Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese

Let me start out by saying this is not for the faint of heart. Making it is fairly easy, but after the fermentation you need to toughen up and pull it together because things start looking questionable. This is all part of the process. But in the end you are left with this bomb-ass cheese. Yes, I said bomb-ass. Because it is. It is by far the most cheese-like of all my cheeses and by far the most popular. And when it's done you'll feel incredibly proud, like you pulled off something impossible- when really it was quite simple. And people will ask you again and again 'how was this made?!'. And you will tell them 'Oh, it was nothing', as your mind wonders back to when things were looking questionable. But you did it anyway, because you're brave, and you're bomb-ass as well.

That's my spiel for the Cheddar, it was supposed to both pump you up and prepare you. It's not hard, but it's certainly not for the faint of heart.

I once made this cheddar using a heart shaped cookie cutter, isn't it a beauty?

2 cups raw cashews, soaked for 20 minutes
1⁄2 cup yellow bell pepper juice (1-2 bell peppers run through the juicer)
1⁄2 cup water
1 teaspoon non-dairy probiotics: I buy mine at a health food store in the refrigerated section in capsules. For mine about 8 opened capsules equals 1 teaspoon. I like the Solaray brand, I get something similar to this
1 pair of new cheap pantyhose, trust me on this

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender, I use my trusty vitamix. You want it to be completely smooth and creamy, so be patient. The easiest way to set the cheese up is with the foot of a new pair of pantyhose. You can use a nutmilk bag or cheesecloth- I've done both, and the pantyhose always works best. Cut a leg off and have someone hold it open as your pour your mixture from the blender into the leg. Once it's all in squeeze it down into the foot of the panty hose then tie it off with a knot and cut off the excess fabric.

Get a bowl and place a mesh strainer on top, stick your pantyhose filled with cheese on the mesh strainer. You need to place a weight on top of the strainer so excess liquid slowly starts to drip off. Nothing too heavy, I use either a glass tupperware or a plastic bowl with some water in it- balance it on top of the pantyhose filled with cheese. Now that this is all set up, drape a dish towel over top and place this whole contraption in a cool dry place. This needs to ferment for 36 hours. ((Warning- if it is too hot it will mold, so avoid this recipe in South Florida summers unless you pump your AC like a mad man)).

Ok- let it do it's thing, you've got 36 hours to kill at this point. Once the 36 hours pass you will take apart the contraption and most likely be fairly concerned. It'll look gross. There might even be a spec of mold on the pantyhose. There most likely will be this 'crust' that has built up around the pantyhose too. I told you- not for the faint of heart. It's fine. Toughen up.

Cut the knot off your pantyhose, now invert it into a new clean bowl to get the cheese from the inside of the pantyhose out. Now throw that pantyhose away, it's gross. Mix in the following ingredients into your cheese:

3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons nutrional yeast
1 small jalapeno, seeds removed and diced into tiny pieces (optional)

You don't need to add the jalapeno, in fact, it's the fermented bell pepper that makes this tangy and jalapeno-like, but if you want the spice factor then go for it!

Once everything is well mixed pour it into a small bowl (the bowl you will be serving it in) and allow it to set in the fridge over night. Ideally this should be made in ring molds, because it's fancier and it'll look more like a mini wheel of cheese, but I don't own ring molds so I improvise. Over time the cheese will develop a 'rind' if you keep the cheese in the fridge for a few days, this also makes it look more like real cheese but it's not necessary. Mine never lasts that long in the fridge at my house anyways.

 You see.... not so hard? So go out there, be brave, and make some bomb-ass jalapeno cheddar!

The Best Kale Salad

I saw this recipe on my twitter feed and knew I had to make it. I'm always looking for a new way to use kale. It was freaking awesome. Although my Thanksgiving menu was supposed to be set in stone, I went out to Whole Foods tonight to get the ingredients to add this to the list. Unfortunately my picture didn't come out, but you can view a great picture from the original recipe here.

2 bunches lacinato/dinosaur kale, finely chopped or torn into baby bite-sized pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
4 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Pecan-Parm Crumble:
1 cup pecan halves, toasted
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Spin the kale dry and set aside at room temperature while you make the dressing. Mince the garlic into tiny pieces, add it to a bowl along with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well. Pour the dressing and cranberries over the kale and toss well. Set in fridge for 30-60 minutes to soften.

