Recipe and Review: Pesto using Parmela’s Parmesan-Style Aged Nut Cheese

Good things come in small packages. 

I was always intrigued by pesto. All the celebrity chefs were making it on their shows, and I loved how green it was and how fresh it looked because of how quick it was made using simple ingredients. 

I never tasted or made pesto prior to becoming plant-based (I know, hard to believe, but I just stuck to tomato- and cream-based sauces). But that all changed when I came across Parmela’s Parmesan-Style Aged Nut Cheese.

I was thinking of different ways to use the product other than sprinkling it on homemade pizzas. So I thought I'd give pesto a try.

Parmela's Parmesan has a nutty, cheesy flavor that comes from the cashews and nutritional yeast. The texture is medium to fine course, and I find that it has a slight zing as an aftertaste (maybe from the fermented soybeans).

A lot of vegans simply use nutritional yeast when they want a Parmesan-like cheese. I don’t mind the taste of nutritional yeast (or nooch, as it’s sometimes called), but I don’t like to flavor my pesto with it. My pesto tastes bland and unappealing with it.

I’ve read some reviews online from people who don’t particularly care for Parmela’s. The reviewers don’t mention how they apply Parmela’s Parmesan, so I’m not sure what their issue with the product is. I’ll admit, I don’t notice the flavor of this nut-cheese product too much when sprinkled on a finished dish, but my dishes often feature robust spices and strong ingredients that can easily overpower this subtle cheese alternative.

But in my pesto, which is sweet, fragrant, and mild, this product adds body and nutty, cheesy notes that make me want to keep eating it.

Pesto

Ingredients:

2 cups of loosely packed basil

1/3 cup of pine nuts (toast them in a pan for a couple minutes, tossing frequently, until they darken slightly and give off an aroma)

3 cloves of garlic

1/3 c of Parmela’s Parmesan

1/3 c to 2/3 c of olive oil, depending on how runny you want the sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Put everything into a food processor – except the salt and pepper – and blend until mixed thoroughly. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. Blend again and taste.

This is how my pesto looks with 2/3 cup of olive oil. 

I'm about to boil some organic whole wheat spaghetti.

Finish off your plate of pasta with a sprinkle of Parmela's and a splash of fresh lemon juice.

Product Review: Neat Meat Replacement Is Neato-Keano Swell (also #gluten-free, #soy-free)

The three flavors of Neat, a meat replacement and shelf-stable product. From left, Mexican, Italian, and Original

One of my favorite new vegetarian products that emerged on the market in 2013 is a shelf-stable, meat-replacement product called Neat. Neat was born in the kitchen of a Pennsylvania family, and the name came about when daughter Morgan said, “This isn’t meat; it’s neat!”

Another great thing about the company is that Neat is packaged by VisionCorps at its food facility in Lancaster County, Pa. VisionCorps provides support programs and employment opportunities to people who are blind or vision impaired.

Home cooks can prepare the Mexican, Italian, or Original mix with 2 tablespoons of water and 2 eggs or 2 egg substitutes (Yay, vegan option!). Parmesan or a vegan Parmesan is needed to make Italian neatballs. Once all the ingredients are combined, the thick mixture is then cooked in a pan with a little oil. 

I'm breaking up the Mexican Neat mix into crumbles as it cooks.

I’ve prepared and tasted all three mixes, and the finished products are slightly moist and just ever-so crumbly in your mouth.

Here’s a roundup of the three flavors:

• Mexican: As I prepared the mix, the smells brought back memories of Old-Ortega taco night as a kid. The strong aroma of chili powder and onion powder automatically makes you inhale deeply to take in that awesome taco-seasoning smell. This is definitely my favorite of the three, and I plan to use the mix when I make a tamale casserole (I’ll post the recipe and photos tomorrow).

• Original: This mix has the most delicious smells as you mix it and cook it in a pan. The package only lists “spices” in the ingredient list, but whatever the “spices” are, it’s a good combination fo’ sure. You can make ground neat, which will resemble the crumbles you get when making the Mexican mix. You also can make burgers – four patties per package.

• Italian: This mix definitely makes you think of Italian food as you prepare it. I made neatballs (eight balls per package) and used Parmela’sParmesan Style Aged Nut Cheese where the recipe called for 1/3 c. of Parmesan cheese. I added the cooked neatballs to some noodles and then poured on my homemade pesto sauce. My family enjoyed this dish tremendously, and the neatballs held their own well.

Neat can be purchased at VeganEssentials, Amazon, Vitacost, and on the Neat website.

Recipe: Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

I was inspired to cook with cauliflower after watching the premiere episode of “How to Live to 100,” which is a vegan cooking show on The Cooking Channel. I don’t get The Cooking Channel on Cablevision, but you can watch episodes on the network’s website, here.

As chef Jason Wrobel points out in his show, cauliflowers contain:

• Phytonutrients that activate detoxification enzymes in the body
• Antioxidants – such as Vitamin C and Manganese – that fight free radicals
• Nutrients (like Vitamin K) that fight inflammation

One of my favorite cauliflower comfort-food recipes is a low-carb alternative to traditional mashed potatoes.

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
3 T of vegan Parmesan, such as Parmela’s Parmesan Style Aged Nut Cheese
2 T of garlic powder
2 T of dillweed or ¼ c – ½ c of fresh chopped dill or chives
3 T of room-temperature vegan cream cheese (I followed this recipe to make my own scallion cream cheese)
2 T of vegan buttery spread (optional)

Directions: Steam or boil the cauliflower until fork tender. This can take anywhere from 20-30 minutes. Drain the cauliflower and place in a food processor. Add the Parmesan and garlic powder, and pulse until creamy. Transfer the mashed cauliflower to a large bowl and stir in the room-temperature cream cheese, dillweed, and buttery spread. Add salt to taste. If you want more of a tang in your mashed cauliflower, use vegan sour cream or dairy-free yogurt instead of the cream cheese. Or, you can use the cream cheese and add 1-2 T of fresh lemon juice, which is what I did.

The cauliflower becomes creamy after a few minutes in the food processor.

My bowl of creamy mashed cauliflower with the scallion cream cheese mixed in it. the arlic powder and Parmesan give the cauliflower a satisfying, savory taste. The cream cheese provides a little tang, and the scallions and herbs add texture and fragrance. Yum!