Why Making Paleo Cheese was a Mistake

After this weekend I truly believe it is a complete myth to think cheese can be made from nuts or vegetables. My husband and I decided it would be fun to try and make "Paleo Cheese". I found a few recipes online that had some great reviews and people seemed to like a lot! These posts made exclamations such as, "Amazing substitute!", "Just like eating the real thing", and "This is my new favorite snack". I was willing to try.

Matthew and I went to Whole Foods to pick up a few ingredients we would need for these special "cheeses". A few of these ingredients were sesame tahini, and nutritional yeast flakes. We were curious to get started. The cheese was easy enough to prepare and even smelled decent. However, after we let the cheese sit over night we decided to try it the following afternoon. I have never tasted anything so terrible in my entire life. Matthew and I hated the gummy texture and the overwhelming amount of spices in the "cheddar cheese".

I wish I had a picture to show the looks on our faces after we tried this major disaster, but I do not. I am glad we tried to make cheese because it made us realize why we don't eat fake cheese. This post is serving more as a warning then anything else. If you want to try these recipes be my guest let me know if you have success while doing it. My opinion is, if you are on the Paleo Diet and you are craving cheese you have two options. One, suck it up and don't eat it, or two, you can just not be on the paleo diet if you need cheese that bad and for heavens sake eat the real stuff!


"Zucchini Cheese"

Ingredients:

• 2 cups zucchini, peeled and cut up into small cubes
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 TBSP coconut oil, melted
• 4 TBSP gelatin (I use the brand Great Lakes / red)
• 2 TSP lemon juice
• 2/3 TSP of salt or more to taste
• 2 TBSP nutritional yeast (optional)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. Steam the zucchini for 5 minutes, until tender.
2. Drain the zucchini.
3. In a Vitamix or high speed blender, blend the zucchini with water, coconut oil, lemon juice, and salt for 30 seconds or until smooth.
4. Add the gelatin and the nutritional yeast. Blend for another 15 seconds.
5. Pour the mixture in a bowl, add the parsley and mix well with a spoon.
6. Pour the preparation in a foil loaf pan and refrigerate until set (at least 4 hours) 

"Cheddar Cheese"

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ c water
• 2 Tbs Unflavored Gelatin*
• ½ c Raw Cashews
• ¼ c Nutritional Yeast Flakes
• 3 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
• 2 Tbs Sesame Tahini
• 3 tsp smoked paprika
• 3 tsp onion powder
• 1 ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp cayenne
• ¼ tsp dry mustard

Instructions:

1. Using palm or coconut oil, generously grease a 1-quart glass or ceramic bowl or casserole dish, set aside.
2. In small sauce pan, bring gelatin and water to boil for 1 minute. Quickly move this and all other ingredients to blender and allow to blend at highest setting until mix is completely smooth.
3. Pour sauce into prepared bowl, refrigerate uncovered for 3 hours. Cover and chill overnight. Store in refrigerator for up to 10 days.
4. Slice, shred, cube, serve.
5. Makes approximately 2 cups.