I’ve been meaning to make a raw vegan cashew brie for AGES and hooray, I’ve finally done it!
Dairy causes so many health issues, including aggravating asthma, eczema and arthritis (to only mention a few!). And from personal experience, I cut out dairy after being diagnosed with endometriosis (over 15 years ago) and it has never returned since. 🙂
However, I absolutely LOVE cheese – I’m a total cheese fiend! But after the success of treating my endometriosis and then studying the effects of dairy on the body during college, I’ve cut it out of my diet. I’m far better off without it. However, I don’t agree with total deprivation, so I thoroughly enjoy having an organic cheese fest once a year at Christmas. I love Christmas!
Over the years I’ve found alternatives to cheese that satisfy those cheesy desires of mine! And I feel good after eating them too – no stuffy nose or feelings of congestion. YAY!
I’ve had so much fun experimenting with raw nut cheeses. I’ve made a Brazil nut parmesan that tastes even better than the real thing, macadamia herb cheeses that are very similar to Boursin and a cashew cream cheese that’s simply divine!
So I’m thrilled to have finally added a cashew Brie to my repertoire, and this is how I did it…
I soaked raw cashews for about 3 hours and then rinsed and placed them in my Vitamix with a little water. I blended the mixture for a few minutes until completely smooth. I then thoroughly mixed in some probiotic powder and scooped the mixture into some muslin. I placed this in a stainless steel sieve over a bowl (so it could drain and air a bit) and covered it with a clean tea towel, to culture for nearly 48 hours. Then I placed the mixture back into my blender and added a bit of chickpea miso. Finally I formed the mixture into a round and placed it in the freezer to harden up before dehydrating for about 20 hours. The ‘cheese’ forms a crust on the surface and remains smooth and creamy on the inside – just like Brie.
I’m very pleased with the result and I’m amazed that the texture and look is very similar to Brie. It’s totally delicious, but I do have some ideas on how to improve it for next time …
- I won’t culture it for so long because it’s MUCH stronger than Brie. However, the fact that it has such a strong flavour stops me from eating the whole thing in one go! 😉
- I think I would like to add some chives.
I will keep you posted as I improve this recipe.
One thing to note, is that the other cheeses I mentioned do not take this long to make and don’t need a dehydrator either. So please don’t be put off from making your own nut cheeses if you’re thinking of doing this for the first time. Let me know what vegan cheeses you’re interested in making and I will see if I can come up with a recipe for you.
Would you like to stop eating dairy? If so, check out my video blog on how to make your own almond milk.
Do you have any questions for me?
Leave your comments below, I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences.
With a big cheesy grin
Leave a Reply