Replacement for Dairy?

[Mika]

Here's the dilemma. I love dairy. I love milk, cheese, cream of whatever in whatever. It seems like almost everything now a days is made with some kind of dairy in it. Unfortunately, I'm lactose intolerant; and the price of lactose free milk is just a bit too much. I've tried rice milk, which I found absolutely disgusting in every possible way I could use it. I've also tried coconut milk, which was about the same (grant it, I don't like coconut much). I've been thinking of trying soy milk but I've been told it'll result the same way. Do you guys have any ideas for a dairy free replacement in cooking or baking? I miss all my cream of somethings and cheese! Especially cheese.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I really like almond milk and oat milk. Oat cream is also very good as is soya cream (in both fresh and long life form). Another good alternative is pureed cashew nuts for cream replacement. Soak them overnight, drain then you need a hi speed blender and add as little water as possible. I now have it worked out for what we wan and add all the water, then the cashew nuts and few at a time, the blender handles it better that way.

Soya yogurts are excellent (in the UK).

As for cheese alternatives, sorry the bag news there is forget it. But there is a little good news and it depends on how intolerant to lactose you actually are are the cheeses front. See this article. Http://lifehacker.com/the-best-cheeses-to-eat-if-youre-lactose-intolerant-1563386663

Also this sounds interesting

Lactose intolerance can also be managed by ingesting live yogurt cultures containing lactobacilli that are able to digest the lactose in other dairy products. This may explain why many South Asians, though genetically lactose intolerant, are able to consume large quantities of milk without many symptoms of lactose intolerance. Consuming live yougurt cultures is very common in the South Asian population.

From here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactose_intolerance

Sadly I am actually allergic to dairy so it's a no go for me completely, but do watch out for milk turning up in bread, margarine and all sorts of Othery pages that it had no real reason to be in!

If you dig through the vegan veggie forum you will also find some cashew but cheese recipes which I have posted which are a great alternative for the lighter cream cheeses which get chives and garlic added to them.