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Faux cheese

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Started 6 months ago by VeganBiker
Latest reply from great idea

VeganBiker

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FYI - if there are any vegetarians that are still stuck on cheese, there is a delicious alternative that tastes good and melts like real cheese! I just found out about it last week (I know it has been out for a while but I seem to have been late to the party!)
Daiya Foods makes a number of different types:
http://www.daiyafoods.com/
And PCC, Fred Meyer (on sale at the moment $1 less than PCC) and Safeway all sell it.
I am now hooked on grilled cheddar (Daiya) cheese sandwiches. And I made some pizzas with the Mozzarella type last week that were really good.
It is also good on salads and in a wrap!

Posted 6 months ago #
phoo

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my intro to daiya cheese was drowning a pizza in it, like i would a pizza with regular pizza. Nuh uh. I've heard that it may be the high heat that caused the slimy texture. I dunno, I sort of preferred the old school melt-like-plastic soy cheese when it came to pizza. I've only tested it a couple times since, but haven't really tasted it much. Perhaps I'll put more next time I heat up some chili. I have not however, tasted it alone. I have been curious about the "havarti" flavour.

I did discover that while soy sliced cheese is very icky if you take a bite out of it, it actually makes a decent toasted or fried cheese sandwich.

Posted 6 months ago #
erryn77

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Could someone please explain to me why, there are so many vegetarian foods that are made to resemble meats and cheeses? Is not the point of being vegetarian or vegan to avoid eating meats and cheese and dairy? Why would you want something that "Tastes like meat or cheese or milk" if you are trying to be veggie? Seriously. Just eat meat and cheese.

Posted 6 months ago #
SmartsyArtsy

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I have always wondered about that also. When I lived I lived in a coop in Brooklyn years ago, we had an annual summer party. Hot dogs, chicken, soda costs came out of the building slush fund. Side veggie dishes were brought by the residents. there was a big uproar by vegetarians "what about us?" Huh? About 20 veggie dishes-- not enough for you? Well it turned out that they wanted tofu dogs and meat-like seitan-- "so we can have our versions of your food"

Posted 6 months ago #
Mondoman

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Evolution has built us to crave high-fat foods like milk and cheese; even if your mind says "no, I don't think it's right to eat that", you can't get rid of that primal craving. So, we engineer food to try to satisfy both the mind and the feral beast within.

Posted 6 months ago #
angeline

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It's hard to get that "umami" flavor from vegetable foods, not to mention that few veggie foods are satisfyingly chewy. And if you grew up in the US hot dogs and burgers are the food of childhood -- hard to shake the nostalgia especially when you are with non-veggie friends who are eating that stuff. Personally, though I'm no longer vegetarian myself (was for 14 years) I take umbrage when people say "just eat the meat and cheese if you crave it." I once felt strongly about not eating animals, and while I've made my peace with it, I still think most people eat way too much animal product and take it for granted.

Posted 6 months ago #
phoo

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eryn77: I love cheese, but it causes me to not breathe well for 3 days and not be able to eat more than white rice for a week. I still want something that resembles cheese on my pizza, even if it's just a token amount.

When I was a vegetarian, I felt the same way - until I did it the second time and was really focused on getting my protein. Lots of different tastes and textures. No, I didn't really want my sausage links to taste like meat, but I did appreciate that they tasted different than everything else with a slightly different texture. When I started eating meat, I still preferred veggie dogs cause at least I knew what was in them and it is probably better than the scary chicken lips that go in low-end hot dogs.

And yes, it's nice to have a turkey-like roast on thanksgiving as a special meal. Sometimes food is for our brains, or >90% of us wouldn't be feasting on turkey/ham for thanksgiving. I enjoyed having a hot dog or burger with everyone else when I went to a bbq outing. It cooks as easily as the others and it looks the same eating it.

Posted 6 months ago #
VeganBiker

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erryn77 and SA - I will try to explain why I eat faux meats and cheese products. First I will tell you why I don't " Just eat meat and cheese." I do not want to support animal cruelty or using animals for what I consider selfish reasons. So when I made that decision I adopted a vegan lifestyle, and I have done so for over 25 years.
However, I grew up in a society that was very meat oriented, we ate every part of the animals, internal organs, pig's feet etc, and I still crave the taste of animal food products, even at my age (65) I still can't shake the idea of having a slice of cold meat in a sandwich or milk on my porridge etc. Fortunately these days there are many fine non-animal substitutes to satisfy all of my cravings and I never have to support the torture, slaughter and exploitation of innocent animals.
I hope that gives you some idea of why this vegan eats faux meats and cheese.
And I have just finished baking up a big tray of roast brussels sprouts, potatoes and carrots with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary and mint with sliced almonds! Yum, lunch will be good.

