Vegan Cheddar Salsa Stuffed Cocktail Tomatoes {Guest Post by Sweetly Raw}

vegan cheddar, cashew cheddar, vegan appetizers, vegan hors d'ouvres, vegan cheese dip, heather pace, sweetly raw

When I decided to throw a Clean Eating Cocktail Party, I was worried about getting enough people to participate. Turns out that was a silly thought! On the contrary, I found people like Heather asking ME if they could bring something to the party! To say I was flattered is an understatement. Heather is most well known as the sweet genius behind Sweetly Raw, a blog dedicated to (gorgeous, decadent) raw vegan desserts. I’ve spent much time drooling over her mouth watering creations like Chocolate Pumpkin Mousse Parfaits, a variety of raw cheesecakes that rivals that of the Factory, and even raw ice cream cakes! (side note: my husband was sitting next to me as I was choosing links from Heather’s blog, and even he was in awe!) In addition, Heather has recently launched Food and Yoga For Life, where she shares more about her personal life, passion for yoga, and savory recipes (not all vegan or raw).

For more of Heather’s recipes, visit Sweetly Raw and Food and Yoga for Life. Join her on Facebook and follow @heathypace on Twitter too!

 Hi, I’m Heather from Food and Yoga for Life and Sweetly Raw. I’m so excited to be a part of Cara’s Clean Eating Cocktail Party today! Is this not the best cocktail party you’ve ever been to? I’m loving everyone’s food!

If you’re familiar with my blog then you know what a sweet tooth I have and most of my recipes are desserts, however today I’m sharing something savory. During the holidays I really need to balance all the yummy sweet things with some healthy savory options. Here’s a fun finger food to enjoy during the holidays. Cocktail in one hand and a raw vegan cheddar salsa stuffed tomato in the other. They’re cute, easy to make, and super tasty.

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Cheddar Salsa Stuffed Cocktail Tomatoes

Stuff cocktail tomatoes and cucumbers as shown here, or simply serve the cheddar salsa as a dip for rice chips, raw crackers, or crudites. Another variation is to add chipotle powder to give it a fun kick!

Recipe notes:
The cheddar dip needs to be really thick to compensate for the liquid from the fresh salsa. It also needs to be a little on the salty side as it will get diluted from the salsa and tomatoes/cucumbers. If you choose to only serve with crackers or chips, keep the salt to the lesser amount.

This salsa is really simple but it doesn’t need much since most of the flavor comes from the cheddar dip. No need to add any salt, and only add the jalapeno if you like some spice.

Ingredients:

Cheddar Dip
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
Heaping ¾ cup cashews
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon tahini
2 teaspoons onion powder
¾ - 1 teaspoon sea salt
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Salsa
2 medium tomatoes
½ of each green, red, and yellow bell pepper
½ - 1 jalapeno, optional

Assembly
10-15 Cocktail Tomatoes

Directions:

Cheddar Dip
Toss all ingredients into a high speed blender starting with the red pepper. Add the cashews last. This will ensure enough liquid gets created so the cashews can blend.

Blend until smooth and creamy. Chill while making the salsa.

Salsa
Quarter the tomatoes and pulse them in a food processor until chopped small.

Transfer to a bowl and repeat the process with the peppers.

Strain the salsa in a colander to allow the excess liquid to drain out (drink it!).

Assembly
Slice a thin layer off the top of each tomato (easiest to turn it on it’s slice and slice).

Optional: slice a small piece off the bottom of each tomato too.

Use a paring knife to scrape the insides out of the tomatoes.

Mix together the cheddar dip and ⅔ - ¾ cup of the salsa - or as much as you like.

Spoon into each hollowed tomato.

Try with thick sliced cucumbers too. Hollow the seeds out with a melon baller and then fill with cheddar salsa mixture.
Garnish the top with a little bit of extra salsa.

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7 Responses to “Vegan Cheddar Salsa Stuffed Cocktail Tomatoes {Guest Post by Sweetly Raw}”

  1. 1

    Shannon — December 4, 2012 @ 12:42 pm Reply

    sounds like a great appetizer for this time of year!

  2. 2

    Less — December 4, 2012 @ 2:06 pm Reply

    Those look amazing. I will have to give them a whirl during the holiday season!

  3. 3

    christine — December 4, 2012 @ 5:23 pm Reply

    these look cool, and easy enough to do:)

  4. 4

    Amy @FragrantVanillaCake — December 4, 2012 @ 7:35 pm Reply

    Love these Heather! I want some…I am quite hungry right now ;)!

  5. 5

    Heather — December 4, 2012 @ 8:26 pm Reply

    Thanks ladies! They are SO easy but they look fancy, hehe.

  6. 6

    Kate — December 5, 2012 @ 11:57 pm Reply

    I love that this is salsa with vegetables and not chips!

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