cheese substitute?

[organicmom3]

I have a question that probably doesn't have an answer.......other than nope it doesn't exist.....

I've realized my son is sensitive to milk products I eat.....I'm pretty good at bypassing the dairy products but as my family LOVES cheese Ihaven't been able to completely stay away from it....I know there are cheese substitutes BUT all that I have seen contain ingredients that I would never want in my body.....we are highly sensitive to msg and all of the similar ingredients which contain neurotoxins (yeast extract, autolyzed yeast, soy protein, anything that says..._____protein,artificial flavors, gelatin, etc.) I'm looking mostly for something to use in recipes that calls for cheese (lasagne, casseroles, etc.) I'm probably dreaming that i can find anything to satisfy this family, but....I thought I'd at least ask for ideas......

[crunchy_mommy]

Every store-bought one that I can think of contains yeast. Even my homemade one use nutritional yeast.

You could try using pureed white beans, finely chopped nuts, avocado, even artichokes work well sometimes in place of cheese. I often puree beans with tahini & spices & it makes a pretty 'cheesy' end result for pastas... Add in cornstarch or flour or potato starch & cook on the stove like pudding to get it a more "stretchy" consistency for nachos etc. Finely chopped walnuts & pinenuts with spices work well in lasangne... The nutritional yeast recipe I like best is just water, cornstarch, spices, olive oil, and nutritional yeast... if you replace the nut. yeast with something else for flavor, the consistency would still be good... Not sure what to suggest for the flavor though, as everything I can think of is on your "no" list.

Someone posted on another thread yesterday that they like olives & avocado to replicate that salty/creaminess...

[happy1nluv]

this site has a pine nut ricotta thats really good.
http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/soy-fr...sagna-366.html
(i like as-is, but i halve the lemon for dh)

[catnip]

This is Daiya's ingredient list, it is the best packaged cheese-like thing I've seen: Filtered water, tapioca and/or arrowroot flours, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and /or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, vegan natural flavours, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, citric acid (for flavor).

Is it soy protein as an ingredient that you avoid, or all soy? You can make a tasty ricotta like substance with ground cashews, firm tofu, lemon juice and salt. Nutritional Yeast is nice in it, but not essential.

Also, cashews, water, lemon and salt, maybe a little garlic, will make a tasty cheesy spread. Miso is a great thing to add, if that isn't something that you avoid.

[crunchy_mommy]

Ooo yeah I'll second the cashews, and also google fermented cashew cheese, very yummy! I forgot about that as I'm now allergic to cashews

[organicmom3]

the recipe with nutritional yeast sounds good...would love the amounts...I should clarify...it's not yeast or nutritional yeast ....it is yeast EXTRACT that we avoid.....

thank you all...I'll read more later....trying to do this in a rush.....

[catnip]

Then I would suggest picking up a copy of "The Uncheese Cookbook" by Jo Stepaniak. It has recipes for a bunch of homemade cheeses, spreads and sauces.

Also, I'm very fond of this recipe: http://www.yourveganmom.com/your_veg...sauce-mix.html

[crunchy_mommy]

Yeah Uncheese Cookbook could be your new best friend Glad nutritional yeast is OK 'cause that will give you way more options!!

Our nut. yeast recipe is very similar to http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=7057.0 though I don't have our exact recipe on hand ATM.

[Emilee Gettle]

Love Daiya!

I have tried almost all vegan versions of cheese to find them either rubbery, cardboard-ish or just plain nasty. After discovering my toddler had a reaction to Tofutti brand I was in search of a new alternative... Enter daiya... I love, love, love this cheese! I was introduced to it at a Pizza Parlor in Albany, NY. Can't say enough good about it. On pizza it gives you that nice stretchy illusion that no other veggie cheese can match. It tastes great too!

Hope your search leads you to a tasty solution for your family!

[AndrewsMother]

Originally Posted by Emilee Gettle

I have tried almost all vegan versions of cheese to find them either rubbery, cardboard-ish or just plain nasty. After discovering my toddler had a reaction to Tofutti brand I was in search of a new alternative... Enter daiya... I love, love, love this cheese! I was introduced to it at a Pizza Parlor in Albany, NY. Can't say enough good about it. On pizza it gives you that nice stretchy illusion that no other veggie cheese can match. It tastes great too!

Hope your search leads you to a tasty solution for your family!

Daiya is awesome!

[organicmom3]

The daiya looks pretty suspect to me with the 'pea protein'....but that recipe book (The Uncheese cookbook)....now that looks interesting...I will go check it out!

Thanks for the ideas...never knew there was cheeses made from nuts.....wow....this will be so good when it's our time to fast as well (we fast a lot from animal products for religious reasons throughout the year)

[organicmom3]

Is it the ULTIMATE UNCHEESE COOKBOOK?

[crunchy_mommy]

Originally Posted by organicmom3

Is it the ULTIMATE UNCHEESE COOKBOOK?

Yup! The author (Jo Stepsomething) has a few other great books as well...