*

I thought I would share a recipe I came up with that’s not only vegan friendly, but full of flavor and packed with many vitamins that most of us struggle to get into our everyday diet. It’s called nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is gluten free, dairy free, Kosher, vegan, sugar free, and is low in sodium. It’s high in vitamins B6, B12, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate 752mcg DFE. And it’s serving size is only 1 tablespoon.

Although I certainly do not claim this will in any way beat the flavor of Parmesan cheese, for those who can’t eat dairy or choose not to, this is a great alternative. It’s definitely worth a try. I even add this mixture to popcorn.

1 Medium Head Cauliflower, Cut into bite size pieces
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

Faux Parmesan Mixture
1/2 Cup Raw Cashews
2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 425°. Prepare the cauliflower and place the pieces into a medium bowl. Add the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss until completely coated. Transfer to a sheet pan, and place in the oven for 20 minutes, or until almost fork tender but still has some crunch.

In a food processor, add the raw cashews, and pulse about 8-10 times until you have small granules. Add the cashews to a small bowl and add the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix well. Once the cauliflower is done, add it to a bowl and add 3 tablespoons of the faux Parmesan to the cauliflower and toss until fully coated.
Serves 2-3.

Visit Dorothy’s website at http://ddimarzo2002.wix.