19 Jan Tomato Lox and Cashew Cheese
Ingredients
- 5 bagels
- 6 large roma tomatoes
- 3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp water
- 1 tsp kelp powder
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- chives
- capers
- radishes
- red onion
- Cashew Cream Cheese
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 4 tbsp soy yogurt
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Pierce the skin of the roma tomatoes with a small slice and drop them into the water for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the skin begins to peel off. Remove the tomatoes from heat and place them in a large bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking further.
Combine the tamari, olive oil, liquid smoke, water, and kelp powder in a small bowl. Whisk until even. Peel the skins from the tomatoes. Cut them in half then carefully trim away the seeds and firm inside layer. Place the soft tomato pieces in a bowl and drizzle with the tamari marinade. Mix with your hands to ensure the tomato lox is evenly coated with the marinate. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Toast your bagels, then spread with a generous layer of Cashew Cream Cheese. Finish with layers of tomato lox and your toppings of choice. We used radishes, capers, chives, red onion, and black sesame seeds. Tomato lox will keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Cashew Cream Cheese
Soak your cashews for 8 hours or overnight. I like to keep soaked cashews in the freezer to have on hand. You can also boil them for 10 minutes if you are short on time.
Combine the soaked cashews with the soy yogurt and sea salt in a food processor or high powered blender. Process for 5 minutes or until smooth, stopping often to scrape down the sides.
Transfer the cashew mixture to a clean glass container. The container must not contain any soap residue or this will affect the fermentation process. I like to rinse the inside of the container with a bit of vinegar to make sure it’s perfectly clean then dry. Cover the container and leave sitting at room temperature for 12-48 hours.
Use a clean utensil to taste of cashew cream cheese every 12 hours or so. As soon as it gets tangy like cream cheese, place it in the fridge. The cashew cream cheese will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Makes 2 cups.