You know this kind of dinner recipes, which are quick & easy, delicious and please the whole family? This dish falls definitely into this category. You can easily adjust the amounts to your preferring and throw in any vegetables you find in your fridge. And the following recipe for vegan mozzarella is a star on its own. It´s not complicated, fast to whip up, it melts and stretches & tastes really good. You can put some on a creamy risotto, make pizza or sandwiches, eat it plain with tomatoes and a good drizzle of olive oil or transform it to a creamy sauce for your pasta by adding a little more liquid. I was inspired by the recipe from here, but I used some more spices to enhance the cheesy flavor. This cheese definitely stretched my mind positively and melted away my plan to not eat half of the batch in one sitting. Well, I guess this is all a good cheese should stand for…
Ingredients:
For the sauce & rice:
For the cheese:
For the sauce & rice:
For the cheese:
Enjoy!
For the sauce & rice:
- 100g. brown rice
- 4 medium sized tomatoes (or 1 can chopped tomatoes)
- 1 zucchini
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- Italian herbs (I used fresh, which I grow on my balcony: rosemary, basil, thyme, sage, oregano. But any ready-made mix of herbs will be okay as well)
- maple syrup to the taste (You don´t need much, just to neutralize the sourness of the tomatoes)
- salt, pepper
For the cheese:
- 2 cup cashews (soaked overnight)
- 400ml. hot water
- 6 Tbsp. tapioca starch/flour
- 4 Tbsp. yeast flakes
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. miso
- 1tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
For the sauce & rice:
- Cook your rice using a method you like or following the instructions on the package. Set aside.
- Heat few drops of oil in a large pan. Fry your diced onion until golden & glossy.
- Add mashed garlic and fry a little bit more.
- Wash and chop your tomatoes. Put the tomatoes into the pan and cook for about 10min. or until most of the liquid evaporates.
- Add maple syrup, herbs, salt and pepper.
- Now, add your sliced zucchini and the cooked rice. Stir until combined.
- Transfer into a heat-resistant pot or pan. Tear up the mozzarella with your fingers and put on top of the rice.
- Bake for about 10min. (220°C) until the mozzarella is golden & brown.
For the cheese:
- Put the cashews and all other ingredients in your blender and blend well until milky & creamy.
- Put a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
- Pour in the mixture and stir continuously for about 10-15min. until thick & glossy.
- You´ll know when the mixture is done, when it´s stretchy, sticky, glossy and doesn´t heavily stick to the bottom anymore.
- Remove from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes.
- Fill a large bowl with ice cold water, add 1 tsp. salt and dissolve it.
- Using an ice cream scoop start scooping small mozzarella balls.
- Put the balls into the bowl with the cold water and let them cool for 1 minute. Adjust the shape with your hands.
- When finished, you can store them in the fridge for a couple of days.
Enjoy!