Sunday, December 7, 2008

say cheese!!!


Ok, so the word "cheese" may be a little misleading. So far Annie and I have posted fairly safe recipes. This one, however, is groundbreaking. YES groundbreaking. Well... maybe not quite that dramatic. But, it is really good, if you're willing to be a little adventureous and give it a try. I learned about this recipe during my Veggie Cooking class i took this past fall. They call it cheese, but you cant go into the recipe thinking of it that way. Instead just think of it as something yummy that you can put on crackers/chips. And its super good for you (compared to real cheese) and its vegan for all those veggie people out there :) So, heres what you do:

1) Mix 1 1/2 cups water with 5 tablespoons of agar flakes (they are usually in a blue package, i found mine at New Seasons--its a whole foods type store). Put that on the stove and bring to a boil. Once its boiling, simmer until the agar is all dissolved (the liquid should become almost clear). Keep stirring during this whole process.

2) Put all of the following ingredients into the blender: 1 cup white beans (i used garbanzo.. you can use almost any type you want though), 2 tablespoons thaini paste, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

3) Once the agar/water mixture is good to go, slowly pour it into the blender through the little whole in the top. The blender should be going while you do this. Keep blending until its all mixed together and smooth.

4) Pour the mixture into a slightly greased glass bowl and put in the refridgerator for half an hour. Afterwards, you can put a lid on the container (we just didnt want condensation to build up). Leave in the fridge for 1-2 hours to firm up.

5) Slice like cheese and eat on top of crackers, rice cakes or any sort of fun things like that! The liquid smoke gives it a smoky flavor and the consistency is just like sliced cheese. It stays good for about 1-2 weeks in the refriderator. And its about 150 calories per 4 oz (whole recipe makes 16 ounces).

Go on, be adventureous and give it a try!!!

No comments: