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HOW TO MAKE CASHEW CHEESE, BECAUSE IT’S SOUL SATISFYING

June 1, 2016

cashew cheese

And I’m addicted.  Intervention at some point should be considered for this obsessed vegan, raw food-loving, coconut water drinking, living fruits eating, sunbathing, cashew cheese spreading Sistah. Yep, intervention is imminent.

I’ve made this cashew cheese spread more times than I care to admit publicly. It’s one of my favorite nut cheeses to date. It’s simple easy made with cashews (obviously), spring water, lemon juice, parsley, and salt/pepper.

This is how this is gonna down, and trust me it’ll be quick. Question. Have you heard of nut cheese? Well if you haven’t, you’ll learn today it’s a must-have in your repertoire.

Nut cheeses are popular in the vegan and raw foods community. They’re “cheese alternatives” made with various nuts, water, lemon juice, and a myriad of different herbs and spices to create delicious, cheese blends.

I prefer cashews because they’re neutral and blend well with most herbs and spices.

Okay, moving on …

First, you must acquire some cashews. Run, sprint, hitch a ride, give your licensed teenager the keys to the car, but do whatever you have to do to get your hands on a bag of  RAW organic cashews. If you can’t do organic, conventional cashews will do, we’re still friends :).

Ok, first, you’ll need to soak your cashews for  4-6 hours to remove the enzyme inhibitors. Why? Read this again.

Once you’ve removed the enzyme inhibitors, rinse off the cashews and into the blender they go. 

cashew cheese

Pour in your water and lemon juice.  Blend.  Season with salt and pepper as you go, tasting between pulse cycles until you’ve reached a whip texture consistency.

Use a rubber spatula to remove every ounce of that “cheese” mixture from the blender (leave no drop behind), spoon it into a bowl, and stir in the parsley.

cashew cheese

Now, place a cheesecloth over a strainer with a bowl underneath. Pour the cheese into the cheesecloth, top with parsley, fold the cheesecloth over the mixture. Add a weight on top like an apple or orange to drain the excess liquid.

cashew cheese

Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours to set.

Oh. My. Gosh.  You did it!  You made creamy, cashew cheese, you adventurer you!

cashew cheese

What’s next? An open-faced tomato sandwich will be incredibly satisfying.  Slather two slices of toasted bread thickly with cashew cheese then placed down two sliced tomatoes dust with sea salt and ground pepper, sprinkle with perfumed fennel seeds, and enjoy.

Yeah, like this.

{Please note the cheese}

cashew cheese

How To Make Cashew Cheese

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HOW TO MAKE CASHEW CHEESE, BECAUSE IT'S SOUL SATISFYING
 
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Author:
Serves: serves 6-8
Ingredients
  • 2 cups of organic raw cashew nuts (soaked overnight)
  • 1 cup of spring water
  • 2 lemons juiced
  • 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 6 sprigs of fresh parsley chopped
  • Cheesecloth for straining
Instructions
  1. Cover cashews with water and soak overnight or soak for 4-6 hours. Drain off water and rinse cashews.
  2. Place cashews in a high-speed blender, pour in your water and lemon juice. Blend. Season with salt and pepper as you go, tasting between pulse cycles until you've reached a whip texture consistency.
  3. Use a rubber spatula to remove the mixture from the blender, spoon it into a bowl and stir in the parsley.
  4. Line a strainer with a cheesecloth. Spoon mixture into the cloth. Sprinkle with parsley. And cover with cheesecloth and place a weight on top to drain excess liquid.
  5. Refrigerate for 24 hours to set.
Notes
Other cheese options:

Tomato basil cheese
Sundried tomato cheese
Chive Cheese
Sweet Cheese

The options are endless! Have fun and be creative!

Eat to Live.

 

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