Oh my! I AM in LOVE. So darn delicious.

 

For awhile now I’ve been wanting to make my own and it was the right day for it. What i am sharing with you is a velvety vegan style cream sauce made with cashews. Yes you heard me right….it is vegan. But if you are not vegan, it is just fine. I believe carnivores and herbivores alike will love this creamy dreamy sauce. I am not 100% vegan, but i do tend to gravitate towards more of a whole food plant based lifestyle as much as possible. When i fuel my body with the right nutrients necessary, i definitely feel much better overall in mind and body. Lately, I’ve been wanting to eliminate as much dairy in my everyday due to allergy sensitivities along with my beliefs in the conventional aspect. What i love about cashew cream is it’s unique with a lovely taste, it’s versatility and  super simple to create in your own home.

 

This cream sauce is a blank canvas for you to create anything your heart desires and to go beyond just the garlic and sea salt. And with just one kitchen gadget like a blender or processor, you have a multi-purpose cream sauce that can be utilized for a creamy pasta, nacho cheese sauce, use with veggies or fruit dip or even made to use in ice cream as well. Below is a list of items you may incorporate into the sauce.

 

Pesto or herbs

Nutritional yeast

Any hot peppers or sauce

Squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, or other greens like spinach

And you can replace the garlic and sea salt with peanut butter, cocoa, sweetener, vanilla or whatever your heart desires

 

A wonderful base sauce recipe with minimal ingredients in creating dips, pasta sauce, or other cheesy alternatives. If you happen to give it a try, i would love to know. Do tell!

 

 

 

 

Whenever most people talk about WHY they could never give up dairy, most times i hear is ” I LOVE my cheese so much to live without!” or something like ” I’ll miss my ice cream way too much!”. And i admit i was one of those people with dairy creamer for my coffee or certain cheeses for meals. These particular dairy items is what was keeping me from going dairy free. At first it may be hard to part with your conventional coffee creamer, but you will fall hopelessly in love with the new. there are so many wonderful alternatives such as coconut, almond, hazelnut, oat and cashew. Totally enjoying this homemade cashew creamer I’ve made a couple times now. Truthfully i do not know why i had waited so long to make this transition. I LOVE this and that is why i am sharing this with you. Maybe you had the same thoughts and/or ideas surrounding the dairy aspect. Do tell foodies would like to know!

 

 

 

 

So once you have the basic idea of this cashew cream process you can literally turn this into all kinds of concocted creations. It also holds up well in heating and baking with no separation as i have used in a couple of my dinner recipes. Also i would like to note that it is best to get good quality raw cashews and make sure they are unsalted. Next are just a few more tips on this method for you and a couple recipes for the sauce and coffee creamer.

 

 

TIPS:

 

QUICK SOAK METHOD – cover cashews with boiling water and let sit for at least one hour before processing.

 

SWEETENER – you may want to add more or less depending on your preferences. It’s best to go with pure maple or raw honey for nutritional purposes for the creamer.

 

You may also want to warm up the cooled cashew creamer due to separating in the coffee and while taking out the chillness from the creamer from being in the refrigerator. I like my coffee hot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECIPES:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CASHEW CREAM

 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups cashews, raw and unsalted

water, filtered

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

 

Firstly, prepare cashews in allowing them to soak. In a small bowl, combine cashews and water; let soak for at least two hours. Drain and rinse; set aside.

 

In a food processor or blender, place the soaked cashews along with the water ( 1 cup for heavy cream or 2 cups for half and half consistency) and puree until very smooth. If too thick add in a bit of water to loosen. Remember once cooled it will thicken up so you may want to adjust. you may store this up to 7-10 days in the refrigerator.

 

Place mixture into a mason jar or airtight container into your refrigerator.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOW for the COFFEE CREAMER

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cashews, raw and unsalted

water

1/4 cup raw honey, or maple

1 tsp vanilla extract, pure no alcohol

1/4 tsp sea salt

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

 

Place cashews in a bowl or jar; let soak overnight or at least 3-6 hours.

 

Drain and rinse nuts. Place in blender. Add 2 cups filtered water, the sweetener of choice, vanilla and sea salt; blend on high until super smooth about 2-3 minutes.

 

Store in covered container and place in the refrigerator when ready to use. This will keep up to 10 days and the cream will thicken a bit while being cooled, but you may adjust.

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT CASHEWS!

 

 

These nuts are rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals which are required for normal functions in our body. Did you know, they actually belong to Brazil but the Portuguese brought them to India in the 16ht century? These kidney shaped beans are chock full of goodness.

 

 

 

PREVENTS CANCER due to flavonols present

 

HEART HEALTHY being low in fat, no cholesterol and presence of antioxidants

 

LOWERS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE due to containing magnesium

 

STRONG HAIR due to the mineral of copper

 

HEALTHY BONES which contains calcium and magnesium

 

PREVENTS GALLSTONES

 

AIDS IN WEIGHT LOSS

 

VITAMIN RICH in riboflavin, thiamin, niacin, etc

 

BETTER SLEEP

 

HEALTHY GUMS & TEETH

 

FREE RADICALS

 

MACULAR DEGENERATION

 

 

 

 

 

Now that you know more about the health benefits of cashews, consume at least a few once every week for optimal benefits. Remember to nourish your mind, body and soul for overall well-being.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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