The Cheesy Vegan Cookbook
The flavors and textures of cheese have been made and enjoyed for centuries. It’s one of those ubiquitous foods that everyone loves, it’s the ultimate comfort food. It’s craved all year round and expected at parties, functions and get-togethers. Can you imagine a party without cheese?
Today for those of us who are vegetarian or vegan, cheese is made from plant sources. It could be made out of soy and pea protein, nutritional yeast and thickening agar, nuts, tapioca flour, and so on. You have tried out the different cheeses to discover which works well with your taste buds, which ones melt better and the cost and availability.
Along with an abundance of diverse vegan cheeses are a plethora of vegan recipes that are created specifically to include plant-based cheeses. The Cheesy Vegan is my newest cookbook and I can honestly say it’s fabulous!
The Cheesy Vegan contains over 125 plant-based recipes to satiate your cheese cravings. What I absolutely love about this book is that it contains the blueprints for you to make your own vegan cheeses. The supermarket may be loaded with various vegan cheese options in your area but that is not always the case. Where I live, we have a limited selection of vegan cheeses so having the formula to create my own is exciting, it’s liberating. Imagine making your own Swiss, Cheddar, Parmesan, Mozzarella and cream cheeses at home. I did! It was so easy and we really enjoyed it.
The Cheesy Vegan cookbook is bursting with awesome recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, appetizers and snacks and even some cocktails. With the holidays fast approaching my family has requested several of the recipes we made for our family functions. It offers a lot of festive ideas.
Chapter 1: The DIY Vegan Cheese Kitchen
Chapter 2: Breakfast & Brunch
Chapter 3: Soups & Salads
Chapter 4: Sides
Chapter 5: Sandwiches
Chapter 6: Appetizers & Snacks
Chapter 7: Suppers
Chapter 8: Mac n’ Cheese
Chapter 9: Cheesecake
Chapter 10: Vegan Cheese Pairing: Wine, Beer & Cocktails
I had a lot of fun creating and preparing several of the recipes that appealed to my family. The Smoky Mountain Tomato & Cheddar Soup was divinely delicious and soothes a frosty body. It went well with Mrs. Cleaver’s Cheddar Muffins. The biggest hit was the Cheesy Hummus. I could not make it fast enough. Even family and friends who are not vegan really savored the flavor of these dishes and found it hard to believe that it was made with vegan cheese. The ingredient combinations are so well thought out and work harmoniously together.
The Cheesy Vegan Hummus was very easy to make and there are several variations, or you can add your own herbs and spices to create your own signature dish. It tasted great with chips and we also used it as a sandwich spread and a pizza base. The skies the limit. We also loved the Avocado, Corn & Black Bean Dip. So tasty! One of our favorite hearty dishes is the Baked Cauliflower Parmesan Penne. Instead of pine nuts, I added a cup of lima beans. This dish will have your family coming back for seconds.
So whether you’re looking for new vegan cheese recipes or to broaden your culinary choices you’ll find a potpourri of interesting and sweet and savory options. There are several easy quick recipes and many elaborate ones too that are a pleasure to make. It’s perfect for my kitchen and I think a lot of people would appreciate the work put into this cookbook. It’s a keeper.
Disclaimer: I received products to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own, yours may differ.