2015 was the year I developed adult onset food allergies and the year of lots of recipe testing. Thanks for many of the cookbooks I obtained that December I was armed and ready for battle. It was in one of these books that I discovered a recipe for easy to make tofu ricotta.
The single hardest thing for me to give up was dairy. I was a cheeseaholic. Oooey gooey, stringy, melty cheese. Oh how I miss you. There are many more options on the market these days for vegan cheese – I do have quite a stack of them in the fridge at all times. You can even find ready made vegan ricotta – however the recipe I found I like more because it doesn’t break down as quickly when cooked.
My Italian friends claim I’ve lost my touch with reality, as “no self respecting Italian would use tofu ricotta”. I claim they don’t have a grasp on what it’s like to have an adult onset food allergy. Here is my take of a recipe I found in one of the dairy free dairy books in my library. Use this to stuff manicotti, big shells, or to place as a layer in lasagna.
Tofu Ricotta
14 oz firm tofu
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp of my No Salt Table blend spice mix
Press tofu with a tofu press (yes I do own one now) to get rid of excess water – I usually let it sit for 30-45 minutes (turning it around half way through)
Combine tofu, lemon juice, olive oil, half the nutritional yeast, salt/pepper in a mixing bowl
Mash together with a fork until it’s all mixed together
Should look like ricotta clumps
Give a taste, add the other half of the nutritional yeast if needed
Stir in herbs last
Easy to Make Tofu Ricotta
Ingredients
- 14 oz firm tofu
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp of my No Salt Table blend spice mix
Instructions
- Press tofu with a tofu press (yes I do own one now) to get rid of excess water – I usually let it sit for 30-45 minutes (turning it around half way through)
- Combine tofu, lemon juice, olive oil, half the nutritional yeast, salt/pepper in a mixing bowl
- Mash together with a fork until it's all mixed together
- Should look like ricotta clumps
- Give a taste, add the other half of the nutritional yeast if needed
- Stir in herbs last