Jo Stepaniak, has long been my favorite cookbook author for not just her creativity and simplicity, but also because everything I ever make of hers always turns out great. I own many of her cookbooks, including BOTH versions of her Uncheese Cookbook (which were quite revolutionary when they came out, and vegans had very few cruelty-free options that simulated the taste and mouthfeel of traditional cheese) and there was one recipe hidden in the second edition of this book (the blue one shown here -- The ULTIMATE Uncheese Cookbook) that I had never tried -- and maybe never would have except for the fact that I attended a book signing of Stepaniak's and samples of this recipe were available for attendees to taste. I fell in love with this recipe from my very first bite, and then once I made it myself, still couldn't believe that something this delicious, could be so easy to make. I never understood however, why her recipe only used a half pound of tofu though, as this resulted in far too little of the finished uber addictive cheese! Over time, I made some changes to this recipe to not only produce a quantity more suitable to my needs, but also to reduce the sodium and cut costs. Here follows my adapted version of this delicous crock cheese -- reminiscent of the once familiar cheddar-style spread served in pottery crocks that I remembered so fondly from my childhood.
Ingredients:
20 oz package of firm, water-packed tofu
4 TBS raw sunflower seeds
3 TBS raw cashews
1 TBS chopped garlic
4 TBS mellow white miso
1 -1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp ground yellow mustard seed
1 tsp salt
3 tsp onion powder
5 TBS lemon juice
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
Directions:
1) Break tofu into chunks and place in a small pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil for five minutes. Drain in a collander and set aside to cool.
2) Place all remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor.
3) Gently press the tofu (still in the collander) to remove as much water as possible, then add it to the blender or food processor. Process until completely blended and very smooth, then transfer to a ceramic crock -- or a glass bowl. Let it set in the refrigerator overnight for the flavors to meld before serving.
20 oz package of firm, water-packed tofu
4 TBS raw sunflower seeds
3 TBS raw cashews
1 TBS chopped garlic
4 TBS mellow white miso
1 -1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp ground yellow mustard seed
1 tsp salt
3 tsp onion powder
5 TBS lemon juice
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
Directions:
1) Break tofu into chunks and place in a small pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil for five minutes. Drain in a collander and set aside to cool.
2) Place all remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor.
3) Gently press the tofu (still in the collander) to remove as much water as possible, then add it to the blender or food processor. Process until completely blended and very smooth, then transfer to a ceramic crock -- or a glass bowl. Let it set in the refrigerator overnight for the flavors to meld before serving.