VERSATILE VEGAN CHEDDAR-Y SPREAD, GRILLED CHEEZE FILLING, & CHEEZE SAUCE BASE, ALL-IN-1

I work on recipes so often that I often forget to make old favorites, but I've been making this recipe  (from a book of mine circa 1999) often these days as a low-fat snack. It's a spread that's super-easy to make, and it's great on toast (for breakfast), in celery sticks (an old favorite), or just on crackers.

**This spread is also delicious used as a filling for grilled (vegan) cheeze sandwiches-- why didn't I think of that before? This spread doesn't melt, but that doesn't matter, because it is already soft and creamy like melted cheese, so the grilling just heats it up. Yum!

** Another variation-Vegan Cheeze Sauce: If you thin out 1 cup of the spread with 1/2 cup nondairy milk, it makes a great "Cheddar-y Cheese Sauce". (Whisk it well until it's smooth. This can be heated gently.) We loved it on steamed broccoli.

Give this recipe a whirl (not to make a pun!)... it's definitely a keeper.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S 3-IN-1 CHEDDARY SPREAD
Yield: 1 3/4 cups to 2 cups
UPDATE, Feb 2012: Last time I made this I added a twist from Betsy DiJulio's book, The Blooming Platter Cookbook. She uses this genius ingredient in her homemade vegan cheeses--  beer!  So I added a little beer to this recipe. It adds just the right amount of tangy fermented taste, which really adds to the over-all flavor of the spread, or dip. Thank you, Betsy!  **But, in order to do this and not have it turn out too liquid-y, you have to crumble the silken tofu into a nut bag or a large square of white cotton sheeting-sort of material and twist and squeeze the bag until you have 1/4 cup of liquid from the tofu squeezed out.  Then proceed with the recipe, but add 1/4 cup of beer to the mixture.  Simple!

See 2 variations in yellow-highlighted  text above.

Recipe adapted from from my book "Soyfoods Cooking for a Positive Menopause".

12.3 oz (1 box) extra-firm SILKEN tofu, crumbled (OR 1 lb. medium firm tofu or Chinese "Traditional" Tofu, pressed or squeezed to make 12 oz.- 12.3 oz.)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or organic bottled)
1 1/2 tablespoons miso (medium brown)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika (or use all or half smoked paprika [pimenton])
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic granules or powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor until VERY smooth.

Spoon into a covered container and refrigerate several hours to firm up and meld the flavors (overnight would be ideal). Keeps refrigerated about 1 week.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 2 tablespoons): 35 calories; 1.5g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 175mg sodium; 100mg potassium; 2.5g carbohydrates; 1.0g fiber; 0.5g sugar; 2g net carbs; 3.5g protein; 0.8 points.

Enjoy!