CREAM CHEESE

This creamy cheese will replace all the cream cheeses you’ve loved in the past (if you liked any). This cheese recipe is basic, but you can mix it up and create different combinations by adding various ingredients - such as herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and more. The possibilities for using this creamy cheese are extensive; it’s perfect for making sandwiches, bagels or simply as a spread for vegetable sticks.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of cashews (plain, with no additives)

• 2-3 cloves of garlic

• Juice of half a lemon

• Salt

• 2 teaspoons of nutritional yeast (optional)

Instructions

Last night, I soaked the cashews. I let them sit overnight, as this makes it much easier to blend them into a creamy consistency.

After soaking, I rinse the cashews and place them in a blender. I add garlic, lemon juice, spices and nutritional yeast. If your blender needs a bit of liquid to blend the mixture, feel free to add some. I adjust the amount of water to control the texture of the cheese; more water will make it thinner, while less will result in a thicker consistency.

I blend everything until I achieve a creamy texture. I then transfer the cream cheese into a glass container and use it whenever I need it for cooking.

If you want a cream cheese with specific add-ins - like herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, etc.- add these after blending the cheese and mix everything well with a spoon. If you add everything together into the blender from the start, the add-ins will blend in completely, and you won’t see them anymore. The cheese will also take on a different color - unless that’s the effect you’re going for, in which case, feel free to add everything together with the other ingredients.

BON APPETIT!