One thing most vegans miss in the food world, and that is so hard to replicate, is cheese. Piquant, creamy, stretchy, versatile, mouthfeel, wine and crackers and all that stuff.
There are products, people have tried, and there are OK substitutes out there…but just ok. Nothing quite does it for me. They are often filled with oils and starches and yucky things…and most of the time have the texture of wax, certainly not anything you’d want to eat on its own.
That is why I like to make my own. Raw cashews form the base. Their creamy, fatty, neutral flavor are a perfect foil for the rest of the ingredients. Roasted or raw red peppers contribute a sweet flavor and reddish tint. Nutritional yeast adds the cheesiness, and miso and lemon juice give it that tart, aged taste. Yummy!
I often have to break out this “cheese” for Warped tour. I use some variation of it for the mac and cheese, nacho cheese, grilled cheese and the quesadillas. Sometimes I add some tofu to bulk it out, sometimes I sub raw sunflower seeds for the cashews to make it more economical…and sometimes I add some onions and garlic sautéed in vegan margarine. For a spicy addition, I might add diced jalapeno and chilis. Anyway you slice it, it is pure yumminess!
Here is a kinda thrown together recipe for it:
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked for a few hours
- 1 roasted or raw red bell pepper, sliced
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup mellow white miso
- 2-4 TBS. cup fresh lemon juice (depending on how tart you like it)
- 2 TBS. neutral oil or more for extra fatty creaminess
- dash of onion powder, garlic powder and sea salt
- any other additions you would like, fresh chopped jalapeno, pepper, chipotle or smoked paprika for smokiness..etc..
Blend all of the ingredients in a high speed blender until completely smooth and creamy, adding water if needed to help it blend. Heat in a pot over medium heat, keeping an eye on it to prevent scorching…(I have done this numerous times..and had to call it “smoked” cheese!)
Use it for nachos, pour over cooked macaroni, or let it chill in the fridge to firm up and spread it on bread for grilled cheese or tortillas for quesadillas!
Here’s me all hot and sweaty, showing off my vegan smack and cheese for dinner for 70 vegans on Warped tour:
Here is AJ, our catering manager and fellow vegan, about to take a bite!
It was creamy, dreamy goodness!