Meanwhile, make the Pecan-Parm crumble. Roast the pecans at 350°F for 8 minutes. Add them to a food processor along with the nutritional yeast and olive oil and pulse until crumbly. Once the salad is done setting sprinkle the Pecan-Parm over top and serve.


 Recipe from Oh She Glows.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

A friend of mine passed this recipe on to me. It's super easy to make and had a couple of our friends fighting over the last piece. I decided to make this instead of a traditional pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving, I love the idea of traditional, but in an nontraditional manner- so this fits the bill perfectly.

Whoops, left it in for 2 minutes too long and it got a little brown on top- amateur move! haha

1 1/2 cup almond milk (or any other non-dairy milk)
1/4 cup coconut creamer (or any other non-dairy creamer)
1 pack vegan vanilla pudding mix (I found mine at Whole Foods)
3 tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)
12 oz vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti brand because a friend said it worked great with the recipe, I'm curious to see how Daiya would do!)
2 tablespoons vegan mayo
Dash of salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup raw Brazil nuts
1 tsp pumpkin spice
1 dash cayenne
1 16-ounce can pumpkin puree- BPA free!
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
One pre-made vegan graham crust 

Preheat oven to 375°F. 

In a medium sized pot on the stove top over medium heat add the milk, creamers, pudding mix, and salt. Stir until pudding mix is completely dissolved, then stir in the cornstarch and whisk. Add in the cream cheese, vegan mayo, and sugar- stir until the cream cheese is melted into the mixture and the filling is thick and bubbling. 

Remove from the heat and pour into the blender, adding the cashews and the Brazil nuts as well. Carefully blend (hot liquids steam and can explode in the blender, so using a towel to cover the top of the blender is a good idea), until it is perfectly smooth. Pour 8-10 ounces of the white filling into a seperate container. 

Add the maple syrup, vinegar, pumpkin, and spices into the blender with the remaining white filling and blend until smooth. 

Pour the pumpkin filling 3/4 of the way into the graham cracker crust. Next take the white filling and pour into the center of the pie- use a toothpick or fork to swirl the two together. Bake in the oven for 28-32 minutes, until the top is slightly browned. Allow to cool in the fridge for several hours before serving. 

Recipe adapted from the original  

*There is a bunch of extra batter with this recipe, I used it and made mini cheesecakes by making a graham cracker crust (just graham crackers and butter in the food processor) and I patted it into a lined mini muffin tin, then layered on the leftover filling. I baked them for about 8-10 minutes.

Moroccan Zaalouk (Eggplant Dip)

I'm always munching on this stuff. It's easy to make and the flavors really get bolder with age. I keep some in the fridge and pull it out to snack on. Sometimes I make it for dinner and just eat it with pita chips. It is a very forgiving recipe and therefore makes it easy to improvise when many of the ingredients are missing.

1 large eggplant
4 large tomatoes (peeled, seeded, and chopped), or a can of diced tomatoes- BPA free!
Splash of marinara sauce or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/3 cup chopped cilantro and parsley, mixed (or one or the other if you're not so into both)
3 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch Cayenne pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup water
Stevia (optional- I use 3 drops of liquid stevia, some people add a teaspoon or two of sugar, some add none at all) 
Lemon wedges

Preheat your oven to 400°F on the convection setting. Poke a couple holes in your eggplant and roast it until it is tender when you  squeeze it with a pair of tongs- mine took about 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before cutting the eggplant lengthwise, then scoop out the roasted eggplant from the skin. Run your knife through it until it's chopped (it'll be more mush than anything, this is perfect). 

Mix all ingredients (including the prepared eggplant), besides the stevia and lemon, in a large skillet. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a potato masher to crush and blend the mixture together. Continue simmering uncovered for 10 minutes or until all the liquids are reduced. Mix in your stevia if you are using it and then squeeze a lemon wedge (or two) over top of the Zaalouk. Serve with pita chips for dipping, some warm pita bread, or just eat plain if you're avoiding gluten.

