I love tomato and cheese sandwiches. It’s been a coon’s age since I last had one, but I can still remember it vividly. I use to eat them on plain white bagels though.
You know it’s funny… when I ate bread back in the day it came in different forms but it was always white, sometimes wheat and if daring, whole grain seeded. In my raw, gluten-free journey… my breads are now always full of flavor. Every batch made of savory spices and herbs. I would say that my variety of breads is far more exciting than they ever were.
This bread differs a bit from my other ones, which usually consist of making a loaf first. This time, I spread the batter roughly 1/4” thick and dehydrated it as a sheet, then cutting it into squares. Because I choose to use different ingredients, this bread batter won’t hold into a loaf shape, so no need to even attempt that. :)
I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please leave comments below and share you thoughts with me. I do love hearing from you. Blessings, amie sue
Ingredients:
Bread: yields 10” x 10″ piece
- 1/2 cup sunflower Seeds, soaked & dehydrated
- 1 cup flax seeds, ground (= 1 1/2 cups ground)
- 1 Tbsp dried dill
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
- 1 1/2 (170 g) cups diced red pepper
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tbsp raw coconut aminos
“Mozzarella Cheese:”
- 1 cup cashews or sunflower seeds, soaked 2+ hours
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp raw coconut vinegar
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Preparation:
Bread: yields 10” x 10″ piece
- In a food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, combine the sunflower seeds, ground flax, dill, cumin, and salt. Process until well mixed.
- Add the red pepper, water and coconut aminos. Process until it is well mixed into a thick paste-like batter.
- Line a dehydrator tray with a non-stick sheet and spread the batter about 1/4 ” thick, into a 10 x 10″ square.
- Dehydrate at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees (F) for roughly 2-3 hours, until it is dry enough to flip over on to the mesh sheet, removing the non-stick sheet.
- Continue to dry for another 2-4 hours, until it is still spongy but dry.
- We are not going to dry it till crispy… we are making a bread, not a big thick cracker.
- Once done, cut into sandwich sized pieces and enjoy.
- Keep leftovers wrapped and in the fridge for 5-7 days.
“Mozzarella Cheese:”
- Place the cashews in a glass bowl, along with 4 cups of water.
- The soaking process will help reduce phytic acid, which will aid in digestion.
- The soaking also softens the cashews so they blend nice and creamy.
- After the cashews are through soaking, drain and rinse.
- * To make this nut-free, use sunflower seeds instead of cashews. Same measurement and technique.
- In a high-powered blender combine the; cashews,water, nutritional yeast, vinegar, onion, smoked salt and garlic powder. Blend until creamy and smooth.
- Due to the volume and the creamy texture that we are going after, it is important to use a high-powered blender. It could be too taxing on a lower-end model.
- Blend until the batter is creamy smooth. You shouldn’t detect any grit. If you do, keep blending.
- This process can take 2-4 minutes, depending on the strength of the blender. Keep your hand cupped around the base of the blender carafe to feel for warmth. If the batter is getting too warm. Stop the machine and let it cool. Then proceed once cooled.
- In a small saucepan whisk together 3/4 cup of water and the agar. Bring to a boil for about one minute, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the agar is dissolved completely.
- Start the blender creating a vortex, CAREFULLY add the agar gel and blend just long enough to incorporate everything together. Don’t over process. The batter will start to thicken.
- Be careful that the liquid doesn’t splatter, hitting your skin.
- What is a vortex? Look into the container from the top and slowly increase the speed from low to high, the batter will form a small vortex (or hole) in the center. High-powered machines have containers that are designed to create a controlled vortex, systematically folding ingredients back to the blades for smoother blends and faster processing… instead of just spinning ingredients around, hoping they find their way to the blades.
- If your machine isn’t powerful enough or built to do this, you may need to stop the unit often to scrape the sides down.
- Pour the mixture into the mold of choice.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- You can grate this cheese using a box grater or you can slice it anyway you wish.
Assembly:
- Build the sandwich as you see fit. I love a thick slice of tomato and cheese!
- Enjoy!
Culinary Explanations:
- Why do I start the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F). Click (here) to learn the reason behind this.
- When working with fresh ingredients it is important to taste test as you build a recipe. Learn why (here).
Substitutions:
One of the greatest joys when creating raw food recipes is experimenting with different ingredients… a practice that I highly encourage. Daily I get questions regarding substitutions. Of course we all might have different dietary needs and tastes which could necessitate altering a recipe. I love to share with you what I create for myself, my husband, friends and family. I spend a lot of time selecting the right ingredients with a particular goal in mind, looking to build a certain flavor and texture.
So as you experiment with substitutions, remember they are what they sound like, they are substitutes for the preferred item. Generally they are not going to behave, taste, or have the same texture as the suggested ingredient. Some may work, and others may not and I can’t promise what the results will be unless I’ve tried them myself. So have fun, don’t be afraid, and remember, substituting is how I discovered many of my unique dishes.
Original Post at Tomato & “Cheese” on Sunflower Bread (raw, vegan, nut-free)