Recipe of the Week: Roasted Cashew & Sun-dried Tomato Cheese

One thing I used to miss terribly from my omnivore days was cheese & crackers. To me, there was nothing more satisfying than a good cheese placed liberally on a quality cracker. After going vegan, finding a good cheese to pair with crackers proved difficult. 

There are plenty of vegan cheeses that work great for cooking/baking, but not much in the way of snacking cheese. I eventually found a few vegan cheeses that are awesome for cheese and crackers, but they can be spendy. Then, awhile back, I discovered how good cashew cheese is, and have been experimenting with my own, trying to make the perfect one for crackers. I have finally perfected it, and am ready to share it with you. So, get yourself some nice crackers, and good bottle of red wine, and prepare yourselves for the best homemade cashew cheese evah!

Roasted Cashew & Sun-dried Tomato Cheese

Ingredients:

1 c. (generous) of roasted, unsalted cashews soaked for at least one hour, but up to 12, drained and rinsed

3-4 sun-dried tomatos, soaked in warm water for at least two hours, but up to 12, drained

3 T nooch 

2 T lemon juice

3 T miso paste

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t onion powder

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/2 c water

Instructions:

1. Put all the ingredients in a high-powered blender, except for the water, and pulse a few times to get it going.

2. At this point you will need to add water, so add in a 1/4 c at a time, then blending on medium-high speed until smoooth.

3. Scrape down the sides as needed. I find myself having to do this about four times.

4. Don't add more than 1/2 c of water if you can help it, but if you feel that you need to add more after this, add it in at a scant tablespoon at a time. You want cashew cheese, not cashew creme.

5. Blend it all until nice and smoooth. Scrape out into a covered container and refrigerate until firm.

6. Enjoy with crackers, and wine if you'd like. Should last at least a week or two in the fridge.

Notes:

*Soak your tomatoes and cashews the night before you want to use them. Twelve hours is the perfect amount of time to soak both for the perfect cheese texture.

* Red wine that is slightly sweet, is the perfect pairing for this.

*Nooch means nutritional yeast.