*Sometimes I add some chopped kalamata olives to this as well, adds a nice salt element!

Restaurant Review: Pizzeria Bianco, Downtown Phoenix Location

I've put this restaurant review off for a while now. After I got home from vacation life just took off full speed with the millions of things I had to catch up on. Then I got bloggers anxiety. How can I do this restaurant justice in one simple tiny review? But I will try.

Located: 623 E Adams St Phoenix, AZ (602 258 8300)
Hours: Monday 11am-9pm, Tuesday-Saturday 11am-10pm
Website: www.pizzeriabianco.com 

Instagram: http://instagram.com/pizzeriabianco

Perfect for: date night, special occasions, girls night, family dinner, casual dining, anyone who enjoys fabulous food made with the finest local ingredients.
Atmosphere: Gorgeous. This is how I want a pizza place to look, truly authentic. Bar Bianco is stunning and sophisticated.
Overall: Highly recommended. I'm jealous there isn't one near me actually.

Pizzeria Bianco is a gem. The food is fresh, locally sourced, and made with heart. But let me back track a bit to how I ended up at this Pizzeria. My family booked a vacation to Sedona, Arizona- a place my mom has always wanted to visit. Just a few days before we left she said to me 'I think my college friend Marco lives in Phoenix now!'- which was quite strange since they went to school in Rochester, NY. So she facebooked him and we arranged to have lunch at his brother's restaurant, a family business of sorts, as Marco is the bread maker- amongst other things. I prodded her: 'make sure he knows I'm vegan'  I didn't want to spring that on him last minute "Oh, everything looks delicious, but I'm Vegan- can you possibly throw something together that I can eat?" That's always a pain in the ass.

The menu is simple, truly Italian. The food is made humbly, with the finest ingredients- and most importantly the food is made with integrity and respect. With more than 25 years under their belts, Pizzeria Bianco has found what works and truly does it right.

The menu consists of 'Small Plates', Salads, the best Pizza you can get your hands on, and house made desserts.

I was impressed to see they had a Marinara Pizza on the menu, which is a delicate crust layered with the most perfectly seasoned tomato sauce, oregano, fresh basil, and thinly shaved garlic slices. I'm accustomed to eating some pretty bland pizza as a vegan (you know the whole- omit the cheese thing), but this was nothing but. I was blown away by the intense flavors in something so simple. In fact, I ate the entire pizza. Yes. The ENTIRE pizza. And I probably would've polished off a second entire pizza if it was sitting in front of me. As I was stuffing my face with each glorious slice Marco told me the story on how the Marinara pizza came to be. The details may be slightly fuzzy but story has it the sailors in Italy couldn't bring cheese or meat pizza with them as they went off to sea because it would spoil quickly, they ended up ditching the toppings and perfected the marinara pizza which wouldn't spoil and kept them well fed. Something like that, right Marco?

He then showed us around the property where they had a Meyer lemon tree, amongst others, and a fresh herb garden with the most gorgeous basil you have every seen. Right next store is a historic little house called Bar Bianco where you can grab a glass of wine or a small plate and wait for your name to be called over at the restaurant. The bar is gorgeous, dark woods scattered with original paintings from the Bianco brothers father. The bar in itself is a find.

Pizzeria Bianco's founder Chris, Marco's brother, won the James Beard Award for Best Chef, and the restaurant itself has been given praise from critics and fellow chefs alike. I asked Marco why the awards aren't hanging up somewhere so people know what they have accomplished, he replied that they're all sitting in a closet. Putting them up on the wall is tacky and pretentious. "People know the food here is great, we don't need to advertise it". And they're right, they don't.

Sorry for the poor quality picture, I rushed and was in the sun- for better pictures visit their instagram!

My brother and I standing in front of the restaurant.

Leftover pizza- that didn't last long- trust me!

The gorgeous Meyer Lemon tree on the side of the restaurant

Bar Bianco

My mom and Marco- they haven't seen each other since college!

Marco picking us some fresh basil to smell from their herb garden.

Bar Bianco

Roasted Radishes

A gorgeous bundle of rainbow radishes came in my food co-op box last week and I was immediately stumped. Eventually a friend suggested I roast them off in the oven, she said they lose that bitter taste and sort of remind her of mini potatoes when they're done. I gave it a go and I was so impressed. Now I'll finally have something to look forward to when I see the radishes in the co-op box again.

