Hello Everyone,
Today I have a simple Caprice Salad, which is my favorite salad of all time is Caprice......however, loonnnnng sad face here........ I just found out I am dairy intolerant! OH NO!......lots of thoughts around this (as well as alot of ah ha's!!) but mostly how do I still have my favorite salad without one of 2 main ingredients?!
Well, as always, Nature is to the rescue, and so are those wonderful wonderful women who are so innovative and organic and health oriented. I googled "raw caprice'' and found they use ''cashew cheese'' for the mozzerella and that its wonderful in taste. Really? Seriously?! Well, I of course do not dismiss anything unless I try it and I did and yes, it is a keeper, and I am so happy I don't have sacrifice my favorite meal for anything, because the cashew cheese works just fine.
There are several recipes and I moderated it just a bit and here is what I did.
One cup of raw cashews soaked overnight. Then rinsed the next day and put into the food processor with a tiny clove of garlic, pinch of sea salt and I added a pinch of Nutritional Yeast till creamy. It comes out much like softened goat cheese. Refrigerate it for a while to solidify just a bit but I found this is not necessary and you'll see why.
Next assemble your caprice:
Fresh ripe heirloom tomatoes sliced thick arranged flat on a plate. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
A clove of garlic with some top quality extra virgin olive oil is added to a small grinder (I also use a mortar and pestle) to which I add a pinch (to taste) of sea salt, a pinch of Herbs du Provence, fresh ground black pepper (yes I add more) and red pepper flakes.....grind for about 5 seconds to meld and release all the flavors together. Drizzle some of the oil onto the tomatoes. I do like alot of this dressing, the extra gets picked up with fresh bread which I am also making, but that is another post :D
Sorry for the blurry pics, this was an impromtu post. :D
Take a spoonful of the cashew cheese and dollop onto the tomatoes....then chiffonade some fresh basil leaves and sprinkle those over the cashew cheese. Drizzle more of the oil mixture.
You are done!
I simply use knife and fork to quarter the slices and eat that way, the creamy cheese is wonderful and all of the flavors I love are there! love love love!
Enjoy this to your hearts content with no problems, eat as much as you want all season long!
woo hoo! :D:D:D
Shave you ever tried kefir, the homemade kind? The salad look scrumptious!
ReplyDeleteMary Anne do you mean kefir with the caprice salad? NO...but I used to make kefir myself and drink it every day.....it was wonderful and addicting, loved it.
DeleteWell that sounds refreshing on a summer's day. I like to try new things. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week!
Debbie
xo
Looks fantastic!!!
ReplyDeleteI too am Lactose Intolerant. No doubt about it. And after you have ceased putting Lactose through your system, I'm sure you will be as relieved (in many ways) as I have been!!!!!
I can tolerate a bit of lactose, by taking "lactaid-like" stuff, with it.
But my most wonderful find was...... I can tolerate Goat Cheese! And there are loads of super wonderful goat cheeses to choose from. Well, at our Healthy Living Market, there are. I love goat cheese! Love it!
Oh and I love organic raw salted cashews too!!!!!
Hugs,
Tessa
Who is eating organic meats, veggies, fruits, raw nuts, goat cheese, no modern grains, and trying to be very, very healthy. The natural way!!!!
Thanks for visiting Tessa, I do hope you get progressively better. Yes I can eat goat cheese too :D:D:D happy dance, and feta....with no problem. And now that I have ways of having my Caprice with no compromise, I am fine, phew that was close lol. I was about to have a fit about not being able to have my favorite dish. Today I am making gluten free pizza with caramelized onions and gorgonzola, arugula salad with pines nuts and sit down for about 6 hours and just be still and sloooowwwwww! Have you tried Green Smoothies? you can live on those and they are wonderfully delish too.
DeleteGlad you found an alternative ingredient that worked so well. It looks so good... and like you, this is one of my favs. Blessings from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian
ReplyDeleteHi there, yes it is wonderful, thanks for commenting. I am having another one today, I could have as much as I want now, its wonderful! Enjoy your summer in the Desert!
DeleteThis looks wonderful...I have used cashews for years...I make a whipped cream with them...the Hubby just found out he was lactose intolerant so there have been big change going on...so I am on the lookout for new recipes...I think he will like this one... Thanks for posting this...Have a wonderful New Moon... :)
ReplyDeleteThis looks so good!!! YUM! I can't drink milk anymore, but luckily I can still eat most other dairy.
ReplyDeleteThe pillows you asked me about I made myself, because I had seen some and wanted them so bad, but the price was just too much for me. Making the ruffles was so time consuming, but I do love how they turned out. They also wash up so good and look better each time :)
I hope you are having a great summer dear.
sending hugs
Dearest Lady, I'm sorry for the dairy intolerance, but this looks like such a delicious alternative, my mouth is watering! Art in everything, yes?
ReplyDeleteI've not tried cashew cheese, but it seems like something very doable...
I would also love to try making my own almond milk. Have you done that?
I am sending LOVE and wishing Bon Appetit for whatever you create today...
Blessings,
~ Irina