Caramelized onion cashew cheese (fermented)
Caramelized onion cashew cheese (fermented)
Yields 1 cup
Ingredients
1 cup cashews – soaked, drained, rinsed[i]
¼ cup water kefir (first ferment) or liquid from fermented vegetables
1 tablespoon coconut cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon Himalayan or sea salt (non-ionized salt)[i]
Caramelized onions
1 large onion - sliced
1 cup vegetable stock
2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon Himalayan or sea salt
Steps
Soak cashews for 6-8 hours.
While the cashews are soaking, caramelize onions. Put the sliced onions in a sauté pan with olive oil and salt. Cook until translucent. Add vegetable stock. Cook until the onions melt in your mouth. If your onions start to stick to the pan, add a little extra liquid – either more vegetable stock or water. When they are cooked down they should measure about 1 cup.
Drain and rinse cashews.
Put cashews, kefir, ½ onion, coconut cream, lemon juice and seasonings in a high-speed blender. Blend until creamy. Add remaining onions. Lightly blend, so you can still see chunks.
Pour it into a 1-quart mason jar - leave a couple inches at the top because the cheese will expand. To reduce the possibility of mold developing you can pour a small amount of olive oil on the top.
Cover the jar with cheese cloth or a thin tea towel and secure it with an elastic. Store in a warm, dark room (I put it beside my dehydrator) for 72 hours. When it reaches the right tanginess for your taste, put a lid on the jar and store it in the fridge. It will last a week.
[i] I soak all my nuts and seeds. It removes the enzyme inhibitors making them easier to digest.
[i] An ideal salt for fermenting is whole, unrefined, and full of natural vitamins and minerals
