Easy Tofu Ricotta (Vedic)

I won't lie, this recipe is just down-home, weeknight, easy-dinner goodness.  It's for those days when you get home and you're hungry and tired, or maybe you're having a cheese craving, or you need to please a crowd of picky adults and children who like "simple white foods." Well, what could be more simple and classic than a bowl of pasta with sauce and ricotta?  It takes me about 5-7 minutes to prepare include prep...then you just throw it into a bowl with pasta and sauce, and presto: dinner is served!

Easy tofu Ricotta with simple tomato sauce and oriocette pasta.

With fresh herbs and "hidden" nutrition, this ricotta is flavorful, versatile, and will fool most people.  You can bake it into a pasta casserole or lasagna, or just keep it in the fridge and add to your pasta or vegetable dishes for some added protein and fun!  Heck, even if you're not vegan and just trying to "lighten your load," you can substitute this tofu ricotta in to your favorite recipes. 

Easy Tofu Ricotta after mixing and smashing with wooden spoon.

Now, to really make it convincing and delicious I definitely like to add some fat and some salt. I mean, that's what makes real cheese taste good, right? The deal here is that we are using cashews for our fat instead of animal fat.  When compared to the same serving size of part skim milk ricotta (using data from the USDA Nutrient Database), raw cashews have 1/3 the saturated fat content and ZERO cholesterol compared to the real cheese.  Using nuts and yeast flakes (which are high in B-vitamins) increases our nutrition overall.  However, if you are on a heart healthy diet the nuts/fat can easily be omitted and it will still taste good and add a satisfying and flavorful touch to your weeknight meal.  This recipe was heavily adapted from the book The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook to be made more healthy and delicious.

Easy Tofu Ricotta (3-4 Servings)
Ingredients:
-1 lb medium-firm organic tofu + 1/2 cup water for cooking
-3-4 tbsp Raw Sour Cream Sauce (or Vegan Mayo)
-1 tbsp yeast flakes
-1 tsp sea salt
-1/4 tsp hing (or garlic/onion pwd)
-Sprinkle of fresh black pepper
-2 tbsp finely minced fresh herbs, such as a combo of parsley, basil, or chive (substitute dried herbs if no fresh, but reduce to tsp)
-1 wedge of lemon, squeeze juice into dish

Directions:

1. Remove tofu from package and pour out any excess liquid.
2. Put a frying pan on high heat and crumble the tofu into the pan using your hands.
3. Add small amount of water (~1/2 cup) and cook tofu, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until water reaches a rolling boil.
4. Drain tofu using a wire mesh colander (or regular colander with a cheese cloth lining the bottom).  Be sure to press the tofu a little bit with the back of a wooden spoon to get as much liquid out as you can.  If you're not in a rush, you could let it sit out in the strainer with something heavy on top to really strain it well.
5. Add tofu to a bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients and continue to smash the tofu up with your wooden spoon to your desired texture.
6. If you want the tofu ricotta to be richer, simply add more cashew cream, vegan mayo, or possibly coconut/olive oil.