I’m pleased to present my signature recipe and technique for creating plant-based jumbo franks which remarkably resemble a classic hot dog texture, color and flavor. Ballparks are high in plant-based protein, low in fat, and with no starch fillers, gels or gums. A food processor is required for this recipe in order to produce the desired texture. Yields 8 jumbo franks.
The new updated recipe can now be found in my new cookbook, Cooking with the Gentle Chef
Hard Shreddin’ Chedda’ is a hard, golden block cheese with a mild cheddar cheese flavor. It’s ideal as a cold-snacking cheese. Slices are wonderful for serving on crackers or cold sandwiches. It’s also ideal for shredding as a topping for tacos and other Mexican cuisine, when melting isn’t necessary. When shredded and stirred into hot high-moisture foods, or covered with a sauce and heated, it melts moderately well.
Homemade soy or almond milk yogurt is used in this cheese to impart a natural cultured aroma and flavor that cannot be achieved using commercial lactic acid powder alone. However, for the sake of convenience, you can replace the yogurt with additional plain unsweetened soymilk or almond milk and ½ tsp lactic acid powder. If you have commercial vegan cheddar cheese flavor on hand, add a teaspoon or two to the mixture when blending (strictly optional).
This cheese is very easy to prepare since it does not rely upon stirring or emulsification during cooking; and you will never experience a broken emulsion or a block that does not set and firm properly! It also does not rely upon gels for firming and is therefore free of carrageenan or agar.
The cheese can also be seasoned with additional ingredients to create interesting flavor combinations. Ingredients might include a teaspoon or two of prepared horseradish or hot pepper sauce blended into the liquid mixture before cooking. Dried herbs, spices and low moisture ingredients such as crushed peppercorns, chopped sun-dried tomato, dehydrated garlic, dried minced onion and/or chives, red pepper flakes, etc., can be stirred into the mixture just before cooking.
For this recipe you will need a flexible silicone form/cheese mold that will hold a minimum of 2 cups liquid. Avoid using a metal or Pyrex™ container because the cheese will be very hard after chilling and difficult to remove. Do not use a plastic form as it will not be able to withstand the cooking temperature. You will also need a cooking pot with a lid and an open steamer basket for steaming the cheese in the mold.
Ingredients
Preparation
Add water to the pot, but just below the bottom of the steamer basket, and place over high heat to bring the water to a boil.
Process all ingredients, including any optional high moisture ingredients, in a blender until very smooth. If adding herbs and spices, stir them in after blending.
Transfer to the cheese mold and rap the mold gently on a firm surface to settle the mixture and remove any air bubbles.
Place the uncovered mold into the steamer basket. Place the basket into the pot over the boiling water and cover with the lid. Set a timer for 30 minutes.
Remove the mold from the steamer and allow to cool about 1 hour. The cheese mixture will have a puffy appearance but will settle upon cooling. If steam condensation has settled on the surface of the cheese, or any oil has pooled, very gently blot with a paper towel to remove it (a shiny oily appearance is fine).
The cheese will be very sticky until fully chilled and hardened. It will also have a translucent appearance but will become opaque upon cooling. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until hardened. This will take upwards of 12 hours with 24 hours being ideal.
Remove the cheese from the flexible silicone form. Slice or shred the block as desired. Wrap in a dry paper towel and store airtight in the refrigerator. Change the towel every few days. Stored properly, the cheese will last for weeks.
A savory dip made from scratch with caramelized onions and leeks. Serve with crudités, chips or crackers. This recipe yields about 2 and ½ cups.
Ingredients
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 large sweet yellow onion, peeled
• 1 medium leek, white and light green part only
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp)
• 1 T tamari, soy sauce, tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos™
• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire Sauce
• ¼ tsp coarse ground black pepper, or more taste
• ¼ tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1 cup non-dairy sour cream
• 1 cup vegan mayonnaise
• sea salt or kosher salt to taste, if needed
• chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Preparation
Slice the onions very thin (a mandoline is very helpful) and then chop. Split the leek lengthwise; rinse well to remove any sand and then thinly slice crosswise into “half-moons”.
Add the olive oil to a non-stick skillet and place over medium heat. Add the onions and leeks and a pinch of salt and sauté until golden.
Add the garlic, tamari, Worcestershire, black pepper and thyme and continue to sauté until the vegetables are very soft and nicely caramelized. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until chilled.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the caramelized onion and leek mixture with the sour cream and mayonnaise and mix well. Taste and add salt as needed and additional pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and chill to blend the flavors. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving if desired.
Ingredients for the Salad
• crumbled non-dairy Feta
(from my Nuts about Almonds Cookbook or Non-Dairy Evolution Cookbook)
• mixed greens of your choice*
• pomegranate seeds
• orange segments
• chopped walnuts, raw or lightly toasted
• sea salt or kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste
Ingredients for the Dressing
• 1 and ½ cup pomegranate juice
• 1 cup olive oil
• ¼ cup champagne vinegar, white wine vinegar, rice vinegar or raw apple cider vinegar
• 2 T minced shallot or red onion
• ½ tsp sea salt or kosher salt
• ½ tsp coarse ground black pepper
*Baby spinach, kale, Swiss chard and mizuna were used for the photo.
Preparation
For the dressing, simmer the pomegranate juice in a small saucepan until reduced to approximately ¼ cup. Cool and chill until ready to make the dressing.
Add the pomegranate reduction and the remaining dressing ingredients to a shaker jar and shake until emulsified. Chill thoroughly. Shake the jar thoroughly again before using.
Arrange the salad ingredients on individual plates and drizzle with the dressing; season with salt and pepper to taste.
The Festive Sharp White Cheddar Cheese Logs are made with my recipe and technique for Sharp White Cheddar Amandine from my Non-Dairy Evolution Cookbook (available through this website), but rather than using toasted almonds for the crust, the cheese logs were rolled in a mixture of finely chopped dried cranberries and crushed toasted walnuts for the first log, and then freeze-dried chives and minced red onion for the second log. The colors and flavors make a nice holiday cheese plate presentation. Serve with your favorite crackers.
Over the years I have produced a set of vegan cookbooks. You can read more about them below:
