Yesterday, Annie told me about a Vancouver vegan chef she follows named Erin Ireland who created a delicious version of tofu feta. Instead of marinating the tofu, she blended it with the other ingredients and then let it sit. It sounded similar to the tofu ricotta I make (which is delicious), but I really liked the idea of adding the feta-type flavours, so I thought I’d give it a try.
Erin’s recipe is great, and the version Annie sent me included the addition of garlic powder. To this, I added capers (and brine), BTB, and mustard. I also replaced the oil with three TBS of cashews. I am LOVING the result, though it’s still setting. Nevertheless, I couldn’t resist and had a little plateful of Mary’s crackers spread with it. As Annie suggested, it seems more like a flavoured Boursin than anything as hard as feta, but we’ll see if it sets up more overnight.
So here’s my version of…
Vegan Feta
1 block firm tofu
1 TBS lemon juice
1 TBS ACV
3 TBS cashews
2 TBS capers and brine
1 tsp Better Than Bouillon vegetable base OR miso
1 tsp stone ground dijon mustard
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
Blend until smooth in the Vitamix. It may be a bit grainy, but shouldn’t have any discernible lumps of caper or cashew.
I set mine up in my tofu press so it would get firmer, but, as mentioned above, it’s delicious right away as a cream cheez!
Our intention is to use this new cheez to make an Endive Spear Micro Salad from The Preservatory in Langley. The recipe can be found in my new obsession–The Plant-Based Foodie-Vancouver.
But in the meantime, here’s my little snack!
And the song of the day is, appropriately enough, Van Morrison’s “What’s Wrong with this Picture?” because it’s a song I’d never heard before today–and I thought I knew Van’s entire oeuvre. But it’s also appropriate because I’ve been feeling rather out of sorts today–kind of overwhelmed with life and wanting to crawl under the covers for a month or two.
Sideways Cottage... 