AIP dairy-free 'cheese' from steamed zucchini set with gelatin and fresh parsley

A cheese board can be the whole point of a gathering, and going without dairy while everyone else reaches for the wheel of brie takes something out of the room. This loaf will not convince a cheesemonger of anything, and that was never the goal. What it does is give you something to slice, arrange, and set on the table so you are not the only person there with an empty corner of the plate.

Gelatin is what sets the loaf, and its payoff is glycine, the amino acid connective tissue and a gut lining draw on as they mend during the elimination phase. The zucchini underneath is a source of moisture and a little vitamin C, and the parsley folded through by hand keeps the color, and the taste, alive.

When it sets, turn it out of the pan with real care, arrange it with the olives and grapes, and let the board look like something worth reaching for. A few minutes spent making it beautiful is part of why it lands the way it does, at a gathering or alone in your kitchen.

Ingredients

• 2 cups zucchini, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 4 tablespoons gelatin powder
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2/3 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 tablespoons unfortified nutritional yeast (optional, for a cheesier flavor)
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Method

Steam the cubed zucchini until tender, about 5 minutes, then drain it well.

Put the drained zucchini in a blender with the water, melted coconut oil, lemon juice, and salt. Blend until completely smooth.

Add the gelatin and the nutritional yeast and blend again briefly, just until they disappear into the mixture.

Stir in the chopped parsley by hand so the green stays visible through the cheese.

Pour into small loaf pans, smooth the tops, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, until fully set. An overnight set is fine too.

Turn out, slice, and serve chilled with nightshade-free cured meats, olives, grapes, or gherkins.

A note on swaps: chives or sage work in place of the parsley if you want a different herb. The nutritional yeast is optional, and if you use it, check the label is unfortified before you do.

Instant Pot variation

You can steam the zucchini in the Instant Pot instead of on the stovetop. Add 1 cup of water to the pot, set the trivet, place the cubed zucchini in a steamer basket on top, and pressure cook on high for 2 minutes with a quick release. Drain very well, since the pressure steam adds moisture, then blend and set as above. The setting still happens in the fridge, not the pot.

This is a chilled, set dish, so it needs no air fryer version. The only cooking is the brief steaming of the zucchini, which the stovetop or Instant Pot both handle easily.

*Adapted from asquirrelinthekitchen.com*