Ooey Gooey Cashew Cheese
There are SO many vegan cheese recipes out there and I have ALWAYS been nervous to try them assuming it would be challenging to make or I would need crazy tools. I was planning a menu for Lazy Wellness’s Yoga Retreat and I wanted to make a recipe using Modern Table pasta (not an add, I LOVE this pasta) and I knew a vegan cheese would be a great addition to the dish to really wow the guest.
I came across a few different “mozzarella” recipes and some were a little daunting and time consuming. Then I found one on Nora Cooks that looked so easy! The name was in the title; “Easy Stretchy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese”. Being the cook that I am I never follow a recipe to a T BUT I knew making it the first time it was important to try it out, this was more a science experiment than cooking. So I followed the recipe and it came out so good! It was so easy! After making it once I decided to put my own Dancing Ginger Spin on it. I added some nutritional yeast for a little more cheesy taste. I added a bit of garlic because I knew it was going into pasta and who doesn’t love garlic. I also added oregano to help give it a more earthy taste. Below is the recipe I came up with. See what you think.
Since making it for the first time I have used it for my clients in a pasta dish, I used it on the Yoga Retreat in a pasta dish AND to make grilled cheese along with butternut squash soup (it was a HIT some said it was the best meal of the weekend. Not sure if it was the cheese or the soup). I have also used it for a quesadilla, so delicious!
This cheese is versatile and EASY to make. If you wanted more of a “cheddar” version add more nutritional yeast. Add more garlic and herbs if that’s the flavor you are looking for.
Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments or on Instagram
Ooey Gooey Cashew Cheese
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup cashews
-1 1/3 cup water
- 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 heaping tsp nutritional yeast (more if you want it to be more like cheddar)
- pinch of oregano and garlic powder
- 4 tbs tapioca starch (this is what makes it stretchy)
Directions
1. Soak cashews with HOT water for no less than 3 mins.
2. Add remaining ingredients into a blender. Drain cashew water and add soaked cashews into a blender.
3. Blend until smooth (time depending on the power of the blender) It will be a VERY thin liquid.
4. Pour liquid into a pan over med heat. Start stirring right away and you’ll notice it will start to stick together. Mix until it forms one clump then transfer into a container and use for whatever you want. Or store in the fridge. I had it in the fridge for 4 days and it didn’t go bad. It does harden over time so I suggest using it as quickly as you can.
**recipe adapted from Nora Cooks