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Lovingly Plant-based Blog

Plant-based Cheese

11/24/2016

0 Comments

 
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​In the days when I ate dairy, cheese was my ‘junk’ food, my ‘stand-in-front-of-the-fridge-and-eat’ thing. I ate it. Lots of it.
Then I read Dr. Campbell’s ‘The China Study’, and I decided that whilst cheese was my guilty pleasure, it had to go, and so Bitto, Parmesan, Gorgonzola, Pecorino, to name but a few of my ex-guilty pleasures, were banned from my fridge. A case of, I love you, but I love me more.
And so my quest for cheese substitutes began.
 
I soon discovered that when you follow a plant-based diet you become more creative with your cooking. Whilst I was happy to ditch the dairy, I still wanted something ‘sort-of-cheesy’ to spread on my home-made crackers.
I mean, what are crackers for if not for spreading something cheesy on, I ask?

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ROASTED GARLIC & RED PEPPER
With a little bit of creativity you can come up with some really tasty ‘cheeses’ and spreads. Dairy-free, gum-free, additives-free, not to mention heart-friendly and generally bloomin’ delicious.

Lovingly Plant-based
Basic ​Cashew Cream Cheese

​This is the basic recipe I use for plant-based cream cheese. Cashews are perfect for blending as they make a velvety smooth cream and have a mild flavour that works well in both sweet and savoury dishes.
 
Once you are familiar with the basic cream cheese recipe and its taste, get creative!
I sometimes use kombucha instead of water, which gives the cheese a distinctive “bite”, and occasionally I use Rejuvelac for added probiotics.
 
Cashews are very high in copper, which aids the immune system, helps make red blood cells and also helps form collagen. Cashews are also a good source of magnesium, which together with calcium and vitamin D, is essential for healthy bones.
 
Always buy raw cashews and as with all nuts and seeds, store them in the fridge or a cool place.
The recipe:
(Makes about 1 & 1/3 cup of cream cheese base)
  • 200g (1.5 cups) raw cashews (soaked 4-12 hours)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup water
How to:
Soak the cashews overnight or for at least 4 hours. Don’t soak them for more than 12 hours as this will result in a less tasty cheese. Rinse the cashews and throw away the soaking water.
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Blend all the ingredients together in a high-powered blender or food processor. I use the small cup on my Nutribullet. You need to keep stopping to scrape the cheese down off the sides of the blender cup, but don’t be tempted to add more liquid as it will result in a cream rather than a cream cheese. If you’re having difficult with it, add an extra teaspoon of lemon juice only.
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​That’s it! You have your cream cheese base! 
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CREAM CHEESE READY FOR ADD-INS
​Now for the fun part!
Your cheese is ready for add-ins. Here you can go to town and add what you like. If you’re experimenting, the basic recipe makes about 1 & 1/3 cup of cream cheese so if you divide the mixture into 4 equal amounts you can try out 4 different recipes with one batch.  
​There are really no limits to what you can add to cashew cream cheese, but here are some of my favourites.
​
These add-ins are for 1/3 cup of cream cheese that fits nicely into a ramekin.
Roasted Red Pepper & Roasted Garlic
  • 1 quarter of a roasted red pepper
  • 1 teaspoon roasted garlic
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ROASTED RED PEPPER & GARLIC
Roasted Garlic & Chives
  • 1 teaspoon roasted garlic
  • 1 teaspoon chopped chives
  • Pinch of sea salt
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ROASTED GARLIC & CHIVES
​Mediterranean
  • 1 tablespoon chopped, pitted green olives
  • 1 tablespoon chopped, pitted black olives
  • 1 teaspoon chopped sundried tomatoes
Garnish with a few slices of olives and a sprinkling of oregano.
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MEDITERRANEAN
Herbes de Provence
  • 2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
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Chives
  • 2 teaspoons chopped chives (fresh or dried)
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CHIVES
Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
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PAPRIKA
Spring Onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped spring onions
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​What are YOUR favourites? Drop me a line and let me know!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Hello!

    I'm Nicki Perkins, creator of lovingly plant-based and my passion is helping people adopt a healthful and delicious plant-based lifestyle.
    I'm a certified nutritional counsellor, health coach & EFT practitioner and I believe that a whole food, plant-based diet can be beneficial for our health and for our planet.
    ​This blog is dedicated to helping you on your plant-based journey, with tips and easy-to-follow guides and recipes.
    We truly are what we eat, drink, think and say, so let's take this wonderful journey together, and see what we can achieve. 


