Fermented Cashew Cheese….Ridiculously Delicious!

I’ve deprived myself of cheese for years for health reasons, but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss a melted cheese sandwich every now and then or some cream cheese spread on crackers. I pretty much just don’t let myself think about it…until I was introduced to this fermented cheese made of cashews and now I can’t stop thinking about it! This is the best substitute for real cheese I’ve probably ever tasted because you can actually get a bit of that sharp, aged taste in it due to this easy fermenting process.

Everyone who’s tasted it so far loves it….even my dairy farmer father ( I didn’t tell him it was made of cashews until after he tried it.)  My sister-in-law is lactose intolerant and is already making her own batches of this stuff so it can become a permanent staple in her diet.  It’s got such a great texture and so versatile with flavorings that it’s the perfect cheese substitute.

I got the original recipe from The Sunny Raw Kitchen. Her basic recipe is:

3 cups cashews, soaked 14- 16 hours

3 capsules probiotics

2/3 cups rejuvillac or distilled water

In high speed blender, blend the soaked cashews with probiotics and rejuvelac or water until smooth.

Line a sieve with a double thickness of cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Transfer the mixture to the sieve, drape the cheesecloth over the top, cover with a towel and leave in a warm place to ripen for 14-16 hours.

Season according to one of the following recipes (or come up with your own variation!)

Alternatively, shape the mixture into a round, place in a covered container, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, or until it firms up.

Store in fridge in airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days.

I taught how to make this cheese at my last raw foods class. If you want to watch, this short video explains it all:

http://www.youtube.com/v/PfX0Fuvqzio&hl=en&fs=1

These are a couple of my favorite flavorings.  Enjoy!

1. 1 TBS nutritional yeast                                                

    ¼ tsp onion powder                                                           

    1/8 tsp nutmeg                                                                        

    ½ tsp salt                                                                             

2.  1 TBS nutritional yeast

     1/4 tsp onion powder

     1 half lemon, juiced

     3/4 tsp garlic powder

     1/4 tsp salt

     1 TBS dried basil

     1 tsp dried thyme
     1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

3.  1 tsp onion  powder

     1/2 lemon, juiced

     1 TBS nutritional yeast

     1/4 tsp salt

     1 TBS rosemary

     1/4 tsp salt

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