Pepper-Crusted Cashew Goat Cheese

Needing some sort of creamy frenchy cheesy dippy recipe for my holiday tomorrow, I found this one on Vegetarian Times.  So obv. I completely borrowed this recipe and just put my own spin on it by adding a heaping Tablespoon of nutritional yeast (duh!) and more spices in the mix(double duh!!).

I then (being the creative "Genius" I am, lined a small square bowl with saran wrap and put mixture in on top of a dash of strong Balsamic Vinegar, dried Marjoram, Pink Sea Salt and even more Black Pepper.  Clearly I have ZERO time for the whole "straining" bit.  Tomorrow, for service, I will invert the creation on a crudite platter for the festive holiday affair.  I'll do my best to get another snapshot of said inverted masterpiece before I devour it...

Here is the recipe:

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/pepper-crusted-cashew-goat-cheese/

Eggplant "Cheddar Cheese" Spread

OMG I am super excited about this post and I think, you will be too, once you make a batch.  This easy spread made of roasted veggies, tahini, canola oil and lemon really satisfies a vegan cheese craving.  Trust me.  You will be so surprised.  The taste and texture mimic some of those old cheese spreads I remember so fondly from childhood that were never left off the holiday table.  So this holiday season, surprise all your guests with this vegan version.  I promise you won't miss the dairy in this one!

Eggplant "Cheddar Cheese" Spread

1 small Eggplant (traditional)

2 small Zucchinis

6 cloves Garlic

1/2 sweet yellow Onion

1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes

1/2 cup Tahini

1/4 cup Canola Oil (plus 2 Tablespoons for roasting veggies)

Juice of 2 Lemons

Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper (to taste)

Begin by rough chopping and roasting all veggies, onions and garlic tossed in a bit of canola oil and coated with salt and pepper.  Roast on a large baking tray at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Don't worry if some of the veggies get a little charred, that will just add some smoky flavor to your "cheese" - DELISH!  Remove from oven and allow to cool on tray.  Add to food processor along with 1/2 cup tahini, juice of 2 lemons, blend until smooth and drizzle in oil to finish to achieve a light, creamy consistency.  Taste teste with spoon and add additional salt and pepper if needed.  Transfer to a glass vessel and refrigerate until ready to serve.  DO NOT PACK IT DOWN.  The "light as a cloud" fluffy consistency (i.e. cheese spread) is what you are going for.  This would be great on any crackers of choice or as a replacement for cream cheese on things like bagels and toast.  This would also make an excellent sauce for your pasta of choice.  Garnish with parsley and basil if desired.  Chef's note:  For a special holiday event, roll the spread into a log shape and coat with chopped toasted pecans.  Voila - CHEESE LOG with no cows.  ENJOY and HAPPY HOLIDAYS LOVES!

Vegan Cheese Review #2 - Teese Mozzarella

One word. YES! I had high hopes of this one and it delivered in terms of taste, texture and melt ability. I admit it doesn't taste like much but when combined with aromatics (i.e. roasted garlic and italian herbs) it delivers where it should. I agree with what I have read on other reviews that it does not stay melted for very long. So, eat it fast. That generally is no problem for this little piggy. I whipped up some mac n cheese and I was sent to vegan cheese heaven. Thank you Teese, you had me at hello. I look forward to trying all of your products in the near future.

Jonesing for Real Cheese

Today was a little tough because I was really craving some real cheese.  I felt like a serious addict as I drove away from my house on a quest for "cheese".  I had to make a mad dash to the Rainbow Coop and hunt down a few vegan cheese options (full well knowing I was probably going to be on a fruitless mission).  Nonetheless I came home armed with a plethora of, let's call them, pretend cheeses.  Now I haven't tried very many of them so I can't offer ratings yet as I will save that for a future post.  I promise to be candid and include specific brand names and photos so you can give me your opinions on my selections.  One I did try, however, blue soy something or other, managed to stave off my craving, for now.

I told my husband that I might just have to be a cheese-eating vegan (I realize that makes no sense at all).  But for now, I'm not going to give into the temptation.  Prior to becoming vegan, cheese was basically all I ate.  I mean, I'm kidding of course, I ate EVERYTHING.  But there were very few snacks and meals that didn't include cheese in some form or another.  Having formerly been a big fan of Atkin's diet plan, cheese was what I reached for when I needed a snack.

