With 'butter' broiled french bread and dill oil
I finally have a use for that Port Salut knife!!
It is unbelievably good, full of flavour and remarkably like feta. While all the reviews raved about this cheese most felt it wasn't like feta. I have to disagree, it is almost spot on. I have a few recipes from back in the vegetarian days that need feta and I instantly started thinking about making them! Now normally I don't re-post recipes I make from elsewhere, I'll usually just provide a link back but I will re-post this one as I made a slight change which I'll explain below.
Don't be put off with making cheese, this is so, so easy (especially my way) and very versatile. It crumbles like feta but is also creamy enough in the centre to spread onto crusty bread, crackers, toasted bagels - whatever you like. Also, the original recipe drizzled a thyme and rosemary infused oil over top. While you don't have to do this step at all I chose a dill oil. I'm sure the other herbs is beautiful over this but I had some fresh dill and simply love the stuff, so dill it was! Fresh Greek oregano would be my second choice here, for a more authentic feta.
Now the change I made was this: original recipe called for soaking blanched almonds overnight then draining and blitzing in a food processor or blender. I know from experience that my weak ass food processor and blender cannot get nuts as fine as would be needed here. So I went for straight store bought ground almonds instead. That would be almond flour or almond meal in North America I believe. Not only did this cut out a long step but I can always find ground almonds in the grocery store, big bags fairly cheap too. The replacement worked perfect, I'll be making this a lot and I hope you all like feta as this will be featuring in a lot of upcoming posts! ;-)
Edit: I wasn't kidding either! Here are a few fantastic recipes I've made so far with this cheese, this stuff is incredible!!
Roasted Red Pepper and Asparagus Almond Feta Flan
Greek Style Orzo, Spinach and Almond Feta Bake
Spanakopita (Seriously the best I've ever had!!)
Jumbo Pasta Shells filled with Basil Almond Feta with Creamy Tomato Sauce
Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Almond Feta
Pizza with Almond Feta, Spinach, Black Olives and Spring Onion
Buckwheat Crêpes filled with Almond Feta and Walnuts with a Tomato Cream Sauce
Curried Carrot, Zucchini and Almond Feta Fritters
Hickory Smoked Baked Almond Cheese
Baked Almond Feta:
145g ground almonds (about 1 1/2 cups)
60ml lemon juice (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup water (4 fl oz)
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 tsp salt
Simply place everything there in a blender and blitz until super creamy and smooth. Mine took only a few minutes. Stop and scrape down if need be.
Now line a small bowl with 3 layers of cheesecloth:
Spoon the mixture into the cheesecloth:
Now bring all the sides of the cheesecloth together and tie into a ball, I just use a rubber band. Then place the ball in a strainer and place over a bowl:
Now just place it all in the fridge for about 12 hours. I have made this in the morning and baked it off in the evening or I just leave it overnight and bake it off the next day. After the 12 hours there will be a bit of liquid that has drained off:
If you are using the same dish, wash out the drained liquid and I like to give the dish a dusting of cooking spray to ensure it comes out easily:
Preheat the oven to 180C and unwrap the cheese from the cloth:
...and transfer to the greased baking dish or a lined baking sheet smooth side up:
Bake for about 40 minutes or until slightly golden and cracked on top and firm to the touch:
Now just leave to cool in the dish then it's ready to be transferred to a serving plate or used in a recipe! Enjoy!
♥
The herbed oil is entirely optional, I made it the first time I made this cheese but honestly haven't added the oil the hundreds of times I've since made this cheese. I find it doesn't need it as it's so good on it's own.
Dill Oil: (or whatever fresh herb you like)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
Heat the oil and dill together until just warmed, don't let it simmer. Remove from heat, pour into a small bowl and leave to cool.
When ready to serve, remove cheese from the fridge and drizzle over some of the oil. Serve with crusty french bread, crackers, toast triangles....and of course some wine ;-) I served some of it above with butter broiled french bread. You just take some slices of french bread, spread with vegan margarine and broil until golden, repeat with the other side.
Nutritional Information: per 100g
Calories: 490
Fat: 43.7g
Sat Fat: 4.5g
Protein: 12g
Fibre: 6g
Carbs: 14.6g
Sugar: 2.6g
Sodium: 1136mg
Source: Slightly altered recipe that originally appeared in a 2009 edition of the Vegetarian Times Magazine. Reposted on food.com.
Note: Some were asking in the comments how long this keeps for. I just ate some yesterday that I made 2 weeks ago and it was fine, so, at least 2 weeks!
♥
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wow!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh my god, that looks really really good. I need to make this now!
