Cultured Kitchen Cashew Cheese

I have fond memories of eating smoked cheddar cheese on crackers with my dad, who passed away just over nine years ago. I keep searching for a vegan version of that flavor and texture to get a little bit of that memory back. I found something new to try on a recent vacation.

Cultured Kitchen of Sacramento offers several vegan cashew cheeses and one is called "Smoked Cheddar." To be honest, it doesn't really hit the mark for what I remember, but it is a very tasty product and I am enjoying it thoroughly.

It comes in a tub and is more of a cheese dip or spread than anything you can slice. The ingredients are simple: raw cashews, cold smoked paprika, coconut aminos, Himalayan sea salt, spices and active cultures. It's vegan, raw and gluten-free. For now it seems to be available only in the Sacramento, Ca area and in a few stores and at local farmers' markets. I found it on a weekend trip while shopping at the Gluten-Free Specialty Store. This is an easy product to just set out with crackers or crudites.

Muhummara (Red Pepper and Walnut Dip)

I sadly accidentally erased my original post about this dip. 

You can see the version I started with at Epicurious. 

 Muhummara (Muhammara)

• a 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained
• 2/3 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (GF crumbs or ground Corn Thins)
• 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted lightly and chopped fine
• 2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses*
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/8 cup oil or none!
• toasted pita triangles as an accompaniment
  (GF: tortilla chips, rice crackers, veggies, etc.)

*available at Middle Eastern markets. Reduced pomegranate juice will do or agave syrup.

Mix it all up in a blender/food processor and you have it! 

If you use the oil, add that after mixing other ingredients and drizzle while it blends.

This is very tasty and bright.

Chocolate Chip Cookie "Pi"

In honor of March 14 (yes I am one day late, but I made it yesterday!), this is my "pie" for "Pi Day."
It's a bit of a stretch, I know. It's really a giant cookie in a pie plate. But I think it counts. It's round, looks like a pie, and I really don't like pie all that much anyway.

And yes, that is my Big Bang Theory calendar. (March 14 also happens to be Einstein's Birthday! How about that for the "circle" of life?! Yes, that was a double funny.)

You can find the VERY simple recipe for it here:  

http://naturalpapa.com/food/recipe/a-quick-and-easy-vegan-cookie-pie-recipe/

My notes on the recipe:

1. I made it gluten-free with Bob's Red Mill GF mix plus 1 tsp xanthan gum and extra water.
2. I used the olive oil as called for, but next time I would use canola or melted vegan butter.
3. I used half agave and half maple syrup.
4. I used half the chocolate chips called for since I was out of them and had to cut up a vegan chocolate bar.
5. I added a 1/2 cup walnuts.
6. I didn't use the coconut flakes. No one here would have liked that in this.