Almond Feta Cheese Spread With Herb Oil Vegan Food

ALMOND FETA CHEESE WITH HERB OIL

Steps:

• 1. Place almonds in medium bowl, and cover with 3 inches cold water. Let soak 24 hours. Drain soaking liquid, rinse almonds under cold running water, and drain again. 2. Purée almonds, lemon juice, 3 Tbs. oil, garlic, salt, and 1/2 cup cold water in food processor 6 minutes, or until very smooth and creamy. 3. Place large strainer over bowl, and line with triple layer of cheesecloth. Spoon almond mixture into cheesecloth. Bring corners and sides of cloth together, and twist around cheese, forming into orange-size ball and squeezing to help extract moisture. Secure with rubber band or kitchen twine. Chill 12 hours, or overnight. Discard excess liquid. 4. Preheat oven to 200°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap cheese (it will be soft), and transfer from cheesecloth to prepared baking sheet. Flatten to form 6-inch round about 3/4-inch thick. Bake 40 minutes, or until top is slightly firm. Cool, then chill. (Cheese can be made up to this point 2 days ahead; keep refrigerated.) 5. Combine remaining 1/4 cup oil, thyme, and rosemary in small saucepan. Warm oil over medium-low heat 2 minutes, or until very hot but not simmering. Cool to room temperature. Drizzle herb oil over cheese just before serving.

ALMOND "FETA" WITH HERB OIL

Steps:

• Rinse almonds in cold water. Place in a large bowl; add water to cover by 3 in. Cover and let stand overnight., Drain and rinse almonds, discarding liquid. Transfer to a food processor. Add 1/2 cup water, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons oil, garlic and salt; cover and process for 5-6 minutes or until pureed., Line a large strainer with 4 layers of cheesecloth and place over a large bowl. Pour almond mixture into prepared strainer; bring up corners of cloth and tie with string to form a bag. Refrigerate overnight., Squeeze out any liquid; remove cheesecloth and discard liquid from bowl. Transfer ball to a parchment-lined baking sheet; flatten slightly into a 6-in. circle., Bake at 200° for 35-40 minutes or until firm. Cool. Refrigerate until chilled., In a small skillet, heat the thyme, rosemary and remaining oil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Drizzle over almond mixture. Serve with crackers.

HOMEMADE VEGAN AND DAIRY-FREE ALMOND CHEESE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Blanched almonds are almonds that have their skins removed; you can have someone else do it for you or do it yourself. First, start by boiling water over the almonds and let the almonds soak for a few minutes.
• Drain and rinse the almonds, and then rub the almonds with a towel or just use your fingers to peel and pop the skin off.
• Removing the skin before making almond cheese gives the cheese a smoother texture and lighter color that looks like cheese. You can make the cheese with the skin on if you prefer.
• Soak the blanched almonds in cold water for 24 hours before making the cheese. Cover and place in refrigerator.
• Drain and rinse the almonds well.
• Put the blanched almonds in a food processor or high-powered blender with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and water.
• Blend until smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Scrape the mixture into double-layered cheesecloth lining a colander.
• Gather the cheesecloth tightly around the almond mixture and secure into a bundle by using a rubber band or string to tie the top. Give the bundle a few gentle squeezes to remove liquid. Leave the bundle in the colander and place in the refrigerator overnight over a bowl or rimmed plate to catch any liquid that might drain. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours. This helps the texture of the cheese become firmer.
• Discard any liquid that drains out. Carefully peel the cheesecloth off of the almond "cheese." The "cheese" will have a consistency similar to cookie dough. At this point, the almond cheese can be eaten immediately as a spread or refrigerated for up to two weeks.