ReplyDeleteWow, I love the look of that! Do you know how long it keeps for?
ReplyDeletecan't wait to try this
ReplyDeleteThanks all! Unfortunately I'm not sure how long it would keep, the original recipe didn't say either - it's so good honestly not long! I made it this morning and there's only about 1/8th left :-D
ReplyDeleteThis sounds super fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteWow, it sounds Soooo good!
ReplyDeleteI mite just have to make this :)
Rose
I say again. OMG.
ReplyDeleteWowsers.
I made it last night, baked it this morning, and finally tasted it this evening. It is LUSH! I only used one layer of a 'butter' cloth as it didn't have large holes, and there was a little liquid in the bowl in the morning, which I think was mainly lemon juice. I think that the lemon juice draining off resulted in a slight loss of flavour from when I tasted it raw compared to after the liquid had drained off and it had been baked. I'll probably use two layers next time. I can't wait to make your Spanikopta. Loving the blog - well done x
ReplyDeleteThanks Heidi! So glad you made it and liked it :-) I'm meant to say that when I made it a second time I too had a bit of liquid in the bowl after it set in the fridge. I had nothing the first time and the only thing different was a new brand of cheesecloth. So, I guess they are all different. Mine tasted the same as the first time though, but it probably is the lemon juice coming out.
ReplyDeleteHope you like the spanakopita - I'm a little bit addicted to it right now!
I made this at the weekend. Very easy to make, i did get some liquid draining over the 12 hours but not much. It was lovely... had the saltyness of feta, i would try less garlic next time. Had this with roast beetroot, olives, walnuts salad. Then used as a spread on crusty bread. I have missed cheese and found the fake cheese unpleasant so this is fabulous. I will be making it again as i now want to try the two recipes you have used it with so far. Thank you
ReplyDeleteI still really liked it, just thought it lost some of its piquant-ness, don't know whether it was after draining or cooking, but I suspect it got mellower during the cooking. I'll be making this again and again, yum!
ReplyDeleteweeeee yaaaaaa!!! Made the 'cheese' 2 nights ago with the leftovers from making many many rounds of almond and cashew milk! What a perfect thing to do with all those stored up ground nuts in my freezer. I have been gorging on cheeze and crackers ever since. Thank you for that one, I will be going to this recipe for years to come! WOW WOW WOW
ReplyDelete:-D Thanks for the comments, so glad you all like it. It's great it's so versatile too - add more or less garlic, lemon etc... next time I'm going to add fresh herbs to the mixture before baking for flavoured cheese. Knowing me probably dill! ;-)but anything would go.
ReplyDeleteThis is brilliant! I've heard of "raw nut cheese" but always wondered how it was made. I've been wanting/needing to get off dairy but the occasional cheese (and yogourt) are what keep making me fall off the wagon. I'm going to hunt down the cheesecloth so I can make this asap! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the inspiration! I just made mine and I am in heaven!
ReplyDeletewell im not a vegetarian or vegan but i came across this recipe while looking for a spanikopita recie.i made it but with walnuts because thats all i had and used a coffee filter since i had no cheese cloth. i served it last night at a dinner party at my house and everyone loved it. next time i will make it with almonds but it was delish with walnuts too. i think it could be nice with other types of nuts as well- maybe you could get some other flavors of 'cheese' if you experiment...
ReplyDeletethanks for the recipe
Walnuts sound yum! I keep thinking cashews would work well too as they are often used in nut cheeses. Brilliant idea with the coffee filter too - love it! Many thanks for your comment and glad you liked it :-)
ReplyDeletemine is wrapped up in the fridge ...waiting for dinner tomorrow! :D yay! It looks like your cheese was really smooth ...almost looks like dough in the pics. Mine has flecks of almond in there ...I was able to grind the nuts to a powder but it isn't completely smooth. anyways, I'm REALLY looking forward to this!! I tried the "batter" and mine was a bit on the strong side (my garlic cloves were a bit large ...hehe, I love garlic!) which goes with my sour/salty palette. So glad you posted this!
ReplyDeleteCool, I'm sure you'll love it! I always use garlic cloves on the large side too, love it ;-) The taste will be a bit more subtle when it bakes as well so it's good to be on the strong side when raw.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy! (I'm actually having some right now with some wine!)
So a quick update - I made the feta with shells and it was amazing! I've even had a few ppl ask me for the recipe so the word is spreading! I'll probably be making it again today to keep around as a spread. sooooooo delicious!!
