two and I haven’t attempted to buy others–saving my pennies But you may find that you just can’t live without it and you may also be lucky enough to live near a store that sells it. The cheese I bought was $9.49 and $8.95 and I also had to buy a cold pack for $2.95 AND pay for 2-day shipping to ensure freshness. (My husband about killed me)!

Ingredients for the Aged Cashew and Hemp Seed variety: Cashew nuts, acidophilus, hemp seeds & himalayan pink salt

Ingredients for the Aged Cashew and Dulse: (not listed on their website)

For a great review of ALL of the varieties, check out this site.

Have you tried this “cheese”? What’s your opinion?

Macadamia Nut Cheese

Three-Nut Cheese

Cheeze Swag is Awesome: Galaxy Nutritional Foods

It’s A Cheeze Extravaganza!

Product Review: Tofurky Vegan Cheese Pizza

Hard Cashew Cheese

Product Review: Dr. Cow Vegan Cheese

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