Pistachio

This Pistachio-Crusted Vegan Cheese Ball is actually VERY easy to make! It tastes INCREDIBLE and is great for appetisers and parties!

My first thought after making this vegan cheese ball was: why have I NOT done this before? Make no mistake: this vegan cheese ball, encrusted in all the gloriousness of pistachios, tastes like cheese. I don’t mean a distant cousin of cheese, I mean if I swapped this out at a party with no labels you wouldn’t know that you weren’t devouring a creamy goat cheese. In two words: make. this. When you see how easy it is, you’ll be stocking your pantry with cashews.

So what goes into the deliciousness that is this vegan cheese ball? Our new best friend, cashews. Sure, I’ve used cashews to make cheesecake before, and dozens of times when making vegan sour cream for my crock-pot recipes. I fell in love with the idea of cashews to replace cheese in recipes from then. When soaked, it becomes very creamy, and as anyone who’s had unsalted cashews would know, they have a very neutral taste that is able to adapt any flavours given to it. Yet, for some reason, I hadn’t gone back to the base and just made plain ole’ delicious vegan cheese. It’s as simple as soaking the cashews and blending them with some yummy brine-y cheese tasting ingredients that you already have in your pantry, then adding it to a cheesecloth to firm up. Easy peasy.

As for the pistachios? Fun fact: I got a free gift certificate and used it to buy pistachios. I didn’t have this idea in my head yet, but clearly my food-obsessed brain decided to ignore all the free makeup and go straight for the nuts. No regrets. Who doesn’t love a cheese ball rolled in a crunchy, slightly salty perfection that is pistachios? I would recommend not skipping this step. It’s the cherry on top (please don’t put an actual cherry on top) and truly completes this cheese ball.

PS. 2- I also, just for fun, made a sweet tomato jam to go along with the entire cheese ball based on a tradition that the Mr., my mom and myself started a few years ago known as let’s-finish-all-the-cheese-and-tomato-jam-in-10-minutes. The jam, some nuts, some dried fruit and the cheese ball would make a great quick platter at parties. Now, let’s leave some for the guests, OK?

If you try this Pistachio Crusted Vegan Cheese Ball, please let me know in the comment section below, or tag me on instagram with the hashtag #jessicainthekitchen !

RELATED RECIPES

Vegan Asian Lettuce Wraps with Sweet Sriracha Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup cashews , boiled for 5 minutes, or soaked overnight OR in hot water for 1 hour
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lime juice , 2 tablespoons
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp white cooking wine or vegetable stock or vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 sprig Rosemary , torn into bits
• 1 sprig Thyme , torn into bits
• ½ to ¾ cup pistachios , finely crushed

Instructions

• Prep your cashews: Boil them for 5 minutes, then discard this liquid. Alternatively, soak the cashews overnight in your fridge in enough water to cover them or in hot water for 1 hour on the counter. Drain this liquid .
• Add soaked cashews to a food processor. Add in the sea salt, ground black pepper, lime juice, white vinegar, white cooking wine/stock/vinegar, garlic and the 2 tablespoons of water. Everything except the rosemary, thyme and pistachio. Blend together until creamy and incorporated. The cheese will be spreadable.
• Stir in the rosemary and thyme at this point. Taste the cheeseball and add salt if necessary.
• Spoon the vegan cheese mixture into a cheesecloth, or a very very thin dish towel or even a handkerchief. Wrap into a ball and place ball over a strainer in a bowl. Leave in your fridge to release the excess liquid overnight.
• Remove the cheese ball from the cloth. There should be some liquid drained and the cheese should be more firm. Smooth down the edges of the cheese.
• Place the crushed pistachios in a plate. Roll the cheese around in the place, covering the entire outside with pistachio.
• Serve with crackers and enjoy!

Notes

1. This recipe is naturally vegan and gluten free. The vegan cheese is edible and delicious even before reducing liquid to create the cheese ball and you can eat it at this point if you desire. You can add nutritional yeast if you want. I didn’t have any and still got the desired taste!
2. HOW TO STORE CHEESE BALL After the cheese ball is rolled in the pistachio, I like to wrap mine in saran wrap and then store in my fridge. After about a day in the fridge the cheese is very easy to slice, so you can make this ahead of time if you so desire. The cheese ball will last at least a week in your fridge.

This Pistachio-Crusted Vegan Cheese Ball is actually VERY easy to make! It tastes INCREDIBLE and is great for appetisers and parties!

