This Post is about Nooch.
I am frequently asked about it, what it tastes like, and for recipes using Nooch. This post will give you some info and Nooch Recipes. Enjoy!
Nutritional Yeast = Nooch
What is It?
From a Foods Alive email I received:
– Vegans and vegetarians have used Nutritional Yeast for years as a source of vitamin B-12. Health seekers who strive to eat primarily a whole foods diet use nutritional yeast because it
tastes good with certain foods and adds extra nutrients to their diet. Nutritional yeast contains 18 amino acids (forming the complete protein) and 15 minerals.– Nutritional Yeast is grown on a mixture of cane and beet molasses. B-vitamins are added during the process to provide the yeast with the nutrients it needs to grow. When harvested, the yeast is washed, pasteurized, and dried before it is ready for market.
– Unlike baking yeast, nutritional yeast is grown solely for its nutritional value. It should not be confused with brewer’s yeast, a by-product of breweries and distilleries. Nutritional yeast is a low-fat, low-sodium, kosher, non-GMO food that contains no added sugars or preservatives.
What Does It Taste Like?
It’s a cheezy-tasting, slightly salty tasting, similar to the saltiness level in cheese. There’s a little “grit” or texture to it, but when blended with liquids (oils, water, agave, or food processed with vegetables), or whisked, it “smooths” out the texture.
What Are the Nutritional Stats?
Holy Protein (9 g in 3 Tbsp, and 80 calories) & B-Vitamins, Batman!
10 Recipes!!!
I present you with Some of my Favorite Nooch Recipes:
1. Kale Chips
Since the above linked recipe, I have cleaned up the recipe instructions and pictures, and here is my new go-to raw vegan kale chip recipe.
Averie’s Raw Vegan Kale Chips Recipe for 1 Bunch of Kale
1 c cashews (soaked for a few hours)
1 Medium Red Pepper
Juice of half a lemon (2 Tbsp)
1/4 c Nooch (Nutritional Yeast) or more if you’re a fan of nooch. I use 1/3c++
1 Tsp Salt (or to taste)
Optional 1/2 Tsp Agave or 1/2 of a medjool date
Wash the kale & remove tough stalks, de-seed the red pepper, drain off your soaked cashews
Put all the Ingredients into a Vita-Mix or Food Processor & Blend everything together
Apply the coating to the kale
Put on Dehydrator Screens and Dehydrate until done, flipping once after a couple hours.
Or, Bake In a 300F Oven for 20 Minutes, Flipping, and Then Baking Another 10 Minutes or so.
You can also bake in a 200F oven with the door ajar. It will take longer but the results will be closer to that of a dehydrator.
Watch the Kale Chips very closely because if you think broccoli stench is bad, burnt kale is very naassssty. Everyone’s Oven Temps and Desired Kale Chip Crispiness Level differs, so plan on babysitting your oven for about 45 minutes in total. But I promise, totally worth it!
Dehydrate (or bake) til Crispy-n-Crunchy
Look at the cheezy, noochey, cashew-ey goodness just stuck on the kale leaf like price stickers stuck to the bottom of your new dishes.
They’re like little Trees of Noochey Goodness
Get a load of that vegan cheezy action baked right in.
Store any extras (won’t be a problem!) in a sealed container.
I Love these things….
…And Skylar begs me for kale chips!
2. high Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cups
Start with Nooch & PB
The nooch is optional, but it gives that little hint of savory or saltiness to the peanut butter very similar to a Reese’s PB Cup. If you don’t have nooch, you can still make these and they will “turn out” just fine.
Add Chocolate, and voila, you’ve got Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cups! In about 10 Minutes!
3. Popcorn with Nooch
Directions:
Use 2 Tbsp Organic Popcorn kernels, place in a brown paper bag, microwave for 90 seconds. And after popping, I spray the popcorn with cooking and/or coconut oil spray and douse liberally with:
Nooch
cinnamon
NuNaturals Stevia
Maca
Chocolate (or carob) Chips
I found these items at Whole Foods that I’ve been dousing all over my popcorn but I recommend online shopping to save money! iherb.com use code AVE630 to save $5 on your order
Popcorn’s Ready in 90 Seconds!
Sawdust Maca Powder Sprinkled
Nooch Close Up = Vegan Cheezy Goodness
Chocolate Chips Added!
