Have you ever passed the tapioca starch at the grocery store and wondered what in the world people use it for? Well, as it turns out, it can lend a key hand at making an awesome, meltable vegan cheese that can be made on the stovetop, literally in minutes. The cheese sort of resembles burrata, and has a great stretchy consistency, thanks to the tapioca starch. Tapioca comes from cassava root, so it is basically nothing more than a clean, plant-based stabilizer. I put it to the test with some paquillo peppers, and came up with this healthful version of the ubiquitous jalapeño popper. You can use paquillos, baby bells, jalapeños, or other stuff-able small chile, just make sure you are ready for whatever heat comes with whatever chile you choose. For example, a habanero would be adorable, but so hot you might not enjoy the cheese part. Have fun!
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cashew mozzarella-stuffed paquillo peppers
For the Cheese: There are several recipes for this type of cheese. Until I create one of my own, I like this adaptation from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken the best: ¼ cup raw cashews, soaked for a couple hours 1 cup water 3 tbsp + 2 tsp tapioca starch (a.k.a. tapioca flour) 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast 1 tsp lemon juice ½ tsp salt ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
For the Poppers & Sauce: 8 piquillo, baby bell, or other small chile 1 medium tomato 1 clove garlic 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar salt to taste Drain the cashews and add them along with the 1 cup of water and all the remaining ingredients to a blender. Blend until completely smooth. It will be very watery. Pour into a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, and continually stir as it cooks. As you stir it will start forming clumps, and then all of a sudden it will become a mass of soft, stretchy cheese. This takes about 5 minutes. Continue to cook and stir for an additional 2 minutes to make sure it has firmed up completely. Remove from heat and set aside. Preheat oven to 400º and warm a griddle on the stove. Cut the tomato into thirds and grill on the griddle until it softens. Place in a blender with the garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and salt, and blend until it becomes a smooth, emulsified sauce. Blanch the peppers in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain and cool to the touch. Cut a slit in the side of each pepper. Using a teaspoon, scoop some of the cheese into each pepper by squeezing open the pepper enough to let the spoon in. The cooler the cheese, the easier this will be. Generously fill each pepper with the cheese. Make sure the pepper can close up around the cheese. The cheese will actually pull the pepper closed with its elasticity. Heat a griddle and apply a tiny bit of your favorite healthy oil around each pepper. Grill the peppers on all sides until they get some brown color, then transfer them to the oven. Continue cooking by baking in the oven until they are tender and the cheese is hot inside, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately with the tomato coulis, or try it with guacamole.
cashew mozzarella-stuffed paquillo peppers
Ingredients
- For the cashew cheese:
- 1/4 cup raw cashews soaked for a couple hours
- 1 cup water
- 8 tsp tapioca starch a.k.a. tapioca flour
- 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- For the Poppers & Sauce:
- 8 piquillo pepper substitue baby bell or other small chile
- 1 medium Tomato
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Drain the cashews and add them along with the 1 cup of water and all the remaining ingredients to a blender. Blend until completely smooth. It will be very watery.
- Pour into a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, and continually stir as it cooks. As you stir it will start forming clumps, and then all of a sudden it will become a mass of soft, stretchy cheese. This takes about 5 minutes. Continue to cook and stir for an additional 2 minutes to make sure it has firmed up completely. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400º and warm a griddle on the stove.
- Cut the tomato into thirds and grill on the griddle until it softens.
- Place in a blender with the garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and salt, and blend until it becomes a smooth, emulsified sauce.
- Blanch the peppers in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Drain and cool to the touch. Cut a slit in the side of each pepper.
- Using a teaspoon, scoop some of the cheese into each pepper by squeezing open the pepper enough to let the spoon in. The cooler the cheese, the easier this will be. Generously fill each pepper with the cheese. Make sure the pepper can close up around the cheese. The cheese will actually pull the pepper closed with its elasticity.
- Heat a griddle and apply a tiny bit of your favorite healthy oil around each pepper. Grill the peppers on all sides until they get some brown color, then transfer them to the oven. Continue cooking by baking in the oven until they are tender and the cheese is hot inside, about 15 minutes.
- Serve immediately with the tomato coulis, or try it with guacamole.