1 bundle of rainbow radishes
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Herbs de Provence
Optional: Squeeze of lemon

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Clean the radishes and remove the tops. Cut the larger ones in half and remove any blemishes. Toss them in the olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Roast for 15 minutes, or until fork tender, flipping them halfway through. When they come out of the oven sprinkle them with a little herbs de Provence and a squeeze of lemon. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake Mini Muffins

Yeah, that's a mouth full. Now try saying that with one of these bad boys in your mouth- impossible. I'm not a baker (that's probably evident by now if you follow my blog), but it is the holiday season... and I did have some extra pumpkin puree sitting in the fridge begging to be used. This turned out to be a great coffee cake, not too heavy, not overly sweet. You can make it mini muffin style like I did, or bake it in a cake pan which may be a good option if you plan on serving this to guests- you know, like for thanksgiving!

Streusel
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
5 tablespoons plant-based butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Coffee Cake

2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon clove

1 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a bowl mix together the streusel ingredients until it becomes crumb-like, then set aside.

In a large bowl mix the milk and apple cider vinegar, allow to sit for a few minutes to curdle (it never looks curdled, but don't skip this part, it's important). Meanwhile it's doing its thing, in a seperate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

Add the pumpkin, sugars, and oil to the bowl with the milk in it, whisk until smooth, then whisk in the flour mixture. A fork may be easier than a whisk because this mixture gets very thick and you don't want to over mix.

Grease your mini muffin tin or a 9-inch springform/cake pan with a little bit of non stick spray. For the muffins add a little bit of your mix into the muffin holes, then add a thin layer of streusel, and then some more mix, then finish it off with some streusel crumbles over top. If you're doing this in a cake pan then pour in half your batter, sprinkle it with half the streusel, and then pour over the remaining batter, topping it off with remaining streusel before popping it into the oven. Bake the mini muffins between 17-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when you poke a muffin, allow to cool before serving. Bake the cake for roughly 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean after poking it in the center of the cake.

If you're looking for a little more sweetness, you can then drizzle it with a maple glaze. I don't think a glaze is necessary so I opted out, but if you're interested here is the original recipe.

Yard House Mac and Cheese: Vegan Style

I've never been to Yard House but apparently their Mac and Cheese is on point. My friend Anna veganized their recipe and passed it on to me. It is so damn good. Seriously. Delicious. My brother insists I make it as a side dish for Thanksgiving, and although that won't be happening I will be making this again as a quick and easy dinner.

1 lb elbow/shell pasta
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour (or chickpea flour if you're GF)
3 cups plant-based milk (I used the carton coconut milk because I had it on hand, but almond or soy would work as well)
8 ounces Pepper Jack Daiya wedge or shreds
8 ounces Cheddar Daiya wedge or shreds
1 cup bread (preferably day old sourdough/bakery breads)
2 boxes Crimini mushrooms
Salt and Pepper
Pinch of Cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Optional: Bacon Bits (yes, they're vegan! Crazy, huh?)
Optional: Truffle Oil

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cook the pasta until slightly under done, then drain and set aside.

Cut the cheeze wedges into little cubes, set aside. Take the bread and place it in a food processor and blend until crumbly, set aside.

In a large sauce pain melt the butter over medium heat, once melted whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in milk, bring to a boil and remove from heat- add the cheddar and jack handfuls at a time along with salt, cayenne, and black pepper to taste. Once all the cheese is melted pour the pasta into the sauce. It's going to look like an absurd amount of sauce, but it works out perfectly, have some faith.

Lightly spray a casserole dish with nonstick spray, pour the cheesy pasta and all of the sauce into the casserole dish. Toss your bread crumbles with the garlic powder and layer it on top of the pasta and bake for 20 minutes.

While your pasta is baking, quarter the mushrooms and saute them for just a couple minutes, so they still have a nice bite to them but have lost much of their water weight. When the pasta comes out of the oven serve it with a scoop of the mushrooms, optional bacon bits, and a drizzle of truffle oil.