My first thought after making this vegan cheese ball was: why have I NOT done this before? Make no mistake: this vegan cheese ball, encrusted in all the gloriousness of pistachios, tastes like cheese. I don’t mean a distant cousin of cheese, I mean if I swapped this out at a party with no labels you wouldn’t know that you weren’t devouring a creamy goat cheese. In two words: make. this. When you see how easy it is, you’ll be stocking your pantry with cashews.

So what goes into the deliciousness that is this vegan cheese ball? Our new best friend, cashews. Sure, I’ve used cashews to make cheesecake before, and dozens of times when making vegan sour cream for my crock-pot recipes. I fell in love with the idea of cashews to replace cheese in recipes from then. When soaked, it becomes very creamy, and as anyone who’s had unsalted cashews would know, they have a very neutral taste that is able to adapt any flavours given to it. Yet, for some reason, I hadn’t gone back to the base and just made plain ole’ delicious vegan cheese. It’s as simple as soaking the cashews and blending them with some yummy brine-y cheese tasting ingredients that you already have in your pantry, then adding it to a cheesecloth to firm up. Easy peasy.

As for the pistachios? Fun fact: I got a free gift certificate and used it to buy pistachios. I didn’t have this idea in my head yet, but clearly my food-obsessed brain decided to ignore all the free makeup and go straight for the nuts. No regrets. Who doesn’t love a cheese ball rolled in a crunchy, slightly salty perfection that is pistachios? I would recommend not skipping this step. It’s the cherry on top (please don’t put an actual cherry on top) and truly completes this cheese ball.

PS. 2- I also, just for fun, made a sweet tomato jam to go along with the entire cheese ball based on a tradition that the Mr., my mom and myself started a few years ago known as let’s-finish-all-the-cheese-and-tomato-jam-in-10-minutes. The jam, some nuts, some dried fruit and the cheese ball would make a great quick platter at parties. Now, let’s leave some for the guests, OK?

If you try this Pistachio Crusted Vegan Cheese Ball, please let me know in the comment section below, or tag me on instagram with the hashtag #jessicainthekitchen !

RELATED RECIPES

Vegan Asian Lettuce Wraps with Sweet Sriracha Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup cashews , boiled for 5 minutes, or soaked overnight OR in hot water for 1 hour
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lime juice , 2 tablespoons
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp white cooking wine or vegetable stock or vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 sprig Rosemary , torn into bits
• 1 sprig Thyme , torn into bits
• ½ to ¾ cup pistachios , finely crushed

Instructions

• Prep your cashews: Boil them for 5 minutes, then discard this liquid. Alternatively, soak the cashews overnight in your fridge in enough water to cover them or in hot water for 1 hour on the counter. Drain this liquid .
• Add soaked cashews to a food processor. Add in the sea salt, ground black pepper, lime juice, white vinegar, white cooking wine/stock/vinegar, garlic and the 2 tablespoons of water. Everything except the rosemary, thyme and pistachio. Blend together until creamy and incorporated. The cheese will be spreadable.
• Stir in the rosemary and thyme at this point. Taste the cheeseball and add salt if necessary.
• Spoon the vegan cheese mixture into a cheesecloth, or a very very thin dish towel or even a handkerchief. Wrap into a ball and place ball over a strainer in a bowl. Leave in your fridge to release the excess liquid overnight.
• Remove the cheese ball from the cloth. There should be some liquid drained and the cheese should be more firm. Smooth down the edges of the cheese.
• Place the crushed pistachios in a plate. Roll the cheese around in the place, covering the entire outside with pistachio.
• Serve with crackers and enjoy!

Notes

1. This recipe is naturally vegan and gluten free. The vegan cheese is edible and delicious even before reducing liquid to create the cheese ball and you can eat it at this point if you desire. You can add nutritional yeast if you want. I didn’t have any and still got the desired taste!
2. HOW TO STORE CHEESE BALL After the cheese ball is rolled in the pistachio, I like to wrap mine in saran wrap and then store in my fridge. After about a day in the fridge the cheese is very easy to slice, so you can make this ahead of time if you so desire. The cheese ball will last at least a week in your fridge.

