Food

In a Pinch

nutritional yeast might be the magic ingredient you never knew you needed.
114_121 Feature Nutritional Yeast SHIP.indd

ADD A LITTLE nooch to your life. Nutritional yeast, or “nooch,” is an inactive yeast strain grown on sugar cane or beet molasses and then harvested, washed, and dried with heat to deactivate it. It’s one of the quickest ways to add flavor and nutrients to savory dishes. And while it doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, its nutty, cheesy profile will delight your taste buds. Vegans and vegetarians have long been praising its flavor-boosting properties, and the popularity of vegetarian recipes has nutritional yeast starting to come out of the cupboard more. And with good reason. The complete protein provides all nine essential amino acids, and two tablespoons typically adds about eight to nine grams of protein, four grams of fiber, and 60 calories. Many brands, including Bob’s Red Mill, fortify it with the metabolism-boosting vitamin B12, which helps to keep the brain and nervous system in good working order. “It’s an awesome way to add vitamin B12 to our diets,” says Carla Salcedo, a registered dietitian at the University of California, San Diego. “It’s low-calorie, low-fat, low-sodium and it’s also both lactose-free and gluten-free.” Don’t let the yeast part confuse you—it’s inactive and different from brewer’s yeast and baker’s yeast, so it won’t foam, froth, or cause dough to ferment or rise. Found in either flake or powder form, it blends easily with foods. Most people start by replacing Parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast or adding it to soups and salads. Of course, our go-to culinary wizard Olivia Roskowski has bigger, better and—yes—”cheesier” ideas.

Paleo Pizza Biscuits

Yield: 12 biscuits

  • 3 cups blanched almond flour
  • ½ cup ground flax seed
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 5 oregano sprigs
  • ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
  • ¾ cup refined coconut oil
  • ¼ cup filtered water
  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • Stir together almond flour, ground flax seed, nutritional yeast, sea salt, red chili flakes, and garlic powder in a medium bowl.
  • Destem oregano and chop roughly (approximately 2 tablespoons), and stir into almond mixture.
  • Chop sun-dried tomatoes and stir into flour mixture.
  • Add coconut oil and water to almond flour mixture and use hands to evenly distribute until dough forms. Set aside and allow dough to rest for 10 minutes.
  • Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Use a ¼ cup measure to mold batter into a biscuit shape.
  • Place onto sheet tray and repeat with remainder of batter.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, or until biscuits are cooked through and golden.
  • Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pro Secrets

  • ✹ Use blanched almond flour for the best results.
  • ✹ Add more nutrition and flavor by adding favorite pizza toppings like olives, basil, or roasted peppers

Good to Know: The batter can store in the refrigerator for a few days before baking.


Shaved Root Vegetable Ribbon Salad with Cider-Poached Cranberries and Polenta Herb Croutons

Yield: Serves 4

  • 4 scallions
  • 3 medium rainbow carrots
  • Cut scallions into quarters lengthwise, and then cut into strips, discarding bottom roots. Place in cold water for 10 minutes to form ribbons.
  • Peel carrots. Use same vegetable peeler to shave carrots into thin ribbons and place in water with scallions for 10 minutes, or until ready to serve.
  • Drain well before serving and toss with cider-poached cranberries.
  • Garnish with polenta herb croutons.

Cider-Poached Cranberries

  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup filtered water
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Add dried cranberries, apple cider vinegar, and water to a small pan.
  • Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced.
  • Take off heat, and stir in sea salt and olive oil.

Polenta Herb Croutons

  • 1 cup polenta
  • 3 cups filtered water
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Add polenta to a medium pot and toast over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add water, bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until polenta is cooked through.
  • Destem and chop rosemary (about 1 tablespoon). Stir into polenta mixture along with nutritional yeast and sea salt.
  • Spread warm polenta into a ½ inch-thick rectangle on a parchment-lined sheet tray. Set in refrigerator for 15 minutes, and cut into 1-inch squares.
  • Preheat a cast iron pan with olive oil. Crisp polenta squares for 2 minutes per side, or until golden.

Pro Secrets

  • ✹ Placing cut scallion strips in cold water for 5-10 minutes will make them curl into crisp ribbons.
  • ✹ Try” spiralizing” root vegetables instead of creating ribbons if prepping the day before. They’re sturdier and will not dry out so easily.

Good to Know: Rehydrating dried fruit in a vinegar, such as balsamic, will create balanced flavor notes of sweet and tart.


