Trying out Vegan 30 days without losing cheese!

I can’t live without cheese!

Giving up cheese is the hugest hurdle for a lot of us when it comes to taking the Vegan plunge. Fortunately, there are a lot of alternatives out there to help you substitute those cheesy urges. However, in my experience they are NOT all created equal. Trust me on this one. I have been through almost every “cheese” recipe on Pinterest and had some nightmares! If you have a nut allergy, obviously cashew cheese it out. If you don’t- I highly recommend going this route. It takes a lot of trial and error to get the recipe just right as long as you stick to some general rules.

Rule #1- Soak, soak, soak your cashews! It makes a huge difference in the creamy texture of the cheese. Texture is a huge part of making your own cheese.

Rule#2- Do NOT skip the nutritional yeast! This adds the “cheesy” flavor and I love the way it makes your cheese have the natural color that mimics regular cheese.

Rule#3- You MUST use a quality blender and patiently blend until you have the right consistency. Nobody likes grainy cheese.

Here’s my favorite recipe for cashew cheese below:

One cup of cashews

3 tablespoons of berbere. Berbere is an extremely spicy Ethiopian mixture. I add this because of the flavor it gives but it is totally optional! You can also use chili powder or omit completely if you wish

1/3 of a cup nutritional yeast

1/3 of a cup of non dairy milk

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1 tablespoon of cornstarch ( to thicken the sauce)

1 tablespoon of diced onion

2 tablespoons of oil( any kind)

Make sure your cashews have been soaked overnight or put them in hot water for about 30 minutes. Sautee your onion and garlic for a few minutes. Add the berbere( if you are using it) after about 30 seconds on medium heat. Turn off and let this cool for awhile. Once your onion mixture is cool blend everything together. Stop periodically and taste the cheese to see if you want to thicken it/thin it out. If you want to thin it out simply add little bits of water as needed.

If you want to try out eating Vegan without losing your cheese or the food you already love let me meal plan for you! For less than $12 a week I will customize your Vegan meal plan to mimic your current diet plus provide support along the way. Coupons are included! Follow this link for $10 off our $45 meal plan. 

Until next time, 

Saba