Vegan cheese isn't my favorite - it just doesn't live up to my memories of cheese. I tried again though and this queso fresco comes really close!
For the queso fresco: soak the macadamias in water at room temperature overnight. The following day, drain the nuts and place in a food processor with the garlic, lime juice, oil, nutritional yeast, and salt.
Process 1-2 minutes or until the nuts turn into a paste that resembles ricotta cheese. If necessary you can add 1 tbsp. of water to reach the ricotta consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Wet a large piece of cheesecloth, approximately 12” X 12”. Place the paste in the center and a form it into a ball by gathering the edges of the cheesecloth around the cheese.
Twist the top edges of the cheesecloth to tighten, give shape, and get rid of excess water in the cheese. Place the cheese bundle on a plate and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.
The next day unwrap your cheese and serve.
To make the salsa: boil water in a small saucepot. Drop tomato in and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the tomato begins to soften.
While the tomato is simmering, set a large sauté pan to medium-high heat. Place the onion and garlic in the pan and let the high heat char them for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan, peel the garlic, and place them both in the blender.
Remove the tomato from the water and add to the blender. Add the chipotle, cilantro, and pineapple to the blender and process until you reach the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 446 kcal
Carbohydrates: 14 g
Protein: 6 g
Fat: 44 g
Saturated Fat: 7 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 389 mg
Sugar: 5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 35 g
Reviews
Mish Martinez on 2022-12-06 (5 stars): So I made this tonight and I've never made my own cheese before (vegan or not) so I'm a little nervous that the end product might be too soft. I just wondered if you have any additional advice as far as adding water to make sure it actually blends. I soaked my macadamias for about 7 hours and my blender just wouldn't break them down, so I added a considerable amount of water and then it seemed to come out fine but made more than I expected. I tasted a little bit and it was nice and soft and very tasty so far but didn't want to squeeze out too much liquid after adding it to the cheesecloth because it was milky/oily. I'm sure I'd like to make it again and want to make sure troubleshoot any issues before that :) Thanks!
