Vegan 101: Cashew Cheese + recipes

Hi hi hi :)

Let’s take it back to basics this week. Sometimes I forget that a lot of my viewers are vegan beginners, and I want to make sure I cater to everyone on the spectrum. I can just hear it now – what the hell is cashew cheese? I put it in a lot of my recipes, so maybe I should back up and actually explain. Cashew cheese – it’s a simple recipe, and there are thousands of the same recipe out there – I am well aware. However, you are here, and I think I should have it easily accessible for you! I know that a lot of you that read this are friends and family, and I know that plenty have asked me for this recipe in the past. The cool thing is, you can basically make cashew cheese however you want – and add whatever you want. I’ll share some variations with you, and all of my favorite recipes to use it (read: all the pizza). It’s just too simple and too much of a staple to not have it on here. You feel me? ;)

Recipe

Yields: approx 1-2 cups

You will need:

• 1 cup soaked cashews (soaked for at least 30 minutes in warm water)
• 1/2 non-dairy milk of choice or water (soy works best, in my opinion)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Dash of nutritional yeast (optional – you can add more if you want, but I am not a huge fan of its strong taste… I actually usually prefer it without it!)

To make:

Soak cashews first, and then add all ingredients to your food processor. Blend until smooth (if it’s even a little gritty, keep going!)

Simple, right? Now, if you want to get fancy, you can add things like:

• Basil (SO good for lasagna and vegan ravioli)
• Chipotle peppers (for a kick)
• Nutritional yeast (like I mentioned above, for some b12 and an an extra cheesy flavor)
• Red sauce (for a cheesy pink sauce)
• White beans (protein kick, great for a dip)
• Sundried or roasted tomatoes (great for sauce on pasta)

Or, if you want to make it sweet, you can omit the olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic, and spices and just add some vanilla or coconut cream. YUM.

Now, recipes. Here are just a few of my favorites to get you started:

• Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
• Cheesy Pesto & Veggie Pizza
• Creamy Garlic Cashew Dressing
• Greens and Cream Burrito
• Pasta e Fagioli
• Pizza with Red Sauce, Cashew Cream, and Basil
• Quinoa, Cashew & Kale Stuffed Peppers
• Tomato, Basil & Garlic Cashew Cream Pasta
• Quinoa & Cashew Squash Bowl
• Tempeh Tacos with Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Chipotle Cashew Cream
• Veggie and Cashew Cheese Pizza
• Very Vegan Lasagna
• Zoodle Alfredo with Spinach
• Zoodles w/ Sun-dried Tomato Cashew Cheese

So basically, I would bathe in cashew cheese if I could. That’s me telling you to make it ;) And please report back if you do. Now, go and enjoy the day :) xx bianca