CHEESE WITH NO LACTOSE RECIPES

Steps:

• Get all your ingredients and tools out on the counter.
• Fresh squeeze your lemons. You will use about 3-4 lemons.
• Pour 1/2 gallon of Whole Milk into Large Stock Pot.
• Heat milk over medium heat to 175 degrees Fahrenheit (79 degrees Celsius). This will take approx. 20 minutes. Watch it carefully. Do not overheat the milk.
• Remove from heat once it hits the proper 175 degree temperature. Add 1/2 cup of lemon juice and give it one big stir. Let this rest off and away from the heat for 15 minutes.
• Prep your work station while the milk/lemon juice mixture is resting. Line the large bowl with a double layer of cheese cloth.
• After 15 minutes, pour the milk/lemon juice mixture into the big bowl.
• Carefully gather the ends of the cheesecloth and lift the cheese curd (milk solids) away from the whey (liquid) and tie with the kitchen twine.
• Carefully gather the ends of the cheesecloth and lift the cheese curd (milk solids) away from the whey (liquid) and tie with the kitchen twine making sure the twine is secured.
• Make sure that all milk solids are in the cheesecloth and only the whey liquid is left in the bowl. The whey liquid is a by-product and no longer needed. Discard what's in the bowl.
• Hang the cheesecloth in a large pitcher, supported by a spoon for two hours in a refrigerator.
• Check regularly to pour off the whey that will collect in the bottom of the pitcher.
• After 2 hours of the curds separating from the whey, your Ricotta cheese is finished. You are ready to remove the cheesecloth.
• Add Kosher salt and your favorite herbs to taste and enjoy. I used about 1/2 tsp. of Kosher salt with a 1/2 tsp. of Italian seasoning. It came out perfect!
• Crumble it up to mix in the salt and herbs. Then add it to your favorite dish. We used ours for baked ziti.
• We all enjoyed this cheese and will make it again. It didn't upset any of our stomachs. To be lactose intolerant and to be able to enjoy cheese that tastes like real cheese...is a dream come true!
• I will post the baked ziti recipe very soon!

Steps:

• 1. Cook lasagna noodles in salted water until they are almost cooked fully. Stir occasionally while cooking as it avoids having them stick together. Drain but do not pour water over it as I've found the water prevents the sauce from sticking to the pasta.
• 2. While lasagna noodles are being cooked, brown lean ground beef with oil in a frying pan.
• 3. Finely chop onion, mushrooms, and peppers, and add to beef when it is cooked.
• 4. Add spices and prepared spaghetti sauce, stir and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. I prefer using the Primo sauce as I find it isn't too watery but most any brand will do.
• 5. To make the filling, in a bowl combine the non-dairy sour cream and non-dairy cream cheese (I use the "tofutti" brand), egg, 1/4 cup daiya cheese (or whatever non-dairy cheese you prefer), and the oregano, garlic powder and parsley. Set aside. (The daiya cheese is available in cheddar or mozzerella flavour, although I find both pretty much taste the same).
• 6. In a seperate bowl combine the fresh non-dairy bread crumbs (I ended up making my own from 3 slices of white bread that was made without dairy). Add 1/4 tsp of oregano, garlic powder and onion powder. Set aside, this will be the topping.
• 7. In a Lasagna pan add a small amount of the meat sauce in the bottom of the pan. Lay three lasagna noodles on top, Then spread 1/3 of the filling on top of the noodles, and add meat sauce. Repeat this layer two more times, ending again with the meat sauce. You'll have one extra un-used noodle, this is just a bonus for the cook to eat after it goes in the oven with a tiny bit of the sauce on it - you've earned it.
• 8. Melt 1 Tbsp of the non-dairy margarine (I prefer using "Vegan Becel" although I don't know if this is available outside of Canada).
• 9. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top of the lasagna, and drizzle the melted non-dairy margarine on top. Then sprinkle the non-dairy shredded cheese on top. If you prefer, you can always add more non-dairy cheese than what I've stated.
• 10. In a preheated oven set at 350 degrees, bake for about 45 minutes. It works best to cover the lasagna with aluminum foil for the first 30 minuts and then bake it uncovered for the last 15 minutes.
• 11. Another baking option is to bake it at 225 degrees, covered, for about 4 hours. This will allow you to roast extra peppers, tomatos, and garlic for the last two hours of baking time (cut the peppers into large pieces, and the tomatos in half, and peel off some of the skin off the head of garlic and cut the top off. Lay these out in a shallow pan, then sprinkle all three with oil, salt & pepper, onion powder and oregano. Just make sure to cover the garlic with aluminum foil, and bake all three for about 2 hours). It makes an excellent addition to serve with the lasagna.
• 12. When lasagna is ready, let it sit on the counter for about 5 minutes before cutting. Enjoy.