Vegan Brazil Nut Parmesan Cheese

Fun fact: on average, Americans eat 23 pounds of cheese each year.  And it’s my guess that the ubiquitous Parmesan cheese accounts for a fair share.  After all, it is essential to Italian staples like spaghetti and the beloved “chicken parm.”  Even the Caesar salad gets dusted with Parmesan before landing on the checkered red and white tablecloth.

For more information on America’s cheese habits click on:

http://www.today.com/health/we-are-each-eating-23-pounds-cheese-every-year-consumer-8C11256354

So are vegans out of luck?  No way, according to Terces Engelhart, co-owner of the vegan eatery Café Gratitude!  In her cookbook, I am Grateful: Recipes and Lifestyle of Café Gratitude, Engelhart shares some of the recipes used at her restaurants.  (Café Gratitude has locations in Venice, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, and Berkeley.)  It is one of my favorite cookbooks, purchased immediately after my first meal at Cafe Gratitude.

The Brazil Nut Parmesan Cheese is nestled in the “Dressings, Sauces, and Toppings” section of the cookbook.  One of the best parts of this recipe is that you only need three ingredients and five minutes to make it!

As the name suggests, the anchor ingredient is the Brazil nut.  This large nut is found in the tropical forests of Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru.  The trees are can grow up to 165 feet tall and are thought to live 500 – 700 years!

Brazil nuts are nutrition powerhouses! They are a good source of fatty acids, vitamin-E, B complex vitamins, and trace minerals like selenium, copper, magnesium, and manganese.  To learn more about Brazil nuts, check out:

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/brazil-nuts.html

Gathering all of the ingredients into the food processor doesn’t take long!

And after less than a minute, you will have your final product…

Fluffy and flavorful vegan Brazil nut Parmesan cheese.

Sprinkle liberally on just about anything.  Today, I added mine to vegan stir-fry!