Feta, You Bettah!

what you're looking at here is the best bite ever: some english cucmber, kalamata olive, spicy sprouts, vegan feta of course, and some crumbled home-made sausage (that recipe to come!), all on some spinach. oh yeah.

This blog is moving in a different direction, to be sure. I'm ready to move on, the weight-loss--food-addict-in-recovery thing is kind of depressing and I'm still trying to figure it all out but here is a recipe for vegan feta cheese. I'm not a fan of soy, not to mention it's well-known to be a heavily GMO crop and has been linked to giving men boobies (I'm not sure how true that is, the GMO thing is enough for this lady though!) ... I really just happen to think beans are better and meatier.

After dropping all the weight, it seems senseless to waste calories on something that's going to clog my arteries, endorse animal cruelty, and take a lot more of Jillian Michaels kicking my ass, all for a few measly bites. Because that's all a portion is. : '(  Anyway, my point is: Sometimes we need cheese, and sometimes we need feta. And this recipe, my friend, could not. be easier.

I got the recipe here: Mock Feta Recipe but I took all these pretty pictures to show you how to make it so we can ignore that or if you'd like a printable version, there you go. Note my changes, please, so that I feel some semblance of importance.

HERE WE GO!

 
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 c. vinegar (I used white rice vinegar the first time, it turned out great.)
2 T water
2 t salt
1 T dried basil
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t pepper
1 lb tofu, extra firm pleez, drained (I never always drain my tofu, which is to say I always never drain my tofu! Who wants moist tofu anyway? If you don't drain your tofu, then what's the point of marinating it? There's no room in the tofu for flavors and oil because you're letting it sit there, bloated ((and probably embarrassed!)), full of water. For shame!)


DON'T USE SILKEN TOFU! I repeat, please don't use it. Maybe you just know better. Maybe it was just me. But I'm pretty sure it just was gross. The first time I made this I made it with extra-firm regular tofu, and it was heavenly. I don't know the brand because I don't know tofu, but unless you're willing to risk it, stick to the firmest tofu around. Silken wasn't right, and I think it's really only good for blending anyway.

Also, the extra-firm yielded nice, sturdy, feta-y crumbles while the silken melts in your mouth in the most unpleasant way (in a salad? gross!). Anyway, mix the ingredients like a vinaigrette, crumble tofu, add crumbled tofu to vinaigrette, let the flavors marry overnight (how romantic!), and strain like you've never strained before. (I just left the bowl with the stuff straining for an hour--no water in my fake feta!)

Et bon appetit! Throw it on on a salad with some cucumbers, thinly sliced red onion, greek olives, tomato, add a little more olive oil, balsamic, and salt and pepper: Greek salad! Do you like cold pizza, healthy-vegan-choice way? Well put a dollop of spaghetti sauce on a whole wheat pita and throw some of that feta on there! Presto! There I go, being all Ned Flanders. Too bad my mustache won't grow in thick enough. D'oh!