Vegan Cheese Food

VEGAN CLASSIC CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• For the crust: Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Add the graham crackers and sugar to the bowl of a food processor and process until fine crumbs form (you should have about 1 1/2 cups). Add the margarine and 2 tablespoons water to a measuring cup and melt in the microwave; add to the crumbs and blend until the mixture looks like wet sand. Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared pan; press it evenly into the bottom and use a measuring cup to smooth it evenly about 2 inches up the side. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.
• For the filling: Add the tofu to the cleaned bowl of the food processor and process until smooth and very fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vegan cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, lemon juice and zest and orange juice and zest and process again until smooth and combined, 2 minutes more. Pour onto the cooled crust.
• Bake the cheesecake until the outside is set but the center is still a bit loose, about 1 hour. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in for 30 minutes more. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely on a rack; cover and refrigerate overnight. About 30 minutes prior to serving, remove the cake from the refrigerator (if it weeps overnight, gently dab the top with a clean paper towel). Remove the springform ring, top the cheesecake with fresh raspberries and serve.

NACHO CHEESE

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes and carrots in pot of water for approximately 10 minutes. Drain them from the boiling water and add to a high-powered blender immediately. If you cook the potatoes for too long, they will become starchy and your sauce will not be smooth. This recipe will not work in a conventional blender. The potatoes need to be whipped at a high enough speed that they break down and emulsify, creating a smooth and creamy cheese-like sauce, with undetectable potato! You'll need a Vitamix or Blendtec. I've made it in a Magic Bullet in a half batch and it also worked well.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and combine until smooth. Your sauce may be hot enough to serve immediately, if you're in a rush, or heat it up in a small pot to thicken it slightly before pouring over whatever food you want to make cheesier! How about chips, chili, broccoli, or cauliflower for starters.

VEGAN CHEESE

Steps:

• Watch the video in the post for easy visual instructions.Grease the inside of a small/medium bowl or container of choice (mine measures 5.5 x 3 inches / 14 x 7.5 cm) with a neutral oil and set aside.
• Add all ingredients except the sauerkraut juice and tapioca flour to a saucepan and stir with a whisk.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once it simmers, set your timer to 5 minutes. Let it simmer over low heat (do not let it boil) and stir occasionally as it will thicken the longer it cooks.
• In a small bowl, mix the sauerkraut juice with tapioca flour. It's important that the juice is not cold (otherwise, it will make the cheese sauce set partially). Add the mixture to the saucepan after 5 minutes and stir with a whisk.
• Continue to simmer for 1 minute, it will thicken even more, so I recommend stirring frequently. Then immediately pour the cheese sauce into the prepared bowl (it hardens fast, so try to be quick) and press it down slightly with a spatula.
• Let it cool until the bowl is just slightly warm, not hot, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight) until set. Enjoy with these crackers!

VEGAN BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, and keep warm.
• Meanwhile, combine the cashews with enough boiling water to cover in a medium bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. Drain.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, garlic powder, ground mustard and 1 1/2 cups water in a high-powered blender. Blend until very smooth, adding more water if necessary to reach the desired consistency. Stir in the butternut squash and season with salt and pepper.
• Stir together the cooked pasta and sauce in a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Stir together the panko, Parmesan and olive oil in a bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the pasta. Bake until the pasta is bubbly and the topping is browned, 20 to 25 minutes.