Until my mid-30’s, I felt sick to my stomach on a daily basis. Every.Single.Day.
Finally, I realized that I’m lactose intolerant. Once I completely cut dairy out of my diet, I felt better within a matter of days…
My stomach felt peaceful for the first time in years, my skin cleared up and my seasonal allergies all but disappeared. I even started sleeping better.
After feeling such a significant improvement in my health, I wasn’t even tempted to sneak a little dairy into my diet every now and then. Honestly, I didn’t miss it…especially considering I’d pick coconut milk over cow’s milk any day.
It turns out this food allergy / intolerance was one of the best gifts I was ever given. Why? Because food products made from cow’s milk (dairy) can wreak havoc on the human body.
Cow’s milk is loaded with non-human hormones and lactose that the human body was not made to process. Plus, most of the dairy products on the market are riddled with medications (like antibiotics) that were administered to the cows, as well as the genetically modified grain they were fed to fatten them up and help them produce more milk. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Now that I’ve transitioned to a completely plant-based diet and am helping others do the same, I often hear the following struggle:
“I know dairy is horrible for my health and I want to eliminate it from my diet, but I just can’t give up cheese!”
That lit a fire under this nutritionist to find the BEST non-dairy cheese recipe out there. But it had to more than delicious…it had to be simple and healthy, too.
THAT’S NUTS!
If you’ve ever shopped for plant-based cheese (typically labeled as “vegan” cheese) or gone to a vegan restaurant, you may have noticed it is usually based with nuts like cashews. I’m not a fan of that for a few reasons:
- People with a tree nut allergy can’t eat it.
- Raw cashews are expensive and not always easy to find in stores that don’t have bulk bins with raw nuts.
- Nuts are high in fat. I am not at all opposed to healthy fat in the human diet…in fact, I recommend eating healthy fat daily. I just prefer to get my daily dose of healthy fat from whole food sources like walnuts, avocados and olives…not cheese.
The good news is you don’t need a single nut to make a healthy and DELICIOUS plant-based cheese that tastes EXACTLY like the real thing. Seriously, it’s legit!
In fact, the man of my house is a serious cheese-a-holic. When I had him taste this recipe, he freaked out thinking I finally caved and bought him some Velveeta cheese. HA!
He was shocked when I told him it was plant-based and LOADED with vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Without further adieu, you can score the simple and healthy recipe below. Seriously, it’s so good!
THE RECIPE
~ Makes About 3 Cups ~
Organic Ingredients:
- 2 cups of raw white potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup of raw carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3/4 cup of purified or spring water
- 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast (I recommend using the Bragg brand.)
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or onion powder
- Optional: Add additional herbs and spices like black pepper, cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning and chipotle powder to create a special flavor profile.
NOTE: If you would like to make your cheese extra creamy, you can cut the water measurement down from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup and add 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil.
Preparation:
- Steam the potatoes and carrots until they are tender. (I use an Instant Pot and put it on the “Steam” setting for 13 minutes.)
- Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
- Enjoy!
LEFTOVERS: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
This cheese tastes great over veggies, lettuce wrap tacos, beans, gluten-free pasta, chips and homemade pizza.
I especially love drizzling this cheese over steamed broccoli:
I also love making gluten-free mac & cheese by mixing this cheese with bean-based pasta (the pasta shown in the picture below is made with lentils and quinoa):
BUT HOW DOES IT TASTE LIKE CHEESE?
The potatoes in this recipe create “thickness” for the cheese. The carrots give it an orange cheese color with a nice dose of vitamins and minerals.
But it’s the nutritional yeast that actually provides the cheese flavor.
Nutritional yeast is made from a single-celled organism called Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, which is grown on molasses and then harvested, washed, and gently dried with heat to make it inactive. Because it is inactive, it doesn’t froth or grow like baking yeast and has no leavening ability.
Nutritional yeast (also known as “nooch”) has a cheesy, nutty flavor that’s great for sprinkling on foods like pasta, potatoes, salads, soups, pizza and tacos. It’s a great cheese replacement for people who are lactose intolerant or those who follow a plant-based diet.
If you buy pure brands like Bragg, nutritional yeast is 100% natural, gluten-free and packed with nutrition like B vitamins, folic acid and selenium. It’s a great nutrition tool for getting B12 in your diet.
More good news…
Nutritional yeast has antiviral and antibacterial properties, can improve digestion and promotes healthy hair, skin and nails.
Cheers to enjoying a simple and delicious plant-based cheese that actually benefits your health!
With love and gratitude,
Kandi
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