Making Love in the Kitchen

Jul 5th, 2011 by admin

Written by Nicole Myers, a sweet, sweet member of Meghan Telpner’s Superhero Posse. She is our Superhero Student In Transition. Read Nicole’s bio here.

I stopped eating dairy 4 years ago. If you asked me 5 years ago I would have said that would never happen. I thought vegans were a little too out there for my liking and I LOVED my dairy in whatever form it came.

That all changed when I discovered the wonders of almond milk. Once I had my hot little hands on this amazingly smooth, creamy, delish dairy substitute I was hooked and I knew I could kiss dairy goodbye. For as long as I can remember dairy hasn’t left me feeling top notch. I am sure you can imagine what happens to your insides and outsides when a food doesn’t agree with you and yet you keep on eating it.

Now that I am feeling oh so fab I have started having a lot of fun finding new ways to come up with old favorites. Often the first thing people say when they hear I am vegan is “I could never ever do it, I just cant live without cheese!”

At first I bought almond milk in the giant drinking boxes until Meghan introduced me to the oh so wonderful nut sac. I love my nut sac and still get the giggles every time I milk it.

Then I got into making my own almond cheese; it is as easy as making your own milk and I have won over more than a few of my dairy loving friends. It does take a bit of planning ahead because the almonds need to soak, but I promise it is well worth the wait! This cheese has the creaminess of a ricotta and the sharpness of a feta. Completely delish fresh out of the oven on some homemade crackers and right at home spread on a sandwich if that is your thing. Dollop some on your veggie tortilla pizza and you will be in heaven.

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Nicole’s Cheeseless Almond Cheese

1 cup almonds
¼ cup lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
½ cup water
1 1/4 tsp sea salt

Optional:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp fresh thyme (1 tsp dried)
1 tbsp fresh rosemary (1 tsp dried)

Directions:

Cover almonds with water and let soak for 24 hours.
Drain and rinse almonds.
Puree almonds, lemon juice, 3 tbsp olive oil, garlic, salt and water in blender/food processor until really creamy.
Place a triple layer of cheese cloth in a mesh strainer over a bowl and spoon mixture into it. Bring the sides together and fasten with a twist tie.
Chill for 12 hours.
Place in pan (about ¾” thick) and bake for 40 minutes at 350F.
You can serve right away warm or chill in the fridge.

Optional: