WHAT’S IN IT

· ¼ cup tahini

· 1 cup raw cashews

· 1/2 cup water (in addition to the water used for the brine and soaking cashews)

· 3 T tapioca flour

· 1 T nutritional yeast

· 1 ½ t apple cider vinegar

· 1 ¼ t himalayan or sea salt

· ¼ t garlic powder

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Soak the cashews in a bowl of water for at least three hours, preferably overnight

2. Fill a medium bowl with water and add ¼ t of the sea salt to create the brine, set aside

3. Drain the cashews

4. Combine the cashews, remaining sea salt, and the rest of the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth

5. Heat a saucepan over high heat and once the pan is warm, pour in the blended ingredients

6. Stir, stir, stir - keep stirring until the cheese comes together in a ball (about 5 minutes)

7. Remove the cheese from the heat

8. Dip your fingers in water and grab enough of the mozzarella to form into a ball – there should be enough mozzarella to make three or four smaller balls. Put each ball in the brine

9. Store the mozzarella balls (in brine) in the refrigerator until ready to use

WHY IT’S HEALTHY

A small handful of cashews provide half your daily copper needs. Copper plays a role in many processes including iron utilization, elimination of free radicals, and development of bone and connective tissue, and the production of the skin. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that people consuming nuts at least 4 times a week showed a 37% reduced risk of coronary heart disease compared to those who never or seldom ate nuts. Each additional serving of nuts per week was associated with an average 8.3% reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds which contain substances shown to lower cholesterol, prevent high blood pressure, increase vitamin E supplies, and protect the liver from oxidative damage.