Posted 6 months ago #
SmartsyArtsy

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Thanks for those explanations. Now, if only tofu tasted like a smoke after dinner

P.S. VB, I'm on my way over for lunch

Posted 6 months ago #
Cheese

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At least I'm the real thing.

Angeline: I get that umami thing from mushrooms and lentils.

Posted 6 months ago #
phoo

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Cheese: And I'm probably less allergic to you!

Posted 6 months ago #
toudios

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i use nutritional yeast as a cheese substitute. i like it a lot.

Posted 6 months ago #
VeganBiker

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toudios - I use it for faux parmigiano. I grind up almonds, nutritional yeast and Planko breadcrumbs. Tastes great on pasta.

Posted 6 months ago #
great idea

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VB-- are those 'Planko' breadcrumbs good for your abs? :)

a family friend sent me this recipe which I haven't tried yet. she said it tastes just like cheese!

Vegan Cashew Cheese Recipe
Conquering Lion Cashew Cheez adapted from the excellent and beautiful cookbook:

Blossoming Lotus - Vegan World Fusion Cuisine

Ingredients

2 cups cashews
1 cup filtered water
1/3 cup red bell pepper diced
2 1/2 tbsp green onion, diced
1 tbsp cilantro, minced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp nama shoyu (or tamari or soy sauce)
1/4 tsp sea salt or Himalayan crystal salt
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Preparation:

Soak cashews for 2 to 4 hours.

Blend cashews with filtered water until very smooth. Place in a � gallon glass jar or bowl.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and secure with a rubber band. Cover with a towel and allow to sit in a warm place overnight.
Pour cashew mixture into a large mixing bowl, combine with remaining ingredients and mix well.
Chill several hours or overnight to allow the flavours to blend.

Delicious in sandwiches or wraps, served on crackers or as a dip for veggies.

Variations:
- Can be made with macadamia nuts or pine nuts
- Blend 1 cup of chopped red pepper with cultured cashew mixture, before adding the remaining ingredients
- Replace cilantro with other fresh herbs
- Add 1/4 cup grated carrots or beets
- Replace bell pepper with other fresh veggies.

Posted 6 months ago #
onederfullone

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"Faux cheese"

Double entendre, fwiw.

Posted 6 months ago #
VeganBiker

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gi - thanks for that recipe, it looks interesting!

ofo - FYI http://pinterest.com/dyskra/vegan-faux-cheese/

Posted 6 months ago #
dsomers

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GI,

I think Planko is what you grill faux salmon on. Alder planko grilled salmon?

And it is also what political parties refer to their platforms as. You know....the democrat and republican party planko?
The reading of which is often made easier by taking Beano before hand?

D

Posted 6 months ago #
Nora Bell

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The more my fake meat looks like the real meat at Thanksgiving, the fewer 'you aren't even going to eat turkey at Thanksgiving?' discussions I get to have at the family meal.
Dairy is my weak spot. I wish soy milk tasted better with cereal. Somebody suggested hemp milk, but I have yet to find it to try. And I'd love to find a fake cheese that actually melts. I'll try that daiya. Thanks, VB!

Posted 6 months ago #
great idea

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"The reading of which is often made easier by taking Beano before hand?"

I wish I thought of that during the elections season!

Posted 6 months ago #
great idea

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Nora--I love all the faux milks w/ cereal (almond, rice & soy in that order).

however, they all suck in coffee. only the moo will do.

Posted 6 months ago #
phoo

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wouldn't coconut milk do well in coffee? well, if you like coconut that is. :)

Posted 6 months ago #
great idea

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no, it's not a taste thing (and I like coconuts--you can break them open they smell like ladies lying in the sun).

there's some enzyme or something that intermingles with the coffee and truly changes the texture of it (I don't know if this is true, but every substitute I've used has yielded poor results).

Posted 6 months ago #