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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~
I was inspired to play around with this recipe that came from the book, The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions. I made some dramatic changes to suit my needs. The end result… pretty darn incredible.
This recipe is one that you can make in advance and keep stored in the fridge or freezer for several months. Then when you are in need of an instant “cheese” sauce, all you have to do is add this powder and water together in the blender and presto! “Cheese” sauce extraordinaire!
One ingredient that I switched out was corn starch. After a LOT of research, I found some Konjac flour. I am throwing a new ingredient out to many of you… and well, to myself too.
Konjac flour is a powdered, processed form of the root of the konjac plant that is native to several regions in Asia; the flour has an appearance similar to standard white flour or cornstarch. One of the most common uses for konjac flour is as a thickening agent because the flour consists almost completely of water-soluble fiber that can be easily digested and contains no glutens or sugars, unlike other thickening agents. (source and more reading)
Konjac flour is not a raw product. I haven’t tested any other forms of thickeners with this particular recipe, so I can’t really comment on them until then. If you wish to sub it out, you could play around with sunflower lecithin powder. I thought of psyllium but worried about the overall texture that it would give, but who knows; it just might work too.
This sauce is great for dipping chips, drizzling over veggies, or would even be great tossed with zucchini noodles. I hope that you find inspiration through this recipe. amie sue
Ingredients:Yields: 5 cups = 20 (1/4 cup servings)
Dry “cheese” powder:
Making the “cheese” sauce:
Keep stored in an airtight container.
When ready blend with water or nut milk…and pour over your favorite veggies.
Instant cheese sauce!
Early morning arithmetic is NOT my forte but I endured it so that I could comment on this spectacularly useful recipe. This recipe will be amazing in all sorts of other recipes and will let me make crackers that taste like cheese. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this promising and most glorious of recipes. You are, indeed, a very creative person in the kitchen. Thank you SO much for sharing your experiments with us all. We really do appreciate every single one of them :)
lol Narf, I am not an early morning arithmetic person either…lol… but thank you for mustering through it and for leaving a comment. I really appreciate your kind words. I hope that you enjoy this recipe. Have a blessed nights sleep. amie sue
Hi Amie Sue,
Well Kraft Mac and Cheese has now LEFT the building !!! This stuff is GREAT !! If some one’s family won’t eat their veggies, just pour this over them ,and whoa baby they will!! I used arrow root powder instead of the Konjac powder. I used 2 cups of it (still kinda runny, but the taste is OH SO GOOD..I could drink this stuff).lol Next time I think I will try the sunflower lecithin powder (probably this weekend). Excuse me while I go back to my breakfast, the broccoli better hurry up and lightly steam, or I won’t have any sauce left to pour over it…just saying !!! :] Lyn
Good morning Lyn… thank you for giving this recipe a try! And for testing out the arrowroot. I encourage you to try the Konjac powder too if you feel adventurous. hehe Appreciate your feed back my friend. amie sue
Yes I will , I was just so excited to try this, and didn’t have either the Konjac powder or the sunflower lecithin powder- so I thought arrowroot powder!! The taste is great, but it is runny!! So I will go the tried and true route next batch!! Thanks :] Lyn
I do not see any sunflower lecithin powder listed in this recipe. Can someone please advise me on this? I have checked for this three times now and do not see it or any reference beyond the comments here. thank you.
Hello J’Marinde,
It isn’t listed in the ingredient list. I simply listed it as a substitution… “Konjac flour is not a raw product. I haven’t tested any other forms of thickeners with this particular recipe so I can’t really comment on them until then. If you wish to sub it out, you could play around with sunflower lecithin powder. ”
amie sue
Oh my, I can’t wait to try this! Why do I have to be almost out of nutritional yeast? (This is practically a sin!) Maybe because I eat it every day? I am bookmarking your website…these recipes look amazing. As a vegan, I am looking to go more gluten-free and raw, which is very challenging because not only do I live in Alaska, but because I am work-outside-the-home-mom and barely have time to devote more than 30 minutes each day in the kitchen. I am determined though! I am ordering nutritional yeast today, darn it. Thank you so much for this recipe. <3
lol Christina… I know how it is to run low on ingredients… slight panic attacks can happen. hehe Where about’s in Alaska do you live? I lived in Wasilla for 28 years. I hope all is well and order in that nutritional yeast!! Blessings, amie sue
Fairbanks! I do love it here, but it certainly makes particular things more challenging. I ordered bulk nooch yesterday, whew. They say it’ll be here on 1.28.15, which really means two days after. ;-)
I only traveled to Fairbanks a few times…. beautiful road trips in between though. :) Good luck on the delivery of nooch! hehe Have a great day, amie sue
Is there gluten in this flour? We have some allergies in the family.
