The “Oh No – No Dairy” woes continue over here in Portugal. It just sucks that both Mike and I do not tolerate this amazing food group very well anymore. Is it age? I hate to succumb to any idea that age makes things harder because we are all about striving to grow younger by the day, not older :-( Alas, it does not matter what the reason is, we have to limit it :-(
Mike does not care as much about eliminating cheese from his diet as I do. I love that the cheese here in Portugal is AMAZING, and honestly, we tolerate it better here than we did in the States. However, we still must use it wisely and sparingly.
I love Mexican food and Mexican food needs cheese. Ok, that is dramatic, but it sure tastes better with it. I know you should not use the word “Cheese” if you are making something dairy-free because “Cheese” is dairy but whatever right? You get my drift.
I am not a fan of most of the store-bought dairy-free cheese that is available. It either has a shit ton of bad-for-you things in it to make it taste like cheese or it is full of fat and oil which I try to limit as well. Soooooo research mode was initiated and I stumbled upon the best dairy-free mozzarella I have ever tasted and you can make it at home with just a few ingredients.
The recipe that I am sharing with you is from Miyoko Schinner. You might have seen her cheeses in the stores. She had a huge line of dairy-free cheeses and then something happened with her company and she was booted out. I am not sure of all the details nor do I care because I love this recipe lol.
Since losing her company Miyoka has recently emerged on YouTube sharing some of her wizardlike skills in the kitchen. The dairy-free mozzarella was the first one I have tried and I am in love. I make this recipe at least once a week.
To make this dairy-free mozzarella you will need the following ingredients:
1 cup of raw cashews- if you don’t have a high-speed blender soak the cashews for a few hours or boil them for about 10 minutes.
1 cup of plant-based yogurt. I like to use soy or almond. I have used coconut, and it was ok but it has a strong taste. I have also used sheep yogurt. It is not dairy-free but we tolerate sheep and goat milks better.
1 cup of water- divided into two.
1 1/2 tsp of salt
3 tablespoons tapioca starch/four ( they are the same thing )
1 tablespoon agar agar powder
I like to add a teaspoon of dried dill and dried oregano to add flavor- You do You.
You will also need a large bowl of ice water and, ideally, an ice cream scoop but the scoop is optional.
