Raw Food Recipe: Cashew Nut Cheese.
A nutritious and novel alternative to cheese. The texture is a little like that of home-made ricotta, and it is perfect enjoyed on fresh bread, on oatcakes or with crackers (you can find good raw cracker recipes on the internet if you want to go all the way!). It is well accompanied by pesto, cherry compote, and balsamic reduction – all of which can easily be made… raw! This recipe will make about 1.5 cups of Cashew Nut Cheese.
Ingredients:
190 grams (1 1/2 cups) plain cashew nuts (not roasted or salted) 60 to 80 ml (1/4 to 1/3 cup) water 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or good vinegar 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt Freshly cracked pepper
Making Your Cheese:
1. Place the nuts in a salad bowl, cover with fresh water, and leave to soak overnight. 2. Drain the nuts and place them in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add a pinch of salt if you like. 3. Add 60 ml (1/4 cup) water and the rest of the ingredients, and mix until thoroughly puréed, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl every once in a while. 4. Add a little more water and blend again to adjust the consistency, if necessary; the cheese will get a little more solid as it sets. 5. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let stand somewhere cool for 24 hours before placing in the fridge, where it will keep for another 5 days. 6. Roll cheese in cracked pepper.
Those of us who enjoy the real thing will agree that calling this preparation “cheese” is a small stretch. But it is delicious, healthy, unusual, and easy to make.
Source: Nutrivital UK
