CHEESY ALTERNATIVE, BY VAL WILSON

I do not use dairy products in my cooking for many different reasons. Dairy products contain saturated fat that not only causes weight gain but also elevates cholesterol levels. This can lead to fat deposits in the arteries, which raises the risk of heart attack and strokes. Another reason to stay away from dairy products is the allergic reaction many people experience from them. There are more than 25 proteins in milk that can play a role in one developing such problems as eczema, asthma, ear infections, bronchitis and sinusitis.

There is also the issue of the growth hormones and antibiotics that cows are typically forced to eat, which then end up in their dairy products. I find it very interesting to note that 300 years ago, one was fortunate to receive just one quart of milk a day from a cow. Today, thanks to growth hormones and selective breeding, a cow can provide up to 50 quarts of milk a day. I think that says a lot about how unnatural our current dairy products have become.

Lastly, I would like to point out that milk that comes from a cow is intended for a baby calf, not an adult human. We are the only species on the planet that consumes milk after we are weaned off our mother’s milk, and it’s not even human milk. What would people think if they tried to squeeze 50 quarts of milk out of a human mother to feed the cow population? It appears we are breaking a major natural law. And we know what happens if we go against nature – we always end up paying for it one way or another.

One of my favorite cheese substitutes is to use grated mochi. Mochi is sweet, brown rice that has been pounded. It comes in blocks that become gooey like cheese when cooked. It is a little difficult to grate, so I recommend using some type of machine, but the tasty end result is very much worth the effort.

Cheesy Tempeh

2 packages tempeh (crumbled)

2 onions (cut in thin half moons)

4 carrots (cut in thin rounds)

Sauce:

1 cup grated mochi

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup tahini

2 T. dark miso

Sauté the crumbled tempeh in some toasted sesame oil and a sprinkle of tamari until it starts to brown. After tempeh is done, put it in a casserole dish. Then using the same pan, sauté the onions and add to the tempeh. Again using the same pan, sauté the carrots for about 5 minutes, add to the tempeh and onions. To make the sauce, whisk together the water, tahini and miso. Heat the mixture in a sauce pan, along with the mochi, until the mochi has melted and created a thick sauce. Pour the sauce over the tempeh and vegetables in the casserole dish. Cover and bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Chef Valerie Wilson, a.k.a, Macro Val, has been teaching cooking classes since 1997. Visit her website to purchase her new cookbook, Year Round Healthy Holiday Cooking, set up a phone consultation, or listen to her radio show, www.macrval.com. Facebook, Macro Val Food.

Article reprinted with permission from the Fall 2009 issue of Health & Happiness U.P. Magazine. All rights reserved.