BRYANNA'S BOURSIN®-STYLE SPREAD from the Vegan Feast Kitchen

Yield: 2 cups

Basic Spread Mixture:
1 (12.3 oz.) box extra-firm SILKEN tofu, prepared as instructed in recipe text below
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons raw cashews or cashew pieces, ground very fine in a coffee/spice mill or mini-chopper
1/2 cup original Earth Balance [or other dairy-free margarine]
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon miso (not the very dark variety)

Basic Flavoring:
1-2 medium cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 teaspoons snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper

Alternative Flavorings: (based on the different varieties available from Boursin®)
1.) Omit herbs and garlic and use more pepper
2.) Use shallots instead of garlic
3.) Make a sweet version with chopped nuts and dried fruit (Omit the Basic Flavoring, of course!)
4.) To the Basic Flavoring, add some chopped roasted red pepper or sundried tomato
5.) To the Basic Flavoring, add such herbs as basil or dill weed
6.) Make a Holiday version by adding chopped apple and dried cranberries, and a touch of cinnamon (Omit the Basic Flavoring, of course!)

To prepare the tofu (important step!):
Crumble the tofu in a clean tea towel or piece of cotton sheeting, gather the ends up and twist, knead, and squeeze for a couple of minutes to extract as much of the water from the tofu as possible.

Whirl the squeezed tofu and the rest of the Basic Spread Mixture ingredients in a food processor at high speed for several minutes. Be patient-- it has to be VERY smooth. You may have to stop the machine a couple of times and scrape the sides and push the ingredients that have accumulated under the blade towards the middle.

When as smooth as possible, add the Basic Flavoring, or whatever additions you prefer. Process again if you want them well-incorporated into the spread, or pulse if you want, for instance, small pieces of apple or other fruit, nuts, or vegetables, to be discernible.

Scoop into 2 straight-sided 1-cup ramekins, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. They will firm up considerably in a few hours.

Nutrition (per tablespoon): 43.4 calories; 81% calories from fat; 4.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 84.5mg sodium; 32.1mg potassium; 0.9g carbohydrates; 0.1g fiber; 0.3g sugar; 0.8g net carbs; 1.2g protein; 1.2 points.

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