Pistachio-Crusted Vegan Cheese Ball

Ingredients

• 1 cup cashews boiled for 5 minutes, or soaked overnight OR in hot water for 1 hour
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 tablespoons
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp white cooking wine or vegetable stock or vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 sprig Rosemary torn into bits
• 1 sprig Thyme torn into bits
• ½ to ¾ cup pistachios finely crushed

Instructions

• Prep your cashews: Boil them for 5 minutes, then discard this liquid. Alternatively, soak the cashews overnight in your fridge in enough water to cover them or in hot water for 1 hour on the counter. Drain this liquid .
• Add soaked cashews to a food processor. Add in the sea salt, ground black pepper, lime juice, white vinegar, white cooking wine/stock/vinegar, garlic and the 2 tablespoons of water. Everything except the rosemary, thyme and pistachio. Blend together until creamy and incorporated. The cheese will be spreadable.
• Stir in the rosemary and thyme at this point. Taste the cheeseball and add salt if necessary.
• Spoon the vegan cheese mixture into a cheesecloth, or a very very thin dish towel or even a handkerchief. Wrap into a ball and place ball over a strainer in a bowl. Leave in your fridge to release the excess liquid overnight.
• Remove the cheese ball from the cloth. There should be some liquid drained and the cheese should be more firm. Smooth down the edges of the cheese.
• Place the crushed pistachios in a plate. Roll the cheese around in the place, covering the entire outside with pistachio.
• Serve with crackers and enjoy!

Notes

1. This recipe is naturally vegan and gluten free. The vegan cheese is edible and delicious even before reducing liquid to create the cheese ball and you can eat it at this point if you desire. You can add nutritional yeast if you want. I didn’t have any and still got the desired taste!
2. HOW TO STORE CHEESE BALL After the cheese ball is rolled in the pistachio, I like to wrap mine in saran wrap and then store in my fridge. After about a day in the fridge the cheese is very easy to slice, so you can make this ahead of time if you so desire. The cheese ball will last at least a week in your fridge.

Nutrition

Pistachio-Crusted Vegan Cheese Ball https://jessicainthekitchen.com/pistachio-crusted-vegan-cheese-ball/ March 30, 2016

These Crispy Baked Carrot Fries taste just like sweet potato fries, are done in 20 minutes and are dipped in a dreamy Harissa Tahini Dip!

The best ideas seem to strike seconds after I’ve cleaned the entire house and my brain seems to want to make it a complete mess again. Last week I made some epic black bean burgers after one of these sessions and while they were baking realised that I wanted something alongside them…other than french fries. A quick scan of my post-apocalyptic bare fridge presented nothing except beautiful fresh farmer’s market carrots. The idea for carrot fries struck. I wasn’t crazy right? 20 minutes later eating these piping hot off the baking sheet proved that I probably was crazy – in the best kind of mad genius way. Hello to my new fries addiction!

These carrot fries went with my burgers perfectly. The sweetness complimented the smokiness of the burgers and also provided a nice and light crunchy bite in contrast. The shoestring cut is my fav (more crunch) but you could definitely cut them thicker and bake them for maybe 5 more minutes. They are so similar to sweet potatoes fries except (dare I say it?) could be better since they are done in 15 minutes!! Whaaaaat. I’m used to pacing in front of my oven for 30-40 painful minutes waiting on sweet potato fries and in the space of time it would take me to make the dipping sauce and “taste test” it about a billion times these babies were done.

Speaking of the harissa tahini dip…FRIENDS. I have made this over and over since finishing it. I am smothering it on everything. My fries. My burgers. Homemade molasses bread. Eating it with a SPOON. It’s smooth, it’s spicy, and it has an intense smokiness that just seems to be great with everything. Could this be the new coconut oil for me? Pro-ba-bly.

The truth is, anything smothered in delicious fragrant coconut oil , garlic and rosemary will probably taste amazing. Roasted root vegetables are amazing full stop. Yet these carrot fries still managed to take it over the top. If you are a sweet potato fanatic like myself you’ll totally fall in love with these. They are sweet like sweet potatoes, crazy beautiful in colour and similarly disappear from your plate in 10 seconds flat. I want to tell you to share these but I may have had great difficulty doing so.

OK, I did not share them. I did let the Mr. taste about 5 pieces. Then made up some excuse about being the only vegetarian in the household, woe is me, please let me have the rest of the carrot fries.

I know, BUT CARROT FRIES. When you make them, you’ll understand. #teammine.

If you try these Baked Carrot Fries with Harissa Tahini Dip please let me know in the comment section below, or tag me on instagram with the hashtag #jessicainthekitchen !

RELATED RECIPES

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

Harissa Tahini Dip:

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon harissa paste
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 cloves garlic , chopped

Carrot Fries:

• 1 pound carrots
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• a sprig rosemary , chopped
• salt & pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Harissa Tahini Dip

• Mix all the ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Spoon into a bowl and set aside until ready.

Carrot Fries

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or greased foil.
• Peel and slice carrots into matchsticks “fries”.
• Add the carrot fries to baking sheet. Mix the coconut oil, rosemary, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and garlic powder into the fries by massaging into fries with your hands.
• Bake for 20 minutes until fries are crispy. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with Harissa Tahini Dip and enjoy!