Vegan and the Flu Shot: What to do?

Posted on January 25, 2013 by jodie

2018:  I have a new update!

2014: You might want to check out my update here if you’re interested in developments in the flu shot!

Well here I am, just after posting about The Year of Health and Veggies, and now I’m sick!

A little over two years ago, I went to bed with a slight headache, and woke up in the middle of the night with the worst chills I had ever had- I thought there was something seriously wrong with me and that I was going to die! When I had a high fever by morning, I knew I had the flu. First time! I was sick for a total of about 3 weeks, and it was pretty miserable.

Two days ago, I woke up with a cough so bad I kept thinking I would vomit. I went to work, but was exhausted all day- I even took a nap on the floor of my office during lunch. I took my temp at work and it was “normal” (though a little higher than usual for me), but a few hours later I had those awful chills again. I was piled under several blankets and couldn’t get warm for hours, until I got really hot and sweaty later. Horrible muscle aches, headache and other yucky symptoms. Most likely flu again (though with this cough getting worse, could be something more).

sick bed

Oliva and Finn want me to get better.

Now, I know it’s pretty cool to be in my sick bed- I’ve got SVU on the TV, plenty of magazines and devices to keep me entertained, but the flu is awful. I have spent hours in the last two days shivering and teeth chattering and then sweating while everything hurts. I’m constantly coughing, my lungs often feel like they’re on fire, and I’ve been miserable. This is no fun.

I also might have prevented this.

If you’re reading a vegan blog, you probably know that the flu shot (“influenza vaccination,” properly titled) is incubated in eggs, making them inherently not vegan (both the shot and the nasal mist version). This of course, makes for an ethical quandary for some vegans. As it happens, I have an allergy to eggs, so the flu shot is not a quandary- I’ve been avoiding on those grounds. There is newer research that suggests that it’s okay to get the flu shot if you have an allergy, but generally speaking, that should be done in a doctor’s office (as opposed to a clinic at work, in the community or from a pharmacist).

There are two new versions of the flu shot under development that use mammal/insect cells instead of eggs. This takes away the excuse of the allergy, but doesn’t help with the vegan issue.

I make my living in part by prescribing medication to people. Although there are plenty of medications that don’t have animal products in them, there is no such thing as a medication sold in the US that has not been tested on animals. My personal philosophy has been that if I really need a medication, I want the “most vegan” version available (as in, trying to avoid medications made with animal products), but that I will take something with an animal product if it’s the only version available.

Now, after avoiding the non-vegan flu shot, I’ve ended up taking the non-vegan Tamiflu (made with gelatin). Does that fall under the “needed” category? I’m really worried about the worsening cough and I’m afraid I’m going to end up with pneumonia, so I’m categorizing that as a yes. Although I’m enjoying the whole time to read magazines part (now that I’m less tired and not sleeping the whole day, thanks to the Tamiflu), the flu is nothing to joke about. I have asthma, which puts me at higher risk of complications, and I am not kidding about this cough. I’m not risking a hospitalization where I’ll end up on even more meds if I can avoid it.

The subject of mandated influenza vaccinations is a very hot topic in the vegan community, with the recent development of a vegan being fired from her position at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. More than that, a court has found that she can sue the hospital on religious discrimination grounds (though of course, there is no guarantee that she will be successful).

There are definitely vegans out there who choose to be vaccinated against the flu, at least if working in healthcare. I think I’m on board for next year, especially with a non-egg vaccine.

What to know about influenza vaccines and veganism?

  • Until recently, all influenza vaccines were incubated in eggs.
  • Two new vaccines are under development/recently released that do not use egg, but are not vegan (due to insect/mammal cells).
  • Tamiflu, the treatment to shorten course and severity of the flu is not vegan (contains gelatin).
  • Vegan healthcare providers have been fired from various institutions for refusing a flu shot.
  • Currently in Ohio, a vegan who was fired from a hospital for refusing a flu shot is suing on the basis of religious discrimination; this case is still pending.
  • Currently, the CDC is reporting widespread flu outbreak throughout almost the entire country.
  • Across the US, 37 children have died from the flu since the beginning of the flu season (end of September), through the end of last week (data may change as new deaths are reported).
  • Even with the immunization, the flu is not entirely preventable- the CDC considers this year’s immunization to be about 62% effective.

Do you know what you’ll do?