Hello Gayle, it is GF…. has to be to be used in my household. :) This is a quote, “Konjac flour (powder) is pure fiber that is derived from the root of the konjac plant. The konjac plant can grow for 3 years until it reaches its maturity. Konjac flour or konjac powder is not related to wheat, konjac is wheat free, gluten free, it is completely guilt free, as it is just pure fiber from the root of the konjac plant.” You can read more here ~ http://www.konjacfoods.com/aboutus.htm
And the link I provided in the post will take you here which states it as well. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-konjac-flour.htm#didyouknowout
Have a wonderful day Gayle :) amie sue
Happy Day Amie Sue,
I adore your blog and recipes. I have been vegetarian and gluten free for some time now and transitioning to vegan. I normally make a sauce with pumpkin purée. However, I prefer to prep in bulk sizes. Can you suggest a good substitution for almonds or cashews. I am allergic to almonds and not really a fan of using cashews. Can I use my sprouted quinoa flour?
Thank you so much for all that you do.
Peace & wellness
SC
Good SC,
Thank you for the kind words. I am glad to hear that you are enjoying my site. :)
Hmmm, sprouted quinoa flour? Not so sure how it would turn out to be honest. I would just suggest to scale the recipe down and make a small test batch to see how it turns out. The nuts add a creaminess to the end product when mixed. If you play around, keep me posted so we can learn from one another. Blessings and good luck. amie sue
I have food allergies and new products unnerve me. If I use the sunflower lecithin powder in place of the konjac, how much do I use; a guideline? Thanks.
Hello J’Marinde,
I really don’t know the answer to your question without trying it myself. It will require experimentation. Sorry. amie sue
Thank you so much for your reply Amie Sue!…what do you think about walnuts or macadamia nuts? Or even gluten free oats…oats makes things creamy. I’ll definitely have to do two different versions…I have a family member with but allergies.
I’ll keep you posted…
Peace, wellness & blessings to you/yours
Please do keep me posted on what you figure out. I wish I had all the resources to be able to text version over version so I could answers all the substitutions questions but I can’t… :) Enjoy and I look forward in hearing how it goes. Blessings, amie sue
If you use almond flour instead of whole nuts do you soak and dehydrate that also? And which gives a better result, cashews or almond flour?
Hello Alex, I can see how that seems a little confusing. I changed the wording within the ingredient list.
If you use almond flour it is either store bought or made at home from almonds that should have been soaked and dehydrated already. So you can use either one. Personally, I haven’t soaked store bought flours before.
Cashews is just an alternative to the almond flour. So you can soak, dehydrate and grind them down to create a flour if you wanted to.
I hope this helps, amie sue
What can I use in place of the Konjac flour and in what proportion? thanks
I am not 100% sure since I have tested anything else in place of it. You can try lecithin, arrow root or oat flour. Lyn, here in the comment section used 2 cups of arrow root and found it still a little runny, so it sounds like a person would need to increase that amount. If it were me, I would try the oat flour, adding the same measurement… then test making the sauce and see if more needs to be added.
Keep me posted how it goes. Blessings, amie sue
Hi, sounds like an awesome mix and I already love using konjac/glucomannan! Not sure why you are soaking then drying the nuts, but if it is because of phytates or “antinutrients, you may like to see these updates:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/phytates-for-the-prevention-of-cancer/
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/phytates-for-the-prevention-of-osteoporosis/
Good morning Vege,
I am sorry that it took me a bit to respond to you. I have been on a “walk about” for the past 6 weeks (see blog posting). I am not fully integrating back into things but I wanted to start tackling some of the questions that have been collecting. :) All that to say, I appreciate your patience with me. :)
The story of phytic acid is a bit complicated. I realize from all the reports that are published regarding phytic acid that many people are confused about the role of phytic acid in our foods and bodies. These reports show that it has a number of health benefits as well as problems that can arise with heavy consumption.
For most people with well-balanced diets, phytic acid is rarely a problem. But, there are certain groups of people who should be careful of phytate intake. For example high raw food eaters, vegans or vegetarians, or those who have been diagnosed with mineral deficiencies. I think that each individual needs to look at the type of foods they are consuming, the state of their health, how their body responds to certain foods and/or preparation techniques.
It is possible when you eat high-phytate foods with most of your meals, mineral deficiencies may develop over time. So the approach to this topic is going to be unique to each person as they evaluate what their dietary intake is.
I appreciate you bringing this up. Have a wonderful day. Blessings, amie sue