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Let’s be honest, vegan cheese isn’t exactly what most of us would call delicious. But if you’re watching your sodium, calories, or animal fats, you may be looking for dairy-free cheese alternatives.  Today we’re Getting the Skinny with Molly on one of her favorite new cookbooks that features vegan plant-based cheeses that are truly nutritious AND delicious!

Jules Aron’s “Vegan Cheese: Simple, Delicious Plant-Based Recipes” (May 2017, Countryman, $24.95)

Thank-you to Eat Fit NOLA ambassador Emily Eickhoff & Chef Carl Schaubhut for R&D + food styling

What’s in plant-based cheese?

  • Each variety is different; most use nuts, seeds, tofu or veggies like cauliflower for creaminess
  • Agar (from red algae; in health food stores, Asian markets and online) or vegan gelatin (available in most health food stores) are used to thicken, stabilize, and give shape to the cheeses.
  • Nearly all of the plant-based cheeses in Aron’s cookbook are lower in calories, sodium and fat, with zero animal-based saturated fats or lactose

Try this bleu cheese-style gorgonzola, one of our favorite recipes from Aron’s Vegan Cheese cookbook:

Vegan Gorgonzola | Vegan, Nut-Free, Seed-Free

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

  • 7 ounces extra-firm tofu
  • ¼ cup organic refined coconut oil, melted
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons white miso paste
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon spirulina

Instructions:

Drain and press the tofu to release its liquid.  Place all ingredients, except spirulina, into a blender and process until smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl, dot the cheese with spirulina, and fold it over a few times to create the blue-green veins.

Place the cheese mixture into a container lined with plastic wrap and pack it with a spatula, smoothing the surface.  Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours to firm and set.  Wrap in plastic wrap and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.  Will keep, refrigerated, for 1-2 weeks.  The flavor will continue to develop as it ages.

 

Per serving: 60 calories, 6 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 260 mg sodium, 2 grams carbohydrate, <1 gram fiber, 1 gram sugar, 2 grams protein.

 

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Want more from Molly?  Click here to sign up for Nutrition Bites, her weekly e-newsletter with links to her Get the Skinny TV segments here on WGNO, and her weekly column in NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune!   And you can follow Molly on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram:  @MollyKimballRD