Nutritional yeast has become my new favorite ingredient in a lot my cooking as of late. I discovered this little gem a few months back when it was called for in one of my recipes: before then I had never even heard of it. It's low fat, sugar free, gluten free, vegan, packed full of B-Vitamins (most are even fortified with B-12) and protein and has an awesome nutty/cheesy flavor. WHY has this never been in my life before?! Let me introduce you to my new friend, and it will quickly become yours too.
First, it must be noted, that this is not traditional yeast. It is not an active yeast, so it is not a leavening agent and will not effect your digestive flora if you have yeast sensitivities. DO NOT go out and buy bakers yeast to use in a recipe calling for nutritional yeast - they are completely different things.
Nutritional yeast comes in a yellow flake or powder and can be found in most health food stores. It is used a lot by vegans in place of cheese because you can make a creamy sauce out of it. You can use it in place of cheese, or as a flavor enhancer, with many of your favorite foods. There will be quite a few recipes I will highlight with the little natural wonder, including homemade french fries, omelets, and my favorite: POPCORN TOPPING!...... yum! Keep a look out for recipes posted with this amazing yeast - in the mean time look around the interwebs - there are a lot of recipes on there too!
Enjoy.