ReplyDeleteYay! Thanks for letting me know :-)
ReplyDeleteI made this cheese when I saw it (from a different blog) on pinterest a few weeks ago. I loved it! Glad to find you used it in several recipes, can't wait to try! Today I used leftover pulp from making almond milk to make this almond feta. A slightly different texture, but still good!
ReplyDeleteThat's a wonderful idea! I always feel so guilty throwing out all that pulp! Did you have to add more water or anything?
DeleteThanks so much for the comment, glad you liked it, hope you like the other recipes too....the spanakopita my personal favourite ;-)
ReplyDeleteSo I had to try this before I commented, I have made it twice so far and both where supper yummy. I mixed in some Bruschetta spice mix I had the first time so I could have like a baked Brie. The second time I just added some basil and mixed it with spinach after baking to stuff some Cannelloni, boy where they yummy. Everyone that eats dairy regularly really liked it and said it was a keep recipe. I can't what to try it on a pizza next.
ReplyDeleteHi! Glad you liked it :-) I too loved it mixed with basil and stuffed into jumbo shells, so good!
ReplyDelete...and it's GREAT on pizza! ;-)
http://www.maplespice.com/2011/06/pizza-with-almond-feta-spinach-black.html
I cannot tell you how excited I am to have found this recipe - since becoming a vegan over 1 1/2 years ago the very one thing i miss is feta - you make it look so easy, I can't wait to try this recipe out- THANK YOU plus a big HUG :-)
ReplyDeleteaww, cool! Hope it reminds you of it, I found it very accurate in recipes calling for feta and is pretty easy to whip up!
ReplyDeleteDid you have to peel or soak the almonds?
ReplyDeleteI used already ground almonds. If you want to make this using whole almonds then they should be blanched and require soaking as indicated in the original recipe I've linked to in the post.
ReplyDeleteThank you Debbie. I'm embarrassed I asked about the almonds. I read your article more thoroughly right after I posted my question.
ReplyDeleteI bought some almonds at the farmer's market this afternoon. I can't wait to try it
:-)
ReplyDeleteNo worries! Hope you like it!!
♥
I found your blog post the other day, and I just got my first one out of the oven. I agree, it's super-easy. I posted a photo on my Facebook profile, it's here: http://bit.ly/almondfetaphoto I don't yet know how it will taste, but it certainly smells and looks delicious! Thanks so much for posting this, exactly what I was looking for.
ReplyDeleteLooks fantastic!! It really is so easy, hope you like it too :-)
ReplyDeleteSharing this one on Pinterest, it looks like a great idea. Is the almond meal you used blanched almond meal, or ground from whole almonds? I've seen both kinds for sale, just wondered which one would work. I'm imagining the blanched almond meal, but just checking.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I believe mine was blanched almond meal, it didn't specify but it was all white so I'm just assuming. I didn't realize there were both types out there so thanks for the heads up!
ReplyDeleteI know others have made this the longer way soaking and blitzing whole almonds and have used un-blanched and still loved it so I'm not sure it matters too much :-) Hope you like it!
Mine was darker and flecked - do you think that's because I used whole almonds? Or because I used a food processor instead of a blender?
DeleteHi Johanna! If you used the brown unskinned almonds then yes, hope it didn't affect the taste too much though. The blender would usually produce a smoother end product texture wise. I tend to find this recipe can happily take substitutions and variations :-)
DeleteWhat a doofus! I totally missed the celsius in the recipe and had my oven on 180 fahrenheit. Its been 40 minutes and the cheese is just as white as it started! Hilarious. 40 more minutes on 350F should do the trick. Thanks for the recipe.
ReplyDelete:-D oh dear!! It might be extra crumbly then, hope it all worked out :-)
ReplyDeleteMy daughter has made this several times and it is gorgeous. Problem I have is I am intolerant to citrus. I just wondered if anyone has any suggestions to what I could substitute in place of the lemon? I can tolerate it occasionally, but if I make some i know I will want to eat it all lol
ReplyDeleteHi Denise!
ReplyDeleteI did make a variation on this with my Hickory Smoked Baked Almond Cheese and it's essentially the same recipe without the lemon juice.
http://www.maplespice.com/2011/08/hickory-smoked-baked-almond-cheese.html
You don't have to make that flavour but it proves the cheese can be made without the lemon juice. I would just try the original version but replacing the lemon juice with more water, or if you can have vinegar maybe a small amount of apple cider vinegar (not 1/4 cup!) maybe like 1 tablespoon to add the acidic element.
The hickory smoked one turned out great but was a little softer in texture than this one which may have been down to it having no acid added.
Hope you find a version you like, I may just experiment myself without the lemon juice!