I've already embarked on making my own cultured nut-cheese.  So far (I have some aging in my refrigerator) they actually taste pretty darn good but seem more like a nutty hummus than an actual cheese but, that's not a bad thing.  I adore hummus and anything resembling it.  It's likely I'm one of the most creative folks in the kitchen but this is a double-edged sword.  My creative creations either come out really amazing or super strange tasting.  Generally the former.  I am a great home cook.  I'm using this blog in part to help me document my creative endeavors so when I make something really good, I can recreate it, step by step and share it with all of you.  Who knows, maybe one day I'll start a youtube channel so you can see my creative juices in action.

Speaking of juicing, we did a lot of that today.  First up was an awesome meyer lemon orange juice that we mixed with champagne and sipped Mimosas while lounging in our hot tub in the backyard.  Being a vegan sure is tough!  Sarcasm!  Ok.... then some more heavy lifting with a fresh line-up of organic apples, celery, cucumbers, broccoli, kale and more meyer lemons.  Yum.  Did I tell you how much I heart my new juicer?

Have a great night!  See you tomorrow!  Oh one more thing, today I made roasted golden beets, have you tried those?  Delish!  'Night.

Vegan Rainbow Veggie Calzones (In the zone....)

This is a super versatile recipe as the combination for calzone filling is limitless.  I was in the mood for my Mama's famous vegetarian spinach pie but since that has 4 kinds of cheese in it, I decided to come up with a vegan twist to satisfy my craving.  The result?  Exquisite.  Honestly I got full just eating the filling before I even rolled out the dough.  Now having stuffed my face with one of these monstrosities, I'm pretty sure I'm well on the road to being a very fat vegan.  But jokes aside, I think you will find this recipe well worth the effort and there are a few shortcuts I'd recommend if you have the proper equipment.

Device #1 - a bread machine and Device #2 - a food processor.  Of course the recipe does not require such devices but it did make for an easier prep since most of my time was spent on tasting and shaping the dough.  Please be aware that I didn't measure everything precisely so how much you use of each spice is really a matter of personal preference. Just taste as you go and make adjustments to your liking.  I'm sure they will turn out delicious.

Vegan Rainbow Veggie Calzones
1 batch of pizza dough***buy premade or make your own (I just used a basic recipe in my bread machine)
Olive oil (for sauteing and brushing on the finished product)
1 cup raw spinach (I'm sure you could substitute frozen but I'm not a fan of frozen spinach)
1 cup raw kale (I used Lacinato but any kale would do)
1 sweet yellow onion
1 medium zucchini
1/2 red bell pepper

3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (preferably not packed in oil)
3 cloves garlic
10 ounce-package high protein, super firm tofu (pressed dry if packed in water)
2 meyer lemons (or 1 regular lemon)
1/2 tub vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese plain variety)
2 Tablespoons vegan sour cream (I made my own using cashews but bought stuff would be fine too)
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 Vegetable bouillon cube (I used Rapunzel brand)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 Teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 Teaspoon Spike seasoning(optional, to taste)
1 teaspoon salt(optional, to taste)

Instructions:  In batches appropriate for your size food processor, gently pulse spinach, kale, onion, zucchini, and garlic to achieve a fine dice.  If you don't have a food processor, chop by hand and toss into a large bowl to mix.  Begin warming a large saute pan with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and add mixture stirring occasionally over a medium low flame.  Add bouillon cube, oregano, marjoram, dill, black pepper, nutmeg, Spike and salt.  Add vegan cream cheese and vegan sour cream and lemon juice to the pan and stir to coat.  If you are feeling creative with your firm tofu then go ahead and cut the block in half and add half of it to the pan by crumbling it with your hands (so that it resembles feta cheese) and half of it can be grated on a box grater (to resemble mozzarella).  Turn off heat and pour mixture back into the large bowl.  Gently fold in finely diced sun dried tomatoes, red bell pepper (raw) and nutritional yeast.  Taste mixture to adjust seasoning level.

Putting it all together:  Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease two large cookie sheets and set aside (or use parchment paper).  Cut pizza dough into eight triangles and roll each into a ball and set aside.  Roll each ball to make an 8-inch round and spoon a fistful of mixture onto half of the moon shape.  Fold dough over and crimp with your fingers (I suggest using a rolling motion of curling the bottom crust over the top crust and pinching consecutively to ensure the pocket stays shut).  Brush with additional olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt (optional).  Make a few small slits on the top of each calzone.  Place calzones so they are not touching on greased cookie sheets and bake at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes.  Let calzones cool for at least 5-7 minutes before eating as the pockets trap steam and will be very hot when you bite into them.

Serving suggestion:  serve with a side of your favorite marinara sauce.  Enjoy!
Makes 8 medium size calzones.

Note: feel free to add some of your favorite vegan cheese or faux meat products.  Get creative.  You won't be let down.  It is a lot of work but the payoff is supreme.