Vegan Zucchini Rolls With Cashew Cheese

In 2018, Keren Brown, Israeli food writer and expert on all things food in Tel Aviv, took me on a tour of vegan restaurants in Tel Aviv, the vegan capital of the world. During our tour, we ate these wonderful rolls made with vegan cheese. I make the cheese with cashews, and the texture is like ricotta. I use jarred tomato sauce in this recipe, but you can also use 1 1/2 cups (354ml) of your own homemade sauce. This is a great main dish for a vegan guest or even a cute appetizer on a small plate. You can always make these dairy by spreading ricotta cheese mixed with the lemon juice, finely chopped basil, salt, and pepper.

Cuisine

Modern

Course

Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish

Difficulty

Medium

Duration

more than 2 hours

Diet

Vegan

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook

Keywords

4-6 people as a side dish, black pepper, contributed, cook 9 min, dinner, instant pot recipes, large basil leaves, large zucchinis, lemon juice, lunch, marinara sauce, medium, modern, more than 2 hours, prep 6 hour, pressure cook, raw cashews, salt, side dish, vegan, vegan recipes, water, zucchini recipe

Prep Time

6 hour

Cook Time

9 min

Servings

4-6 people as a side dish

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup Water
4 large basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt
pinch black pepper
2 large zucchinis
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

Instructions

About 20 minutes prior to processing the cheese, slice the zucchinis vertically (the long way) into 1/4-inch (6mm) pieces. You can use the mandolin if you are very brave, but as I have injured myself too many times using it, I use a knife to cut the slices by turning the zucchini on its side and then carefully cutting the long slices. Any rejects or end pieces can be saved in the fridge or freezer for soup or the vegetable stock. You will need 8 slices for this dish, but I always slice 9 or 10 pieces so I can use the most pliable ones for the recipe, reserving the rejects for soup.
Line a cookie sheet with two layers of paper towels. Place the zucchini slices on top. Sprinkle the salt over the slices and let them sit for 15 minutes. Rinse the slices with cold water and dry them. Line the cookie sheet with a fresh layer of paper towels and place the zucchini slices on top to dry further.
To make the cheese, drain the cashews and place them into a food processor. Add the lemon juice, water, basil, salt. And pepper and process into a paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl multiple times.
Place the steam rack into the inner pot and add 1 cup of water. You will need a 6- or 7-inch (15cm or 18cm) pan to make this recipe; I prefer the 7-inch (18cm) one. Add the marinara sauce to the pan.
To make the rolls, take one of the zucchini slices and spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cheese over the entire slice to the edges. Roll up from the smaller end. One side of the roll may be prettier so that part should face up. Place the roll into the sauce, leaning the end of the roll into the side of the pan to keep it from unrolling. Repeat for the other rolls and place one or two into the center.
Create an aluminum foil sling. Place the pan on the foil and lift up the sides to insert the pan on top of the steam rack.
Secure the lid, ensuring that the steam release handle is in the Sealing position. Press the Pressure Cook button and set the cooking time for 6 minutes. When the cooking time is complete, press Cancel and turn the steam release handle to the Venting position to quickly release the pressure. To serve, scoop up a roll and place it on a plate, adding more sauce around it.