Carrot Risotto with Macadamia ‘Parmesan’

Yield: 6 cups risotto, 1/3 cup ‘Parmesan’

  • 1 bunch carrots with tops (approximately 6 medium)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1½ cups jasmine rice
  • 4 cups chicken bone broth (or substitute vegetable broth)
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1½ cups filtered warm water, more to thin
  • Preheat oven to 425° F.
  • Trim and peel carrots, leaving 1 inch of the stem intact. Reserve a few carrot greens for garnish.
  • Cut carrot tops and split in half. Cut remaining carrots into rounds and toss with olive oil. Slice onion and add to carrot mixture. Spread on parchment-lined baking tray, cover tightly with foil and roast for 25 minutes or until tender.
  • Add jasmine rice and bone broth to a medium pot. Bring mixture to a simmer over low heat, and stir frequently for 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked through. Turn off heat, and cover to keep warm.
  • Set aside roasted carrot tops, and add remaining mixture to blender along with garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, white wine vinegar, and water and blend until smooth.
  • Add carrot puree and half of macadamia ‘Parmesan’ to cooked jasmine rice, stirring to combine.
  • To serve, place risotto in each bowl, and garnish with macadamia ‘Parmesan,’ carrot top greens, and roasted carrot tops.

Macadamia ‘Parmesan’

  • ¼ cup macadamia nuts
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • Finely grate macadamia nuts into a small bowl.
  • Toss with nutritional yeast, sea salt and olive oil.

Pro Secrets

  • ✹ Toss finely grated nuts—such as macadamia nuts, blanched almonds, or pine nuts—with nutritional yeast for an easy, buttery, and addictive topping.
  • ✹ In lieu of butter and cream, vegetable purées are a healthy alternative for adding plant-based creaminess when folded in risottos.

Good to Know: Jasmine rice cooks quickly and adds subtle floral notes that pair well with the sweetness of carrots.


Vegan Cheese Straws with Garlic ‘Caesar’ Dip

Yield: 12 pieces, ⅔ cup dressing

  • 1 cup sprouted flour
  • 1⅓ cups nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, extra for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ cup olive oil, more to brush
  • ⅓ cup filtered water
  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • Add flour, nutritional yeast, pepper and salt to a bowl and stir to combine. Stream in olive oil to flour mixture and use hands to evenly distribute.
  • Repeat process with water and press with hands until dough forms.
  • Divide mixture into 12 pieces and cover to prevent dough from drying out.
  • Roll out each piece into a long strip, approximately 12 inches long.
  • Fold each strip in half, gently pinch the ends together where the two ends meet, and twist together into a spiral.
  • Roll gently to seal the two strands together.
  • Place spirals onto a parchment-lined baking tray, and brush with olive oil.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden and crunchy, and serve with garlic ‘Caesar’ dip. Garnish with ground black pepper.

Garlic ‘Caesar’ Dip

  • ½ cup cashews
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ⅓ cup filtered water
  • Place cashews in hot water for 10 minutes to soften.
  • Drain and rinse soaked cashews and place in blender with nutritional yeast, salt, lemon juice, garlic and water.
  • Process until smooth, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pro Secrets

  • ✹ For crispy breadsticks, roll out dough thinner.
  • ✹ Use leftover straws and dip as croutons and dressing over romaine for a twist on the classic Caesar salad.

Good to Know: Nutritional yeast pairs well with spices like black pepper and garlic powder, which bring out its natural cheesy notes.


Creamy Cauliflower Chowder with Olive Thyme Gremolata

Yield: 4 servings (6 ½ cups chowder, 4 cups potatoes, 1/3 cup gremolata)

  • 1 medium onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 medium cauliflower
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • ¼ cup oat flour
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 4 cups bone broth (or substitute vegetable broth)
  • Dice onion, mince garlic and trim cauliflower into small florets (approximately 6 cups).
  • Warm olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat.
  • Add onion and sea salt and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add cauliflower florets and continue to cook for additional 5 minutes.
  • Add garlic, oat flour, and nutritional yeast and cook for additional minute.
  • Add broth and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook covered for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.
  • Serve chowder hot, garnished with roasted baby golden potatoes and olive thyme gremolata.

Roasted Baby Golden Potatoes

  • 1 pound baby golden potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Preheat oven to 375° F.
  • Cut potatoes in half and toss with olive oil and salt.
  • Spread, cut side down, into a single layer on a parchment-lined baking tray.
  • Roast for 25 minutes, or until cooked through and golden.

Olive Thyme Gremolata

  • ¼ cup pitted black olives
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 5 sprigs thyme
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 1 lemon
  • Rinse and chop olives coarsely and add to a small bowl with olive oil.
  • Destem thyme (approximately 1 teaspoon), mince garlic, and juice and zest the lemon. Stir into olive mixture.
  • Allow gremolata to marinate for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Pro Secrets

  • ✹ Crisping up the potatoes in the oven adds an added level of flavor and crunch.
  • ✹ Oat flour makes for a great gluten-free, wholegrain alternative and makes the end result extra creamy

Good to Know When making the gremolata, avoid bitter undernotes by making sure to not use the pith of the lemon.


