Month: June 2023

Ingredients 

▢1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked

▢1 1/3 cups water

▢1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh from about 1/2 lemon

▢1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

▢1/2 teaspoon salt

▢4 tablespoons tapioca starch

Instructions 

Boil 2 cups of water (I just heat up water in my tea kettle). Pour the water over the cashews and let soak for 5 minutes and up to an hour.

Drain the cashews, and add them to a blender along with 1 1/3 cups fresh water (not the water you soaked the cashews in), lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt and tapioca starch. Blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. It will be very watery at this point.

Now pour the watery mixture into a small saucepan and bring the heat to medium. Begin to stir with a spatula or spoon.

After a few minutes, it will begin to get clumpy. Keep stirring, constantly until suddenly it will become super gooey, stretchy, thick and smooth. It will become one big mass of stretchy vegan cheese. Remove from heat as soon as this happens.

Use immediately, or store in a covered container in the refrigerator. It is easiest to use immediately, because it will thicken up more in the fridge and be less stretchy. So if possible, especially for using on pizza or lasagna, make right before using.

For pizza, drop 1-2 tablespoon sized balls onto the crust and pat down a little bit. Or spread it all over. It will brown in the oven. For lasagna, drop dollops of the cheese all over the top towards the end of cooking time. Or place between bread and grill for grilled cheese.

Notes

1. Tapioca starch/flour is essential in this recipe, cornstarch will not create the same “stretchy” quality.
2. I’ve never tried it with another nut, but I suspect raw slivered almonds could work.
3. If you want the cheese to brown in the oven (like it looks on the bread in the post above), simply spray with a little oil and broil for 5-10 minutes, watching carefully. This is wonderful for lasagna, pizza, or just atop bread for cheesy bread. 
4. I have frozen this and while it is still edible, it definitely tastes best fresh. It will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. But again, it will be the most stretchy and easy to work with immediately. 
5. Use this on Nora’s vegan lasagna recipe

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 149mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg

author: nora taylor

https://www.noracooks.com/easy-stretchy-vegan-mozzarella-cheese/#wprm-recipe-container-2860

VEGAN RICOTTA CHEESE

Ingredients 

▢2 cups raw slivered almonds

▢2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

▢1/2 teaspoon garlic powder optional

▢3/4 teaspoon salt

▢3/4-1 1/2 cups water

Instructions 

Quick soak the almonds: Bring a few cups of water to a boil (I use my tea kettle for this). Add the almonds to a measuring cup or bowl and pour the boiling hot water on top to cover. Let them soak for 5 minutes, or up to an hour.

Blend: Drain the almonds and discard the soaking water. To a high powered blender such as a Vitamix, add the softened almonds, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and 3/4 cup of water. Blend until very smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add up to another 3/4 cups of water and blend until silky-smooth and fluffy.

Optional herbs: Feel free to add more herbs here, such as a teaspoon each of dried oregano and basil, or a handful of fresh basil.

Now it’s ready to be used anywhere you like, such as in Vegan Lasagna, Vegan Stuffed Shells or dolloped on pizza before baking. Enjoy!

Notes
*Raw slivered almonds are my favorite choice, but raw cashews work as well.
*If you can’t have nuts, substitute a block of firm tofu, but add water only as need to blend until smooth.

*A high powered blender is essential for making a smooth and creamy ricotta. A food processor technically will work, but it might be grainy and not super smooth.

*May substitute a clove of fresh garlic instead of garlic powder, if desired.

*Leave out the garlic if you plan to use it in sweeter recipes, like for pancakes.

*Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a covered container, or freeze if you won’t eat it all before then.

* Use this on Nora’s vegan lasagna recipe.

Nutrition
Serving: 1of 8 servings | Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 219mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 1mg

course: side dish, snack
cuisine: italian
author: nora taylor

https://www.noracooks.com/vegan-ricotta/#wprm-recipe-container-10902