The flu shot is not foolproof, and there are reasons both for and against the shot.

Me? I’ve had the flu now twice in just over two years. I don’t want it again.

Posted in Health | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

The Year of Health and Veggies

Posted on January 16, 2013 by jodie

I’ve been busy over on my I Eat Plants column!

I’ve also been giving lots of thought about how I want to use this blog- local type things will be going over to the I Eat Plants column, and a few recipes too… but I haven’t given up on here. I want to be posting a lot more recipes really featuring fruits and veggies, but I have another idea, too!

Every month, at least for the next few, I’ll be working on a new fitness endeavor, finding new ways to keep active. Being active is important! I plan to do a summary post towards the end of each endeavor. It’s not so much about being vegan (though there may be some room for talk about vegan equipment for certain activities), but it’s part of life, and my life is as vegan as possible!

What’s up this month?

Climbing!

If you know me in real life, you may know that I am terrified of heights- so this is an interesting experience so far!

More on that in a few weeks. 🙂

But for now, I will link you over to my Salad in a Jar post over on I Eat Plants.

Salad in a Jar

Two, count them, two green veggies at once!

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Rosemary-Hazelnut Encrusted Seitan

Posted on December 12, 2012 by jodie

In my last post I mentioned that I was taking over a locally-focused vegan column for my local newspaper’s food blog. I am the new I Eat Plants columnist at Small Bites, the food blog on LoHud.com (that would be Lower Hudson Valley, the region where I live).

It’s been exciting, and it forces me to blog every week. Some of my content you’ve seen before if you’re a regular reader- like my Vegan Kimchi Recipe, but you didn’t see my Rosemary-Hazelnut Encrusted Seitan recipe if you were only looking here, no you didn’t!

I’ve posted about this before, but I wasn’t happy with my recipe. It’s now worked out, and makes a delicious meal- and would be perfect for the holidays.

Bonus- I used mustard that I made myself- but that’s a subject for another post. See, I’ll have to blog more in the future. 🙂

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Rosemary-Hazelnut Encrusted Seitan- I finally made one I was happy with!

Rosemary-Hazelnut Encrusted Seitan

Ingredients

  • 10 oz seitan slices or chunks
  • 3/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, skinned
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbs minced rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 cup almond or soy milk
  • 2 tbs stone ground mustard
  • 1/2 tsp agave nectar (or sugar)
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup water (as needed)
  • oil for frying

For the Seitan:

  • 3/4 cup vital wheat gluten (or “gluten flour”)
  • 1 tbs nutritional yeast (optional)
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • 3/4 cup vegetable broth
  • For the seitan broth:
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tsp vegan worcestershire sauce, optional
  • water as needed

Make the seitan:

  1. Add the gluten flour, nutritional yeast (if using) and garlic to a medium sized bowl and whisk together.
  2. Add the vegetable broth, and mix with your hands until it comes together in a ball.
  3. Kneed the ball for 3-5 minutes, let it rest for 10, and kneed again for another 3-5 minutes. Shape into a small loaf.
  4. Mix the seitan broth ingredients together either in a small slow cooker (2 quart), or a medium pan on the stove.
  5. If using a slow cooker, add the kneeded seitan loaf to the slow cooker, and cook on low for 6-8 hours (perfect to do over night!). If using the stovetop, bring the broth to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Add the loaf, and simmer for 1 hour, turning occasionally. The broth should completely cover the loaf; if it does not in your pan/slow cooker, add water or additional broth as needed.
  6. Allow to sit at least 15 minutes before slicing.

For the coating:

  1. Grind the hazelnuts, flour, rosemary, salt and pepper together in a food processor and add to a shallow dish.
  2. Mix the mustard, water and agave together in another shallow dish (the water should just thin the mustard out to a thin yogurt consistency).
  3. Add the almond or soy milk to a third small dish.
  4. Take a slice of the seitan, dip it into the mustard mixture, coating on both sides.
  5. Dunk the slice into the hazelnut/flour mixture, turning to coat.
  6. Dunk it into the almond/soy milk, and then back into the hazelnut/flour mixture. This all works best if you can use one hand for the wet, and one for the dry!
  7. Repeat with remaining seitan slices.
  8. Heat about a 1/2″ of oil to about 325F to 350F (medium, of you’re not using a thermometer. This all works fine in a cast iron skillet), and add the seitan gently. Fry until golden on both sides, being careful not to burn it.
  9. Serve with your favorite side dishes!
Posted in Food, Recipes | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Veganism and Your Social Life

Posted on November 11, 2012 by jodie
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Don’t want to go out with friends?
Invite one over and make vegan pizza!

