Baked Green Cashew Cheese

(from kylerhea’s recipe box)

This is a chunky-style of cashew cheese because it is dotted with bits of kale and crumbles of silky cashew. If you want to blend and further strain this mixture for a silkier version – go for it. But I loved this “quickie” no strain method and actually enjoyed the chunkiness of the texture. You could really see the cashews and kale. Yet the texture is still creamy enough to slice and spread.
http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2012/03/15/baked-green-kale-cashew-cheese/

Source: The Family Kitchen

Categories: Appetizers, Dips & Sauces, Healthy, Kale, March2012

Ingredients

  • 2 cups soaked cashews
  • 2 Tbsp soy creamer, plain (or any non dairy milk to sub, I like soy creamer because it gives a richness to the cheese)
  • 1/2 tsp pink salt (any salt will work)
  • 1/2 – 1 cup kale, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar OR citrus juice
  • 1/2 tsp spices (I used a few dashes of paprika, fine pepper and garlic powder)
  • also: water or additional non-dairy milk as needed to get the cashews blending
  • 1 tsp truffle-infused sunflower oil (optional)
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
  • 1 tsp agave syrup (optional for a touch of sweetness)

Directions

  1. Soak raw cashews in salted water overnight. The longer you soak, the creamier your cheese will be since this is a no-cheesecloth recipe. You will not need to strain the cashew cheese.

  2. Drain all the soaking water from the cashews.

  3. Place cashews, creamer, kale, oil, spices, vinegar or citrus and salt in a high speed blender. Blend until creamy and thick. If you have trouble getting the mixture to blend, add in a few splashes of water and or non dairy milk. You don’t need to blend until totally creamy, just chunky and smooth. Keep the mixture thick. A bit thicker and much drier than say hummus.

  4. Transfer the mixture into an oven-safe container. You may want to grease the inside of the container with a bit of olive oil for east slicing of cheese.

  5. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes – or until the top has dried out – but not burnt. You can also slow bake this cheese at 200 degrees for about 1-2 hours. As you make cashew cheese more often you will begin to see the different textures that occur at different baking settings. Low and long will give you an even creamy soft cheese, where a higher temperature at a shorter period of time will crisp the top to form a ‘crust’ while keeping the inside deeper layers soft and smooth.

  6. You can serve this cheese warm or chill in the fridge for a firmer texture.

  7. Serve over top crackers as a spread or slice in strips. Or eat by the spoonful!

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