Ok, time for a little indulgence.  There were so many options for what to write about for ‘D’, but I have to go with Daiya.  This detours me slightly off the whole foods path I am trying hard to stick with lately, but… Daiya.  So good.  And you know what’s really cool?  According to their website, in Sanskrit the word Dayaa means “loving, kindness, and compassion.”  I love that their name is based on fundamental vegan values.

My vegan grilled cheese is amazing if I do say so myself – recipe link below

You’ve probably discovered that one of the most common phrases heard when telling people you’re vegan, or thinking about it, is, “Oh, I couldn’t do that, I could never give up cheese.”  It’s not the easiest part (especially since cheese has actual addictive properties – more on that in another post), but it’s totally doable, and even more doable now that we have so many non-dairy options available, but the most useful to know about for every day cooking is Daiya.  It is definitely the melty-est of the vegan cheeses I’ve tried, so it kinda wins whenever you need a cheese substitute.  It makes an amazing grilled cheese, pizza topper, etc.  Tip for making pizza – the mozzarella version is great, but it actually tastes better upon REheating.  So if you have time to plan ahead, make your pizza early, and then re-bake it when you’re ready to eat.  :)

Daiya now comes in wedges and shreds, with 3 different flavors each, so you have a lot of options.  I’ve only used the shreds, but I hear great things about the wedges.  I know my mother likes to just cut off slices and snack on them!  Oooo, now I’m thinking crisp apple slices with Daiya cheddar… nom.

Recipe: Already linked to above, but in case you missed it, check out my favorite grilled cheese. :)

Let me know if you have great Daiya recipes I should try!