The recipe is mostly from This Cheese is Nuts by Julie Piatt, but I rewrote the instructions to emphasize her speedy alternative instructions.
staple
5 Servings
- 1 C raw cashews
- 2 T nutritional yeast
- 1 T lemon juice
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/4 t garlic powder
- 1/4 t onion powder
- 1/2 C water
Place the raw cashews in a microwave-safe bowl and cover them with water. Microwave the cashews on high power for 2 minutes. Drain the cashews and rinse them under cold water to cool them down (skip this step if you're going to use this right away and want it warm anyway). In a blender or food processor, combine the quick-soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and water. Blend the ingredients until smooth and creamy, adding more water if needed to achieve the desired consistency.
This stuff doesn't melt so, you'll want to keep it warm, and then top whatever you're adding "cheese" to, like a pizza, or a casserole, after it has finished cooking and is still warm. If you're going for "drizzle" be sure to add enough water to the "cheese" so it'll actually do that.
\label{cheese-alternative}