Delicious, Healthy, Easy, Festive.

Another delicious recipe, and this one is like a fantasy: TOTALLY CLEAN, GOOD-FOR-YOU BAKED CHEESE. Oh yes, just in time for the holidays, thank you so much Lands and Flavors, this thing is a life-saver! Now, to be perfectly transparent I should change the name to "cheez", or some such thing, because of course it's NOT cheese. And it won't completely take the place of actual cheese, it won't compete with the fat-filled, creamy baked brie that will tempt during the holidays (as well as bringing along with it all the gas and pain and bloating that baked brie often does), but it might just be a delicious snack to work in amongst all the treats - to dilute the deluge of calories and sick-making foods that are EVERYWHERE starting about now. If you don't like it, hey, no worries. If however like me you find it surprisingly savory, flavorful, satisfying and light - then bon appetit! Try serving this with some olives or tapenade on crackers. NOTE: an absolute must in my opinion is to modify the original recipe by adding at least twice the garlic and 1/4 c nutritional yeast, not only does this UP the taste/wow/cheesy factor it adds TONS of nutrients!!!! Le yum!!!! XOXOXO DR 

Original Recipe: (I followed the almond meal version, and you will need cheesecloth!)

 

 

 

BASIC ALMOND CHEESE 

 

 

  A 4-ingredient recipe for vegan basic almond cheese that can be enjoyed as is or crumbled on      salads, pasta, or pizza.

 Author: Lands & Flavors

 INGREDIENTS

•  160g or 5.5 oz unroasted, blanched almonds, soaked for 6 hours or more (If you don't have a  kitchen scale, the equivalent measurements are 1¼ cups of whole blanched almonds or 1¾ cups  of almond flour/meal.)
•  2½ Tablespoons (36 ml) lemon juice
•  3 Tablespoons (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil
•  ½ clove of garlic
•  1¼ teaspoons sea salt
•  ⅔ cup (160 ml) water

 

 INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Soak the almonds in water for 6 hours or overnight.
2.  Drain and put the almonds into a blender with the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and water.
3.  Blend on high until the almonds become as smooth as possible. Depending on your blender, this may take a few minutes. Pause and scrape down the sides of the blender occasionally. If it is too thick and is not blending, add more water 1 Tablespoon at a time until the mixture blends properly.
4. When smooth and creamy, remove the mixture from the blender into a small sieve that has been lined with fine cheesecloth. Place this sieve over a bowl to catch the draining water and refrigerate overnight. This not only removes the excess water, but also improves the flavor by allowing the flavors to marry.
5. After the cheese has drained well overnight, carefully invert it onto a lightly oiled baking sheet, removing all of the cheesecloth. You have two options for baking: Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 25-30 minutes for a just set, more spreadable cheese. Alternatively, bake it at 350°F (180°C) for 30-40 minutes for a more set, more crumbly, yet still creamy cheese. You can even keep baking it longer at this temperature for a browned look. It may crack slightly but the flavor will still be great and the cheese will even be sliceable. I tend to prefer the hotter, longer baking method.
6. After it cools down, put in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. It will firm up a little after chilling.

 

NOTES

-Use this recipe as a base and play around with it as you see fit. Sometimes I add some nutritional yeast, miso, or rejuvelac for a cheesier taste. Or sometimes I add some unroasted cashews during the blending to produce an even creamier consistency. As is, this cheese is a clean-tasting replacement for something like a light chèvre.

-Speed things up by using the same amount of ground almonds instead of whole or slivered. This allows you to skip the soaking step and blend immediately.