Today, many of us know the pros and cons of consuming dairy. Even people who are not intolerant to them, manifest digestive discomfort when ingesting them, let alone those who are intolerant or cause a special allergy, especially cheese, which, although delicious, contains proteins that many find it difficult to digest causing them bothersome digestive problems.
Dairy products can be very harmful to health, there are numerous studies that confirm this. But it is delicious, we cannot deny that, that unique flavor that cheese offers us in our dishes is irreplaceable.
But, if you or your close ones are intolerant to cheese, with the following recipe you will know how to substitute cheese in a satisfactory way for your palate, and even more so, for your digestive system. It will leave you completely satisfied that you will never miss it.
This recipe for almond cream cheese , more simply called vegan cheese , offers you a large amount of nutrients and flavors that can easily replace the flavor of traditional cheese.
This cheese is made with almond cream and spices that will give it an exquisite flavor that can be a good accompaniment to your meals in which you regularly use cheese.
You can enjoy this cheese on whole wheat crackers, toasted, you can eat it with grapes, celery sticks, carrots and cucumber, enjoy it in an omelette or Spanish omelette, even in a cheesecake just changing the salt for sugar and olive oil for coconut oil, excluding garlic and perhaps adding some chocolate chips.
There are no hard and fast rules, use your creativity.
How to make an almond cream cheese
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole peeled almonds
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1-1 / 4 tsp (6 ml) fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) cold water
- 2 tablespoons (60 ml) of extra virgin olive oil, for the end
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh thyme leaves (optional)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh rosemary leaves (optional)
As a tip, you can also substitute almonds for other types of nuts, such as cashews, which also give a creamy and sour taste to this vegan cheese preparation.
Instructions:
Place the almonds in a bowl of room temperature water; let them soak for 24 hours, drain and rinse.
In a powerful blender, mix the almonds, lemon juice, olive oil – 3 tablespoons -, garlic, salt and water until very creamy, maybe 5-7 minutes. (You can also use a food processor.)
Place a triple layer of cheesecloth over a strainer and place the cheese mixture in it. Take the corners of the gauze, turn them and squeeze a little to remove some of the excess liquid; tie the top with a bow or elastic. Let it drain in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200F (93C) (you can cook at a higher temperature, just keep your eyes on it). Line a baking tray with parchment paper (you can do this in a lightly greased glass mold).
Lay the cheese on the paper and shape it into a disk about 3/4 inch (8mm) thick. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the top is firm and dry. Cool.
When ready to serve, place the cheese on a plate. Add the additional olive oil (2 tablespoons), sprinkle with the herbs, and enjoy. You can also use basil instead of the other herbs. Almost any fresh herb is fantastic with this.) Makes 4 servings.