Cashewwwwww Cheese--Gesundheit!!!

Of course I am thinking I am sooo clever because Gesundheit means "health" in German. Ja!

Sorry, the picture didn't turn out so great but the cheese DID. I scraped off some of the top so you can see what it should look like if you don't use seaweed. This stuff is milk-free and raw and full of beneficial bacteria, a.k.a. probiotics, mostly lactobacillus, same stuff that makes yogurt good for you. It tastes pleasantly sour and a bit buttery.

Recipe for Cashew Cheese

(this is done the Korean way, with approximations, because you never know how much stuff you're going to have)

2-3 cups raw organic cashews (size of small tub from Whole Foods, etc.
sea salt OR kelp or dulse flakes (dulse gives it a nice red color, above)
1/4-1/2 cup Rejuvelac (see below)

Soak the cashews overnight or 24 hours, drain.
Combine with sea salt to taste and/or seaweed in a high speed blender, food processor, or Vitamix. Add Rejuvelac and set blender on high and go to town.

If you prefer a firmer cheese, you can drain water out of it by putting it in a colander lined with a muslin cheesecloth. I don't think it's worth the trouble. I just pack it into a nice glass or ceramic container, cover it with something permeable (e.g., pantyhose, papertowel) and let it ferment for about 24 hours. It should NOT grow fuzzy mold, as the probiotics in the Rejuvelac should colonize the cheese, but if it does sometimes mold can fly in through the air, that's why you keep it covered), just scrape it off--maybe it's penicillin. The mold is NOT harmful and will not poison you.

Then refridge and eat. I like to stick salty-salty olive bits on it for even more taste. Enjoy!!!!! It's great on sunflower burgers, if you miss the cheese.

How to Make Rejuvelac:

most recipes use sprouted wheatberries or rye, all of which have gluten. I used quinoa, which is not only faster sprouting, it is a "super" food that has all the essential amino acids.

Soak about 1/4 cu (or less) quinoa in a clean jar covered with NON-chlorine water (e.g., filtered, spring) about 12-24 hours, or overnight. You should see the beginning of white, sprouty looking things in the morning.

Drain into a seed sprouter, or just put some pantyhose (clean, please!) over the glass and drain out the water. Rinse these guys at least 3 times a day with the same non-chlorine water.

When the sprouts get to be about 1/4"--this can happen in 24 hours if it's hot out, stuck them back in a clean glass cover with plenty of water and let sit out 24 hours or longer. When it gets cloudy and tastes sour (use clean spoon to swig, don't introduce your bacteria into this!), it's done. If it smells rotten (this has never happened, but I heard is can) throw it out and start over. This is your gluten-free Rejuvelac, strain the sprouts out, use it, drink the rest as a refreshing probiotic punch.

As a vegetarian, I used to get all my bone-building calcium (so I thought) from cheese. Here's an article from BBC about a study that followed a group of committed Raw Foodies and found them to be slim and healthy with great bones. Even the guy from the National Osteoporosis Society (which I'm sure always wants more members) had to admit the Raw Foodies showed NO signs of osteoporosis PLUS they had way MORE vitamin D than average, which is additionally interesting because most people are already low on Vit D, which is why they stick it in milk in the first place. Obviously, something they are doing is nurturing their Vitamin D uptake, and milk might not be the best vehicle. (n.b. The FertilityBitch has been telling people to lay off on the sunscreen and get naturally from sunlight).

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