After much thought and feedback from people close to me, I've decided to start doing some recipe posts on the blog. As you may know, I'm a huge foodie! BUT I'm also completely plant-based - no animal products, i.e. no milk, no cheese, no eggs, no meat, no fish, no honey (some vegans debate on this one), no gelatin, etc etc. Some might see this as a barrier to food, like all we vegans eat is lettuce, but believe it or not, eating a plant-based diet actually affords many more interesting food options, and has actually opened my eyes to a whole new super creative and delicious way of cooking! There are SO many yummy plant-based options that are very easy to prepare, as well as healthy for you!
Thankfully, I have a momma who loves to cook as well and taught me when I was growing up. Now both of us are vegan, and we love to share what we make with each other via text. It's something that keeps us close even though she's 388 miles away in Arizona - and yes, I did map it specifically for this blog post haha. We talk about making a vegan cookbook someday.
One of my favorite things before I became vegan was cheese. LOVED IT. Mac n cheese, pizza, cheesy toasts, bruschetta, etc. I buy some vegan cheese at the store, but in general it is very expensive. I have an indoor Aerogarden thanks to my brother and sister-in-law, and our dill was overflowing and didn't have any room left to grow so I tried to think of a creative way to use our dill. Sounds like a cashew cheese making opportunity to me! So without further adieu, I present to you my FIRST foodie post! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it!
Cook Time: 2 hours | Makes: 1 1/3 cups
- 1 cup raw or salted cashews (soaked overnight or boiled in hot water for 3 minutes)
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 Tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 Tsp onion powder
- 1/2 Tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp water
- Handful of fresh dill
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 2-3 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional - if you want it to have a cheesier taste!)
1. Add cashews, coconut oil, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, lemon juice, and water into a blender and blend until smooth. Use a spatula to scape the sides if need be. This should create a very thick creamy consistency.
2. Add handful of dill and blend once more.
3. Stir in cranberries with a spatula.
4. Spread mixture in a glass container and top with additional dill and cranberries (optional)
5. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until cashew cheese has hardened a bit. It should have the consistency of a creamy goat cheese.
6. Spread on crusty bread, crackers, bruschetta, etc. and enjoy!