Does being vegan get in the way of your social life?

I know it doesn’t have to- but does it?

I will be taking over a locally-focused vegan column from JL at JL Goes Vegan now that she’s about to move from New York to Colorado, and I just wrote a draft of my introductory post. I wrote in my draft that being vegan doesn’t have to be hard, or to interfere with your social life- but does it?

When I wrote that, I was thinking in terms of dining out at non-vegan restaurants with omnivorous friends, but I suppose the issue goes much deeper than that.

I recently saw an Ask Amy letter about a woman who invited a vegan couple to Thanksgiving at her house, offering to have a separate vegan meal for them, but they declined, citing that they couldn’t eat where there was meat being served.

To each their own. I don’t love seeing a turkey on the table, but I don’t want to be alone for Thanksgiving, either, and none of my friends are hosting a vegan Thanksgiving this year. (Yes, I could host one, but I don’t know that I’d be able to get anyone to come!)

I don’t think it’s so much being vegan that gets in the way of a social life- there is no prohibition in veganism about being near meat- but it’s in how we decide to live our lives, and about who we are.

Case in point: where I work, there is a staff cafeteria. There are no vegan options other than lettuce and maybe some other vegetables (and usually apples), and there is no microwave. I don’t eat in there, but it’s not because I can’t. It’s because I’m about as introverted as people get, and I need that time to be alone (and not thinking about work). I like to nuke my leftovers, crack open a Coke Zero, and watch videos on my iPad or read a book. It’s not that I never spend lunch with other people- once or twice a week I have lunch with coworkers that I don’t get to see very often, but I have a definite need for alone time. It has nothing to do with being vegan- it has to do with who I am.

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When in doubt, bring vegan cupcakes.

On the other hand… if you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you probably know that I had been in a relationship with a vegan man for a long time, and it ended earlier this year. As I try to rejoin the dating scene, the whole vegan thing is… well, it’s there. While I have a preference for dating other vegans, I’m not entirely opposed to dating an omnivore- but that brings with it issues. If I’m to get serious with someone, it has to be someone who is okay with the fact that I’m not going to cook a turkey, even for Thanksgiving. I won’t judge others for doing it, but I just can’t.

Does that mean that being vegan is getting in the way of my social life?

I don’t know. It’s a hard question, because it does filter out those to whom eating meat is a central part of their lives. There are probably people out there who could never picture themselves dating a vegan who would be supportive if their established significant other became vegan that I’m automatically ruling out by putting it out there that I am vegan. Then again, I think most of us are looking for someone who shares or at least respects our values, whether that be veganism, religion, spiritual/philosophical beliefs, or even political affiliations. We want people who share our interests, who want to do (at least some) of the same things we do, or go the places we want to go. We want someone who wants the same things out of life.

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Hanging out with other vegans is an option, too.

So does that mean veganism gets in the way of a social life?

It can. We can easily use veganism as an excuse, for better or worse.

I question myself, because sometimes I’m not sure if I’m using veganism as an excuse for not dating, or not trying hard enough. In fact, I’m sure I am, because I use that same logic with a lot of other qualities! I know it’s something that I have to be careful about.

So here are some tips on not letting veganism get in the way of your social life:

  • Don’t say no to going out to eat with friends. Try to steer the choice towards a restaurant where you’ll have some options, but when in doubt, there’s almost always a garden salad on every menu. (I’ve been known to even sneak some tofu or beans in a container in my purse to put on top when no one’s looking. Don’t tell anyone on that one!)
  • If you do say no to going out with friends, don’t tell them it’s because you’re vegan. That might seem like the kind thing to say if it’s because you really just don’t want to go, but it sets you up for exclusion down the road, and gives vegans a bad name.
  • Don’t be judgmental. I know that this is an ethical dilemma for some (including myself, I know I can be guilty of this), but take a moment and think before you speak. How would you want someone else to talk to you, if you’re on the other side of their ethical dilemma?
  • Be gracious. Ended up at a dinner where there’s nothing you can eat? Did the host go out of their way to make sure there was something there for you, but it turns out that it’s not vegan? I’m not at all saying to eat something that goes against your values, but be nice about it. “I so appreciate you trying to accommodate me- I truly do. I can’t eat this, but I’ll take some of that delicious looking salad,” is a lot nicer than a crestfallen “oh, I can’t eat that.”
  • If you are someone who feels that you really just can’t be where animal products are being consumed, be careful in how you present that. A “no thank you” is always an appropriate answer to decline an invitation. You don’t have to give a reason. If pressed for why you won’t go when “no thank you” isn’t enough, be honest, but be sensitive. “I don’t feel comfortable being where animals are being consumed, but I’d love to have you over for dinner next week” is a fair response. No need to mention dead animals.

