Almond Ricotta Cheese

Add to favorites

~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~

I may not be a traditional cheese maker who fiddles with curds and whey but I do have fun mastering what a person can do with alternative ingredients.   From the perspective of culinary innovation, home-grown-chefs (you and me) are learning to push the limits of food preparation and creativity with whole-plant based foods, giving contemporary cuisine a run for their money.

I will be honest,  I am not sure if I really even know what true ricotta tastes like.  I am pretty sure that I have had it before but gosh darn if I can remember when or where that might have been.   That instills a lot of faith in me now doesn’t it?

I can say that this particular ricotta cheese spreads much like a cream cheese but with a richness suggestive of whipped cream.    Is it blasphemous of me to call this a ricotta cheese or even to impersonate one?  After all, the word ricotta is Italian for “twice cooked” and is traditionally made with the whey byproduct of making another cheese.

Traditional ricotta curds are creamy white in appearance, slightly sweet in taste, and contain around 13% fat.  I think this comes close in resembling that and is a close contender.   So what can a person do with almond ricotta?  It is used in my Living Lasagna recipe for starters.  You can add fresh herbs and use it as a quick dip or spread. Or for a simple lunch idea, you can thin it down with a tad with almond milk, toss it with some zucchini noodles, add some fresh peas, pine nuts, a splash of lemon juice, maybe a little garlic, salt and pepper.   How about something as simple as stuffing celery stalks with it?!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond cheese
• 2 Tbsp light miso
• 1 1/2 Tbsp red onion, minced
• 2 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of white pepper

Preparation:

1. Combine the almond cheese, miso, minced onion, nutritional yeast, garlic, nutmeg and pepper in a bowl.  Mash together with a fork until everything is well mixed.
2. You can also blend this together for a smoother texture.
3. Store in the fridge for 5-7 days.

Tags: Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan