Thread: Ask Me About: CASHEW CREAM

Can't say I care about any of that stuff, but is it tasty? If it's tasty I'm into it.

Originally Posted by Virtualucidity

Can't say I care about any of that stuff, but is it tasty? If it's tasty I'm into it.

That's an excellent question. If someone is lactose intolerant, for example, a cashew cream alfredo would be a welcomed treat after being denied dairy for so long. But if you tasted the 2 versions back to back, I think human nature would make us prefer the real deal (since we're supposed to pack on weight to get through those long winters). So I guess the long answer is: if you stop eating the real alfredo long enough and get used to the cashew cream version, the latter will be "tasty".

All that said, I want to make a cashew cream version that's so tasty, you won't know the difference. I had a version of it once and didn't know it was cashew cream, and when they told me, I couldn't believe it. The addition of nutritional yeast gives it a more "cheesy" flavor by the way.

I loooove cashew cream!
And I'm vegan so I add nutritional yeast to most of my pasta meals. The taste is much more appealing than the name.
Do you have a recipe to share?

Originally Posted by ~ Dreamer ~

I loooove cashew cream!
And I'm vegan so I add nutritional yeast to most of my pasta meals. The taste is much more appealing than the name.
Do you have a recipe to share?

Why yes ma'am I do:

Ingredients

1 medium white onion, chopped (make sure to measure out 1 1/2 cups of chopped onion)
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth, separated
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3-4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 heaping cup raw whole cashews (75 g, 2.6 oz) (soaked for 5 hours if you don't have a high powered blender)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or more to your taste, I added a little more, do not omit!)
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Note
It is not recommended to sub or eliminate any of these ingredients, as I cannot vouch for the results if any are changed. The lemon juice is crucial, as it eliminates any cashew flavor.
Also, if you don't have a high powered blender like a Vitamix, soak the cashews for 5 hours, drain and rinse them and proceed with the recipe.

Instructions

Add the onion and only 1 cup of the broth to a large pan over medium-low heat. Cook for about 8 minutes until the onion is very tender. (Add a tiny bit more broth if it is cooking too fast or turn the heat down, so the onions don't burn) After 8 minutes, add the garlic and cook a couple of minutes more. All of the broth should have evaporated by now. You don't want any more liquid once it's done cooking. If there is still some broth left, keep cooking until it's evaporated or raise the heat.

Add the cooked veggies to a blender. Start out by just adding 3/4 cup more of the broth with the remaining ingredients. Blend on high for a couple of minutes until very creamy and smooth. Add any more broth to reach desired consistency, if necessary. Taste and add any more salt & pepper, if desired. If you're feeling adventurous, you can add in a tablespoon of vegan butter.

Serve over preferred pasta. Garnish with parsley, lemon zest and salt & pepper, if desired. Store leftovers in the fridge. The sauce will thicken up even more overnight, which you can thin out a little with a touch of broth when reheating, if desired.

Notes

*Gluten-free, oil-fee, dairy-free, soy-free

I have had a version of this before, and it was amazing. But it was prepared by another chef, so I have yet to try this one. I think I will tomorrow! I love that the whole thing is made with pure vegetation, and no oils, dairy, flour or sugar. I'll post my results!

Awesome, thanks Ophelia! I look forward to trying this out!

Hmm, interesting; I have never heard of this.

Maybe I will see if I can buy it somewhere. [Shrugs] Unfortunately, I seldom have the time to prepare any complex meals, so I cannot very well make it mineself.