Ok friends. This is it. It's finally time to reveal my #1 whole food indulgence. Is it still an indulgence if you eat it every day? Cast all your cares away--or shall we say--your past understanding of counting calories or restricting fat. I coach everyone to listen to their body, like when they were a baby, and pretty much every day our baby body says to eat cashew cheese. I love how my babies do that. I have a few whole food idols I absolutely adore, and Angela Lidden is #1. It's not because I'm a vegan or because I'm a cow lover, but because my love for real food alternatives to processed food indulgences brings me pleasure. Angela created cashew cheese and I tweaked it to accommodate my family's taste buds. My 3 year old will use this as dip for just about anything, and I am personally obsessed with cashew cheese served hot on my pasta with bacon and peas. While I encourage everyone to know their farmer for their bacon, what's most important to me is that you sit down, breathe, and enjoy every bite.
Cashew “Cheese"
¾ c raw cashews(soaked in water for 3 to 4 hours or more. If you have a Vitamix 1 hour in boiling water will do)
¼ tsp garlic powder
½ c unsweetened, unflavored non-dairy milk
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1½ tsps Dijon mustard
1tsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
¼ tsp onion powder
½ tsp fine-grain sea salt
Strain and rinse cashews then place in blender with all additional ingredients. Blend until smooth. If using a high-speed blender, blend until hot.
Use as a cheese sauce for anything you can think of. Add to cooked pasta, quinoa, rice, veggies, meat, beans, soup, etc.
