Instead of dairy products

[DancingWillow]

Thanks CC! I'm not sure if the health food store has the cookie sandwiches, but if they do, they'll be in my shopping cart next time

[Haniska]

Hi Grail,

To me this recipe either slices or melts but I am still experimenting.

LESSARELLA CHEEZ (From "Country Life Vegetarian Cookbook")
2 cups water
3 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
1/3 cup quick oats
1/4 cup arrowroot or cornstarch
1 Tbs onion powder
1/4 cup tahini (if you don't have tahini, you can use sesame seeds - tahini is sesame seed paste)
1 1/2 tsp salt
Optional: You can also add 1/2 chopped red bell pepper if you want to make the cheese more orange coloured. I like to do this. Also, if you are not going to set the cheese, you can leave out the cornstarch. The oats are enough to thicken the cheese for pizzas and other savoury cheese dishes.

This and several other chreese recipes can be found here: http://www.aboverubies.org/health/cheese.html

I have used 1 tbs of fiber supplement in place of the 1tbs of corn starch with stretchy cheesy results. GREAT for mac and cheese. Have upped the ratio of the fiber supplement with gross cheddar glob results.
However, I can imagine someone could do something interesting with that info :-P
Also, my most recent batch I used 2 tbs of agar agar instead of corn starch at all which yielded a Velveeta textured chreese. It didn't really melt well that I have seen so far, but it is good for a dish that you want visible little curds of cheese in.


ps I have tasted Vanilla Rice Dream. It is very light and fluffy, which can be good if you are in the mood. Also, it is SLAMMING with raspberry sorbet mixed in.

Cheers!

[TheBluePenguin]

Tofutti makes excellent mozzarella and cheddar slices that actually melt. I tried their cream cheese spread on a bagel today and was amazed. I bought a block of redwood cheese today for shredding but I have not yet tried yet.

As for soya milk, here in the UK (yea i know its confusing, I'm studying abroad in Scotland), a very vegan-friendly (and possibly entirely vegan) company called Provamel makes Alpro Soya which is very good. In health food stores (such as mine in Stirling) you should be able to find their yogurts and puddings -- good stuff. They definitely do not have vitamin D3 (which is animal derived and worth looking out for).

The only soy ice cream I have tried is Swedish Glace which is great. If I was the type to eat a whole container of it at once I would say it is good enough to do that, but since I'm not that type of person, I'm still working on it.

[Haniska]

By the way, my cheese made with the agar agar Did in fact melt, it just took more time. It burned nicely on the edges too

[Freckles]

I've been DYING to get some nutritional yeast so that I, a hardcore ex-cheese addict, can make some faux cheese for a yummy vegan pizza that I'd like to make and share with my boyfriend. Is it available in normal grocery stores or just health food stores? I'm in the southern US; does anyone know of a store in this area that carries it ... or where I would look in a regular store to find it? Would it be near the flour, etc?

[Yoggy]

Hi Freckles! Nutritional yeast is usually in the bulk section of grocery stores. It's always available in health food stores, and usually available in regular supermarkets. I recommend using it to make the nacho cheese sauce from the Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook. I couldn't BELIEVE how much it tasted like Tostitos cheese sauce in a jar, even if it was quite a bit thinner.

For pizza I'd recommend Vegan Rella or Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet. Both melt quite well and taste excellent on pizza. Good luck!

[Freckles]

I love how active this site is!! Okay... thanks!! I'm so excited. Wish the stores would be open when I get offa work, but I know they won't... bleh.

[Tigerlily]

Tip about the vegan cheeses: they go bad so quickly! I bought a block, only used it once or twice. I had 1/2 of it left, so I wrapped it very well and two days later, it was spoiled. $6 bucks down the drain.

[Yoggy]

It's so true . I opened my pack of vegan cheese last Friday to make pizza, and ended up having to make pizza again last night to use up all the cheese before it went bad! Too bad you can't buy smaller blocks.

[Tigerlily]

I know! I was so upset, as I had all the supplies ready for making nachos. Oh well, I made my nachos cheeseless.

I even double wrapped mine. I wrapped it tightly with lots of plastic wrap, and then put it in a ziplock bag and sealed it tight.

[herbwormwood]

hard vegan cheese will grow mould on quite quickly but you can just cut it off and eat the bit without the mould. I have done this a few times with Redwood's Cheezely and it tastes fine. Also check the use by date before you buy as some have a short use by date.

[Roxy]

Tip about the vegan cheeses: they go bad so quickly! I bought a block, only used it once or twice. I had 1/2 of it left, so I wrapped it very well and two days later, it was spoiled. $6 bucks down the drain.

Really? I have never had this happen I just checked my packet of Veganrealla which is in the fridge and has been opened for more than a week and it's still fine.

[feral]

hard vegan cheese will grow mould on quite quickly but you can just cut it off and eat the bit without the mould. I have done this a few times with Redwood's Cheezely and it tastes fine. Also check the use by date before you buy as some have a short use by date.

