Wine & Cheese … Raw Please!
13 Apr

Wine & Cheese … Raw Please!

For a lot of people when you first think of a Raw Food diet you immediately think of all the foods that have a big red mark next to them that you are not able to consume. Sometimes adjusting to this can be quite daunting but the benefits can far outweigh the sacrifice in the end. The good news is that there are so many delicious recipes and products out there that can replace the ‘forbidden foods’ that you have become so accustomed too. This brings to me to our little blog today.

My healthy mix for life is about creating balance. I am an “everything in moderation” kind of gal. Whilst I predominately fill my diet with nutritious wholefoods, I love to indulge in my guilty pleasures every now and then. For me – that is a lovely glass of vino along with a great platter full of delicious nibbles with my friends. However, for some people, at the top of that NO food list, that compliments wine so well, is cheese!

The good news is we have it covered. We have tested and trialled for you TWO delicious cheeeesy recipes – well NUT CHEESE that is, that you can try at home and add to your next RAW Antipasti platter to impress all guests at your next get together.

Now I have to be honest, Nut Cheese does not taste like ordinary cheese. So please don’t be disappointed that the taste is not the same as that big block of cheddar you have once chomped down on, but rather appreciate the healthy deliciousness and flavoursome creation of nut cheese & give your taste buds a new sensation. Live baby live, just like Michael Hutchins said.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Sweet Chili Cashew Cheese

Ingredients – Cashew Cheese

  • 1 cup cashews (soaked)
  • 1 /4 cup filtered water
  • 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 1 Tbsp oil of choice (coconut or olive)

Method – Cashew Cheese

  1. Put all the ingredients into the Vitamix 2L container in the order listed and secure the lid.
  2. Select Variable 1. Turn the machine on and quickly increase the speed to 10, then override to High.
  3. Use the tamper to effectively press the ingredients into the blades whilst processing.
  4. Blend for until mixture is thick and creamy.

If you would like a thicker texture the mixture will harden when chilled.

Ingredients – Sweet Chili Sauce

  • 1 red capsicum
  • 1 chili
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 3-4 dates (pitted)
  • salt and pepper (to taste)

Optional

  • Add water to thin out if needed
  • Cayenne Pepper if you like your sweet chili with an extra kick

Method

  1. Put all the ingredients  into the Vitamix 2L container in the order listed and secure the lid.
  2. Select Variable 1. Turn the machine on and slowly increase the speed. Work your mix between variables 5-7
  3. Use tamper to effectively press the ingredients into the blades if required whilst processing.
  4. Blend for 30-60 seconds or until desired consistency is reached.
  5. Stir through your Cashew Cheese and serve with your favourite veggie sticks or home made pita chips made in the dehydrator.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Macadamia Nut Cheese

Ingredients

  • 2 cup macadamias (soaked)
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 garlic clove
  • salt and pepper (to taste)

Optional

  • Fresh mixed herbs

Method

  1. Soak macadamias overnight.
  2. Put all the ingredients into the Vitamix 2L container in the order listed and secure the lid.
  3. Turn your machine onto variable speed one, quickly move up to variable speed 10 and then override to HIGH speed.
  4. Use the tamper to effectively press the ingredients into the blades whilst processing.
  5. Blend until thick, smooth & creamy.
  6. Using a spatula scrape out mixture into a nut milk bag and squeeze lightly to remove any excess moisture. Warning – this step can be quite messy so do it over the sink or a big bowl and keep a hand towel handy.
  7. Once excess moisture is removed. Keep mix in the nut milk bag and set aside in a bowl to refrigerate overnight. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel.
  8. Remove nut cheese mixture from the fridge and mold with hands and a spatula to create a cheese wheel shape.
  9. Place in the dehydrator for 6-8 hours at 68c or until a crust is formed. Remove from the dehydrator and chill in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
  10. Serve & Enjoy!

Side NOTE: If you are time poor you can skip steps 6-10 and just serve it up as a cheese dip instead. Equally delicious!

wine

For those who enjoy a drop!

The answer is YES! You can enjoy a glass of wine from time to time if you are exploring a Raw Food diet. Wine, unlike other alcohol is fermented rather than distilled so it is still considered Raw.

However, not all wines are Raw as well as Vegan friendly so make sure you do your research. I recently discovered a fantastic online company by the name of Wild Fox Wines (Certified Organic). Wild Fox Wines provides a range of organic, preservative free RAW & Vegan wines. Yay!

The wine making business is quite a complex and complicated one, which is perhaps why most of us just enjoy drinking wine rather than taking the time to learn the years and years of knowledge and expertise required to actually make a good drop. But trust me when I say these folks know what they are doin’! Here’s a quick overview of why I think you will love Wild Fox Wines.

  • Certified Organic & Biodynamic – this means Wild Fox adheres to chemical free vineyards as well as in the wine making and bottling process. Biodynamic means adopting a spiritual-ethical-ecological approach to agriculture. Wild Fox believes that ‘Earth is for all of us to share in perpetuity.’
  • Preservative Free – This means no preservatives have been added from the harvest of those little grapes to the bottling of the wine. Bonus! Preservatives come in a natural and synthetic form and can have all kinds of toxic effects on the body.
  • RAW – Wild Fox Wines has adopted the RAW logo to signify its preservative free range.
  • Vegan Wine – at no point during the making of Wild Fox Vegan Wines is any animal product used. No industrial strength manufactured chemicals have been used in the process to kill bees, birds, worms, bacteria and micro fauna. It has amazing fragrance, colour and tastes fantastic so the Vegan friendly range of wine can and will be enjoyed by everyone.

Cheers & Cheese!

Leave A Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *