The first time I heard that there were people called vegans, and that they didn’t eat eggs or DAIRY(!), I thought to myself, “Now, eggs I could do without, and I’m not that crazy about milk, but I just can’t imagine a life without CHEESE!” I was raised in the South, with cheddar cheese so sharp it would bite back (“Coon” Brand – with the picture of the raccoon on the black wax label). My grandmother used a LOT of cheese in her macaroni and cheese. My dad shredded it up on all kinds of fruit salads. We even ate cheese in salmon stew. As I got older, I discovered feta, and brie, and fresh mozzarella, and…and I just couldn’t imagine life without cheese.
Well, a few years later, I decided that going vegan was the only choice that made sense for me, both from a health standpoint and an ethical one. Once I made up my mind to do it, giving up cheese wasn’t so difficult. I had already cut down a lot on the cheese in my diet when I started lowering my fat intake. As many of you probably know, low-fat cheddar cheese is pretty grim stuff!. Unfortunately, most vegan cheeses on the market are equally bad. Since they don’t contain casein (a milk protein that is used in a lot of “lactose-free” soy cheeses), they don’t melt and tend to be rubbery and flavorless. They are also very expensive! About the only commercial vegan “cheese” I think worth the price is Soymage’s Vegan Parmesan (the one with the purple label). I don’t use it that often, but it’s nice to keep in the fridge for sprinkling on pasta dishes.
Finding out about nutritional yeast and how “cheesy” it can make things taste helped a lot. Nutritional yeast is a food supplement, grown specifically for its wide array of nutrients, particularly B-12 and other vitamins. (Please note: Nutritional yeast is NOT the same thing as brewer’s yeast. Brewer’s yeast is also very high in nutrients, but it is bitter and will ruin any recipe you use it in.) Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula Flakes (aka T6635+) taste nutty or cheesy and delicious. This is the best vegetarian source of vitamin B12. According to the folks at Red Star, nutritional yeast is pasteurized and cannot continue to grow in the body. For this reason, it has not been implicated in the growth of candida albicans (systemic yeast overgrowth in the body). For more information on nutritional yeast, visit:
http://www.bulkfoods.com/yeast.htm
There are several cookbooks out there with good “cheeze” recipes in them. The expert in the field is Joanne Stepaniak. She is the author of The Uncheese Cookbook, The Nutritional Yeast Cookbook, Vegan Vittles, and several other titles. She and Bryanna Clark Grogan co-authored Dairy Free and Delicious. Other “cheeze” recipes can be found in The New Farm Cookbook, edited by Louise Hagler and Dorothy Bates), Cookin’ Southern Vegetarian Style by Ann Jackson, and 366 Simply Delicious Dairy-Free Recipes by Robin Robertson.
Here are some of my favorite “cheeze” recipes. Note: don’t add additional salt to any of these recipes until after you’ve added the nutritional yeast. It contains a lot of potassium and makes things taste saltier.
“Cheesy” Popcorn
This is messy but delicious. Don’t eat it while wearing black!
Recipe by Lisa T. Bennett
Pop organic popcorn your favorite way. If you don’t use any oil when popping it, spritz the hot popcorn lightly with oil or very lightly (while the popcorn is VERY hot) with salty water to make the “cheese” mixture stick. Sprinkle the popcorn with nutritional yeast, sea salt (optional) and any herbs or spice mixes that strike your fancy. Fresh mild curry powder is good.
“Cheesy” Grits
These are good anytime of the day or night. Comfort food at its best.
Recipe By: Lisa T. Bennett
Serving Size: 4 as a side dish, 2 as a main dish
Preparation Time: 15 – 30 minutes
1 cup yellow grits (quick or regular – NOT INSTANT)
3 cups water or more
2 tablespoons margarine Earth Balance
1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
pinch cayenne or red pepper flakes
black pepper
If the grits are stone-ground, wash off the excess bran.
Stir grits into water in a medium and whisk to avoid lumps. Bring mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat to maintain a low simmer. Whisk in Earth Balance. Cook grits until tender (from 5 to 20 minutes, depending on type of grits). If they get too dry while cooking, whisk in more water. When they are tender and as thick as you like them, whisk in the nutritional yeast. Taste and add additional salt if needed and as much freshly ground black pepper as you like. Cayenne or red pepper flakes add a nice heat and color. These are great with salsa!
Note: If you have leftovers (as if!), spread them into a pan, let them cool, cut them into cubes, then fry them up in a skillet with some olive oil (or grill them). Voila – polenta. Serve these crispy polenta squares with pasta sauce.
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Per serving: 242 calories; 7g fat (25% calories from fat); 11g protein; 36g carbohydrate; 0mg cholesterol; 344mg sodium
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Gee Whiz Spread
To use instead of that guilty pleasure in the spray can!
Recipe By: Joanne Stepaniak, _The Uncheese Cookbook_
Serving Size: 16
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
1 15.5 oz can or 1 1/2 cups Great Northern beans, rinsed well and drained
1/2 cup pimiento pieces, drained
6 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 to 3 tablespoons tahini
1/2 teaspoon onion granules
1/2 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until completely smooth. Transfer to a storage container, and chill thoroughly before serving.
