Monday, October 5, 2009

Vegan Mofo: Vegan Pimento Cheeze

I used to love pimento cheese, that beloved nuclear-orange colored spread that comes in the big ole plastic tub. When I went vegan almost five years ago, I thought I'd just have to do without it for the rest of my life.

Then one night, I was tweaking a hummus recipe, and just for fun, I added a little nutritional yeast. And gasp! It tasted a lot like the pimento cheese I remembered. That being said, it's been awhile since I've eaten pimento cheese. But you have to admit that it looks quite similar:

My vegan pimento cheeze is another cookbook recipe, and I've been eating it spread on Whole Foods brand Mighty Multigrain bread all weekend:

By the way, doesn't the bread look really white? I bought it because it said "multigrain" and the ingredients look okay. But eating it makes me feel a little guilty ... like I'm eating evil white bread.

25 comments:

Chelsea said...

That bread does look white! That would be great for tricking kids that think they only like white bread! haha

I've never heard of pimento cheese... good thing or I would have had yet another hard dairy thing to give up! Yours looks delish and I'm looking forward to trying out the recipe! xoxo Chels

The Voracious Vegan said...

YOU ARE A GENIUS! Seriously, you need about a billion gold stars for your amazingness. I think you really read my mind, you are constantly veganizing all my old favorites - pimento cheese included! I can't wait for your cookbook!!!!

Devan said...

pimento cheese? never had it.. but that hummus and nutrional yeast sounds like a FANTASTIC idea!! I will definatly be trying it :)

haha. it does look like white bread doesnt it!?

nora said...

that cheese looks decadent! tester recipe? maybe i could actually make that one at school b/c i have nooch in my room, and access to chickpeas and stuff in the dining hall! :)

also, right before you wrote about how white your bread looks, i said to myself, that does NOT look like multi-grain bread! haha weird..maybe it's like white whole wheat..

Mihl said...

Stop teasing us with your great recipes. Please, I can't bear it anymore ;p

Jen Treehugger said...

Never had pimiento cheese but I could so go for some of your vegan version. Can't get over how white that bread is - how do they do that? This is certainly a tricksy way to get fussy people to eat healthy bread
:)

Nicole G said...

That looks amazing! I used to love the real stuff, even though it had mayo in it and I really hate mayo. I know it's a secret recipe right now, but can you at least say if it has vegan mayo in it or is it completely different?

miss v said...

whoa! i didn't know anyone else who loved pimento cheeze. i was totally addicted to that as a kid. and port wine cheese in the little jars. can you figure out how to replicate that? :) your future cookbook is going into my hall of fame.

Jessie (Vegan-minded) said...

Ooh, your pimento cheeze looks awesome! I used to love the real thing, it looks like you have found a great substitution :)

Leslie Richman said...

I might explode waiting for that cookbook!!!!

I have been reading old 1950's cookbooks and the cravings for pimiento cheese are insane at this point! :)

Happy Older Hippie Woman! said...

As a little kid I used to like that Pimento Baloney - never had the cheese form, but this does look really good - I love spreads! My favorite non-guilt-ridden "white" bread is "Rudi's Organic Bakery"-Country Morning White - really solid, substantial stuff!! It'll be great with this spread on it!

Anonymous said...

Mmmmmmmmm! I'd be dipping pretzels (and my finger) into that yummy spread!!!!

Jessica said...

That totally does look like white bread! Weird!

That pimento spread looks DELICIOUS. Put your cookbook out already! ;)

Unknown said...

I have been lurking your crunk blog for a while now. From what I gather, you loved cheese in your pregan days about as much as I did. Accepting that I would never have it again wasn't difficult but these weird cravings for Pimento cheese sandwiches have been. I don't think I've looked so forward to something since Santa Clause paid me annual visits.

A said...

I'm not a pimento cheese fan but I love seeing yet another item that you veganized!! Oh, an the bread certainly looks sinful! I totally thought it was white!
-A

Sal - AlienOnToast said...

never heard of pimento cheeze but it looks pretty damn ace. yeah that does look like white bread. We have one over here called best of both which is white + wholewheat - maybe it's something similar??

Jen said...

if you make the hot/cold tangy chedda sauce from p. 68 of the ultimate uncheez cookbook (but don't add the hot stuff i add in) you can achieve the same pimento-ey type taste too.

i'll try the hummous trick too!

Anonymous said...

Ummm...yum! Could that be a tester recipe?! Please?? :-)

Courtney

Cyn said...

I don't think I've ever had pimento cheese, but hummus + nooch sounds delicious. I can't wait to try it.

Susan G said...

It does indeed look like pimento cheese. Even a northerner like me knows (and loves) pimento cheese. But when I was a kid we had the Kraft kind from the jar....sorry to make you cringe!

jessy said...

zomg, i used to super puffy heart me some pimento cheese, too! i can't wait to test this out, Bianca! your pimento cheeze sammie looks so freak'n delicious! yay!

Jenna said...

Seriously? Are you reading my mind, because my mom and I were *just* talking about pimento cheese and how she used to make it for my dad when I was little. She would get the tiny jar of pimentos and mix with shredded cheddar cheese and mayo. My mom recently went vegan- yay mom!!- and we were talking about how it would be pretty easy to veganize her recipe- but it would be so not healthy. Yours sounds like a winner and healthy too!

Megan said...

White bread can be wonderful.

JohnP said...

OMG! Hurry up with the cookbook! :) I used to love pimento cheese!

Erin said...

I ate about a ton of pimiento cheese growing up! After I went vegan once I made some with vegennaise and shredded fyh and it was edible, but so fake tasting. Your idea sounds very intriguing! It's definitely the right color, at least.