Ooohh mate, I've heard this is a very bad thing to do with cow cheeses so I'd check that out further... apparently where there's mould there's also rampant bacteria

[herbwormwood]

Ooohh mate, I've heard this is a very bad thing to do with cow cheeses so I'd check that out further... apparently where there's mould there's also rampant bacteria

If no one ever ate mould we wouldn't have had penicillin (which is from bread mould). It hasn't harmed me yet and I doubt it's going to.
I don't have any animal products in my kitchen which could cross contaminate the cheese.
If we don't put preservatives on foodstuffs, they do start decaying as soon as they are exposed to air, so maybe we should throw fresh stuff out after 1 day of opening and maximise profits for the companies?

[feral]

Ummm I was only sayin, maybe I'll keep my concern to my self in future.

[herbwormwood]

Ummm I was only sayin, maybe I'll keep my concern to my self in future.

Please say whatever you want!!! Then people can look at the issues both ways and decide for themselves.
I didn't mind you saying about the mould, I just don't agree that it might poison me.

[feral]

I must have mistook your disagreement as sarcasm, sorry about that

[Tigerlily]

Really? I have never had this happen I just checked my packet of Veganrealla which is in the fridge and has been opened for more than a week and it's still fine.

Where do you keep yours? I kept mine on the door...in the litthe compartment there. I think that was my mistake.

[tabitha]

I tried some Oatley milk the other day. It was in my store cupboard and I had run out of soya. It tasted really nice actually, but didnt seem to have any nutritional value whatsoever, so I wont buy it again. I still havent tried rice milk but have it in the cupboard as an option. I wish I could get on with tofu. Im not much of a cook and whatever I have done to the stuff it always tastes really rank.

[feral]

I know what you mean tabs, I have to cut tofu really small and cook it til it dries out or it makes me feel really sick afterwards.

[tabitha]

Its the texture, it reminds me of uncooked chicken (retch). I read somewhere that you are supposed to freeze it first and then cook it but to be honest Id rather do without the stuff.

[FR]

I'm out of very vanilla soymilk. I need to get more.

[veggiesosage]

Try coating it in cornflower and then deep frying it. Texture changes completely and its crunchy on the outside. Good with a strong tasting sauce like sweet and sour and a stir fry. (thats the tofu not the soya milk!)

[Roxy]

Where do you keep yours? I kept mine on the door...in the litthe compartment there. I think that was my mistake.

I keep it in it's original package, also inside a ziploc bag, on the top shelf of the fridge door. I just used it in some tofu scramble this morning and it was totally okay after more than a week.

[feral]

I was thinking of grating and freezing the fake cheese to save trying to eat a whole block by myself, might be ok sprinkled over pizza etc.

[herbwormwood]

I know what you mean tabs, I have to cut tofu really small and cook it til it dries out or it makes me feel really sick afterwards.

There are so many different kinds of tofu, maybe you haven't found the right one yet?
My favourites are graffiti tofu terrine, and tofu fillets. Taifun make them both.

[tabitha]

There doesnt seem to be that choice where I live. All Ive ever seen is silken tofu (gags again).

[feral]

Thanks for the tip Herbwormwood I've tried a few and usually try a different one each time I see any. I like the smoked with walnut & the parsley one if sliced thinly and grilled until it's dried out a bit. I'm the same with soy burgers etc they have to be really well cooked. I'll keep an eye out for those ones you suggested.

[herbwormwood]

There doesnt seem to be that choice where I live. All Ive ever seen is silken tofu (gags again).

I only use that in desserts. I have a packet waiting to be turned into chocolate mousse once I obtain the chocolate.
I have never tried it in savory dishes.

[FR]

I personally like getting pre-fried blocks of tofu. This way, they are already nice and browned on the outside. Getting tofu to get brown and crispy without adding corn meal or flour to it can be quite the long task.

I only use silken tofu in baking, and that is even rare.

[tabitha]

I only use that in desserts. I have a packet waiting to be turned into chocolate mousse once I obtain the chocolate.
I have never tried it in savory dishes.

Aaaahhh! That is possibly why it tastes crap

[Sarabi]

Hah! I had the opposite experience! I tried soy milk (plain) with cereal and loved it. Also love soy chocolate milk (sans cereal). Then I tried vanilla rice milk (plain was unavailable) with my cereal and it had a really sharp aftertaste. If it were my only choice, it would've been okay, but soy is much preferred for me. Maybe it's just because it was vanilla, though. What a bizarre taste!

[terem]

I find almond milk to be the best alternative. It has a sweet flavor and in my opinion is better tasting than cow milk. And you won't have to eat your cereal dry

[vintagenarcissa]

Has anyone tried Daiya vegan cheese?

[terem]

Has anyone tried Daiya vegan cheese?

Yes! I had it a vegan pizzeria here on Long Island in Rockville Centre. It's the best tasting vegan cheese I've ever had. Pangea store is the only place I know of to go buy it though.

[vintagenarcissa]

Thanks terem! I'm gonna have to find this Pangea store, I will go through hell and high water for some good vegan cheese

I can't wait to be home in NYC for the holidays. I really want to go to a vegan restaurant that serves Daiya.

[terem]

Pange: The Vegan Store--> http://www.veganstore.com/
No searching necessary

[Wayfare]

I've loved Pangea for many years. I actually have my Pangea canvas tote right next to me! We just got our stuff into Pangea although it will probably be a few more weeks before it shows up through their shelf.