Raw Vegan Nut Cheese**

This recipe makes a healthy cholesterol free cheese which tastes amazingly like dairy cheese. It needs to be made before hand as it takes 2 or more days to get the mature cheese. This cheese bakes well, works well on pizzas and cheese toast too.
Ingredients

  • rejeuvelac

  • 1 cup whole or broken raw cashews

  • salt, pepper and herbs to taste


Method
For the Rejeuvelac

(This is supposed to be a very healthy drink, which you can make and drink everyday.)

Wash the wheat berries and soak them in a jar in 1 cup drinking water. Leave this jar open  for 24 hours in a cupboard or keep it lightly covered. In case of very cold temperatures it could be left a little longer. Depending on the climate it should take between 1 – 5 days but in India. In the summer it is ready in one day, in the winter it can take longer. You will know that it is ready by the color and taste.

The water will turn a little yellowish or serum colored and will have a sweet fermented smell.  Pour this rejeuvelac into a glass. If desired another cup of water make be added to the wheat berries to produce more rejeuvelac after another 24 hours. It can be drunk or used to make still more cheese. After 2 such uses the wheat berries are usually thrown away.

For the cheese
Grind the raw cashews to form a powder (it does not need to be absolutely fine) and then put this into a jar, which has at least twice the volume of the cashews. Pour Rejeuvelac over the cashews so that they are covered with it. Extra rejeuvelac can be drunk or thrown away. The whole mixture will now ferment and grow so if the jar is too small it can overflow. Cover the jar lightly so that its not airtight.
After about 6 – 8 hours the cheese is ready. Mix well and roll together. Add salt, pepper and herbs or other seasonings. Mix again. Serve or store in the refrigerator till used. This will last in the refrigerator for at least 10 days.
Ideal for grilled cheese sandwiches, baked or grilled chilly cheese toast, and baked dishes or even just as a spread on toast.

Variations

You can make different tasting cheeses by fermenting different substances



  • Instead of cashews try soaked almonds / sesame / sunflower seed / other nuts for stronger and different tasting cheeses.


  •  Tofu is blended with rejeuvelac and allowed to stay outside for 8 – 24 hours. Add salt and herbs if desired. This is a great substitute for ricotta cheese.