    With love & respect,
    Nicki xx


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  • Home
    • Who I am and what I do
    • About me
  • Why Plant-based?
    • Vegan v. Plant-based
    • Protein >
      • What is protein? >
        • Amino acids
      • How much protein do we need?
      • Examples of plant-based protein meals
      • Plant-based protein and athletes
      • Protein FAQs
    • Health >
      • Sugar: The legal drug
      • Vitamin B12
      • Vitamin D
      • Iron
      • Calcium
      • The benefits of eating raw
    • Phytonutrients >
      • What colour is your food?
      • Isothiocyanates and cruciferous vegetables
    • Dr. T. Colin Campbell
    • No dairy?
  • Mind, body and soul coaching programs
  • EFT
    • Rosacea Relief
    • What can EFT be used for? >
      • Motivation
    • EFT resources
    • EFT prices
  • SKINCARE
    • Skincare Shop
  • Sprouts and microgreens
    • How to grow sprouts
    • Easy mung bean sprouts
    • Easy lentil sprouts
    • Tips for successful sprouting
    • How to grow microgreens
    • How to grow Wheatgrass >
      • Juicing wheatgrass
  • Recipes
    • Plant milks >
      • Almond milk
      • Amaranth milk
      • Brazil nut milk
      • Buckwheat milk
      • Hazelnut milk
      • Hemp milk
      • Macadamia Nut Milk
      • Quinoa milk
      • Toasted Hazelnut milk
      • Toasted Sesame seed milk
      • Sesame seed milk
    • Dairy-free cheese >
      • Basic Cashew Cream Cheese
      • Roasted Garlic & Red Pepper Cream Cheese
      • Cashew and Spring Onion Cream Cheese
      • Roasted Garlic and Chives Cream Cheese
    • Dairy-free Cultured Cheese >
      • Basic Cultured Cashew Cheese
      • Basic Macadamia Nut Cheese
      • Basic Almond Cheese
      • Cashew Chèvre with Lemon Zest
      • Cashew Boursin
      • Almond Chèvre
      • Lemon Zest Almond Cheese
      • Macadamia and Pear Cheese
    • Raw Vegan Crackers >
      • Sprouted Lentil Crackers
      • Sprouted Black Sesame Crackers
      • Almond and Coconut Crackers
      • Sesame Crackers
      • Coconut & Apple Crackers
      • Spicy Flaxseed Crackers
    • Dips >
      • Zucchini & Hemp Hummus
      • Sweet Potato & Garlic Dip
      • Roasted Cherry Tomato Salsa
      • Spinach & Leek Cashew Dip
      • ​Beetroot, Ginger & Garlic Cashew Dip
      • Chickpea Hummus
      • Raw Parsnip Dip
      • Ginger and Sprouted Sunflower Seed Pâté
    • Dressings
    • Breakfast Ideas >
      • Sorghum, hemp and banana pancakes
      • Carob Amaranth Porridge
      • Apple, Oats, Almond Butter
      • Brown Rice and Apple with Hemp and Brazil nut milk
      • Millet and Buckwheat Blueberry Bread Muffins
      • Sweet Potato & Cinnamon Farinata Pancakes
    • Lunch & dinner ideas >
      • Dhal
      • Chickpea Farinata
      • Potato, onion, zucchini & tomato egg-free frittata
    • Veggie burgers >
      • Sprouted lentil, walnut and brown rice burgers
    • Salads & Raw Food >
      • Cheezy Zucchini Noodles
      • Veggie Rolls
      • Mimi's Street Tacos
      • Crunchy Kale Chips
      • Veggie Nori Rolls
    • Soups >
      • Cauliflower, Red Lentil and Potato Soup
      • Black Bean and Corn Soup
    • Desserts >
      • Chocolate Chickpea Truffles
      • Chocolate Mousse
      • Dark Chocolate, Sweet Potato & Black Bean Brownies
    • Smoothies >
      • Blueberry and Hemp Smoothie
      • Purple Passion
      • Orange Joy Smoothie
      • Sweet and Green Smoothie
      • Pretty & Pink
      • Banana Cacao Surprise
  • How to
    • How to juice
    • How to make Rejuvelac
    • How to make Kombucha
    • How to make Kefir
    • How to make Sauerkraut
    • How to make Kimchi
  • Resources
    • Kitchen makeover
    • Books
    • Videos & Documentaries
  • Blog
  • Contact