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.