Whenever the subject of veganism comes up, the most common thing I hear is “I think I can do it, but cheese would be really hard to give up.” In all honesty, most vegan cheeses aren’t really replicating the same satisfaction that dairy cheese can easily deliver. Dairy cheese can be very complex in flavor and textures, and most plant-based companies are still chasing a good-looking “cheese pull.”

The majority of vegan cheese products are heavily based on starches to help replicate the stretchy texture we all love, but that sits really heavy on the stomach. I once entered a vegan pizza challenge that involved a 24-inch pizza covered in a popular brand of vegan cheese. By the end of the challenge, my stomach felt like it was full of Play-Doh. Ever since then, I’ve been really critical of what types of vegan cheese brands I buy. I tend to gravitate towards nut-based options, which I find are generally easier to digest.

In my experience, getting the best vegan cheese result comes from manipulating the product. Nothing complex, just making small additions and hacks to make your resulting dish that much better. Here’s how to start, using five of my favorite vegan cheeses.

Miyoko’s Creamery

Miyoko’s Creamery is definitely a fan favorite. When I first tried this, I knew immediately that it would do well as an alfredo sauce for fettuccine—most vegan recipes call for cashew cheese to make the sauce, and that’s just what this cheese is. I boiled half a pound of pasta and diluted the entire wheel with two cups of pasta water in a saucepan on medium heat, then mixed in the cooked pasta. It made a really quick and easy dinner.

Misha’s Kind Foods

Misha’s cheese is really smooth and easy to spread, perfect for dipping or putting out on a board. (You could use this as an alternative butter board.) This vegan cheese is cashew-, almond, and shallot-based and comes in a handful of flavor options. The one I tried was their J.O.I. flavor: jalapeno, oregano, and thyme. I spread the cheese into a bowl, pressing a few divots into the surface. Then I drizzled a mixture of olive oil, minced garlic, and lemon juice over the bowl, sprinkling chopped pumpkin seeds and fresh cilantro on top. It’s an instant, elegant appetizer. Any oil-based sauces would go well with this; try chimichurri, salsa macha, chili crisp, or tapenade. Mix and match the different Misha’s flavors to create your signature bowl. 

Violife Foods

Violife is a European brand that has been around since the 1990s, but has recently shown up in more U.S. grocery stores. I’ve had most of their products, but the feta cheese is my favorite. It’s very salty and tangy, something that works well in a salad: I cut the feta block into small cubes and marinate it with olive oil, minced garlic, and two bay leaves, then let it sit out at room temperature for an hour before dressing the salad. You can build a wedge salad using iceberg lettuce, red onions, and tomatoes, then drizzle the feta-oil mixture all over. 

Miyoko’s Creamery

This vegan mozzarella is made to be poured onto a pizza before baking, so it browns like dairy cheese would. But I use it a little differently than intended. This product has a salty, tangy flavor–something about it almost reminds me of a blue cheese–and I realized this “cheese sauce” would be perfect in a potato salad, which relies on mayonnaise for fattiness and vinegar for an acidic tang—two things present in this cultured cashew-based vegan cheese. Follow your favorite recipe, swapping this for the mayo and vinegar, and you’ve got a creamy, vegan potato salad ready to go.

Chao Creamery by Field Roast

While this brand of vegan cheese does fall into the starch-based category, it earns a spot on my list because, of all the packaged shredded cheeses I tested, this one came out on top. Sometimes we need a no frill cheese that we can toss into a tortilla for a quesadilla or into some bread for a quick grilled cheese. This cheese is good exactly the way it is and doesn’t leave me feeling bloated. I’m a fan of the Chao slices, too.

The post The Best Vegan Cheeses—and How to Use Them appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Gone are the days when the best bet for an ‘egg replacement’ was a sad tofu scramble served by a patchouli-scented hippie. Now, chefs and food scientists have created so many new vegan eggs that it can be confusing to decide which ones to buy, and for what uses.

I decided to test out a variety of vegan eggs available at my local supermarket and share which I think is the best for four popular breakfast dishes.

Best for an Omelette: Follow Your Heart VeganEgg

This might have been the first vegan egg I saw for sale. They come in an egg carton-style package, and each one is a powdered replacement. I was blown away the first time I tried it out.

When testing it out for this story, I considered scrambling it, but found it worked even better for an omelette. The texture came out smooth and I was able to flip it with ease, allowing both sides to cook well. Note that these come perfectly seasoned already, so you’ll want to hold back on adding extra salt.

Best for a Breakfast Sandwich: Just Egg Folded Plant Eggs

Just Egg seems to be the most-adopted egg alternative in the vegan community—I’ve noticed that most cafes with vegan egg options use this brand. As I was searching for the liquid Just Egg bottle in my market, an employee who was also a fellow vegan pointed me in the direction of these pre-made patties. I bought both to compare.

Surprisingly, there was quite a bit of a difference between the two. I made a sort of mini omelette with the bottled version and folded it, similar to the egg patty. The patty was simply seared in a pan, flipping halfway through the cooking time. The patty came out much airier and fluffier compared to what I made from the liquid. And, because it was pre-cooked, it was able to brown a bit on the pan, which I really liked. Overall, I thought the patties had a better taste, too.

All this makes them the perfect choice for a breakfast sandwich. The patty stays intact with every bite—there is nothing worse than taking the first bite of a sandwich and stuff falls out from the sides.

Best for Avocado Toast: Vegg Vegan Egg Yolk

When I went vegan in 2011, I would never have imagined that we would be here talking about a vegan egg yolk. The first time I saw such a thing was at a restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, where it was considered super novel–and for years that was the only place I knew of that you could try an egg-free yolk. Now, you can purchase a packaged one and make it at home.

Look, I’m not someone who thinks the runny yolk of a fried egg makes everything better. But one food that really benefits: a thick slice of toast, piled with avocado. If done right, avocado toast can be pretty satisfying on its own. But adding a nice fatty egg on top of it will only make it better.

Best for a Classic Scramble (and Breakfast Burritos): Tofu

I know I started by telling you how far we’ve come from our tofu scramble days, but the original vegan breakfast still has skin in the game. In fact, I find that a scramble with tofu and black salt has the most “eggy” taste out of anything I tried out.

Black salt has a strong sulfur taste to it, which recreates a flavor similar to an actual egg. Depending on the tofu brand, I go for a soft or medium firmness. We’re looking for something that has a light crumble but doesn’t fall apart too much, like a soft scrambled egg texture.

Once you’ve made your tofu scramble, I recommend wrapping it up in a breakfast burrito. It’s exactly the thing to scarf down when you’re starving or hungover.

The post The Best Vegan Eggs—and How to Cook Them appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.