There’s a common theme here: it’s all about using good social skills. I don’t always. I can be incredibly cranky sometimes, especially when it comes to going somewhere or doing something I just plain old don’t want to do. But that’s not because I’m vegan- it’s because I am who I am. 🙂

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

How to Caramelize an Onion in 15 Minutes

Posted on October 14, 2012 by jodie

A while back, I saw an article at Slate.com about how food writers lie and say that caramelizing an onion should only take 5 to 10 minutes, where in actuality it takes 30, 40 or 50 minutes. The writer tries several different techniques, and gets something inedible after 10 minutes each time. He concludes that it can’t be done.

But I’ve been caramelizing onions a long time. It used to take me 40 or so minutes, but then I learned a little trick. I hadn’t timed it, but I figured that it takes about 10 minutes.

Well, today I made a video.

Turns out, it takes more like 15 minutes, but that’s still much faster than 40. You could let this go a few minutes longer to get them darker, but this is how I like ’em- delicious!

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Who needs Fifty Shades of Grey when you can have 50 shades of brown?

How to Caramelize an Onion in 15 Minutes

  • 2 sweet onions
  • 1.5 Tbs olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  1. Slice the onions into half moons.
  2. Heat the oil over medium high heat. When heated, add onions to pan and stir to coat with oil.
  3. Sprinkle with salt, stir to coat again. When everything is coated, turn don the heat to medium/medium-low.
  4. Stir once every minute or so, while onions sweat.
  5. When the “sweat” moisture dries up, stir once every 30 seconds, to keep from burning.
  6. Keep this up until the onions turn a caramel color- this should be about 15 minutes from when you added the onions to the pan.
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They should look like this when done, minus the pink reflection.

There you have it! Caramelized, delicious onion in about 15 minutes!

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Make Your Own Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar

Posted on October 9, 2012 by jodie

Apples are all around us these days… no, not the computers and iDevices (well, those too), but the fruit. They’re cheap (and for some people, free!) and bountiful! And if you’re anything like I am, you might have a few apple projects up your sleeve, like apple sauce, apple butter, apple turnovers, apple pie, apple crisp… all delicious things you can make with apples.

But what to do with the peels and cores?

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Ooh, a fermentation project!

Aside from throwing them away or composting, you can use them to make your own apple cider vinegar.

When I decided that I wanted to do things with the cores and peels, I did a little google searching, and came upon this. It seems to be more common to make the ACV with whole apples, but it can definitely be done with scraps, and to me, that’s a whole lot easier.

I started the process about 6 weeks ago, and now have some cider vinegar! I plan to use it for cleaning, baking and for dyeing my hair (I use henna). I would love to also be able to use it in preserving projects, but I’m not sure that it’s acidic enough. It sure tastes like vinegar, but without verifying the pH, I’m a little hesitant to use it where acid is needed to prevent me from killing someone with botulism.

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This is what it looks like after 6 weeks.

I’ve toyed with the idea of getting a home pH meter, but people who seem to know more of what they’re talking about on the interwebs think that’s a bad idea, as the pH might not stay consistent during storage. I might buy one for fun, anyway though. Just because it would be cool to go around reading pH.

So you wanna make some ACV too?

Well here’s how!

Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar

  1. Wash your apples, even if they’re organic, for any dirt, debris and pesticide drift. Add all the peels and cores to a bowl to get brown, and then into the jar (or put them straight into the jar, if that works better). Fill to the top of the scraps with filtered water. If there’s room and you’ll be making up more scraps soon in the next few days, you can add them once they’re brown, too, and top off with more filtered water.
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    Science in my kitchen!

  2. I also added a tablespoon of Bragg’s Raw ACV, just to make sure there was some nice, friendly bacteria in there to start the process for the first batch. For the second that I just started, I added about a 1/3 cup from the first batch for the same purpose.
  3. Next is the really easy part: cover the jar with cheese cloth secured with a rubber band, find an out-of-the-way and warm place for the jar, and leave it there for a month to six weeks.
  4. When you open it up, it will smell just like vinegar. It will taste like it, too!
  5. Now strain out the scraps.
  6. Bottle it up!

A couple of notes-

  • I fermented mine on top of my fridge. It’s pretty warm there in my kitchen. Although it was only covered with cheesecloth, at no time did it ever smell like vinegar in my kitchen. Well, except when I opened it up to taste it. Then it smelled like vinegar, which I happen to like!
  • I think this can realistically be stored at room temp, but I’m erring on the side of caution and storing it in the fridge. Why? I’m maybe a little paranoid. Plus, it’s where I keep my kimchi. I wouldn’t toss it if I left it on the counter for day, though.
  • As I mentioned before, I would not use this for canning. I think it would be good for refrigerator pickles, though!
  • When adding a little ACV to get things started, only use a raw, unpasteurized brand like Bragg’s. Do not use the regular kind.
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It’s just so pretty! And smelly!

Enjoy the fermentation process! I think this is one of the easiest fermented foods you can possibly make- and then you get to have a little science in your kitchen.

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Posted in Food, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Happy Fifth Birthday!

Posted on October 8, 2012 by jodie

My little blog turns five years old today!

I was not going to post today because of my schedule, but consider this a little bonus. Back to the MoFo grind tomorrow!

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Happy birthday to my blog!

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Curried Beet and Sweet Potato Latke with Apple-Beet Chutney

Posted on October 7, 2012 by jodie

I haven’t done the Vegan MoFo Iron Chef Challenge in a few years, but since I happened to be home for this one, I thought I might do it! The challenge was to make something with beets- specifically the roots. It didn’t specify what kind of beets, so I used golden, which I prefer.

It’s hard coming up with something completely original with beets. I like beets okay, but they’re not my favorite vegetable. I haven’t done a whole lot of cooking with them, so in my mind, it was an original idea to put them in latkes… but it turns out that it’s not. I do think that what I did with them was original enough to enter into Iron Chef, so here it is!

On a bonus note, an omnivore friend of mine stopped by shorty after I finished cooking and tried them and thought they were “delicious.” So, omnivore approved!

This basically uses up one bunch of beets, perhaps a little less. You’ll want to roast at least 1 of them, and leave at least two raw. If it were me and I were to have some leftover beets from the bunch, I’d roast them. I like the simple directions for roasting in Appetite for Reduction. If you buy beets with the greens attached, save them! Beet greens are a fairly mild green that cook up more or less like spinach, with slightly more bite. They’d be nice alongside this dish, though I ran out of time to use them now. 🙂

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There’s just something about stackable food that I like.

A nice bonus with these is that the beets, sweet potato, and onion are all from the farmers’ market!

Curried Beet and Sweet Potato Latke with Apple-Beet Chutney

For the latkes:

  • 2 small-medium golden beets or 1 large one
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled
  • 1 small onion
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 Tbs ground flax mixed with 6 Tbs water
  • 1 tsp to 1 Tbs curry powder (to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Coconut oil, for frying
  1. Grate the beets, potato and onion in the food processor or with a grater.
  2. Squeeze all the moisture you possibly can out of the grated vegetable. The onion will release the most moisture. Add the veggies to a mixing bowl.
  3. Add the flour to the veggies, and mix together with your hands.
  4. Add the curry powder and salt to the flax mixture and mix well. Dump into the veggies, and mix well with your hands.
  5. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a cast iron skillet.
  6. When the oil is shimmery and hot, start grabbing handfuls of the veggie mixture and shape into balls, about 1/4 cup at a time. Gently drop a ball into the oil, and flatten with a spatula. Do this with as many as will fit comfortably in the pan with out touching (I did four at a time in a 12″ skillet).
  7. Fry 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden and crispy. Remove to paper towels when they’re done. You can put them in a 200F oven to keep warm, if necessary.

For the chutney:

  • 1 medium apple, peeled/cored and chopped into 1″ pieces
  • 1 roasted beet (roasted in 425F oven for a hour), peeled and chopped into 1″ pieces
  • 1/2 of a small onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup apple cider or juice (or water + 1 tbs maple syrup)
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  1. Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan and stir to combine.
  2. Bring to a boil, and then turn heat down to simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. It’s ready when the liquid is gone.

