cashew cheese Archives - Epicurean Vegan

Vegan Loaded Potato Skins

December 26, 2016 by Epicurean Vegan

These loaded potato skins will be the real MVP on game day. And who needs sour cream when you can use cashew cheese? So much tastier and a great source of protein, too. I made large tater skins, but feel free to cut these in half for a more bite-sized snack.

INGREDIENTS:
12 russet potatoes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
12 slices of veggie bacon, cooked and chopped
4 green onions, sliced
1 C raw, unsalted cashews, soaked overnight or in hot water for at least an hour
3/4 C water
1 garlic clove
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400. Scrub the potatoes, dry them, and then brush with olive oil. Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and pierce each one 3-4 times with a fork. Bake 40-50 minutes, so until they are tender.

Meanwhile, drain the cashews and transfer to a food processor with the garlic, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Blend for a few minutes, or until smooth. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

Once they’ve cooled, slice each potato in half and scoop out the inside; but leave about a 1/4″ around the edges.

I made batch a mashed potatoes with the scooped out potato. A two-for-one recipe!

Brush the skins again with a little olive oil and then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Place face-down on the baking sheet and bake another 8-10 minutes. Flip each one over and load with a scoop of cashew cheese, chopped veggie bacon, and sliced green onion. Enjoy!

Vegan Loaded Potato Skins

You better add these to your list of game day snacks. Who needs sour cream when you can use cashew cheese? So much tastier and a great source of protein, too. I made large tater skins, but feel free to cut these in half for a more bite-sized snack.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 24

Ingredients

12 russet potatoes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
12 slices of veggie bacon, cooked and chopped
4 green onions, sliced
1 C raw, unsalted cashews, soaked overnight or in hot water for at least an hour
¾ C water
1 garlic clove
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
¾ tsp salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. Scrub the potatoes, dry them, and then brush with olive oil. Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and pierce each one 3-4 times with a fork. Bake 40-50 minutes, so until they are tender.
Meanwhile, drain the cashews and transfer to a food processor with the garlic, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Blend for a few minutes, or until smooth. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
Once they've cooled, slice each in half and scoop out the potato; but leave about a ¼" around the edges.
I made batch a mashed potatoes with the scooped out potato. A two-for-one recipe!
Brush the skins again with a little olive oil and then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Place face-down on the baking sheet and bake another 8-10 minutes. Flip each one over and load with a scoop of cashew cheese, chopped veggie bacon, and sliced green onion. Enjoy!

Broccoli-Cashew Cheese Soup

March 31, 2016 by Epicurean Vegan

It’s been too long! I’ve had a lot on my plate (no pun intended) these days and so I haven’t had a chance to get adventurous in the kitchen. I recently took over ownership of Northern Colorado Writers and have been working nonstop since January on our upcoming writers conference that’s next month. Any writers out there? Fort Collins is all about books, bands, and beer (and beards, it seems) so make a fun weekend of it and join us for 32+ workshops and an awesome keynote speaker. Okay, this concludes my shameless plug for the conference! I’m thrilled with this new venture, but a gal (and her family) has got to eat! So here we go. This rich, creamy, and flavorful soup takes no time at all and goes great with a salad and garlic toast. It also tastes even better the next day! I started out using this recipe, but then made several changes as I went along. I love how it turned out!

INGREDIENTS:
5 C vegetable broth, divided
1 head of cauliflower florets, cut into small pieces
2 small heads of broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
3 large carrots, thinly sliced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper
1/3 C white wine
1/2 C nutritional yeast
1 C canned lite coconut milk
1 C raw cashews, unsalted
1 garlic clove
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C to 1/2 C water
1 tsp lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
Soak the cashews in hot water for 30-60 minutes. In a large soup pot, combine 2-1/2 C vegetable broth with the cauliflower. Bring to a boil, then lower and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.

