Nutritional Yeast B12 Fortified

I have had handful of inquiries about WinCo's nutritional yeast and if it is Vitamin B12 fortified.  I was finally able to remember to check and yes it is Vitamin B12 fortified.

For people located in Utah, Good Earth's nutritional yeast is also B12 fortified and is currently cheaper than WinCo's.

Nutritional Yeast-
WinCo $8.68/lb
Good Earth $8.05/lb

Our Experiment with “Cheese” Sauce

My kids and I did a test run on several vegan “cheese sauce” recipes that I have collected here and there and voted on the recipes that were our favorites. I’ve been curious about cheese substitute recipes and have tried one or two in the past (I am still experimenting with one that uses beans).

What is in a cheese sauce?

Most of the recipes we came across contained four or more of these ingredients:

Tomatoes

Pimentos

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Salt

Nutritional Yeast

Nuts of some sort

Lemon Juice

Red Bell Pepper

I want to find a recipe that appeals not only to me, but to my family. Out of the 5 recipes we tried, we narrowed it down to one. At the time, I didn’t happen to have any red bell peppers or cashews on hand, so none of the recipes we tested called for peppers or cashews.

Now keep in mind that when I ran this “test kitchen” I didn’t tell my kids that this was a substitute for cheese. I let them assume that these were merely different sauces/dips, and I wanted to see which ones they liked the best.  If they were in the mind frame that these were supposed to taste exactly like cheese, they would have been greatly disappointed.  With a bit of altering to our own preference, we were able to create a recipe that everyone was happy with.  None of the recipes I tried ever tasted exactly like cheese. The recipe we ultimately chose had a good taste (similar to that of cheese, with a twist), texture, and thickness.

The sauce does turn a darker orange color once it has been thickened.  It only takes a few minutes to warm and thicken and the sauce can scorch so be careful.

I opened the container of “Cheese Sauce” after it had been refrigerated for several hours and the aroma was not incredibly pleasing.  However, after re-heating it, the cheese sauce was not as potent.  If this happens to you - don’t fret. Just warm it back up and enjoy.

This is great as a stand alone sauce for dipping tortilla chips and raw veggies.  It is also great as a condiment for tacos and burritos.

Sauce blended, but not yet cooked.

Vegan Cheese Sauce

1 cup rice milk (unsweetened), divided

2 Tbsp fresh or canned tomatoes

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp onion powder

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1/8 cup raw sunflower seeds

2-3 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. Blend sunflower seeds in blender/processor until well crushed. Add the tomatoes and ¼ cup rice milk and blend again until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend well.

2. Pour into a small saucepan and heat over medium-heat until desired thickness, stirring/whisking frequently.

Makes about 2 cups

Cheese sauce after it is cooked.

Alterations / Substitutes:

• Use cashews in place of sunflower seeds
• Use any milk of choice
• Add cayenne for heat
• Substitute 1 tsp vinegar for 2-3 tsp. lemon juice
• Pre-soak nuts or seeds to make it easier to blend smooth

Nutritional Yeast

Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast. It is mustard-yellow in appearance and has a dry, powdery texture. It is usually found in flake form, but can also be found in powder form. Nutritional yeast can be found in many health food stores and is generally located in the bulk section of the store.  Brewer’s yeast is generally found next to the nutritional yeast and is completely different, so make sure you are buying the right one.

Nutritional yeast may be Vitamin B12 fortified, making it very common in vegetarian and vegan diets. High levels of Vitamin B12 can be found in beef, lamb, liver, cheese, eggs, shellfish, and other sea animals including some fish, so for those who do not consume animal products,  nutritional yeast that is fortified with Vitamin B12 is very important.

Nutritional yeast has a robust flavor similar to that of cheese, and is used as a cheese substitute in many vegan and vegetarian dishes. Nutritional yeast also is commonly the main ingredient in cheese alternative recipes. It can be sprinkled over food by itself or it can be an added ingredient in many sauces and recipes.

There is so much important information available for those who are using nutritional yeast about getting your daily intake of Vitamin B12. The best resource that I can guide you to is Sassy from VeganCoach.com. She has explained everything you need to know and understand about nutritional yeast in a section on her website.  It is lengthy, but well worth the time to check out. She also has great advice and ideas about eating vegan. I’ve referred to her website for ideas many times over the years.