Roasted Garlic and Sun Dried Tomato Vegan Cheese
Roasted Garlic? That’s not raw! No, it isn’t. But in this post I am going to show you one of the ways I incorporate cooked elements in my raw recipes to make over the top delicious bites to dine on. For me, food isn’t just about putting nutrients into your body. Food is about delighting your senses with wonderful, healthy edibles.
Cashew cheese is a great entry recipe for making raw, vegan cheese. It takes a couple of days but the actual “hands-on” time is minimal. You just have to be a little patient. I love using rejuvalac to make my cheese because it works great and is very cost effective. But you can substitute a probiotic powder if you don’t want the hassel.
You can make this recipe with roasted garlic (not raw) or raw garlic, which would keep it’s raw status. But I encourage you to live a little and try the roasted garlic version.
I have had a lot of people asking me for recipes that use left over nut-milk pulp. So, I am including a raw recipe for BBQ crackers (shown), which I made with nut-milk pulp.
My favorite nut milk is an almond and cashew blend. I use it 95% of the time. The nut milk pulp I used was this blend. Pure almond pulp would be fine also. Just make sure you are using pure nut milk pulp…with nothing else (ie dates) added. I will note that raw crackers made with nut milk pulp tend to have a little chewier and tougher texture than the ones I make from ground nuts. But they are still tasty and a worthy way to use the pulp.
You can find truly raw cashews here: Raw Cashews
*A note about the pulp. I collect my nut milk pulp over the course of a month or two. When I make the milk, I just throw the pulp in a glass container in the freezer to batch dehydrate (dry) later or immediately dehydrate it and store it. When I have enough saved up and dried, it gets a quick whirl in the high-speed blender and presto! Nut milk pulp flour.
Roasted Garlic Sun Dried Tomato Cashew Vegan Cheese
Cheese
- 2 cups cashews, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup rejuvelac (recipe here)
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, diced (you want softened tomatoes)
- 1 head roasted garlic* (2 cloves if using raw)
- Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
- Blend cashews and rejuvelac in blender until smooth. Spoon mixture into cheese cloth lined strainer, cover and let sit on the counter overnight. It may release liquid so have something to catch that.
- Remove cheese to bowl. Squeeze garlic cloves out of their skin and stir the cloves along with the sun dried tomatoes into the cheese mixture.
- Form into desired shape and refrigerate 12-24 hours to set. (You can use a ring mold
for this step.)
- If a rind is desired, dehydrate at 115 for 3-4 hours.
*To roast garlic, cut the top off of a garlic bulb. Pour in a little olive oil and wrap the bulb in foil. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until garlic is soft.
BBQ Nut Milk Pulp Crackers
- 3 cups nut mik pulp flour
- 1/2 cup ground golden flax seeds
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon BBQ spice mix (make sure yours doesn’t have sugar in it)
- Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
- Mix all ingredients together. Let “dough” rest for 10 minutes.
- Roll out 1/4 inch thick on non-stick dehydrator sheets and score.
- Dehydrate at 145 for 30 minutes, then 115 until dry (8-10 hours) removing the crackers to a screen half way through the drying.
Margaret Rizzuto wrote on June 2, 2013
So then would I use a 1/2 cup if water with the probiotic? Thanks
Susan wrote on June 2, 2013
Yes, keep the amount of liquid the same, just add the probiotic. 🙂
Amber wrote on May 31, 2013
Hi Susan, Could I use water kefir instead of rejuvelac? I have a batch all made up at home so could get my cheese on the go tonight if so!
Susan wrote on June 2, 2013
I have seen recipes for Kefir cheese. I would try it…let us know how it worked. 🙂
Coco wrote on May 31, 2013
Hi! I’m really new to this. I’ve recently discovered the wonders of raw and vegan foods and I was wondering is it ok if I use other kinds of nuts? Walnuts for example?
Susan wrote on May 30, 2013
Yes, you need the liquid. 🙂
Margaret Rizzuto wrote on May 30, 2013
Susan, if I use the probiotics do I need to add liquid as well?
Thanks so much, this sounds absolutely scrumptious!
Anja wrote on May 30, 2013
Thanks so much for this Susan. Dried my nut milk pulp in the oven on low but ended up cooking it. How do you dehydrate it – how long? how hot? thanks in advance.
Susan wrote on May 30, 2013
To keep it raw, you need to stay under 115 degrees. I dehydrate it until it is dry…I have never really timed it. But if you do it in the dehydrator, it won’t burn or cook. I usually just throw it in there with other things and check it every couple of hours. 🙂
Shernell wrote on May 30, 2013
Susan you never cease to amaze.You have out dis yourself.
Faith wrote on May 30, 2013
thanks for this Susan….I have never tried making raw cheese…but crave cow and goat cheese and don’t digest it well, so, I need to get on this. i’ve made quinoa rejuvelac and loved it….and quinoa seeds of course don’t need as long of a soak initially since they are so tiny… and they sprout quickly…for the impatient cheese maker… I’ve read that wheat is tricky to get good rejuvelac from………but I bet it’s about the quality of the wheat and the water and the temperatures indoors.
Amie wrote on May 29, 2013
What probiotic powder would you use for the cheese if you aren’t using rejuvelac?
Susan wrote on May 29, 2013
Pretty much any good probiotic powder will work. I would use about a teaspoon.