Introduction
Having tried many different vegan cheeses before, I was more than a little wary of making my own. Most vegan cheeses fail in the taste department because they try to mimic real cheese in every way – texture, color, taste, etc. This cheese, however, has a taste and texture completely of its own. It spreads, slices, and retains it shape and texture impeccably well.
I’ve taste-tested this recipe with several people already – all of which gave me incredibly skeptical looks before cautiously trying it – and it passed with flying colors. If you can get over your initial wariness I’m sure you’ll like it too.
Preparation time
Under 15 minutes but requires overnight refrigeration.
Utilities needed
A good blender and a kettle.
Ingredients needed
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vegan alternative to gelatin1
3/4 cup boiling water
1 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
11/2 teaspoon salt or alternative (I recommend All Purpose Veggie Salt)
A dash of paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly minced yellow bell pepper
How to make it
Step 1: Put gelatin and 1/4 cup water in blender and let it sit for five minutes.
Step 2: While your gelatin is sitting, bring 3/4 cups of water to a boil – You can use your kettle for this step.
Step 3: While you are waiting for your water to boil and your gelatin to sit, place your 1 cup of raw cashews in a colander or strainer and rinse under hot water. This ensures the cashews are clean and makes them easier to blend smoothly.
Step 4: When five minutes is up (step 1), cover the gelatin with the 3/4 cups of boiling water. Blend briefly to dissolve.
Step 5: Add 1 cup of rinsed cashews. Blend until mixture is creamy and there are no chunks – Do not under blend. You don’t want cashew chunks in your faux cheese.
Step 6: Add your seasonings and minced bell pepper. Blend until creamy again.
Step 7: Very lightly grease a plastic container (I recommend a rectangular or square container to set the mixture in a “cheese-like” shape) with the product of your choice – If possible, use a pure oil like olive oil in lieu of PAM or butter.
Step 8: Pour mixture into plastic container and cover. Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.
Usage
Slice like you would any other cheese. Serve on crackers, bread, fruit, or put it in salads or sandwiches. I have not yet tried it in heated dishes; since it is made with gelatin I’m not sure how it would melt (or taste, for that matter). So until future notice, heat at your own risk.
Footnotes
1A word on vegan gelatin – Suitable vegan replacements for gelatin are: guar gum, carrageenan, and Agar-Agar. Visit your local health food store and ask for any one of these in powdered form. If they come with preparation guidelines, follow those in place of step 1.