Turn off the heat and puree using an immersion blender. Once pureed, add the rest of vegetable broth, broccoli, carrots, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, salt, and pepper. Return to a simmer and let cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the broccoli and carrots are tender.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse the cashews and transfer to a food processor with the clove of garlic. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and water. Puree, scraping the sides of the bowl a few times, until you have a thick and creamy consistency. This may take about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
I then used the immersion blender to puree the soup a little more—not too much; I wanted to still have chunks of broccoli and carrot. This step is certainly optional. Next, whisk in the white wine, coconut milk, cashew cheese, and nutritional yeast; blend well. Heat on medium-low until hot.

Serve with some crusty bread and maybe some vegan cheddar shreds, croutons, and green onion. So delicious! Enjoy!

Broccoli-Cashew Cheese Soup

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

45 mins

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 6

Ingredients

5 C vegetable broth, divided
1 head of cauliflower florets, cut into small pieces
2 small heads of broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
3 large carrots, thinly sliced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
¼-1/2 tsp black pepper
⅓ C white wine
½ C nutritional yeast
1 C canned lite coconut milk
1 C raw cashews, unsalted
1 garlic clove
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
½ tsp salt
¼ C to ½ C water
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions

Soak the cashews in hot water for 30-60 minutes. In a large soup pot, combine 2-1/2 C vegetable broth with the cauliflower. Bring to a boil, then lower and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.
Turn off the heat and puree using an immersion blender. Once pureed, add the rest of vegetable broth, broccoli, carrots, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, salt, and pepper. Return to a simmer and let cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the broccoli and carrots are tender.
Meanwhile, drain and rinse the cashews and transfer to a food processor with the clove of garlic. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and water. Puree, scraping the sides of the bowl a few times, until you have a thick and creamy consistency. This may take about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
I then used the immersion blender to puree the soup a little more---not too much; I wanted to still have chunks of broccoli and carrot. This step is certainly optional. Next, whisk in the white wine, coconut milk, cashew cheese, and nutritional yeast; blend well. Heat on medium-low until hot.
Serve with some crusty bread and maybe some vegan cheddar shreds, croutons, and green onion. So delicious! Enjoy!

Cashew Cheese Risotto

July 23, 2014 by Epicurean Vegan

Just so you know, we’re not messing around with this risotto. I shudder to think what my vegan life would be like without cashew cheese. Obviously, the pure joy of the Creamy Macaroni with Cashew Cheese, would just not exist, as would the Stuffed Shells with Butternut Squash and Cashew Cheese and the Pine nut and Cashew Ravioli. Not a vegan world I’d want to live in, folks. And the beauty of it all, is that cashew cheese is so simple to make, a monkey can do it, so it just doesn’t get any better. This baked risotto dish is creamy, decadent and outta this world (and into vegan heaven). And did I mention it’s easy to make? Ready in 50 minutes? No standing at the stove constantly stirring like traditional risotto; this entree (or side dish) practically cooks itself. Served solo or with garlic bread and a salad, you’re well on your way to cashew cheese nirvana.

INGREDIENTS:
5 C vegetable broth
1-1/2 C Arborio rice
1 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C onion, diced
16-oz mushrooms, sliced, then cut in half
1-1/2 C green onion, sliced
2-3 C fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 C white cooking wine
2 Tbs vegan margarine
1/4 C nutritional yeast
1 recipe cashew cheese (see below)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cashew Cheese (makes 1 cup)
1 C raw, roasted and unsalted cashews (whole or pieces), soaked in hot water 1-2 hours
1/2 C water
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:
Start the cashew cheese first. Soak the nuts in a bowl with enough boiling water to just cover the nuts. Let sit 1-2 hours. Drain, rinse and transfer to a food processor. Add 1/2 cup of water and puree. While the machine is running, add the salt, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. Scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350. Combine 4 cups of the broth with the rice in a Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. While the rice is baking, prepare your other ingredients. With about 10 minutes of cooking time left for the risotto, heat the olive oil and garlic over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Once the garlic starts to brown, add the mushrooms and green onion. Reduce heat to medium-low and saute about 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and let it cook 2 minutes. Once it starts to wilt, remove from the heat.
When the risotto is done (all the liquid is absorbed), stir in the remaining cup of broth. Then add the white wine, vegan margarine, salt and pepper. Stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes; this is what releases the starches and makes the risotto nice and creamy. Add the nutritional yeast and all of the cashew cheese. Stir until well combined. Fold in the mushroom-spinach mixture. And that’s it! Serve and thoroughly enjoy!

