Not from the creators of I can’t believe it’s not butter!, here’s I can’t believe it’s not cheese. So what’s “pão de queijo”? If you’ve ever been in contact with Brazilians or Brazilian culture, you’ve probably heard of Brazilian cheese balls. The texture is uniquely mushy, which I adore, but I understand it can be peculiar for those who didn’t grow up with it. Now, Brazilian food is sooo not vegan, which is ok most of the time, but not when it’s about pão de queijo. I crave these babies every other day, so I figured I had to come up with an alternative. Lo and behold, the vegan “cheese” balls.
– 1 cup (200-250 grams) prepared tapioca flour
– 1 tablespoon olive oil
– 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil (or two of olive oil)
– 1 teaspoon of salt
– 1 tablespoon of chia seed (optional)
– 250 grams of mashed cooked mandioquinha*
* I’ve seen it been translated as parsnip, but that’s not quite it. In any case, I feel like most potato-like vegetables will do the trick – I’ve heard it works just as well with sweet potatoes.
Mix the first 5 ingredients until it turns into a crumbly texture, then add the parsnip and mix well. For me, the “dough” became just perfect to roll into little balls, but if it’s sticky to just add a little bit of water and it should work. 10 minutes in a preheated oven and voilà!
PÃO DE QUEIJO VEGANO – VERSÃO BRASILEIRA
– 1 copo (200-250 gramas) de farinha de tapioca preparada
– 1 colher de sopa de azeite
– 1 colher de sopa de óleo de linhaça (ou duas de azeite de oliva)
– 1 colher de chá de sal
– 1 colher de sopa de semente de chia (opcional)
– 250 gramas de mandioquinha cozida amassada
Misture os primeiros 5 ingredientes até virar uma farofa, depois adicione a mandioquinha e misture bem. Pra mim a massa ficou no ponto de enrolar, mas se tiver grudando é só colocar um pouco de água. 10 minutos no forno pré-aquecido e voilà!
tofufroglegs.wordpress.com 