Yield: 2 cups
Per 2 Tbsp serving: 59 calories, 4 gm protein, 8 gm carbohydrate, 1 gm fat.
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Nacho Sin Queso Sauce
(originally called “Tomato Con Queso Sauce”)
Keep this warm in a small crockpot for party nachos.
Recipe By: Joanne Stepaniak, _The Uncheese Cookbook_
Serving Size: 12
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
1 cup Gee Whiz Spread
2 cups your favorite salsa (or Ro-tel brand tomatoes and chilies)
Stir together Gee Whiz Spread and salsa until well combined. Serve at room temperature or heat gently over low in a medium saucepan until warm, stirring constantly.
Per 1/4 cup serving: 54 calories, 3 gm. protein, 8 gm. carbohydrates, 1 gm. fat.
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Instant Cheeze Sauce
For instant mac ‘n cheeze that’s faster and better than the stuff in the blue box. It’s also good over steamed veggies.
Recipe By: Joanne Stepaniak, The Uncheese Cookbook
Serving Size: 12
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
2 cups Gee Whiz Spread
1 cup low-fat dairy-free milk (soy, rice, oat)
Place Gee Whiz Spread and milk in a saucepan, and stir well until combined. Heat gently over low until warm, stirring constantly.
Per 1/4 cup serving: 90 calories, 5 gm. protein, 13 gm carbohydrates, 2 gm. fat.
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Notes: Chili Con Queso Sauce: Add 3 (4 oz) cans chipped green chilies to Instant Cheeze Sauce, and increase onion granules to 1 teaspoon.
Baked Macaroni and Cheeze
As good as my Granny B.’s and that’s saying something!
Recipe By: Lisa T. Bennett, adapted from The New Farm Cookbook
Serving Size: 5
Preparation Time: 1 hr.
3 1/2 cups macaroni
1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
pinch cayenne
1 cup nutritional yeast
black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced parsley (optional)
paprika or fresh breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 X 13 in casserole dish with non-stick spray. Set aside.
Cook the macaroni until al dente. Drain. Set aside in warm covered saucepan.
While macaroni cooks, melt the Earth Balance in a medium saucepan and stir in the flour. Stir until flour is incorporated. Whisk this mixture (called a roux) over medium heat until it is bubbly and thick. Whisk in boiling water, soymilk, salt, soy sauce, and spices. Keep whisking to keep the sauce smooth. Cook until sauce is thickened. Whisk in nutritional yeast, pepper, and parsley (if using).
Mix two-thirds of the sauce with the cooked macaroni and spread into prepared pan. Pour the rest of the sauce on top. Sprinkle top with paprika. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
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Notes: For a crustier top, sprinkle casserole with fresh breadcrumbs and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake until top is crusty – about 25 minutes.
Per serving: 588 Calories; 22g Fat (33% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 75g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 1289mg Sodium
Quick Tofu Feta
Yum! This just MAKES a Greek Salad.
Recipe By: Bryanna Clark Grogan and Joanne Stepaniak, Dairy-Free and Delicious
Serving Size: 6
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
3/4 cup firm tofu, crumbled
1 teaspoon agar powder (or 2 tablespoons agar flakes)
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon unbleached sugar
1 tablespoon oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 tablespoon light miso
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Process the tofu, agar, water, sugar, oil, and salt in a food processor or blender until very smooth. Place the mixture in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it bubbles for a few minutes and thickens.
(Microwave option: Place the mixture in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Whisk briefly. Microwave 1 minute more.)
Whisk the miso and lemon juice into the cooked mixture.
Pour the mixture into a flat container, cover, and chill until firm. Cut into squares. You can refrigerate the squares in a jar, covered to the top in a brine, or several weeks. To make the brine, mix 2 tablespoons salt with 2 cups water, and boil for 5 minutes. Rinse the brine off before using.
Per 1/4 cup: 54 calories, 3 g protein, 4 g fat, 3 g carbohydrate, 40 mg calcium, 484 mg sodium.
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Quick Tofu Chevre
A sophisticated “cheese” spread – great with water crackers.
Recipe By: Bryanna Clark Grogan and Joanne Stepaniak, Dairy-Free and Delicious
Serving Size: 8
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
1 1/3 cups extra firm silken tofu
1 1/2 teaspoons agar powder (or 2 1/2 tablespoons agar flakes)
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons light miso
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Process the tofu, agar, water, sugar, oil, and salt in a food processor or blender until very smooth. Place the mixture in a small, heavy-botomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it bubbles for a few minutes and thickens.
(Microwave option: Place the mixture in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Whisk briefly. Microwave 1 minute more.)
Whisk the miso and lemon juice into the cooked mixture.
Pour the mixture into a flat container, cover, and chill until firm. You can roll this into balls or logs when almost firm, roll in crushed peppercorns or chopped herbs, and then store in the refrigerator in a jar of oil (olive or canola) to cover.
Vegan Bliss from the Organic Goddess 