VeeJay

Cashew Cheese

2 cups cashew nuts (rinsed and drained)
2 tsp salt [I use 1 tsp]
2 T nutritional yeast flakes
3 T gelatin powder*
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
2 T lemon juice (or 1 T vinegar)
1-1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup cold water
(optional) * ¼ cup pimientos, + 1 tsp. paprika

Place all ingredients in the blender except the 1 cup cold water. Blend until very smooth. If mixture becomes too thick to blend, start adding some of the cold water to thin it out. Add the (rest of the) cold water and blend briefly. Pour into molds [I use three 3"x5" loaf pans]. Refrigerate. When set, cut in large pieces, wrap with plastic wrap, and freeze.

Makes 4.25 cups.
Full recipe: 123.5g net carbs
1 cup: 29g net carbs
1 Tablespoon: 1.8g net carbs

* the gelatin will cause the cooled cheese to set up firm – is easily cut into slices. Use less or no gelatin if you’re wanting a sauce

** add pimientos and paprika for a nacho sauce, reduce gelatin to 1T (adds 2g net carbs)

I generally make this with the gelatin, so when I want a sauce I’ll need to add more water to thin it out – but if your dish already has liquid in it, it may be just fine.

It freezes very well. Defrost in the refrigerator over night – or if you forget, set it on the counter and cut in slices as soon as it’s soft enough and spread them out on a plate.

Uses:

Tip: Treat it as you would sour cream and add at the last, heating until hot but don’t cook – it’ll lose moisture rapidly, especially if you've made it with gelatin. Cooking doesn’t hurt it, but isn’t necessary.

--like a cream soup over vegetables (great over cauliflower or broccoli).

--as a cream sauce (white sauce) mixed with meat to spoon over biscuits or toast (low-carb, of course). It is really yummy with chicken (chicken-a-la-king?)

--as a substitute for cream cheese in recipes for baked goods (for this I’ll make up a batch without the onion and garlic)

--spread on celery

__________________
Diagnosed 2010
Eat LCHF to control BG
My low-carb recipe collection on Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/VRStudio1/...light-recipes/

Spunky

I have never heard of nutritional yeast flakes. Does it make food taste like yeast? (Hopefully, but doubtfully, she asked.)

Shanny

...and is it anything like the brewers yeast supplements Mom gave us as children?

VeeJay

yeast flakes is inactive - doesn't grow and make bubbles so isn't a leavening.

It does give a yeasty flavor to things. In the cheese, it mimics the taste of the mold.

It may be brewer's yeast. I'm not sure.

It took me a while to find yeast flakes. It's packaged in cans and used by body builders. The best price I've found is at Whole Foods in the bulk section. Real cheap.

__________________
Diagnosed 2010
Eat LCHF to control BG
My low-carb recipe collection on Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/VRStudio1/...light-recipes/

Spunky

That's ok, I was asking 'cause I like the taste of yeast, I can live without it making food rise.

Yeasty flavor/ taste of the mold Hmmmmmmmm One sounds mighty good, one sounds ultra-yucky, now I don't know what to think.

VeeJay

Okay, would you prefer the term "culture"? Yeast is a type of mold. When it (a type of mold) is "cultured" in milk you get yogurt, or if left longer, you get cheese. (When you've kept cheese too long, the mold begins to multiply on the outside of the block and becomes visible mold - and because there's much more of it now in the cheese block, it tastes way too strong, and we cut it off or throw it out).

Mold is not BAD in itself.

Sourdough bread is made from a "culture" which imparts that distinctive tangy flavor.

The dark bands in blue-cheese were originally from bits of molded bread mixed into the cheese. (Probably now now with other ways of making the same flavor.)

__________________
Diagnosed 2010
Eat LCHF to control BG
My low-carb recipe collection on Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/VRStudio1/...light-recipes/