Recipe notes:

  • I used white sweet potatoes, not yams for this. The yam/orange sweet potato would also be nice in this as well, though I think you’d have to squeeze a lot more moisture out of them.
  • I also used red onion because that’s what I had from the farmers’ market, but yellow would be fine, too.
  • I used golden beets, but the regular kind would be fine too, I just hate working with the ones that stain.
  • Although this isn’t a canning post and that’s a small amount of chutney, chutney does lend itself well to canning, as it has a high acid content due to the vinegar!

I don’t know if I’ll have time to do the other Iron Chef challenges for Vegan MoFo, but I had fun with this one, and I really hope you try this recipe!

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Lalibela Restaurant, Mt. Kisco, NY

Posted on October 5, 2012 by jodie

I wasn’t actually planning on a post today, but I just had a delightful vegan lunch at a restaurant in Mt. Kisko called Lalibela. If you’re a longtime reader, you may know that I used to frequent a restaurant/food cart by the same name in New Haven– I loved that one, and I love this one! (The two restaurants are not related).

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All this, shared with a friend. Chickpeas and corn, green beans and carrot, beets, and misir wat in the center, on ginormous injera!

If you go:

  • The restaurant is on the small side, but bright and cheery.
  • Lunch specials are reasonable (about $9 each for the vegan dishes), and regular menu items looked to be not that much more expensive.
  • There is a seperate vegan/vegetarian menu, but the restaurant does serve meat dishes.
  • The staff is incredibly friendly!
  • The word “vegan” appears on the menu!
  • Best of all, the food is delicious. Make sure to order the tea!

This was definitely a great lunch, and I will be back. The flavors- ginger, cardamom, garlic- we just really well done. If you’re in the westchester area, you really have to try this place!

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Posted in Food, Restaurants | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Simple Cashew Cheese

Posted on October 4, 2012 by jodie

The cashew goat cheese featured in my post yesterday is an example of a fermented food. It takes at least 24 hours to make (though of course, very little of that time is hand-on). So what do you do when you want to make something with cashew cheese, but don’t want to ferment? Or what on Earth did vegans do before Artisan Vegan Cheese?

Really simple, raw cashew cheese.

I hadn’t given much thought to how good this stuff is, until I had a friend over for vegan pizza (and to watch The Hunger Games. Team Peeta!). As I was getting everything out, I realized I had some leftover cashew cheese from something earlier in the week, so I offered to put some on her pizza- which she looooooved. So of course, we had to make it the next time she was over, too, and I taught her how to make it.

It’s so simple. There are a number of more complicated recipes out there, but you don’t need to go complicated.

Simple Cashew Cheese

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 2-3 cloves garlic (less, if you prefer)
  • 1 Tbs lemon juice
  • chopped herbs (parsley or basil, or whatever suits your tastes)
  • 1/4 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt (or more or less to taste)
  1. Ideally, you should soak the cashews in filtered water for anywhere from 20 minutes to overnight, but if you have a good food processor/blender, you can skip this step.
  2. Add the cashews, garlic and lemon juice to the blender/food processor (you may need to add some water if you’re using a blender. A food processor is definitely a better choice for this). Pulse until the cashews begin to resemble cottage or ricotta cheese. If you didn’t soak your cashews, you may also need to add a little water to get this texture. You can add a bit more lemon juice as well.
  3. Add the chopped herbs and salt, and pulse quickly to combine.
  4. That’s it. Wasn’t that easy?

The beauty of this is, you can make a batch on the weekend and use it all week. You can reduce the portions and make less, you can add whatever herbs you want, you can add a little nutritional yeast.. the possibilities are endless.

The last time I made this, I ended up making two dishes with it.

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Cashew Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Marinara

This is what I made it for- I found some end-of-the-season squash blossoms, and decided I wanted them stuffed (and fried). It’s this recipe, with about a teaspoon of simple cashew cheese cheese stuffed in (open the blossom gently to stuff).

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Lasagna Rolls.

And with the leftover cashew cheese, I made these. It’s just boiled whole wheat lasagna noodles, stuffed with cheese, rolled, topped with marinara, and baked at 350F for 10 minutes.

Serve either dish with a salad!

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Posted in Food, Recipes | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments