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don't miss dairy

Emily Stokes
I'm a lady who loves cheese, sour cream, & ice cream, but I recently became lactose intolerant. My key focus in recreating dairy recipes is taste, but I try to be as health conscious as possible. Some of my recipes are low lactose rather than dairy free. I'm also a writer, teacher, nanny, dog mom, housewife, native Yinzer, current Californian, and social organizer extraordinaire.

Snacks & Dips

Crispy Tomato and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Crispy tomato and goat cheese bruschetta from dontmissdairy.com
 

I don’t mean to brag, but this bruschetta has been declared the greatest of all time by a very reputable source, who is also my personal taste tester (my husband).

I’ve made it a few different ways with various toppings. I usually prefer regular French or Sourdough bread for the best tasting bruschetta, but this recipe goes  well with whole wheat French bread. Pour on the olive oil and you can’t go wrong.

I also use the freshest ingredients, like torn basil straight from the garden. Farmer’s market heirloom tomatoes are colorful favorites to use, unless I have homegrown tomatoes available, which are the best of the best.

The bruschetta pictured would not have been possible without Laura’s tomatoes from The Urban Homestead. I didn’t grow tomatoes this year so I’ve been enjoying hers! She is such a wonderful friend to have traded veggies with me, even though I only had one cucumber to give out at the time.

If you are looking for a great place to get fresh goat cheese, Harley Farms in Pescadero has some amazing cheeses. I love goat cheese, especially since it has much less lactose than cows milk cheese.

If you ever get out to the West Coast or are a Californian looking for a fun day trip, go to Pescadero. It’s a tiny town right on the coast, about 20 miles south of Half Moon Bay–pumpkin growing country! There’s an awesome restaurant called Duarte’s, where they make the most delicious olallieberry pie. You won’t miss it, as there are only two restaurants in the whole town, which is on one street. There’s also a general store, a post office, a fire station, and a single stop light.

Behind all of this is Harley Farms, where you can spend a good hour watching the baby goats play and tasting the amazing selection of goat cheese and olive oils. They also make ceramics and goat milk lotions, and sell fresh eggs. I’ve posted some pictures of Harley Farms below to accompany the coastal farm fresh experience of my goat cheese bruschetta.

Crispy Tomato and Goat Cheese Bruschetta
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Ingredients
  1. 6 slices whole wheat French bread loaf
  2. extra virgin olive oil
  3. minced garlic
  4. 3-4 roma tomatoes, sliced
  5. 3 sprigs fresh basil
  6. goat cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay slices of bread on nonstick baking sheet. Using an olive oil pourer or a spoon, pour olive oil over each slice of bread. No drizzling here, just pour it on carefully so that it drenches the bread, but doesn't spill over the slice. The bread will soak it all up during cooking.
  2. Spread minced garlic on each slice--as much as desired. I put about a 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic on each bread slice. Lay down tomato slices to cover bread, and then coat tomatoes with olive oil either by drizzling with a spoon or spraying.
  3. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until tomato slices are roasted. Timing will depend on how thick your slices are. Remove from oven.
  4. Add teaspoon size dollops of goat cheese onto the bruschetta or slices if you have a log. Bake for five more minutes in the oven. Cheese will be gooey and creamy. Remove from oven and add torn basil. Serve with your favorite wine.
don't miss dairy https://dontmissdairy.com/
Crispy tomato and goat cheese bruschetta from dontmissdairy.com

Crispy tomato and goat cheese bruschetta from dontmissdairy.com

Crispy tomato and goat cheese bruschetta from dontmissdairy.com

Crispy tomato and goat cheese bruschetta from dontmissdairy.com

Harley Farms Open Sign.

Harley Farms

Mama goat walking in her pen.

Mama Goat

Mama goats eating from trough in the goat house.

Dinner time.

Baby goat being pet in it's pen.

Petting the baby goat.

Little goat cheese disks decorated with edible flowers.

Beautiful little goat cheeses with edible flowers and herbs, also apricot and pistachio and sun dried tomato.

Pescadero Beach

Pescadero Beach

Dairy-Free Nacho Cheese

A snack I am always missing at baseball games is nachos and cheese, piled high with jalapeños. It’s a serious craving.

I’ve been wanting to create this recipe for a while now, and it’s become one of my new favorite things. I thought it would be a long shot to recreate the taste of nacho cheese using non-dairy products, but I totally surprised myself. It was very simple.

The key is to use sweetened almond milk (without flavoring) and a soy cheese.

If you are looking for a good cheese to use, I really enjoy the soy cheddar from Milk Pail market in Los Altos, CA. This is what I can get locally. I love the taste, the only problem is that it doesn’t stretch or melt as well as other brands. Check out your local whole foods market or specialty food store to see if they make their own and give it a try! I also recommend Trader Joe’s Three Cheese Soy Blend and Daiya Cheddar Shreds, which are soy-free and probably the best for you.

Remember, don’t base your opinion on dairy-free cheese by what it tastes like out of the wrapping.

