I’ve been reading The Whole Fromage by Kathe Lison and all I can think about is cheese. But here’s my problem: I’m trying to cut out cheese because, well, we’re just not friends.
Cutting out cheese, all dairy actually, is really hard when you are reading a book ALL ABOUT CHEESE.
Since I started reading the book, I’ve been craving a grilled cheese sandwich — one with crisp, buttery bread and cheddar cheese oozing from the sliced middle.
However, I have yet to find a gluten-free bread that fits this order. So, I decided to improvise by making a gluten-free, dairy-free quesadilla.
At the grocery shopping, I picked up rice tortillas and Daiya wedge-style cheese. Its supposed to cut and melt like cheese even though its a dairy-free product. When I was dairy-free, Daiya was the only dairy-free cheese I would buy. The shredded mozzarella was great for making pizza, even though the smell was less than desirable.
The Daiya Cheddar wedge looks a lot like a block of Velveeta and slices like one, too. I was apprehensive about trying it but, pleasantly surprised to discover it tastes a lot like aged cheddar — although, it still smells funny.
The quesadilla was good, too, especially for a gluten-free, dairy-free attempt at a grilled cheese.
Daiya Cheese Quesadilla
Slice half of the wedge into strips and place side-by-side on one-half of a rice tortillas.
Covered the slices with the other half of the tortillas and microwave for two 45-second sessions, or until cheese is melted to a desired consistency
Serve with watermelon salsa and Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream
Serves 1
Have you tried Daiya’s wedge cheese products? What do you think?
This post was inspired by The Whole Fromage by Kathe Lison, a From Left to Write Book club selection. Join us on August 22, 2013 at we talk about all things cheese. As a book club member, I received a copy of the book for free. I purchased all ingredients for this recipe. All opinions expressed are my own.
My pediatrician asked me to go dairy free for a week when I was nursing my son. I didn’t eat a lot of cheese so I didn’t think it would be hard. Turns out I LOVE milk in my coffee. I’m glad you’ve found a good alternative.
Thien-Kim recently posted..Honest Kids Berry Berry Lemonade Shaved Ice
What torture! I cannot imagine reading all about cheese while trying to avoid it–it would be so difficult! Kudos to you for getting through it and feeding your craving in a manner that suits your current lifestyle!
Carrie @ poet in the pantry recently posted..Peach Shrub
Is Daiya too expensive to work for families? I’ve heard it’s pricey but worth it, and that it’s not really all that pricey compared to higher-end cheeses.
Holly recently posted..6 Reasons Why Losing My Job Doesn’t Suck
Daiya is pricey compared to store brand cheese but if you compare it to artisan cheese or even just big brand cheese, its priced in the same ballpark. As far as non-dairy cheeses go, its one of the few that actually is vegan (many still have whey or caseins in them) and that makes the price worth it to me.