Hi Debbie Thanks for your comments, I was just going to experiment, but it is always nice to get other ideas :) Thanks you for yours. I will try both all :D
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on this blog, it's so full of creativity and the photos are light and fresh :) It's lovely and refreshing for the lazy vegan that I am.
Anyways, I tried this recipe, left it in the fridge overnight and baked it this morning/lunch. There was NO liquid at all in the bowl when I took it out so I had my doubts it would work (I couldn't find a cheese cloth so I used an old clean scarf that looked almost like mousseline, that might have something to do with it...). I baked it a little under the temperature you gave for a little longer, thinking it might dry it out.
It is SO nice... It's delicious and tastes way more creamy and savoury than I gave it credit for. Thank you so much for sharing this, I think it will become a usual dish now :) I added a tiny bit of alpro soya cream when I made it, and a bit of dry rosemary too. I think next time I might add a bit of fresh thyme before or after cooking it, a little more garlic (that's my french side speaking, never enough garlic...) and rosemary too, and maybe try some other type of nuts mixed with the almond.
Thank's for sharing and showing so much energy, with a bit of luck you'll help me get out of this 'tea and vegan butter on toast' diet soon...!
Fang
(www.theblueteapot.com)
So glad you liked it fang! I love that people are getting so creative in replacing the cheesecloth!!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why but sometimes I get liquid draining off, and sometimes not. It never seems to affect the end result though. I *think* it might be if I use fresh or bottled lemon juice. I use both depending on what I have in the house at the time. I think fresh doesn't drain much and bottled does.
Anyway, it's a pretty hardy recipe and can take anything!
Thanks so much for your kind words about the blog too - it means a lot! ♥
This is delicious! :) I've made it a few times now, all times it didn't last long at all. I even let my mom have some and she agreed it tastes fantastic. :) I followed a comment's suggestion on here about using a coffee filter and used a tofu press that my boyfriend shipped to me that he ordered online, but I have yet to try making tofu, but it works great with the cheese. Though the second time I made it I left the coffee filter on while baking.. the inside was still good though. I just made this today and put it on top of some pasta with tomato sauce. And then I shared it on facebook. :) It's gone now though, I shared it with my mom again. :D Thank you for your great recipes!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Heather! I'm actually out of cheesecloth myself at the moment - think I'll have to try the coffee filter way!! :-D
ReplyDeleteI made it and it's truly amazing. Thank you SO MUCH for this cheese that changes my life a little bit !
ReplyDeleteI have a silly question... Does it have a noticeable almond taste\aftertaste?
ReplyDeleteIt looks amazing!
Hi! No, I don't find it has any almond taste at all. Mostly garlic and lemon then saltiness like feta has...It's a little hard to describe but it really is great :-)
ReplyDeleteits amazing!!!! this is the first vegan cheese that actually taste like dairy cheese! i made it once but im already in love with it!!
ReplyDeleteHello, thanks so much for your recipe. I made this at the weekend and it was really delicious. My vegetarian boyfriend thought it tasted like feta too. Andi
ReplyDeleteI made this today and it was really delicious! I only left it for 4 hours before I cooked it, and it was still amazing. I used it in the Spanakopita dish and it was really tasty, you wouldn't know there wasn't real cheese in there. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. Deb :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments Anon, Andi and Deb! Glad you all like it :-)
ReplyDeletemade this for my whole family and everyone LOVED it!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a gorgeous recipe. My partner made it for dinner tonight. Here is a photo of his creation. So lovely! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=435462496492261&set=a.428128117225699.90362.180961745275672&type=1&theater
ReplyDeleteThat looks fantastic!! So glad you guys liked it :-) It's incredibly versatile too, I find I throw it into almost everything these days!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this recipe! I made it this weekend, the taste is incredible, and surprisingly feta-y.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first tried this out of the oven, I wasn't completely sold. But I left it in the fridge for a bit and tried it again in a sandwich I used to create with feta, and LOVED it! I recently have tried dairy feta again and just don't have the stomach for it at all - or taste buds - but this almond feta is really, really good. I'm going to try your spanakopita tonight. Thanks Debbie!!
ReplyDeletePS: I had it in the fridge for over 2 weeks and it's still great.
Hi Corinne! So glad you liked it in the end, I found it wonderful in my old feta recipes too. Thanks for letting me know it keeps for up to 2 weeks too :-) Hope you liked the spanakopita!
DeleteI'm so excited to try this! Do you know if a nut milk bag would work in place of the cheesecloth? It's so hard to find cheesecloth here in Australia!