4. Raw Vegan Spinach Dip
This is a raw, dairy-free, creamed spinach dip sure to delight all. It is loaded with spinach and has a delicious creamy taste. Serve with flax crackers or cut veggies. You may just be tempted to make it a meal! Click for Picture & Recipe Source
and Click for Another Source:
Ingredients:
10oz of Fresh, Organic Spinach
1/2 Organic Red Onion
1.5 cups organic, unpasteurized almonds (soaked and dehydrated)
0.5 cups organic, really raw cashews (soaked and dehydrated)
0.25 cups of organic, cold-pressed olive oil
1.5 cups water
1/3 cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 TBSP Nutritional Flakes
4 garlic cloves
2 tsp sea salt
Optional: 1 tsp of psyllim husk (increases thickness of dip)
Preparation:
Chop spinach and red onion and place in mixing bowl.
Put remaining ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
Combine blender contents in bowl and mix.
Chill for 1-2 hours to increase the dips thickness.
Garnish with chopped red bell pepper for color.
5. One Pot Gluten Free Vegan Mac-N-Cheese with Nooch. This will keep you warm in your tummy without having to use any Kraft Easy Mac!
6. Sprinkle Nooch on top of raw, steamed, or sauteed veggies.
Add other spices such as paprika, cumin, ginger, onion, garlic, S & P, etc. to suit your tastes.
Shown: Zucchini wedges and cauliflower with Nooch, Paprika, and Pepper.
7. Raw Cheddar Dipping Sauce for Veggies or as a Salad Dressing
Dip all your raw veggies in this! Or Pour over cooked veggies as a “cheezy cheddar alfredo sauce”. Or thin out with oil and use as a cheezy salad dressing.
This Recipe is Similar to My Kale Chip Coating from Above but what follows is an alternate version I found
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews, sunflower seeds or almonds
½ large red bell pepper
¼ cup water
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon tahini
1½ teaspoon sea salt
1 clove garlic
2 teaspoon onion powder (or a small slice of onion or 1 Tbsp of green onion)
Preparation:
Blend all ingredients until creamy. Add more water if it is too thick.
And Enjoy the Dip!!! Or use it as a salad dressing if you combine it with a little oil such as flax, hemp, or olive oil to Thin it Out A Bit.
8. Here’s my other Salad Dressing Recipe Using Nooch:
Averie’s Cheezy Hemp Salad Dressing Recipe
9. Add 2 Tbsp of Nooch to my
The Nooch will add a slightly cheeze-infused flavor to the Sweet-n-Tangy Chicken-Less Salad and will complement & balance the slight sweetness of the O.J. & Agave in This Recipe
10. Add 2 Tbsp Nooch to My Sweet-n-Nutty Un-Chicky Salad Recipe
Serve the Sweet-n-Nutty Un-Chicky Salad with Nooch over a Bed of Greens. Dulse Flakes for added savory flavor work wonderfully with nooch.
11. Averie’s Raw Vegan Cheezy Spread (Recipe Also Appears in This Post)
1 c raw cashews (soaked for a few hours)
3-4 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast (nooch). More if you like things really cheezy flavored like I do!
2-3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Optional other spices added to taste: garlic, onions, cumin, etc.
Yields: Approx 1 cup of Vegan Cheezy Spread
Soaking my nuts (TWSS!)
Blend everything together in your Vita or Food Processor or Magic Bullet, and enjoy!
12.
“Spicy Doritos” Cheezy Dip with Raw Veggies…
“Spicy Doritos” Cheezy Dip
13. Cheezy Vegetable Bake
Cheezy Vegetable Bake
I hope those Recipes Using Nooch have inspired you to try it!
You’re saying this looks great, I’m going to try it! But Where do I find it?
You can find it at Whole Foods or other health food stores (Trader Joe’s and most regular grocery stores Do Not Carry It)
Or, Order it From iherb.com. Here’s the Now Brand, and Here’s the Brand I Use called KAL.
***Use code AVE630 at check out to save $5 off your order from iherb.com***
Questions
1. Do You Use Nooch? Does This Post Make You Want to Try It? Did Any of the Recipes Inspire You or Catch Your Eye?
2. If You’re a Nooch User, what’s your favorite recipe or way to use it? Links welcome in the comments. I would love to see your favorites and ways you’re using it!
3. Are there any other ingredients that you see tossed around in the ‘sphere that you are a bit clueless about and want some more info about or recipe suggestions using those ingredients because you’re intrigued but have no idea where to begin?
Maca, Mesquite, Lucama, Coconut Oil, Cocao Butter, Tahini, Agave, Yacon Syrup, come to mind, but what else do you need help with? Maybe I can do another post like this one discussing other ingredients/recipes that are a bit of a mystery to you!
4. What’s something that you’ve tried lately (probably because of the blogosphere) that you wouldn’t ordinarily have tried? Or what have you started loving and incorporating into your diet because you were inspired to try it and now you’re so glad you did and can’t believe you lived without it for so long?
For me, maca, nooch, coconut oil are three staples that a year ago were not, at all.
