I'm going kind of crazy in my kitchen lately with cheeeeeese. I know I haven't posted many recipes for you because, hey, they're still in test mode. Well, three times was the winner for this recipe. I've seen a few posts online for vegan mozzarella cheese but I had to get it just right because I'm Italian. I'm not kidding! I mean, when my mom comes to visit, what if I served a vegan mozzarella cheese that was less than perfect. Right? I'd never hear the end of it. We ate a LOT of mozzarella in our house when I was growing up. It wasn't even gourmet or anything. I think the brand was Polly-O. That was what my mom used in her lasagnas and baked ziti and anything else that called for the stringy, gooey fantabulousness that we know and that I loved. Now there is "buffalo" mozzarella which I think is better. It's less salty and much fresher. But back then, we didn't know any better. And we certainly didn't know about how it affected our health.
Well… here it is. These little balls are the real deal. They melt and stretch and they are PERFECT to put on a pizza (watch for an upcoming recipe for a fig pizza that will blow your mind)! On their own, well, I won't lie, they're not exactly swoon material. But pair them with some fresh tomato slices and basil, or top a pizza with them and you'll be in heaven. And they're fun to make, too! If you have youngins (that's Hillbilly for kids), have them help you. They'll love it. I really wanted to make a video for you with this recipe, but we were SO busy getting our fall garden set up, I just couldn't make it happen. Maybe another time!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained
- ¾ cup water
- 1 TBS nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup tapioca starch (no substitutions, this is what makes it stretch)
- ¼ tsp salt (you could leave it out, but it really helps with the flavor)
- bowl of ice water
Directions:
- Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth.
- Transfer to a small saucepan and cook over medium to medium-high heat, whisking continuously.
- Keep whisking! You cannot walk away from this process.
- As the mixture heats, it will start to form clumps. Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth, gooey and very thick and pulls away from the sides of the pan. It doesn't take long.
- Remove from heat.
- Using a small ice cream scoop, make balls and drop them into the ice water bath (this is the part the kids will love). The balls will hold together and you'll be able to shape them if the edges are a little ragged.
- Store refrigerated in an airtight container. Stays fresh for about 2 days.
Healthy trails,
