Try it Tuesday: Daiya Cheese!

When I first heard that Daiya cheese was going to be available in Canada my knees buckled in excitement. I immediately told the manager of the health food store I work at and I instructed him to purchase as many cases as possible. Since I began my position, vegans (and non-vegans alike) had been coming in requesting the delicious vegan cheese they'd had at this and that restaurant. They said it was the best they'd ever had. I knew that we'd sell out right away, and we did! Well, Daiya was smart - they made their cheese available in industrial sized bags for use in restaurants before they released it for retail sale in Canada. So many of us had tried it, but couldn't buy it yet... and the anticipation grew daily.

After releasing their cheddar and mozzarella shreds, they formulated a new "pepperjack" which features yummy spices lending a mild heat. This is the flavour I've been obsessed with!

Check out how it melts perfectly
on my quesadilla.

Daiya cheese is a vegan revolution - it's the first ever product that I've tried free of any animal products, free of soy, and free of gluten, that still tastes amazing. It's base is tapioca. The reason that a good-tasting tapioca-based cheese imitation is so important is that almost all vegan products are soy-based and a diet heavy in soy can lead to all sorts of complications. Many people are now seeking out soy-free vegan foods, but they don't always taste great.

You cannot resist its melting goodness!

I recently went buck-crazy with a bag of their shredded pepperjack. I started out by making a plain quesadilla: a good flavour test since all it contained was a plain, white tortilla shell filled with Daiya pepperjack cheese, and warmed in a skillet. It melts so beautifully and within 5 minutes I had a tasty, vegan snack that could easily pass for real, dairy cheese. Then I made a batch of nachos and had Calvin try some, without telling him what was special about the cheese. (Calvin is a trained chef, having worked at - arguably - our city's finest restaurant, Crave. He has an impeccable palate and can almost always tell when I'm tricking him.) He said the nachos were really good, a little salty but he liked the spicy kick. He had no idea that they were vegan until I told him: success! I also melted some on a warm pita, gave some away to my mother-in-law who is 100% dairy-free, saved some for a taco tonight and made scrambled eggs with it (not vegan, I know). Clearly one small bag goes a long way!

Now that we have the amazing privilege to have this product in Canada, go and try a bag yourself!

GF Cheddar Biscuits

I am home sick from work today and by home I mean at my parents' house. Calvin is writing an important test for work (something to do with banking?) and then off to Toronto (something to do with a concert?). While he's away, and Mom isn't home from work yet, Angela is taking care of me and she's doing so by making "chicken noodle soup." While she works on that, and in between me needing a couch-lie because my stomach is so unsettled, I am whipping up some gluten free cheddar biscuits.

Before you get started, review how to make gluten-free flour mix here:

http://myideaofhappiness.blogspot.com/2010/11/gf-shortbread-recipe.html

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. Add 1 T lemon juice to 1 c cold milk to make a fake buttermilk.
3. Whisk together

• 2 c GF gluten free flour mix
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp each: baking soda, sugar, salt
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

4. Pour 1/2 c melted butter or margarine into the soured milk, then pour those both into the dry ingredients. Mix all together.
5. Scoop in large clumps (16 or so in total) onto a greased cookie sheet or two.
6. Bake 10 minutes.

Eggplant Casserole

Eggplant casserole is definitely my favourite food. I say that about a lot of things. 

It is the first full meat-free meal I've made that didn't result in a unanimous "Where's the meat?" from the boys.

Here's how I make it:

In a skillet, sautee a small onion or two until cooked. If there's not much oil/butter left, add more. With the heat on medium, add in an equal amount of flour and whisk to create a roux. (Feel free to use gluten free flour mix, brown rice flour, or cornstarch). Let cook for 30 seconds then whisk in one cup of milk. It will thicken as it heats up. Grate in a cup of cheddar cheese.

To this cheese sauce add one jar of homemade tomato sauce. Stir to combine, then set aside.

Heat a decent amount of oil in a skillet. In the meantime, chop one eggplant into 1/2" thick coins. Fry each piece, both sides, until soft. As the pieces are done frying (do them in batches, don't overload the skillet) layer them in a 9x9 with the blush sauce, like a lasagna. Finish with a layer of grated cheddar cheese.

Surprise! I have terrible fridge organization skills and this photo will prove it!

Bake the casserole at 400 degrees F for 40 minutes, then broil for a minute to make the cheese bubbly.