Golden Potato Tots with Turmeric ‘Crema’

Yield: Serves 4 (4 dozen tots, ½ cup ‘crema’)

  • 2 large white sweet potatoes
  • 4 scallions
  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 2 organic eggs
  • 1 cup blanched almond flour
  • ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
  • Preheat oven to 425° F.
  • Peel and cut sweet potatoes into wedges. Add to a medium pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook for ten minutes, or until aldente.
  • Drain and cool potatoes. Mash coarsely with fork and place in a medium bowl (approximately 3 cups). Slice scallions (approximately ½ cup) and add to sweet potatoes, reserving a few for garnish.
  • Fold avocado oil, sea salt, eggs, almond flour and nutritional yeast into potato mixture.
  • Using a tablespoon to measure, form tater tots by rolling gently between palms and place on tray. Repeat with remaining batter.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and crispy, turning once.

Turmeric ‘Crema’

  • ½ cup pine nuts
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup filtered water
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • Add pine nuts to a small bowl. Cover with hot water and soak for 10 minutes.
  • Strain and rinse the pine nuts and add to a blender along with turmeric powder, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, water, ground black pepper, and salt.
  • Process mixture until smooth and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pro Secrets

  • ✹ Make hash browns by forming rectangles out of the batter.
  • ✹ Almond flour makes a great binder that bakes well and won’t leave starchy under notes

Good to Know: White sweet potatoes have a lower moisture content than regular white potatoes, making them a good candidate for tots.


Autumnal Nachos with Butternut Squash ‘Queso’ and Walnut ‘Chorizo’ Crumbles

Yield: Serves 4 (makes 3 ½ cups ‘queso’, 1 1/3 cup ‘chorizo’)

  • 1 medium butternut squash
  • 1 cup oat milk
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 limes
  • 1 bag blue corn tortilla chips
  • Preheat oven to 375° F.
  • Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds, and place flesh side down on a parchment-lined baking tray.
  • Roast for 30 minutes, or until tender.
  • Remove tender squash flesh (approximately 3 cups) and add to a blender along with oat milk, nutritional yeast, chipotle powder, and salt. Process until smooth.
  • Juice and zest one lime and stir into butternut squash ‘queso’ mixture. Cut remaining lime into wedges.
  • Serve warm over tortilla chips and garnish with walnut ‘chorizo’ crumbles and lime wedges.

Walnut ‘Chorizo’ Crumbles

  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons Mexican seasoning
  • 1 small bunch cilantro
  • Chop walnuts coarsely and place in a bowl with hot water for 10 minutes to soften.
  • Drain and add to a small pan with avocado oil.
  • Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, add tomato paste and Mexican seasoning and cook for an additional minute and remove from heat.
  • Destem cilantro, and chop leaves. Stir into walnut ‘chorizo’ mixture.

Pro Secrets

  • ✹ In a pinch, substitute roasted butternut squash with frozen.
  • ✹ Make sure to soak the walnuts to soften them before seasoning them into a ‘chorizo.

Good to Know: Jazz up your nachos even more by adding pickled jalapeño, avocado and your favorite sour cream variety.


Golden Carrot ‘Spaghetti’ with Molten Kale ‘Cream’

Yield: Serves 2

  • 4 large golden or white carrots
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 small crusty baguette
  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • Peel carrots and cut into long thin strips lengthwise. Alternatively pass through a spiralizer.
  • Massage carrot ‘spaghetti’ with sea salt for about 30 seconds, or until tenderized.
  • Slice baguette and toast in oven for 5 minutes, or until crispy

Kale Crisps

  • 3 cups oat milk
  • ¼ cup agar flakes
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast, extra for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 garlic cloves olive oil, ground black pepper and red chili flakes, for garnish
  • Add oat milk, agar flakes, nutritional yeast, and salt to a small pot, bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until agar dissolves and mixture slightly thickens.
  • Add mixture along with kale crisps (approximately 2 cups), and garlic cloves to a blender and process until kale is broken up into small pieces.
  • Toss molten ‘cream’ with golden carrot ‘spaghetti,’ reserving a few spoonfuls to brush over toasted baguette pieces.
  • Plate ‘spaghetti’ and baguette, and garnish with nutritional yeast, olive oil, ground black pepper, and red chili flakes. Serve warm.

Pro Secrets

  • ✹ Any root vegetable will work well ‘spiralized’ because of their firmer flesh and lower water content.
  • ✹ Massage root vegetables slightly with salt to tenderize before dressing with cream.

Good to Know: Nutritional yeast not only lends cheesiness, but also does a fabulous job in thickening the sauce