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.
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!
Found you through Vegan MoFo!
I tried the Daiya havarti wedge for the first time this week and it rocked my world! Warning-it is SPICY but just like all the other Daiya products, it stretches, melts and is the closest all-around comparison to real cheese I’ve found. YUM!
<3 Mofo. :)
And awesome, thanks for the additional endorsement!