MOZZARELLA

Well, here we are, launching a new era of Woman to Woman recipes with this one - cheese. After nearly four years of following a plant-based diet, our family has started making plant-based cheeses with clean ingredients. If you ask people what they miss most after transitioning to a plant-based diet, the most common answer is cheese! And mozzarella is among the most craved! All those iconic Italian recipes are made with this cheese! And now we can make it at home!! So, with great excitement, we’re sharing this recipe. We take pride not only in the fact that it’s plant-based, meaning no animals will suffer for it, but also that it’s made with clean ingredients, as many store-bought plant-based cheeses often disappoint in that regard. And the taste? It’s amazing -hardly different from the original! At least, that’s how it seems to us after so many years without it; it tastes just like we remember! I’m sure you’ll love it too!

Ingredients

• 200g of cashews

• 0.5 cups of water

• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice

• 0.5 teaspoons of dried garlic powder

• 0.5 teaspoons of salt

• 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of psyllium husk powder

Instructions

I soak the cashews for at least 2 hours, then rinse them well.

Next, I place them in a high-powered blender and blend them with 0.5 cups of water until I achieve a completely creamy, thick consistency. The amount of water should be just enough to make it easy for the blender to work, but the mixture shouldn’t be too runny.

I transfer the cream into a glass container with a lid and let it ferment at room temperature for 24 hours. The process is faster in warmer spots and slower in cooler areas.

Once the mixture starts to bubble slightly and has a pleasantly tangy aroma, I stir in lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt. I then add psyllium husk powder and mix it well with a spoon. I let it sit for a few minutes until the mixture thickens and reaches a soft, gel-like texture. If necessary, I add another half tablespoon of the powder. The mixture should be thick and sticky - you should be able to scoop it out with a single spoon.

I place the sticky mixture on plastic wrap, shape it into a cone-shaped ball, twist it up like a candy and put it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Mozzarella is ready!

You can slice it (wet the knife to prevent sticking), tear it apart, make mozzarella salad (with tomatoes, basil, lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and oregano) or add it to pizzas, pasta or sandwiches.

If you'd like, you can also make mozzarella balls from the same mixture and use them to prepare mozzarella skewers for kids or festive snacks.

BON APPETIT!