Nutritional yeast flakes - what do I do with them?

[English Tracy]

Hi everyone,

I didn't think I'd find these in the UK as I have never seen a British cookbook mention them.

So, what can I use them for? (Is it just for a 'cheesy' flavour?)
What health benefits will using them give me?

Also, I saw nori flakes in the health shop as well but didn't buy them. Do they taste very 'fishy'? What could I use them for? What health benefits will I get from them?

Thanks.

Tracy

[Im2Fruity]

I've heard Nutritional Yeast isn't really raw, but I use it sometimes on top of my salads or when making a dressing...it sort of adds a buttery/salty flavor and I think it's a good source of protein...so if you aren't trying to be 100% I think it's good

[Jackie1995]

I bought Red Star Nutritional Yeast Flakes - Vegetarian Blend mainly due to my interest in the whole B-12 issue. There are several participants on this board that advocate a different type of B-12 as being more assimilable than the kind offered by the nutritional yeast, but I haven't gotten that deeply into it at this time.

I only use it in my smoothies once per day for the B-vits. I'm not much of a "cook" so most recipes don't catch my attention...

I have found no ill effects from using it, in fact, with it I feel great. But that "great" feeling could be because of myriad other factors in my lifestyle.

Check out this site for more information:
http://www.efn.org/~sundance/NutritionalYeast.html

Enjoy!

[English Tracy]

I don't know if these are strictly raw but they are organic. I had a quick taste and there was a flavour like Marmite (vegemite in Australia) which is a savoury yeast extract spread for bread but it wasn't as strong. It was pleasant though and certainly would add flavour to bland types of food.

I'll look through some of the books I have and Maraw's site to see if there is a recipe there.

At this point, if I sprinkle a teaspoon of these flakes in my food and they are not strictly raw, I won't beat myself up about it. I'm still at a fairly early stage of eating like this and so I don't think it is a major sin!!

Tracy

Brand name is 'Marigold' - does anyone know if they are raw or not for sure?

[Nini]

I buy Frontier's NY. I put sweet potatoes in the food processor with the NY and salt. Then I dehydrate it. To me, they replace Cheetos. (TO ME.....)

[stiletto]

I put a bit in with my salad dressings and it adds a creamy texture. I'll mix olive oil, apple cider vinegar, fresh herbs (basil, rosemary, whatever's growing) and some nutritional yeast. I, too, added it for the B-12 issue.

Hope that helps,
Doreen

[Conscious Midwife]

I've blended with tofu in the past tom make cheese for vegetable lasana, but I guess neither ingredient is raw.

I use it to strech other dishes.

[Eveleaf]

I sprinkle Nutritional Yeast on my salads for the B vitamins. I realize it's probably not raw, but then again neither would a B supplement (in pill or liquid form) be raw. I love the flavor and it's all good.

Also, when I was craving potato chips, I sliced up cucumbers really thin, then sprinkled them with a little sea salt and some NY, and it was a lovely, crunchy snack. Totally killed the chip craving. :)

Cheers,
Eve

[juliebove]

I haven't tried the flakes. All I can find here is powder. I haven't tried it in any raw foods except for some nut cheese that went badly wrong and was inedible. Mainly I've been using it in stuff I bake for my daughter, and also putting it on her popcorn. She loves the stuff. I should think it would go well in any kind of cracker or chip that you make. It is also good in any kind of moist food. I'm not sure I would use it in a sweet food, but in savory ones.

[English Tracy]

Alissa's swiss cheese recipe uses NY flakes. I think I'll try that this weekend. Thanks for the other comments and ideas. I may also try the 'cheetos' recipe.

Tracy

[Lunar*Fey]

I've never had NY but maybe you could put it in a cracker recipe? or make some sort of cheese...or even a sauce with it for "noodles"