Wednesday, March 10, 2021

Dairy Free Vegan Cream Cheese


You guys.
I almost feel dumb for waiting this long to try this at home. 
It was stupid easy and it tastes JUST LIKE cream cheese. 
Do yourself a favor and just try it. So simple,

I am eating bagels and cream cheese again with ZERO guilt because it is packed full of nutrition and won't hurt my gut. I am so stoked you have no idea.

If you missed it, the vegan protein bagel recipe is here.

Dairy Free Vegan Cream Cheese

1 ½ cups raw unsalted cashews soaked
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup vegan yogurt unsweetened (can use regular yogurt if not vegan or dairy free)
½ teaspoon salt


Drain and rinse the soaked cashews.
Add all ingredients to a food processor or high-speed blender and pulse until smooth.
Taste and add more salt to your preference.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Vegan Protein Bagels

Stop cutting your carbs. Please just stop. It is not carbs that makes you gain weight. EAT REAL FOOD in a calorie deficit. That is what you need. If you have food sensitivities, just adjust your recipes, there is a substitute for just about everything. Recently dairy started making me bloat, and caused digestive problems. All that means is that I am not able to eat milk and cheese at the moment. Doesn't mean it's forever, what it really means is I can't have it here in the U.S. where they destroy our food with chemicals which have caused and rapid onset of autoimmune diseases in this country. 

SO if you are like me and are self advocating... you probably are making your own food the majority of the time. Bagels from the store are full of crap and if I eat them, I need a nap almost instantly. I don't want that feeling. I want FUEL. So these are my solution. Toast one of these bad boys up and eat them with my Vegan cream cheese. You CAN have what you want, you just have to be willing to cook a little. 



Vegan Protein Bagels


1 cup gluten free flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup vegan greek yogurt (recipe here)
1 egg white or 1/3 cup aquafaba
optional toppings: everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic flakes, dried onion flakes



Preheat oven to 375F. Place parchment paper or a silpat on a baking sheet.
 
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk well. Add the yogurt and mix with a fork or spatula until well combined and a dough ball forms.

Lightly dust flour on a work surface and remove dough from the bowl, knead the dough a few times until dough is tacky, but not sticky.

Divide into 4 equal balls. Roll each ball into 3/4-inch thick ropes and join the ends to form bagels. (or you can make a ball and poke a hole in the center then stretch it slightly)

Top with egg wash OR aquafaba and sprinkle with seasoning of your choice. Bake on the top rack of the oven for 25 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting.

 Top with cream cheese!  If you missed it the vegan cream cheese recipe is up on my blog here.

Vegan Queso

I love cheese. I just wish it loved me. It doesn't. It hates me. I had to finally come to grips with this toxic relationship and love myself enough to say goodbye. Like all toxic relationships, I am sure I will try again down the line, only to be burned once again. 

In all seriousness. I have to have cheese and if I can't have the real thing, I will make one better. This is indeed better than regular queso, in my opinion, AND even in the opinion of my daughter. So give it a try. If you are like me your insides will thank you! 

Vegan Queso

1 cup raw cashews , soaked for at least 4 hours up to overnight, and drained
1/4 cup water (plus more, if needed)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
14 oz . can diced tomatoes with green chiles (rotel)

Put it all in the blender and blend until smooth. Store in the fridge. Use like you do regular queso.


Monday, March 8, 2021

Dairy Free Greek Yogurt ( Vegan )

Hormones...who's got em? 
My body has recently gone through hell and back with hormone changes thanks to turning 48 and aging is underway! I'm not worried. This is why I self advocate. Our bodies change and we need to make changes too. So I recently had to go off dairy. I love cheese and every so often I'll eat it again but just have to be aware of the consequences. It's not fun and it makes me bloat painfully. So I've been playing with recipes to replace my daily things that contained dairy and this one took the cake. 

It's sooooooo good!!!

I'll never go back to store bought greek yogurt and I'm definitely sticking to vegan on this one. Try it. Tell me what you think! For me it is like eating ice cream. I add some maple syrup and some granola and it is HEAVEN!!

VEGAN GREEK YOGURT

1 cup raw cashews, (soaked in water overnight and drained)
2 cans coconut milk
1/4 cup tapioca starch
3 capsules high quality probiotic

Instructions

Combine the drained cashews, coconut milk, and tapioca starch in a blender. Blend until silky smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Add to a glass bowl (no metal!) and stir in the probiotic with a wood, plastic, or glass utensil.
Cover the bowl with cheesecloth and secure it with a rubber band. Let ferment at room temperature overnight or until desired tanginess is achieved.

Don't be alarmed if a crust forms, that simply means it's ready! Mix well and store in the fridge.

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