Bold & Raw “Cheese” Sauce (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free)
Altered from "May All be Fed" by John Robbins
Ingredients:

1-8 ounce package firm tofu, crumbled
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
1/3 cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes (see our Product List)
1/3 cup Raw Tahini (see our Product List)
3 Tablespoons Wheat-Free Tamari or Low Sodium Soy Sauce
3 Tablespoons Water
1 teaspoon Dried Basil
1/8 teaspoon Turmeric
1 Garlic Clove, minced
¼ teaspoon fresh Ground Black Pepper or Paprika.
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Best served at room temperature or heated a bit. Very bold flavor, a little goes a long way.

Healthy Nacho Cheez Sauce (Vegan, Soy-Free)
This cheez with Mexican food appeal comes from Chef Alex Bury
Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups water
½ cup safflower oil
1 Tb wet mustard
1 Tb cider vinegar
Directions:

Mix dry ingredients well, with a whisk in a heavy sauce pot.
Whisk in water and oil. Add mustard and vinegar.
Cook until thickened.

Lessarella Cheez (Vegan, Nut-Free, Wheat-Free, Soy-Free)
The following recipe came from the 5 star "Country Life Vegetarian Cookbook" by Diana Fleming.



Ingredients:

2 cups water
3 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
1/3 cup quick oats
1/4 cup arrowroot or cornstarch
1 Tbs onion powder
1/4 cup tahini (if you don't have tahini, you can use sesame seeds - tahini is sesame seed paste)
1 1/2 tsp salt
Optional: You can also add 1/2 chopped red bell pepper if you want to make the cheese more orange coloured. I like to do this. Also, if you are not going to set the cheese, you can leave out the cornstarch. The oats are enough to thicken the cheese for pizzas and other savoury cheese dishes.

Blend all ingredients on high for one minute. Pour into saucepan and cook on medium, stirring constantly until thickened. Put into loaf pan or other mold. Chill overnight. Remove from mold and slice. Delicious on crackers, pizza or in sandwiches. For pizza or fondue, use half the amount of arrowroot.

You can use this cheese on pizzas, to make lasagna, macaroni cheese, on the top of mashed potatoes when making a beanshepherd's pie, on toast with tomatoes. You can make it thick and set it and cut it the next day or you can make it thinner and pour it over vegetables as a cheese sauce. I use this recipe most frequently as it has no nuts or seeds which makes it cheaper. However, if you can afford them, the recipes with nuts and seeds are so good for nutritional value.

Melty “Cheese” I (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free)
Ingredients:

2 cups Water
¼ cup Diced Tomatoes
¼ cup Raw Almonds, Cashews, or Sunflower Seeds (for nut-free)
¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon Onion Powder
½ Tablespoon Sea Salt
½ Tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch or Arrowroot Powder
¼ cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until very smooth. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it becomes thick. Recommended on macaroni, vegetables and potatoes.

Pimento “Cheese” (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free)
Adapted from the “Country Life Vegetarian Cookbook"
Ingredients:

1½ cups Water
5 Tablespoons Agar Flakes
¾ cup Cashew Pieces, may substitute Sunflower Seeds for nut-free
2 Tablespoons Sesame Seeds or 1 Tablespoon Tahini (see our Product List)
1¼ teaspoons Sea Salt
2 teaspoons Onion Powder
¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
¼ cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes
½ cup Diced Red Pepper or Pimentos
2½ Tablespoons Lemon Juice
Directions: Put the first two ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Place the agar mixture and the remaining ingredients in a blender. Blend all ingredients on high 1 - 2 minutes until creamy, stopping the blender once or twice to stir the contents and scrape down the sides. Pour the “cheese” into a mold and chill overnight. Un-mold the cheese and use sliced or shredded in place of commercially made cheese in your favorite recipes, or enjoy with crackers, breads, or fruit. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 7-10 days.

Variations: To make different flavors, fold in one of the following before pouring cheese into mold:

¾ cup finely Chopped Olives
2 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seeds
1½ Tablespoons Caraway Seeds
2 Tablespoons Dill Weed Powder
or 1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Onion Flakes and 2¼ teaspoons Dill.