cheese

Holiday Nut Encrusted Cheese Ball

Happy holidays! The holiday party season is upon us and many of us will be throwing or attending parties and bringing along treats. This cheese ball recipe, inspired by one from Carol Kreutzer, is an easy delicious throwback to traditional cheeseballs. Your guests are guaranteed to love it!

Makes one large ball or two medium size balls.

Ingredients

4 ounces plant-based pepper jack cheese, like Daiya
4 ounces plant-based cheddar cheese, like Daiya
4 ounces plant-based cream cheese, like Miyoko’s
2 tablespoons plant-based mayonnaise, like Just Mayo
1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh onion
1 tablespoon grated horseradish
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup chopped walnuts and/or sunflower seeds

Chop all the cheese in blender or food processor until crumbly. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the walnuts and seeds. Mix well with a wooden spoon or clean hands. Form into one large or two small balls. Roll in chopped walnuts and/or seeds.  Refrigerate for up to 10 days. Serve with bread or crackers.

Nacho cheese–you won’t believe the ingredients

This vegan nacho cheese is delicious and so easy. Your friends and family won’t believe it’s vegan, let alone that it’s made from potatoes and carrots. Omit chipotles and pour over pasta for a delicious mac and cheese. Recipe adapted from Chef Wanda White’s.

Ingredients:
2 cups potatoes, cubed
1 cup carrots, cut
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water reserved from boiling potatoes and carrots
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
dash cayenne
1 tsp. chipotle chile in adobo or salsa if you prefer

Instructions
Boil potatoes and carrots for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Reserve water. Add potatoes, carrots, and remaining ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend on high until smooth. Add more water 1/4 cup at a time if too thick. Serve over tortilla chips with your favorite nacho toppings.

Enjoy!

Music: https://www.bensound.com

Macaroni and Cheese Surprise

Who doesn’t love a good macaroni and cheese? It’s the quintessential comfort food. This macaroni and cashew cheese doesn’t have the same neon orange color of the food of my childhood, but it’s way more delicious. The surprise is that not only is it tasty and comforting; it’s also healthy, with cashews offering the creaminess of cheese. You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand, but bright green broccoli makes a nice contrast. This recipe appears in my book, MeatLess: Transform the Way You Eat and Live — One Meal at a Time, published by Da Capo Press, 2017.

Serves 4
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound of your favorite pasta (macaroni or shells work great)
1 head broccoli, cauliflower, or your favorite vegetable, cut into florets or small pieces

Cheese sauce ingredients:
1-1/4 cups raw cashews (if you have time to prepare in advance, soak them for an hour to overnight for a creamier sauce)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1-1/2 cups plain, unsweetened soy or almond milk
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup yellow miso
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Method:

Prepare the pasta according to package instructions. When 5 minutes remain in cook time, add in broccoli, cauliflower, or other vegetables. Drain, rinse, and pour into a casserole dish. Set aside.

Meanwhile grind the cashews into a powder in a high speed blender or food processor. Add the nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, and garlic powder and blend thoroughly.

Add the soy or almond milk, oil, miso, and lemon juice and blend until smooth, scraping sides to ensure it’s thoroughly combined.

Toss cheese sauce over pasta and veggies and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Pro-Tip: Crumble crushed walnuts or panko bread crumbs over the top before baking for a fancier mac.