Homemade Almond Feta Cheese

Before I became a vegan I used to be addicted to feta cheese. I used to put feta in all my salads and I used to make a lot of dishes with feta (one of my favorite was potato and spinach dish with creamy sauce and feta cheese). Few days ago Debbie @vegandeb was tweeting about a vegan pizza with baked almond feta cheese. I became curious about making my own homemade cheese from nuts. I have been making my vegan feta cheese from tofu until now. Debbie posted the recipe for the baked almond feta cheese on her blog Maple ♥ Spice. She adapted the recipe from Vegetarian Times Magazine (Almond Feta Cheese with Herb Oil). I remembered that I had a copy of the magazine with the original recipe (and other homemade vegan cheese recipes) at home. After flipping through old issues of Vegetarian Times Magazine, I found the original Almond Feta Cheese with Herb Oil recipe. I had all the ingredients and tools, except for the cheesecloth....... I had to go and buy my very first cheesecloth. Thankfully, I remembered seeing it at Whole Foods so I did not have to go too far to get it. It was very cheap and I was happy to learn that it is reusable. Debbie's version used ground almonds instead of regular almonds, which means skipping the energy and time consuming blanching and soaking steps. What a genius idea! However, I decided to follow the original recipe first even though it took me few days to make. Next time I will be making it based on Debbie's recipe and directions to save time. Here is the link to the original recipe that I used.

This vegan feta cheese is mouthwatering and so delicious, I cannot stop eating it! This stuff is out of this world! It is not as crumbly and firm as a feta should be, the consistency and texture reminds me more of a goat cheese or some other spreadable gourmet cheese. However, the taste is amazing! Salty with a nice garlic kick! When I added little bits and pieces into my Israeli salad and closed my eyes, I swear, I tasted feta cheese. I ate half of the cheese already, some in the salad, some with crackers and some on a toast with tomatoes. I wish I made at least two batches when I made this. I am happy that it turned out so great because I would be really upset if I spent all this time and preparation for something that would taste awful.

Starting with raw almonds........

Blanching raw almonds was a pain in the neck. I poured boiling water over the almonds and let them sit for a few minutes until their skins became puffy. Then I popped each almond out of its skin, one by one......

Beautiful blanches almonds :-) Nice and shiny!

Soaking blanched almonds for 24 hours.

Getting the "magical" ingredients ready.

Pureeing everything in the blender until smooth and creamy.

The recipe called for a strainer over a bowl, but I was crafty and used vegetable steamer in a salad bowl with a lid so the cheese would not make my whole fridge smell like garlic and it would not absorb any smells from other foods.

I spooned the pureed almond mixture into cheesecloth and secured the top. I placed that on top of my vegetable steamer and chilled overnight.

Unwrapped almond cheese before baking. Still very mushy and soft. baking on a low temperature for an hour (I had to increase the time because the cheese was still very soft after the recommended baking time).

Beautiful baked almond cheese topped with oregano oil, basil oil and fresh parsley.

Almond feta cheese with crackers. This stuff makes an amazing dip and spread.

Tonight's dinner: Israeli couscous salad with almond feta cheese. Absolutely delightful!

Almond Monday

I love almonds so much I like to eat them, drink them, smell them and use them on my body. I enjoy everything from 

raw almonds, raw almond butter (currently I am addicted to Trader Joe's Raw Almond Butter), almond milk (I buy unsweetened options but chocolate almond milk is heavenly......) , roasted almonds, chocolate covered almonds, almond feta cheese, almond cookies, almond tea, to almond lotion and shower gel. 

Almonds are healthy and they taste and smell divine! 

How about an Almond Monday?

 Start the day in a shower using a moisturizing Desert Essence Organics "Sweet Almond Body Wash" followed by a Desert Essence Organics "Sweet Almond Hand and Body Lotion" which will nourish and repair your skin, leaving it feel like silk, and make you happy with the phenomenal almond scent. 

Then brew a cup of  lovely Republic of Tea "Decaf Vanilla Almond Black Tea" and add a splash of almond milk. 

Enjoy the tea with a sweet "Amazing Almond Muffin Cookie" from the Alternative Baking Company . 

For lunch have my Sopsky salad topped with almond feta cheese, toast or apples smeared with raw almond butter, or a couscous salad with almond feta cheese. 

Later snack on some phenomenal raw almonds, or raw almond butter smeared on banana. 

And for dinner have a giant spinach and pear salad with raw almonds, baked tofu, dried cranberries and your favorite veggies. 

Have an Awesome Vegan Almond Monday! 

Šopský salát (Shopskee Salad)

I love salads that have twenty different veggies, nuts, seeds and fruits. However, my absolute favorite salad is still the one I used to love as a kid. Šopský salad is very simple, flavorful, refreshing salad that reminds me of spring and summer in Czech Republic. It is a bit labor consuming (lots of dicing) and it is not originally vegan because the topping is crumbled feta cheese (Balkan cheese). 
You can get this salad at most Czech restaurants. It is originally a Bulgarian salad but it has been very popular in Czech Republic for decades. I veganized mine by using Almond feta cheese instead of dairy feta cheese. I added more salt to make it more authentic. It was almost as good as I remembered from Europe.  I like to serve mine in a glass bowl for a better visual effect. The vinegar should be a white vinegar but since white vinegar is not very healthy, you can use apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar or red wine vinegar. Don't use balsamic though. 




Šopský salát (Shopskee Salad)


2 large cucumbers, peeled
1 red bell pepper, top cut off and seeds removed
1 green bell pepper, top cut off and seeds removed
4-5 large tomatoes
1/2 onion (white or yellow), peeled
1 Tbs olive oil (or more to taste)
1 Tbs vinegar (or more to taste) 
salt to taste
vegan feta cheese topping of your choice (as much as you like)


Finely dice all vegetables and place them into a large bowl. Don't drain the vegetables since the juices will make a great addition to the dressing. Pour vinegar and olive oil over vegetables and stir until well combined. Season with salt to taste. You can add more vinegar or olive oil until you reach desired taste. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour before serving. 
Serve in bowls topped with crumbled vegan feta cheese. 


If you add some cooked Israeli couscous you will have a tasty, light and refreshing dinner. 

Mediterranean Feta Cheese Spread

I adapted this recipe from Vegetarian Times magazine (Almond Feta Cheese with Herb Oil)

You can either buy blanched almonds, or you can make your own. In my adaptation you do not need a cheesecloth.

Mediterranean Feta Cheese Spread

1 cup blanched almonds

3 Tbs lemon juice

2 Tbs olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tsp salt (or more if your olives are salt free)

1/2 cup black olives (preferably salt-cured or oil-cured), finely chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

Place almonds in medium bowl and completely cover with water. Soak them for 24 hours, drain and rinse.

Place drained almonds in a blender or a food processor. Puree almonds, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and 1/4 cup water for several minutes, until smooth and creamy.

Stir in chopped olives, oregano and basil, mix well. Refrigerate overnight, or least for an hour before serving. This is a very flavorful spread, it tastes great on fresh bread, or on sliced tomatoes. You can even use it as a base for pizza instead of pizza sauce. Enjoy!