I never ate much cheese, but every now and then I would have a cheese sandwich because I just wanted something really satisfying, but now I'm trying to cut down on/cut out dairy and I need something to replace it with. I looked at soy cheese but it's sooooo expensive!! £2.09 for six piddly little slices, I can't afford that! and it's just more processed food as well and I don't like to have processed food if I can avoid it.

So really I'm looking for something really satisfying that I can have either in a sandwich or not, for when I just need that.................something that I used to get from cheese.

Any ideas?

I looked at soy cheese but it's sooooo expensive!! £2.09 for six piddly little slices, I can't afford that!

Wow, that sucks. That's almost $4.00 U.S. I'm moving to England at the end of the year, and if soy cheese is that expensive, looks like I ain't gettin any.

If y'all have "Veggie Shreds" soy cheese.... :spew: It's got a funny sweet taste and smells odd. I am in search of a good soy cheese or cheese replacement myself, and have been told that the Follow Your Heart range makes a good one.

Good luck :)

TWG

Can you get nutritional yeast in UK? If you can, that might be one of the best alternatives you have as far as vegan cheese goes. It's not soy cheese, it's yeast flakes (or powder) but they give a quite nice cheezy flavour to things. I use mine like parm, but you can also make it into a sauce and use it that way, too.

The other thing I would recommend is to get a copy of The Uncheese Cookbook. They have loads of really nice cheese recipes in there that are quite tasty and some of them even melt like the animal milk version.

Would you get the yeast flakes from a health food shop? I've never seen them but I'll go have a look.

It doesn't really have to be cheese as such, just something satisfying. Maybe it's the fat in cheese I'm after, avocado might be good.

Guacamole is often an excellent cheese substitute (with the warning that it does not keep half as long as cheese does).

Nutritional yeast is pretty awesome, but you might also want to pick up a copy of the "Uncheese Cookbook" too.

Another vote for the nutritional yeast;you'll be able to make all sorts of cheesy dishes with it.
I usually get a pound for $7 and it lasts awhile.

I'd also like to vouch for The Uncheese Cookbook!
You can order it from amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1570671516/qid=1120276575/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_ur_1/102-6940531-3360945?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) or try to find it at a bookstore, but I had to order it from the shop so it didn't make much a difference.
One precaution though, nutritional yeast does not taste exactly like cheese, and so far no matter what i've done to it, it still is not a perfect representation of it.

Hmm. Since i've got the book right here I might as well give you the a recipe in the book for a grilled 'cheese' sandwich. There are two, but i've tried this one and it comes out pretty tasty!

2/3 cup water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes (http://www.veganessentials.com/catalog/red-star-nutritional-yeast.htm)
2 tbsp flour (any kind, I used unbleached white)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (the bottled kind works fine too)
2 tbsp sesame tahini
1 1/2 tbsp ketchup
2 tsp kuzu or arrowroot or cornstarch
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp each of: garlic powder, tumeric, dry mustard, and salt
8 slices bread (this makes enough for 4 sandwiches!!)

combine all ingredients (except bread) in a medium saucepan, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Bring to a boil, stirring contantly with the wire whisk. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is very thick and smooth. (Consistancy is important.) Remove from heat. Place 4 of the bread slices on a flat surface. Cover one side of each bread slice evenly with the cooked mixture. Top with remaining slices.
Grill in a large, heavy skillet misted with nonstick cooking spray or coated with a small amount of vegetable oil or non-hydrogenated vegan margarine. Brown each side well, carefully turning over once. Slice sandwiches in half diagonally, and serve at once.


I'm pretty sure it won't make a difference if you slice it diagonally or not, but I don't know how long this stuff keeps, so i'd eat it up pretty quickly or cut the recipe in half.

today I went to the health food shop to find the nutritional yeast, and the only type I could get didn't list B12 in the vitamins and minerals it contains, I thought nutritional yeast was supposed to be a good source of B12 or is it only some brands? (The brand of this one was 'marigold')

As far as nutritional yeast goes, Red Star is usually the brand cited as it is fortified with B12. I know Whole Foods carries it in their bulk bins so you might try looking there if you can't find it elsewhere.

I like grilled eggplant and hummus sandwiches (preferably with lettuce and tomato). Grilled eggplant is nothing at all like cheese, but it does keep in the fridge well.

Mashed avocado and tomato sandwiches are yum too.

today I went to the health food shop to find the nutritional yeast, and the only type I could get didn't list B12 in the vitamins and minerals it contains, I thought nutritional yeast was supposed to be a good source of B12 or is it only some brands? (The brand of this one was 'marigold')

Hey peasoop, sorry this is a bit of a belated reply, but that marigold nutritional yeast is the only one I can find too (I'm in Ireland).

The only reason 'American' nut yeast has B12 is cos it's added (fortified). I just take a supplement, or eat other fortified foods like breakfast cereals, fortified soy milk etc.

I find hummus very handy for sandwiches - hummus and some salad is good.

If you want a 'cheesy' fix, a quick (and cheap!) one I've found is:

Two slices of toast, buttered (w/ vegan marg), slap on a bit of vegan mayo, slices of tomato and some nutritional yeast and yum! Oh some chopped up scallions too if you have them hanging around.

It's not _that_ cheesy, but I think the nut. yeast together with fats from butter etc makes it more satisfying.

Actually, must try that with some avocado as well....

Good luck!