no dairy , no whey
no dairy , no whey
Galactosemia – despite the long and confusing name – is a simple condition. It basically means that your body is unable to use the simple sugar known as galactose. It’s similar to a glucose intolerance, as glucose is another kind of sugar. Given that galactose […]
What other cake says “Spring is here” like rhubarb? No other, that I can think of. Rhubarb – Rhabarber – reminds me so much of home. Rhubarb compote, rhubarb with vanilla…tangy yet sweet and so delicious!!! So I was thrilled to find rhubarb on the […]
I love spring – well, guess I say that about every season – and I love rhubarb since tart and bitter are my flavors. Yes, I am a tart and bitter woman 🙂 Strawberries are of course a perfect company for rhubarb however I prefer […]
What to do when you have to avoid milk and its by products? Those with galactosemia or those lactose intolerance can turn to the available alternative. The following are some of my absolute favorite non-dairy milk alternatives. Almond Milk Almond milk has become one of […]
You know that Galactosemia is a condition wherein the body is unable to process the sugar galactose. This sugar is found in dairy, making it a kind of lactose intolerance. It needs to be tested for as early as possible as giving infants with galactosemia […]
There are a lot of reasons people turn to non-dairy/vegan cheese. Some people do it for health reasons , others do it because they believe in animal rights and not taking advantage of animals, and others do it because health conditions such as galactosemia and lactose intolerance force them to.
Non-dairy cheese are cheeses made without milk or other animal-based enzymes. They are just as delicious as regular cheese and can even satisfy the taste buds of the most dedicated cheese lover. Unlike regular cheese, which is made through curdling caused by animal proteins, vegan cheese is created when plant proteins are consolidated together with lactic bacteria to give it some acidity. The cheese is firmed through oils, emulsifiers, and thickening agents.
Exactly what your vegan cheese is made from can vary between cheeses. The most prominent bases are soy protein, solidified vegetable oils – such as coconut, safflower, and palm – thickening agar flakes, tapioca flour, nuts – such as almonds, macadamias, and cashews – vegetable glycerine, natural enzymes, arrowroot, and bacterial cultures.
Some vegan cheeses are processed to give them just the right kind of flavor and texture. It’s important to realise that the phrase “vegan” isn’t synonymous with “healthy”, just like “gluten-free” isn’t. Some varieties of vegan cheese are processed just as much as American “cheese” and your veggie burgers. If you want natural, then you want organic, and nothing less will do.
The good news is that these non-processed vegan cheeses are becoming easier to find as cheese producers are turning to typical cheese aging methods to create vegan cheeses with a minimal amount of ingredients.
The sad thing about vegan cheese is that it is unable to taste exactly the same as regular cheese. The main difference between the two kinds of cheese are curds. Cheese goes through a process where these curd proteins bond to one another, which is why just aging cheese creates a brand new flavor and texture.
Because vegan cheese proteins don’t go through this modification, it means that it isn’t able to create a similar complex flavor to regular milk-based cheese. The good news is that vegan cheeses are still delicious.
Given that the cost of a product depends on supply, demand, and cost of ingredients, you should expect vegan cheese to cost a little more than your regular cheese. The actual price depends on where you buy it from and where you get it from. It’s not too expensive if you buy it as a ready made meal. You can expect a vegan-friendly mac and cheese to set you back about $5.
If you’re interested in embracing vegan cheese then you can actually make your own at home. This is a good choice if you’re worried about all the additives put into it to give it texture and flavor. Making your own organic cheese allows you to keep track of everything put into it. Find a great vegan cheese recipe and try it for yourself!
Galactosemia – despite the long and confusing name – is a simple condition. It basically means that your body is unable to use the simple sugar known as galactose. It’s similar to a glucose intolerance, as glucose is another kind of sugar. Given that galactose […]
I love spring – well, guess I say that about every season – and I love rhubarb since tart and bitter are my flavors. Yes, I am a tart and bitter woman 🙂 Strawberries are of course a perfect company for rhubarb however I prefer […]
and for dinner we had split pea soup. I know, I know one should not make split pea soup in June, unless it is rainy and chilly. Well, it has been so it was the perfect dinner today!
I had a few stalks of rhubarb leftover from our visit to the farmer’s market this week. So I decided to spruce the simple dinner up with dessert. Rhubarb-Strawberry Compote – we ate all of our fresh strawberries so I used the rest of our frozen ones. I served the compote with a scoop of vanilla ice “cream”; Tempt – Hemp Milk – Vanilla for our girls, and “regular cow” for the parental units and our guests. It turned out great and was super easy.
