Vegan Raw Macadamia 'Cheese' and other vegan cheeses (with photos)

[Sim]

I found an amazing looking blog the other day (http://therawchefblog.com)
and I came across this:


MACADAMIA 'CHEESE'
1c macadamias
1T lemon juice
1T nutritional yeast
2T onion
½t salt

-Process all ingredients in a food processor until fluffy


This photo belongs to http://therawchefblog.com

I'm going to try adding to my pizzas, even though that defeats the purpose of it being raw.

Other variations are:

Pine Nut Cheese Spread

1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup macadamias
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1/4 cup water

Nut Cheese

2c macadamias
1c pine nuts
2 T lemon juice
2 T nutritional yeast
2 yellow peppers
2T fresh parsley
1T fresh thyme
1t salt
½c water as needed

Process all ingredients together adding as little of the water as possible until a fluffy consistency is achieved.

[brazen20au]

i'm pretty sure jo has a "cheese" recipe on her quirky cooking blog too

[Thermomixer]

Good work Sim - they sound very tasty 

[noelene]

Just curious- what is nutritional yeast? These recipes sound great and came at a time when I needed to expand my raw repetoire.

[Sim]

My packet at home is called 'Savoury Yeast Flakes'. I purchased it from my local health for store. Here is a definition I found:

Definition: Yellow in color and with a nutty cheesy flavor, nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast that is a favorite amongst many vegans because of its unique flavor and similarity to cheese when added to foods. Sprinkle some on hot popcorn or garlic bread, or add a generous spoonful to a stir fry or pasta sauce. Nutritional yeast is also the only reliable food source of vitamin B12, so if you're vegan, it's a good idea to add some to your food regularly. Nutritional yeast can be found in the bulk foods or supplement section of your health food store. You can look for either nutritional yeast flakes or powder, but be sure you don't get brewer's yeast by mistake, as its quite similar in appearance. In Australia and New Zealand, nutritional yeast is also called "savory yeast" or "savory yeast flakes".

[quirkycooking]

That macadamia cheese looks great - must try it!  I've never bought nutritional yeast, as I'd read things about too much yeast in the diet (candida, etc) and thought I wouldn't go there.  Do you know anything about that?  Maybe I'll give it a go after all, if it makes things taste 'cheesey' !  This would be good on a raw pizza.

I make all sorts of concoctions like this, without recipes really, to substitute for cream cheese, sour cream, french onion dip, etc.  I usually use some combination of sunflower seeds, cashews, pine nuts and almonds, (not all at once), plus garlic, lemon juice, onion powder, salt & pepper, and water.  You can make some great dips and spreads this way! 

[Thermomixer]

Don't think the nutritional yeast would be a problem re candida overgrowth.

Sue tebasile has been using nutritional yeast in recipes and think it is very safe in that regard?

[Sim]

It is recommended if you are on a Candida diet (by some) to stay away from all types of mould and yeast, including nutritional yeast. However, there are so many variations on information regarding Candida. In my opinion, I think you could eat it without the concern of eating 'too much' yeast.

From what I have gathered, Candida overgrowth is more a side effect of our society's approach to food and exercise. As you know, a large amount of the food easily available to us is over-processed, high in sugar, high in trans fat, high in everything we're not designed to eat! We have been eating 'live' foods for a very long time, like yeast, yoghurt, fermented foods, pickled food. So when  these highly processed foods become the main component of what we eat, instead of what we're designed to eat, it can cause Candida (which everyone has) to get a bit excited and start excessively reproducing due the abundance of their 'food', therefore causing a bacteria/yeast imbalance.

Eat naturally, with fresh fruit and veg being the bulk of your food, and (in my opinion) you won't develop Candida overgrowth, despite if you eat whole grain bread and other yeasts. I believe in focus on what you should eat, rather then what you shouldn't eat. But, that is probably because I am jaded by the controlling Candida Diet and care not for it any more.

(going off on a tangent here...) I never understood why I wasn't allowed fruit on the Candida diet. I understood that it was because it was 'sugar' but it didn't make sense that such a perfect food source wasn't allowed. Then I read some information that supported my theory. It said (and I can't remember where I read it, sorry!) that fruit only becomes an issue when it ferments in your stomach/gut, creating a sugar for the Candida to feed on. To stop that from happening, eat fruit separate from other foods (fruit 1/2 hour before other food, or 2 hours after), the reason being is because it digests so quickly and  when it is 'trapped' with slower digesting foods, it sits and ferments in your gut. The reaction is similar to when you activate yeast with sugar before baking with it.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

That makes good sense Sim. Have you finished the diet now and do you feel it was beneficial? 

[quirkycooking]

Thanks Sim, that makes sense.  I've never had trouble with Candida, but I have a friend who does, and she eats REALLY healthily.  She has to avoid sugar as much as possible, and doesn't have too much bread.

Anyway, I'll have to try it!  The nutritional yeast, not the candida! :p

[Sim]

No worries.

I was doing it, and then I got food posioning, so that thoroughly annoyed me, so I just decided to ignore it. So no... I still don't feel great... ha! I just need to put some more effort into it, BUT I can't be bothered right now. I'm currently eating an English muffin with butter and vegemite, not candida diet style at all! It tastes great though.

[judydawn]

Sim, I do hope you start feeling well again real soon.  It is dreadful when these things go on for so long. 

[cookie1]

I've found all this rather interesting to read. I was aware of the Candida problems. I have never thought of 'cheese' done like this-fascinating.

[Thermomixer]

Get well soon Sim 

[Tarah]

... I never understood why I wasn't allowed fruit on the Candida diet... Then I read some information that supported my theory. It said ... that fruit only becomes an issue when it ferments in your stomach/gut, creating a sugar for the Candida to feed on...

Sim, I've read basically the same thing - but more specifically that excess fat in the diet is the problem. I've been reading about the 80/10/10 diet which is mainly fruit with a salad in the evening. The web site has an faq section that discusses candida http://foodnsport.com/faq.html?start=4