Recently, I asked all of you on Twitter what kind of recipes you would like to see in this month. Many of you requested meals that could be eaten at room temperature, didn’t need much heat, and were easily portable for BBQs, picnics, and dinners.
This vegan crudite stars my Macadamia Nut cheese, which is only 5 minutes long! Yes, 5 minutes.
Macadamias are so soft and tender that they don’t need to be soaked. With just a few drops of water, they blend beautifully.
My Macadamia Ricotta inspires this recipe. The cheesy taste comes from nutrition yeast. It’s a vibrant, yellow yeast packed with Vitamin B12. Delicious and healthy? Yes, please.
You only need lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt. Fresh herbs can add color and flavor but are not required.
Enjoy your macadamia “cheese” once it’s been blended! This is the real deal: vegan cheese in just 5 minutes! The cheese will benefit from a few hours in the refrigerator, where the flavors will develop and it will become more firm.
Prepare the rest of your veggies while that is happening. The nut cheese is delicious with roasted vegetables. I chose carrots and beets because they caramelize and sweeten when burned. You can opt to use only raw vegetables instead if you don’t want to turn on the oven.
This is a great meal for BBQs, picnics, and happy hours. It’s enough for 4-6 people to have a snack. Or you could serve this to two people, and they would be satisfied.
Ingredients
ROASTED VEGETABLES
- Four medium carrots (tops cut off, large portions in half, and large portions halved, if possible, organic)
- Two medium beets (carefully cut into quarter-inch rounds, organic if possible).
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil (or sub water)
- Sea salt and black pepper together in a healthy pinch
CHEESE*
- 1 1/4 cups raw macadamia (or cashews) nuts (soaked in hot water for an hour).
- Lemon juice 2 tbsp
- Add more according to taste.
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- Add more salt to taste.
- Water – 1/4 to 1/2 cup
- 14 cups chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
CRUDITE
- Radishes 5-7 (organic if possible, halves or slices)
- Half a medium cucumber sliced thinly (organic whenever possible).
- Nuts roasted or sprouted ( optional
- Hummus or babaganoush can be made at home (DIY) or purchased (DIY) (optional).
- Mary’s Gone Crackers brand is also a favorite.
Instructions
- For roasting vegetables, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. (204 C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper. (Or use multiple baking sheets for a large batch.
- Add the carrots and beets to the baking tray once it has been preheated. Drizzle with oil (or water), and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix well and arrange the vegetables in one layer. Bake for 17-22 mins or until golden brown.
- Make your “cheese” in the meantime. Add the macadamia nut to a high-speed blender, along with nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic powder, and sea salt. Blend/mix, scraping sides as necessary. Add more water, 1 Tbsp (15ml) per time, until you get a thick paste. A food processor gives me the best results, but a blender will also work in a pinch. It’s just that it requires more liquid and scraping.
- Add more nutritional yeast if you want a cheesy taste, salt if you like it, lemon juice if acidity/brightness is needed, or garlic powder for garlic flavor. Mix again. Add herbs if desired.
- The “cheese,” at this stage, is ready to be eaten! It’s even better when chilled. Transfer the “cheese,” either on a cheesecloth or a thin, clean cloth, and place it over a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl of mixing water. The top of the fabric should be twisted to form a loose ball. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes and up to 24 hours. The more it is chilled, the firmer and harder the “cheese.”
- After the vegetables have been roasted, create a crudite plate with vegetables, macadamia cheese, hummus, and other sides. I loved the roasted veggies with maple syrup and tahini drizzled on top, then dipped into the nut-cheese.
- Fresh is best. Keep leftover “cheese,” made from nuts, in the fridge for up to 10 days. Serve two as an appetizer or 4-6 as a main course.