Rhubarb-Strawberry Compote
– 1-1/2 lb of fresh rhubarb, unpeeled cut into 1″ pieces
– 2 T sugar
– 1 C (or more) fresh or frozen strawberries
– 5-6 T sugar
– 1 package of vanilla sugar
– app. 1/2 piece of fresh ginger, peeled, and cut into about 3 pieces
– water
– 2 T corn starch
1. Place rhubarb pieces with 2 T in a bowl and cover. Let sit for about 30 min.
2. Put rhubarb, strawberries, ginger slices, additional sugar, and vanilla sugar into a pot. Add
water so fruit is barely covered. Bring to a slow simmer. When rhubarb is soft, adjust sugar.
3. Dissolve corn starch with a little cold water. Bring fruit mixture to a boil and slowly add
corn starch to the fruit. Boil for a minute and remove from heat.
Serve with vanilla ice “cream”!
What other cake says “Spring is here” like rhubarb? No other, that I can think of. Rhubarb – Rhabarber – reminds me so much of home. Rhubarb compote, rhubarb with vanilla…tangy yet sweet and so delicious!!! So I was thrilled to find rhubarb on the […]
We did so much yesterday that we relaxed all day and I made one more batch of cookies as our supply is already dwindeling. So today I made Zimtsterne – cinamon stars. They are delicious and contain not one milk product, derivative, or substitute. How […]
By the time the cookies were baked, frosted, and decorated it was time to take Mia Rose to the party. The host planned on serving pizza, so I pre-ordered a Kids Pepperoni Pizza without cheese at Pizzicato which was right on the way to the party. On our way to the party, we stopped to pick-up the pizza. I dropped off Mia Rose, the pizza, cookies, and the usual talk in regards to milk, etc. As always, she wanted me to leave as soon as possible…she had a good time.
I really wanted this post to be about the Galactosemia safe Weihnachtsbroetle – Cookies – we made yesterday and today. So far, we have three kinds. Haselnussmakronen – Hazelnut macaroon’s -, Walnussguezli – Walnut Cookies, and Ausstecherle – Sugar Cookies. What do you think? – All turned out great – recipes are below. I would love to hear from you – really 🙂 Oh, and I plan on making a couple more. Just not sure what. – Probably Vanille Kipferl, and Zimtsterne – let’s see…
Haselnussmakronen – Hazelnut Macaroon
4 Egg Whites beaten
150 – 200 gr. fine sugar
300 – 350 gr. finely ground hazelnuts
1/8 tsp cinamon
3-4 TBL ground chocolate – I use Ghiradelli’s
whole hazelnuts for decoration for each piece
– beat the egg whites until they are very firm
– slowly pour in sugar, and cinnamon
– mix hazelnuts with chocolate, and carefully mix the nuts under the egg whites
– Pre-heat oven to 300 F
– using two teaspoons put little mounds on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Decorate each – if you like –
with a hazelnut
– Bake for 20 – 25 minutes
Walnussguezli – Walnut Cookies
– 175 gr Flour
– 100 gr. finely ground walnuts
– 125 gr. sugar
– 1 pinch of salt
– 75 gr liquid vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance) slightly cooled
– 1 egg
To decorate –
– 1 egg beaten
– Walnuts, or walnut pieces
* mix flour, walnuts, sugar, and salt in a bowl
* add slightly cooled off margarine
* stir mixture until it turns into a smooth dough
* take the dough and roll it into one-two rolls approximate 6cm in diameter and wrap in ceran wrap
* cool for about one hour
* Preheat oven at 400F
* Take dough out of the fridge, cut slices approximately 3-4 mm off the roll. Put the cut cookies on
a parchment lined cookie sheet. Put egg on top of each cookie, and finish with an individual nut, or nut
pieces on each cookie
* Bake for app. 10 minutes
Ausstecherle – Sugar Cookies
– 375 gr. flour
– 100 gr. vegan margarine cut into slices
– 150 gr. sugar – or a little more if you like your cookies very sweet
– 2 eggs
– 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
– vanilla sugar – or liquid vanilla
– Frosting -> app. 125 gr. powdered sugar and stir app. 3 tablespoons lemon juice, or other juice/liquid to
your taste. The frosting can also be colored if desired
* Mix all of the ingredients into a dough
* Roll the dough up in ceran wrap and cool for about an hour
* Spread a little flour on your working area, roll out the first half of the dough with your rolling pin
* cut out individual shapes and place cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
* preheat oven to 350F and bake for about 10 minutes
* when cookies are cooled – spread frosting on the cookies, and – if desired this is the girls second favorite
part – decorate them with colored sugar, sprinkles, etc.
We just went shopping at Trader Joe’s and what did I see in the middle of the isle? Yup, fruit pie. I am not generally one for pie, but out of habit I just checked the label anyways. You may have guessed it, the pies […]