*I made this again with 6 oz daiya mozzarella shreds, 2 oz daiya cheddar shreds, and 8 ounces daiya pepper jack shreds and it was so insanely good. Almost like a more 'sophisticated' mac, but that's just my opinion!

Savory Holiday Tart

My friend Erica recommended this recipe to me, in fact she swore by it. I took a look at the recipe and quickly decided I'd give it a go, mainly because the ingredients were common and it looked super easy- I didn't expect it to blow me away though. I was blown away. This tart was so delicious, ridiculously flavorful, and light- almost fluffy. This is definitely going to be the GF main dish this Thanksgiving.

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
3/4 cup celery, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 14-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed (reserving 1/4 cup)
3/4 cup raw walnuts
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 teaspoons tamari, soy sauce, or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 1/4 cups frozen chopped spinach
3 1/2 tablespoons dried cranberries
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 9-inch prepared pie shell, thawed (I used a GF one)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Served with some homemade cranberry sauce and gravy (gravy not shown)

 Precook the pie crust according to package directions.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a saute pan and add the onion, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook for 9 minutes until onions soften and begin to caramelize. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a food processor add chickpeas (except reserved 1/4 cup), walnuts, lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons of the tamari/soy sauce/liquid aminos, and pulse to lightly chop. Remove half of chopped mixture from food processor and transfer to a large bowl. Transfer the sauteed onion mixture into the food processor with the remaining chickpea mixture and puree until smooth.

Transfer purée to bowl with lightly chopped chickpea and walnut mixture. Add spinach, cranberries, parsley, thyme, and 1/4 cup of reserved chickpeas. Stir to combine and transfer to prepared pie shell, spreading evenly. Mix together the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil with the remaining 1 teaspoon of tamari/soy sauce/aminos, then carefully brush the top of the tart with the mixture. Put a crust-protector, or tin foil around the crust, and bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before you cut it. Serve with cranberry sauce and gravy.

Recipe by Dreena Burton

Garlicky Artichoke Dip

My mom makes this famous artichoke dip which has been passed down to me and has become a tradition on Thanksgiving. Unfortunately it wasn't plant-based and because of that I had to recreate it with other non-dairy ingredients. I can't say I recreated the dish, but I made a damn good dip that got the stamp of approval from the family.

2 cans artichoke hearts
6 tablespoons plant-based mayo
10-14 garlic cloves (did I mention this is garlicky?)
1 cup nutritional yeast

Rinse the artichoke hearts and place them in a food processor along with the remaining ingredients, give it a few pulses until all the ingredients are incorporated. You don't want to puree this, the dip is best with chunks of artichoke still in it- so take it easy with the food processor. Spray a small casserole dish with non-stick cooking say and spoon your dip into it. Bake covered at 350°F for 15-20 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for another 5. Serve warm with crackers for dipping!

*Sorry, I was so eager to dig right in that I completely forgot to take a picture!

Creamy Pumpkin Pie

I'm always on the hunt for the perfect recipes for baked goods as I am not a natural baker. I found this one and it's like the recipe creator new I hated baking... It is so beyond easy. Only downside is I skipped over the recommended homemade crust and used a store bought one. And although it was still delish, I think I may have to take the plunge and make the crust from scratch next time I make this.

 Filling:
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)
2 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup full-fat coconut cream (this is the thick white stuff that floats on top of the clear liquid when you open up a can of coconut milk, just skim it off)
1 tablespoon plant-based butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
1 Store bought pie crust, or follow this recipe for the homemade GF crust that sounds divine

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the maple syrup and cornstarch until well combined. Then add in the pumpkin, sugar, coconut cream, butter, vanilla extract and spices and whisk until it is smooth and creamy. Follow the instructions for your pie crust, mine recommended poking it with fork marks and baking it at 350° for 8 minutes. Once I took it out I poured in my pumpkin filling, lined the edges of the crust with a crust-protector (you can use tin foil), and baked it at 375° for 45 minutes, then removed the crust-protector and continued baking for another 15 minutes. Allow for the pie to cool for 1 hour, then place the pie in the fridge to cool for a minimum of 3 hours, or overnight. Do not skip that last step! I popped each slice in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.


Recipe from Oh She Glows