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Since it’s national “Eat What you Want” Day, I’m going to have to agree with my fellow blogger Valerie, who believes “everyday should be eat what you want day.” Why not let the wisdom of your body (and your mind) guide you as you make meal choices at least three times a day?
As for what I want to eat on this day — more of the cashew cheese I made this weekend. I’d heard about these creamy vegan dairy alternatives but never dared make my own, until yesterday. Well actually, I started on Friday because vegan cheese takes a couple days — with the soaking of the nuts, the blending of the ingredients, the shaping, the draining of the cheese, the chilling and finally, the indulging.
I used a recipe from the April issue of Vegetarian Times, and in spite of the many steps involved, it’s quite an easy task. More gratifying is the result: an elegant, piquant chevre-like log that spreads perfectly on a baguette and even better accompanied with a chilled glass of white wine. If you don’t want to make your own, Dr. Cow carries a wide range of yummy looking nut cheeses. Otherwise, here’s the recipe I used.
Pepper-Crusted Cashew Goat Cheese
Makes 10 oz log
3/4 cup raw cashews
6 Tbs canola oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbs. tahini
1 1/4 tsp. salt
parchment paper
cheese cloth
1 tsp. cracked black peppercorns or coarsely ground black pepper
1. Place cashews in large bowl; cover with 3 inches water. Soak overnight.
2. Drain liquid, rinse cashews under cold water and drain again. Puree cashews, oil, lemon juice, tahini, salt, and 2 Tbs. water in food processor 6 minutes, or until smooth and creamy.
3. Place large strainer over bowl, and line with triple layer of cheesecloth. Spoon cashew mixture into cheesecloth. Fold sides of cloth over cheese, and form into 6-inch-long oval loaf. Twist ends of cloth and secure with rubber bands. Set in strainer over bowl, and let stand 12 hours at room temperature. Discard excess liquid. Chill.
4. Preheat over to 200 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap cheese, and scrape into 7-inch-long log on cheesecloth. Rewrap, and twist ends to secure. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 35 minutes, or until cheese becomes set on outside but still soft, turning occasionally. Cool, and chill.
5. Unwrap cheese. Sprinkle with peppercorns, pressing to adhere.
Any vegan cheese makers who want to share tips, treats or recipes?
[image via: wikimedia commons]
posted February 15, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Now can you substitute the canola oil with Olive Oil or Grape seed Oil?
posted July 25, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Very Nice Recipe And Good Information
posted August 15, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Thanks ever so! I am always on the lookout for great vegan recipes for picnics, and this is a great one.
posted September 29, 2010 at 10:55 am
Thank for this recipe. I look forward to making it as I am not a vegan but try to avoid all milk products. Eat soya etc as I believe that milk was respondsible for my prostrate cancer
posted October 5, 2010 at 3:14 pm
i’m about to make this… i’ll let you know how it turns out
posted October 7, 2010 at 2:20 am
I can’t wait to try it. I made some so-so cashew cheese, but didn’t think to bake it to get a more cheese-like texture. thanks for posting!
posted November 8, 2010 at 4:13 pm
I love this cheese! But I don’t bother with the straining, waiting, baking anymore. I didn’t find that much difference in the taste or quality by baking it, versus just mixing it up and eating it “raw” — and it’s a lot quicker! Make it — you won’t regret it! The only thing I did differently was to cut down a bit on the salt; found it a bit too salty for my taste. Also tried it using extra virgin olive oil — that version was also delicious, with a stronger flavor than the recipe using a neutral-flavored oil. Oh! Try this on pizza! SOOOO good!
posted January 12, 2011 at 5:18 am
This recipe is good! I’ll make one tomorrow and buy the stuff needed! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m sure my kids will gonna love it!
posted January 27, 2011 at 5:40 pm
I use this recipe often lately, because it’s very close to the recipe a friend uses, but I can find this on the Internet a lot easier. I love it too, and think it is fancy enough as a holiday appetizer for company.
I also use less salt — maybe only a 1/2 teaspoon. But I add “a” garlic clove — 1 if large, 2 or 3 if small. I also don’t mind if I use a little extra water to help it puree in the blender more easily, since it has to drain in the cheesecloth anyway.
In the past, I didn’t bake it in the cheesecloth, but used the cheesecloth to give it a uniform texture. I also didn’t read the directions carefully, so used the peppery mix on it before putting it in the oven instead of after. I’ll try it that way tonight to see if it turns out differently.
I form it into a “puck” or a sort of flat ball, to give it a traditional cheese ball look. I bake it in a pie pan, which doesn’t take up as much room as a cookie sheet. And I use a steak seasoning mix which tastes very peppery, but includes other things like coarse salt, garlic, red peppers & paprika.
Last time I made this, I also made homemade crackers.
Thank you for posting this, because I do have to refer to it each time for measurements, and basic steps.
posted March 7, 2011 at 6:41 pm
I agree with Valerie,every day should be like this,but that would just take up too much of our time to cook everything if you want to eat healthy. This sound like a great recipe just cant wait for vegan cheese to be ready. Thanks for the share
posted August 22, 2011 at 12:31 am
This cheese is amazing! Does anyone have any tips for salvaging the cheesecloth for future reuse? The cloths are so messy afterwards that we always throw them out it would be nice to get a few uses out of them if possible.