Cheese alternatives always taste better cooked and with other ingredients added–like hot sauce! This is great with chopped peppers added in, but I usually eat mine like stadium nachos: tortilla chips covered in cheese then piled with jalapeños.

There is no good picture of this because I was busy eating it and watching football.

I especially created this nacho cheese to accompany the first Pittsburgh Steelers preseason game. It was almost perfect, but only because the Stillers lost. They proceeded to lose each following preseason game as well, which is not a good sign for the upcoming season. So sad. At times like those, the only comforting part of the game is the food.

The Pittsburgh Pirates were still going strong for a while, but who knows? My husband and I were at AT&T Park to see the Pirates play the Giants last weekend and the Pirates also lost. That was a bummer.

The comforting thing there was not just the awesome stadium food, but that we were not the only Pirates fans! We met up with a few members of Eric’s family who were also at the game, and we saw some people with Pirates gear on. There were probably more in secret. I don’t blame them–it was Giants territory. Anyway, I hope to be making this nacho cheese for the Pirates World Series games. Let’s go bucs!

Dairy-Free Nacho Cheese
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup sweetened almond milk
  2. 1 cup shredded soy or vegan cheese
  3. 1 tsp hot sauce (I use Frank's)
  4. 1/4-1/2 cup pickled jalapeños, finely chopped*
  5. salt and pepper to taste**
Instructions
  1. In a saucepan over medium low heat, bring the almond milk to a simmer.
  2. Add in shredded soy cheese, stirring frequently until melted. The last unmelted bits may require vigorous stirring for up to 10 minutes, but they will melt and the sauce will thicken considerably. Don't give up! If you are having trouble, try using a whisk.
  3. After all the soy cheese is melted add hot sauce, salt, and pepper if desired and to your taste. Remove nacho "cheese" from heat and add jalapeños the way you like them.
Notes
  1. *Amount of jalapeños depends on how much you like them and how hot you want your cheese sauce to be.
  2. **Amount of salt added will depend on the vegan cheese you use and how salty it is. Taste test before adding. Black pepper can be added according to your tastes.
don't miss dairy https://dontmissdairy.com/
Dairy-Free Nacho Cheese Dip Made with Almond Milk from dontmissdairy.com

Dairy-Free Nacho Cheese Dip Made with Almond Milk from dontmissdairy.com

Dairy-Free Nacho Cheese Dip Made with Almond Milk from dontmissdairy.com

Dairy-Free Nacho Cheese Dip Made with Almond Milk from dontmissdairy.com
Did you try it out? Please let me know what type of cheese you used, how it turned out, and how you ate it!

Dairy-Free French Onion Dip

Dairy-Free French Onion Dip from dontmissdairy.com

French onion dip was my favorite snack back in my dairy days. It was so creamy, delicious, and addicting with potato chips and pretzels! Nowadays, eating regular sour cream is impossible, and the Lipton Onion Soup Mix is so high in sodium it’s not appropriate for a girl in her late 20s.

Here is a French onion dip I can live with. Using a mixture of Toffuti Better Than Sour Cream and mayonnaise, I can replicate the creamy taste of the sour cream chip dip. Remember, real egg mayonnaise has no dairy in it. Eggs come from chickens, milk comes from cows. So many people forget!

My recipe uses a blend of spices and fresh caramelized onions to create a more realistic taste than the Lipton’s Onion Soup mix.  The combination of olive oil and vegan butter (I used Smart Balance Light) adds a buttery flavor.

Top it with some fresh chives and you have a pretty and delectable onion chip dip that’s perfect for parties or for enjoyment at home as a late night snack.

This recipe was inspired by Elise’s Caramelized Onion Dip from Simply Recipes.

Dairy-Free French Onion Dip
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Ingredients
  1. 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  2. 1 tablespoon vegan butter
  3. 2 onions, chopped
  4. 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  5. 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  6. 1 teaspoon white sugar
  7. 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  8. 1 cup Toffuti Better Than Sour Cream
  9. 1/2 cup egg mayonnaise
  10. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  11. 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
  12. 1 tablespoon fresh chives, diced
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil, onions, vegan butter, and salt. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until onions are tender and start to become translucent.
  2. Add pepper, white sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Turn the heat to low and cook for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized. Turn off heat and allow to cool before adding to remaining ingredients.
  3. In a medium size bowl, mix Toffuti Better Than Sour Cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and Worcestershire Sauce.
  4. Stir caramelized onions into sour cream and mayonnaise mixture, then chill for at least two hours. If you prefer a smoother texture, refine dip in food processor first. Chilling overnight will give the best flavor. Before serving, top with fresh chives.
Adapted from Caramelized Onion Dip
don't miss dairy https://dontmissdairy.com/
Dairy-Free French Onion Dip from dontmissdairy.com

 Dairy-Free French Onion Dip from dontmissdairy.com

Dairy-Free French Onion Dip from dontmissdairy.com 
Dairy-Free French Onion Dip from dontmissdairy.com