Don't Say Cheese!

Quote du Jour  
  I don't want the cheese, I just want to get out of the trap! ~ Spanish Proverb

Put yourself in the drivers seat
Think: What are the characteristics that you like about cheese?

Creamy rich, velvety smooth; except for melting (casein provides the melting ability in cheese), all the attributes we love about cheese can be found in plant-based ingredients.

Food does NOT need cholesterol to be tasty

Test for yourself

This amazing recipe - modified from the outstanding Winter 2013 Vegetarian Times Special Encore Edition Healing Foods Magazine recipe for Almond Feta Cheese - has all the wonderful flavors and smoothness of mozzarella or cream cheese, minus the casein and cholesterol. 

Sinfully Delicious Schmear, center, topped with 
     chopped smoked almonds and served with grapes, 
apple slices, baguettes and brown crackers.     

Recipe Notes: This recipe takes 2 days to make, so plan to make extra. A blender is needed for this recipe - high-powered blender is helpful to produce a velvety smooth schmear, but not necessary. Just in time for the holidays, this is the perfect spread for crackers, bagels, croustada, you name it. Several suggested variations follow the basic recipe.

Sinfully Delicious Schmear
Makes 1½ cups

SCHMEAR-BASE

Two days before serving, in a medium sized bowl, place

    1 cup whole blanched almonds 
    and cold water, enough to cover almonds

Cover and let sit overnight up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse the almonds in clean
water. Place the almonds in the container of a blender along with

   ¼ cup lemon juice             3 Tbsps. olive oil
   1 clove garlic, peeled         1 ¼ tsp. salt
   1/2+ cup cold water

Blend on high, adding additional water if needed, until velvety smooth and

creamy. If you’re not sure it’s smooth enough, blend again on high for several

more minutes.

Line a large strainer with cheesecloth, and place it over a medium-size bowl.

Scrape the schmear-base into the cheesecloth. Bring corners and sides of cloth

together and  twist and secure with a rubber band. You’ll have a sort of turban! 

Twist tightly to help extract moisture. Place in the strainer over the bowl, and

chill 12 hours, or overnight. Discard excess liquid.

Serve!

Or, make several variations for an appetizer or brunch spread

Variations 

Flavor one cup of Schmear-Base with

Basil   

   1 cup fresh Basil leaves, finely chopped

Herb    

   1 clove garlic, minced                1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
   1 Tbsp green onion, chopped      salt to taste

Maple Walnut   

   ¼ cup walnuts, chopped            3 Tbsps Maple Syrup

Pumpkin

   1/2 cup pumpkin puree              1 tsp vanilla
   1 tsp cinnamon                         1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
   2 Tbsps brown sugar or 1 Tbsp agave nectar or honey

Sun Dried Tomato
    ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped (not packed in oil)
   1 Tbsp onion, finely chopped     1 clove garlic, minced
   1/2 tsp dried basil                     salt to taste

Health Note: This recipe contains no cholesterol. However, almonds, the main ingredient, are high in plant-based fats. Too much of any kind of fat, well, it makes us fat! Limit fat intake. For special occasions, this schmear is tops!

Wheeeeeee!