I am sure by now you've caught wind of the fact that I am dairy free. And in this journey, which is wrought with lots of vegetables and meats, I had vowed not to do replacements for cheese. Oh how I eat my words, one bite of Tofutti at a time. The thing is, one does get to missing cheese, and technically, this isn't really a cheese substitute, it's cream cheese substitute. But it was more than that.Back when I was pregnant, a friend of mine gave me the Eating for Your Blood Type book, which is a great read. I am still referring to it because it takes you through breastfeeding as well as going one step further to include your baby's blood type diet! My daughter and I are the same blood type, and so, I was checking it out and saw it said that in the postpartum period I should eat more soy products.
That was when I remembered my friend Amanda had mentioned Tofutti and how good it was. So, all of these things combined took me to that special place: the aisle of the supermarket where the nondairy products and soy meats live. And I bought it. And then it sat in my fridge for a while I contemplated how exactly to use it because I don't really eat bagels.
I'm telling you, once you get out of the habit of cooking with dairy, it's a hard thing to return to. But I don't want you to worry, I found some uses for it and booooooooy was I happy then! First, I had a jelly and "cream cheese" sandwich. Then, I used it in place of cheese in a meat pie recipe. I also used it in a recipe for dairy-fee mac n' cheese (which is coming soon!) And finally, I whipped it up with some almond milk to make a mock sour cream for a taco salad.
My friend Amanda was 100% right, this stuff is the bomb! If you are dairy free and you have a hankering, or a special need that only cream cheese can fill (like carrot cake icing!) then this is the product for you. I am really happy to have found it because even though I will eat cheese again on occasion, as a household we are pretty happy being dairy free, so it's unlikely we'll go back to our pre-baby dairy eating ways.
I went vegan for awhile and was a fan of Tofutti products--until I read the ingredients. Just beware of things like hydrogenated oils, isolated soy protein, carageenan... no bueno.
ReplyDeleteThat said, a little indulgence never hurt anyone, but I'd urge you to check out cashew-based "cheeses" instead. Here's a fav of mine that dairy-lovers never complain about! It's sooooo goooood. http://plantpoweredkitchen.com/recipes/recipe-vegveeta-dip/
I really don't do any of the cheeses...I have vowed against it. Cheese and I will have our day again! However, as you say, sometimes you need a little indulgence and that is just what I like! :) Plus, especially for cooking, sometimes you need a creamy element that coconut milk just can't give!
DeleteNow all that being said, Imma check out your link. Thanks for sharing!