Smoked Chipotle | Vegan, Seed-Free, Soy-Free

Smoked chipolte vegan spread, or ‘cheese’ from Jules Aron’s ‘Vegan Cheese: Simple, Delicious Plant-Based Recipes’ (May 2017, Countryman, $24.95) ( )

This smoky, spicy cheese can be sliced, shredded, and melted. Adapted from Jules Aron’s “Vegan Cheese” cookbook – this is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Add it to vegetables, soups, or cauliflower mashed “potatoes.” Agar is a thickener made from red algae; available in many health food stores, Asian markets and online.

Smoked Chipotle | Vegan, Seed-Free, Soy-Free

Makes 16 servings

• 1 cup raw Brazil nuts, soaked, rinsed, and drained

• 1/2 cup water

• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 1 tablespoon chickpea miso paste

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/4 red onion, minced

• 1 chipotle pepper, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

Agar gel:

• 3/4 cup cold water, filtered

• 1 tablespoon agar powder

Place all cheese ingredients in a blender. Process until creamy. Leave the cheese mixture in blender.

To make agar gel, whisk cold water and agar together in saucepan. Let it soak for 5 minutes then bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, whisking often, for 5 to 8 minutes, to activate agar.

Once agar mixture is ready, quickly transfer it to cheese mixture in blender and process until it is homogeneous. Pour into container, cover, and let cheese set in the refrigerator, at least 2 to 4 hours.

Wrap cheese in waxed paper and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Will keep, refrigerated, for 1 to 2 weeks.

Per one-ounce serving: 50 calories, 4 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 130 mg sodium, 3 grams carbohydrate, 0.8 grams fiber, 0.5 grams sugar, 1.5 grams protein.

For more details on this topic, read Molly’s full article on NOLA.com|The Times Picayune.