Raw Vegan Cheese
Life got exciting today. I made my raw food recipe for raw cashew cheese and it turned out great! I have been preparing raw food for some time now but the cheese, the ones that you have to make and set-up for a day, seemed a little daunting. Well, as my friend Michael often says, sometimes you just have to pull the bands back and let them fly. I’m glad I did. A few handfuls of cashews, some rejuvelac, and a little patience turned out a delightful cheese spread that is a welcome addition to any raw diet.
If you are wondering what rejuvelac is, it is a fermented liquid made from sprouting wheat berries that is said to be high in enzymes, friendly bacteria, vitamins and minerals. It is known as a health drink. If you have been following this site, you know I am sprouting a lot of wheat berries these days. I decided to put some of those sprouted wheat berries to work, make some rejuvelac and then, the cheese.
Cashew Cheese
Rejuvelac
- 1/2 cup sprouted wheat berries (sprouted just until tails start)
- 4 cups filtered water
- Place the wheat berries and the water in a jar. Leave in a warm place for 24-48 hours. You will see a little fizz. The liquid should be a little tart but not smell off.
Cheese
- 2 cups cashews
- 1/2 cup rejuvelac
- Cover cashews with water and soak overnight. Drain off water.
- Place cashews in Vitamix and process with rejuvelac until a smooth paste forms. You can add a dash of celtic sea salt.
- Line a strainer with 2 layers of cheese cloth. Spoon mixture into the cloth.
- Set in a warm place and let set for 24 hours. Form into the shape you want. I coated the outside with cracked pepper.
- Put in refrigerator to finish setting. Store in the refrigerator for about a week. Serve with Onion Sunflower Seed Flat Bread.
Cindi wrote on February 25, 2010
I am also trying the “Eat Right For Your BloodType” while trying to maintain a mostly vegan/raw diet. Cashews are used in lots of my recipes. I was wondering if you had researched a cashew substitution as yet?
Susan wrote on February 26, 2010
You could try Brazil nuts?
Denise Walden wrote on February 23, 2010
I am so very new to the raw diet and I have stumbled across this site…… I am learning and going to try and make a few things here……… Thank you for sharing.
Katja wrote on January 31, 2010
Sorry for this question- English isn`t my first language. Is wheat berry the same as a wheat grain or seed? If not, what is it?
Thank you. By the way- I love this homepage ! The information, the pictures- everything! You are doing a great job. Thank you!
Susan wrote on January 31, 2010
Yes…it is the wheat grain. 🙂
Andrew wrote on January 14, 2010
How long should the cheese set in the fridge? And how long till the cheese is ready to eat?
Susan wrote on January 14, 2010
Long enough so it firms up. It will take at least 5 hours. It is ready to eat right away.
Alexandra wrote on December 31, 2009
Once you’ve used the wheatberries for rejuvelac, you should discard them, according to Ann Wigmore at least. They get a very special taste/smell after using them to prepare rejuvelac, which might be something to keep in mind.
Susan wrote on December 31, 2009
You are correct…the sprouted wheat that is used in the rejuvelac should be discarded. I believe that I was referring to sprouted wheat berries in general, not the ones used in the rejubelac. Thanks for making that clear.
alice wrote on December 9, 2009
To Kevin: I think mac nuts would be another option if you are allergic to cashews.
To Susan: I applaud you, your recipes are beautiful!
mado wrote on December 9, 2009
the rejuvelac was fizzy, though i forgot to mention that the mousse texture was before i put it in the fridge to set. it is much firmer now and tastes pretty good!
what do you do with your left over wheat berries?
Susan wrote on December 9, 2009
You can use the wheat berries in breads, etc.
mado wrote on December 7, 2009
i saw this and had to lift my jaw off the floor! it looks amazing!! i tried it but it seems too fluffy… almost like a solid cashew mousse (hum… recipe idea here? maybe not… haha!) when setting the mixture in the cloth do you wind it tightly or is it just lightly covered?
Susan wrote on December 7, 2009
I do wind it. You can also set a plate on top of it. Did you make sure your rejuvelac was fizzy? Did you let it set up long enough?
Kevin wrote on November 27, 2009
The cheese looks amazing!! I am alergic to milk so this looks like a great alternative however…I am also trying to follow the blood type diet and cashews are not beneficial, have you every tried this with almonds? Do you think it would taste just as good? I see lots of recipes using cashews and I’m imagining substituting almonds, what do you think?
Susan wrote on November 27, 2009
I will do a little research. The reason people use cashews are because of the texture. Let me see what I can figure out.