Day 5/ Sunflower Seed Cheese

Today I tried a recipe for Sunflower Seed Cheese. I got the idea from the LifeIt Community Forum (Join The Lifeit Detox 28 Days Raw Food Cleanse), because they posted a video demonstration of how to make the recipe from YouTube. But the recipe is not included in the ebook.

So I Googled it, and I came across a recipe that I adapted.

Here is my version of Mexican Spice Seed Cheese: (adapted from www.almondessence.com)

Ingredients
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked 4 - 6 hours
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soaked 4 - 6 hours
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (I used Pampered Chef Southwestern Seasoning Blend)
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 small clove garlic, peeled, and minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup almond milk (page 40), water, or kefir (page 46) (I used Brita filtered water)
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice (I used Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar)

I had no idea about the soaking...I just dumped the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds in a jar last night and stuck it in the refrigerator. I didn't know if it was supposed to go in the fridge or not. Next time I won't mix the two seeds together, because it made it harder to separate out the sunflower seed skins. After you finish soaking the seeds, you are supposed to change the water, and then rub the seeds together to get the skins off. (Of course you know to buy the seeds raw and already hulled!)

Anyway, the skins will cause the cheese to turn grey if you don't remove them. They float in the water after you rub the seeds together (after soaking). Unfortunately, the pumpkin seeds also float. So that made it harder to separate out the skins... just keep it simple and soak them separately.

So the pumpkin seeds are supposed to add a smoky flavor to the cheese, but you can use all sunflower seeds if you want.

Just dump all the ingredients in a blender or food processor, and blend until it looks whipped and smooth like ricotta cheese. Scrape down the sides and add a little water if necessary. It keeps in the frig for 2-3 days.

I'm so surprised at how much this version tastes like hummus. I think it's the cumin that really makes it taste like that. So this is a good substitute if you don't like beans or nuts.

One of the things that I really like about this cleanse is that it is stretching me to try recipes that I would normally have to buy at the store. There is something so freeing in knowing that I can make it myself.