ReplyDeleteHi! I've never actually seen a nut milk bag in person but looking at one online here it *looks* like it would work just fine. I know others have had success using coffee filters, J-Cloths and even hosiery! So I think anything very fine in texture should work. I once used muslin cloths which I found in the baby section at the supermarket and they worked too. Good luck, let me know how you get on!
DeleteThis cheese was so good. I even had my non-vegan cheese loving friends try it and they were impressed. This one is definitely a keeper! Thanks so much for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteGlad you all liked it Bethy!
Deletei'm greek and this looks just like the real thing...
ReplyDeletei don't eat dairy...i'll try it....but is 40 minutes cooking nesecary?
it seems like a long time...
Hello! Yes, it does take 40 minutes...sometimes I have pulled it out after 30 minutes but find it does need the full 40, although, all ovens differ. Baking improves the flavour and crucially the texture from wet and grainy to smooth and creamy. The long time also ensures that at least the outside of the cheese will crumble like feta.
DeleteHope you like it, I would love to know what a Greek thinks of it! :-D
Hi Debbie, I just wanted to add my thanks for this recipe. Made it yesterday and not just myself but my family love it. Now I'm going to check out your recipes using it, but don't think that there'll be a lot left for that this time round. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you all liked it Nicky!
DeleteThank you for this great recipe! I have a question: can you leave the cheese in the fridge for less than 12 hours before you cook it? What is the waiting time for? Thank you very much again :)
ReplyDeleteHi Joelle! Thanks for your comment, you can leave it in for less than 12 hours, it's just to let some of the liquid drain off but I've used it in the same day and it's still great. Even just a few hours will probably do :-) Good luck!
Deletei made it because i had almond meal just sitting around. I, too, have a whimpy blender, but it seemed to work okay. I would like to use organic almonds next time (blanched). Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi there!
ReplyDeleteI just had to say - this is indeed a life changing recipe! Can't believe the answer to my feta cravings was so simple! :D
Incredibly tasty. I tried to marinate it in olive oil and herbs, which was very nice tastewise but a bit gooey in terms of texture. I'll probably just drizzle it on top the next time since the 500 grams I made disappeared in less that a day.
Regarding the texture and feel -
Forget the feta cubes you buy in a plastic container, that's not what this is about.
The overall feel of the feta made with this recipe is that of more luxurious, fresh, feta cheese.
I love this recipe! :D
It's great isn't it? I want to hug whoever came up with this at Vegetarian Times!! Life changing for sure :-) Totally agree about the texture being fresh and luxurious too!
DeleteOh my goodness! I have just eaten some of the feta cheese, and oh my, Yu-um! It tastes exactly like feta. I am not vegan (am dabbling) but am having dairy issues, so decided to try this. I can't believe it. Thank you thank you I was very distressed over not really being to eat dairy and it's so new I was mourning the loss of cheese. Not anymore! Love your blog. Just found it through a google search. I'm a Canadian with an Irish mother:) oh and just realized it's Paddy's Day, have a great one!
ReplyDeleteHappy St. Patrick's Day!! So glad you liked the cheese, I felt the same way, it was like "omg I can have cheese again!" :-) I've also recently picked up the cookbook "Artisan Vegan Cheese" by Miyoko Schinner, I've so far made her Buffalo Mozzarella and was really impressed by it, like this they are mostly nut based cheeses so as you liked this one you may want to have a look into it too :-)
DeleteThis sounds amazing - can't wait to try it. Would almond flour (as long as it's just almonds, nothing else added) work for the ground almonds?
ReplyDeleteHi Alanna! Yes, almond flour, ground almonds and almond meal are basically the same thing. Hope you like it!
DeleteFantastic! I will be picking up some cheesecloth and making this tonight, along with some gluten free bread or crackers. can't wait!
DeleteAbsolutely sublime.
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie I just used some of this in a pasta Alfredo dish I just created. Sent you an email but referred to myself as Caadian Darlene. That's me, Dar Del. Recipe was yummy. Almond Feta even better this second time. Parts of it got really brown, almost caramelized, oh my, so good.
ReplyDeleteHi Darlene! Got the email, thanks so much for the recipe, can't wait to try it! And yeah, they brown bits on this feta are the best!!! :-D
DeleteI made this yesterday. How amazing. I cannot express how happy I am! I had a dinner party and served stuffed cabbage rolls filled with the feta and mushrooms, it went down a treat. My carnivorous mother was eating the plain feta by the spoonful. With the other half of my feta, I melted it into some pasta with courgettes and lots of black pepper. To die for. I will be making this at least weekly. Thank you!! Poppy
ReplyDeleteGlad you all liked it! Everything sounded fantastic!!
Delete