Skip to main content

Vegan Cashew "Mac and Cheese"

Next time it'll have roasted broccoli, too.


In an effort to minimize dairy because it makes me itchy, I decided it was time to jump on the cashew sauce bandwagon. I know I like these sauces, but I haven't made them before because I've read that they really require a good high-speed blender. My blending appliances are the food processor, magic bullet, and immersion blender, and I'm not sure any of those would cut it.

After some googling, I found the expensive secret - buy pre-made cashew butter and use that instead. The substitution is to use half the amount of cashew butter that you would have used raw cashews. This recipe used half of a $13 jar, and it made 5-6 servings, which for now is more reasonable than buying a new blender.

The consistency is pretty much like fake nacho cheese except less gross. Specifically, it doesn't congeal or separate into weirdness like fake nacho cheese does. The flavor isn't exactly like cheese, but it's definitely cheesy. The fresh lemon juice is delicious. The kick from the chili powder and pepper are a must.

It would be really good with roasted vegetables in it. This time, I served it alongside a salad with oil and vinegar, and the freshness and crunch were really good contrast to the pasta.

I followed this recipe from Detoxinista exactly, except substituting cashew butter for cashews and using a full clove of garlic. I also omitted the little bit of turmeric because the original recipe said it's really just for color, but maybe I'll toss it in next time.


The Recipe (from Detoxinista):
3/4 c cashew butter
1 large lemon, juiced
3/4 c water
1/4 c nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp mustard
16 oz whole-wheat pasta
pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste
paprika for garnish
Optional: roasted vegetables on top

  • Cook pasta according to package
  • Blend all other ingredients except paprika in food processor or blender.
  • Combine pasta with sauce in warm pot and serve immediately with a sprinkling of paprika.

The Verdict:
Overall grade: A-
Overall reason: It doesn't quite fulfill a craving for cheese, but it's delicious and it's packed with protein and fiber. I felt good after eating it.
Time to prepare: 30 minutes
Husband quote: It's really really good. It's not mac and cheese, but it's a good sauce.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kitchen renovation!

BEFORE: AFTER: Still to come: a beautiful new induction range and some wood shelving on the left side, above the backsplash. And maybe the shelving unit on the wall facing the cabinets should be green, but we're going to live with a while before making that decision.
2 comments
Read more

Red lentil dal

Cucumber salad is key. This dal is perfect. Most of us took seconds, and I'm really excited to eat the last portion that's sitting in the fridge right now. The accompanying salad is really great for adding texture, crunch, and acidity to the meal. I wouldn't skip it. I got it from  Tea for Turmeric  and prepared it pretty much as written, but doubled and with none of the optional ingredients. This recipe doesn't mention any seasoning/dressing on the salad, but adding lemon and salt to it really brightened things up. The Recipe: (from Tea for Turmeric) 2 c red lentils splash of avocado oil 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 small onions, finely chopped 1 inch ginger, grated 4 small tomatoes, chopped 2 thai chilies, minced 2 tsp cumin powder 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cayenne 1 tsp turmeric 2+ tsp kosher salt 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 c cilantro, chopped For serving: basmati rice and plain yogurt Salad ingredients: 1/2 english cucumber, sliced 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/4 onion, slic...
Post a Comment
Read more

Curry Fried Rice

Excited for these leftovers. One of the things I wanted to try with my  new jar of curry powder  was fried rice. Years ago, Miles got fried rice at  Korea House  and it was the best fried rice I'd ever had. I suspected there was curry powder in it, but at that time I had never really cooked with curry powder, so I tucked that knowledge away for a later date. After reading a few recipes, I went rogue on this one. I couldn't even begin to effectively guess at what proportions I ended up with, so the recipe below is more of a rough guideline of ingredients. The "Recipe" (sorry no quantities; follow your heart): leftover jasmine rice tofu, cubed and crisped in the oven with avocado oil and salt vegetables: garlic, onion, cabbage, red bell pepper salt curry powder (I used a Vietnamese one) soy sauce sugar sesame oil future topping ideas: runny egg, sesame seeds, green onion Saute the vegetables in avocado oil until softened, and salt them to taste Add the tofu and toss to...
Post a Comment
Read more