Cashew cheese

This is a very versatile recipe full of probiotic goodness. I use kefir milk to ferment the nut cheese but a capsule of acidophilus can do the trick as well. Many variations can come out if this recipe e.g. fruit cheese, seaweed cheese...the possibilities are endless.

What you need is a piece of muslin cloth, and optionally little bamboo or plastic basket to hold the shape and drain the whey.

Ingredients

4 cups of soaked cashews
1 cup of kefir or the grains from an acidophilus or probiotic capsule
Two tbs of nutritional yeast for that round cheesy flavor (another option is to use a tbs of miso but you will have to skip the salt)
One tsp of salt

method

Put the cashews into the blender with the cup of kefir milk and blend. If you are using capsules, then pop in the grains and add a cup of filtered water. Add in the nutritional yeast and salt/miso. Blend till absolutely smooth.

lay the muslin over the basket and pour out the nut blend. I like to tie up the muslin and hang it over the sink overnight. If you are standing the cheese in a basket, make sure there is a bowl to catch the whey and space to drain the whey.

After at least eight hours, harvest the cheese into a container and use in a variety of recipes. I use it as a spread, for cheesecake, for salad dressings, noodle dressing, dressing for vege chips etc....let your imagination run wild. Let me know how you use your cheese too ;-).