Vegan Parmesan Cheese

V is for Variety and D is for Dang Best Craziest Thing

Welcome to the Vegan Month of Food (VeganMoFo)  I intend to post 20 times during the month of September – all about vegan food. Check out the gals who organize the project here, and search out other fantastic vegan bloggers. I decided on the theme of “V is for Variety” because, honestly, once I quit the chicken breast – my food choices exploded! Join me!

I guess if you are eating the real, authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese – you know, the official cheese from the official region in Italy – you can skip over this post. But if you are eating the dry dust from the green cans, please continue reading. You can tell if you’re eating the real cheese because its name is stamped on the rind; you can tell you’re eating the imitation cheese if it comes in a green cardboard can. You can also tell you are eating the real stuff if you are paying $15.00 per pound; it’s fake if it costs only $2.79 and can be found at the Dollar Store….in a green cardboard can.

Now, I know it’s the Vegan Month of Food, and I truly want to honor all the rules: post 20 times and talk only about vegan food. And so far, I am doing great. But I will confess that I do indulge in a bite or two of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese once in a while. Why? Cuz it’s awesome. And no nasty comments from you militant vegans out there….I am trying my best and that’s all anyone can ask!

In the meantime, check out this crazy recipe for vegan parm. It’s actually pretty darn good. I mixed it in with some Israeli couscous, roasted tomatoes and fresh basil from my garden.

Hey, if you are still using parm from a green cardboard can with a shaker top – STOP it! Try this instead! It’s better for you and it’s wholesome and it’s salty and it’s nutty and it tastes better than what you’re currently choking down!

Here’s what you need:

¼ C nutritional yeast      

1 C raw cashews              

1 t salt

Here’s what you do:

Process in a high speed blender until a powder is produced. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Sprinkle away!