This recipe might look ambitious, but after one bite you’ll realize it was worth it. Besides, fancy toast is so trendy and impressive!
These delectable toasts combine a vegan smoked cashew “cheese” with juicy poached pears and crispy fried thyme for the perfect sweet and savoury bite. Try serving it alongside dinner, as part of an array of appetizers or make it for an indulgent weekend brunch.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Makes: 14 small toasts
Ingredients:
Smoked Cashew Cheese:
1 cup raw whole cashews (soaked and refrigerated in water for 3 hours)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
½ tsp miso paste
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp white pepper
Powder from 1 vegan source probiotic capsule (10 billion CFU)
Poached Pears:
3 bosc pears
3 cups water
2/3 cup raw sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp cinnamon
2-3 thick slices of peeled ginger
Fried Thyme:
30 sprigs of thyme
1 tsp olive oil (for frying)
Extras:
Loaf of sourdough bread, thinly sliced (or your preference)
Directions:
1. Drain the soaking water from the cashews and then rinse them in fresh water.
2. In a high-powered blender, combine cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, miso paste, sea salt, smoked paprika, white pepper and probiotic powder. You’ll need to stop the blender frequently to move the mixture around with a spatula and scrape it off the sides to get it smooth.
3. Wrap the cashew cheese mixture in a double layer of cheesecloth and place in sealed container to achieve a round shape or scoop the mixture into a jar with a lid and let it set in the fridge for at least 24 hours (up to 36 hours for a stronger flavour).
4. For the poached pears, bring water, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and peeled ginger to a boil in a pot.
5. Meanwhile, peel the pears, cut them in halves and remove the core and seeds.
6. Once the poaching liquid is boiling, place pears in the pot and let simmer at a rolling boil for 20 minutes. To prevent pears from poking out of the liquid you can cut a circle of parchment paper (the same circumference of your pot), cut a small hole in the centre and place it on top of the liquid in the pot.
7. The pears are done when you can easily poke a fork in them and they slide off. Remove them from the liquid and allow to cool.
8. Just before serving the toasts, heat a pan over medium heat with oil and thyme sprigs. Fry for 1-2 minutes until crispy, but still contain some colour.
9. Prepare your toast to your liking in the oven or toaster. Meanwhile, thinly slice the cooled poached pears.
10. Spread smoked cashew cheese on pieces of toast, place 3 thin slices of pear on top and garnish with fried thyme. Serve immediately.
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