Vegan Ricotta Cheese

A creamy ricotta-style cheese made from cashews and tofu, perfect for rollatini, lasagna, and manicotti.
Yield	1½ to 2 cups
Time	15 minutes
Tools	food processor rubber spatula
Ingredients	½ c raw cashews* ¼ c lemon juice 2 T olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1½ t dried basil or 1 T fresh 1½ t salt ½ to 1 pound firm tofu** pressed and crumbled
Directions	Place everything but the tofu in the food processor and blend until fairly smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Gradually add the tofu, processing until it reaches the perfect texture.
Notes	If you have time, soak the cashews for 20 minutes or so beforehand, then drain and proceed with the recipe. The original recipe calls for a pound, but I prefer the texture after adding just half a pound. Variation:* Spinach ricotta. Adapted from the recipe for "Cashew Ricotta" in Veganomicon, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero – read my review. Buy it: Amazon.com \| Amazon.co.uk
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