Cashew Cheese Risotto

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

Cashew cheese is so simple to make, a monkey can do it, so it just doesn't get any better. This baked risotto dish is creamy, decadent and outta this world (and into vegan heaven). And did I mention it's easy to make? Ready in 50 minutes? No standing at the stove constantly stirring like traditional risotto; this entree (or side dish) practically cooks itself. Served solo or with garlic bread and a salad, you're well on your way to cashew cheese nirvana.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

5 C vegetable broth
1-1/2 C Arborio rice
1 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C onion, diced
16-oz mushrooms, sliced, then cut in half
1-1/2 C green onion, sliced
2-3 C fresh spinach, chopped
½ C white cooking wine
2 Tbs vegan margarine
¼ C nutritional yeast
1 recipe cashew cheese (see below)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cashew Cheese (makes 1 cup)
1 C raw, roasted and unsalted cashews (whole or pieces), soaked in hot water 1-2 hours
½ C water
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp salt

Directions

Start the cashew cheese first. Soak the nuts in a bowl with enough boiling water to just cover the nuts. Let sit 1-2 hours. Drain, rinse and transfer to a food processor. Add ½ cup of water and puree. While the machine is running, add the salt, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. Scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350. Combine 4 cups of the broth with the rice in a Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
While the rice is baking, prepare your other ingredients. With about 10 minutes of cooking time left for the risotto, heat the olive oil and garlic over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Once the garlic starts to brown, add the mushrooms and green onion. Reduce heat to medium-low and saute about 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and let it cook 2 minutes. Once it starts to wilt, remove from the heat.
When the risotto is done (all the liquid is absorbed), stir in the remaining cup of broth. Then add the white wine, vegan margarine, salt and pepper. Stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes; this is what releases the starches and makes the risotto nice and creamy. Add the nutritional yeast and all of the cashew cheese. Stir until well combined. Fold in the mushroom-spinach mixture. And that's it! Serve and thoroughly enjoy!

Layered Eggplant with Cashew Cheese

January 21, 2014 by epicureanvegan

This is part lasagna, part eggplant “Parmesan.” I originally set out to make the latter, but I didn’t want to use packaged vegan cheese. Homemade cashew cheese has become a favorite around here, especially with Italian food, so I decided to give it a try with this. The recipe for the cheese is the same from the Butternut Stuffed Shells and I think it turned out delicious! I didn’t soak the cashews very long—maybe just an hour—and it still turned out creamy and smooth. This makes about 6 good-sized portions; great for a larger group, or for having leftovers.

INGREDIENTS:
2 medium eggplant, peeled (a carrot peeler works great) and sliced into 9 thin slices
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs olive oil
2 14-oz can diced tomatoes (I used the Italian variety), undrained
1/2 C white wine
1 Tbs dried basil
1 tsp oregano
1/4 C flour
2 C panko or breadcrumbs
2 Tbs Italian dried seasoning
1/2 C Ener-G Egg replacer powder
3/4 C almond milk
1/8 C water
Olive oil for frying
Cashew Cheese
2 C raw cashews, soaked in water for up to 2 hours, then drained
2 Tbs nutritional yeast
2 Tbs lemon juice
2-3 Tbs almond milk
1 tsp tahini
1/2 Tbs onion powder
1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:
To make the cashew cheese, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. If you want it thinner, feel free to add more almond milk and/or lemon juice. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the garlic over medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the onion and saute for 7-8 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften and brown. Add the tomatoes, wine, basil, and oregano, stir to combine, and lower heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

While the sauce is cooking, combine the egg-replacer powder with the almond milk and water in a shallow bowl. Do the same with the Italian seasoning and panko, and add the flour to a small bowl.

Dust the entire eggplant slice with flour, cover with a thin layer of egg-replacer, then coat with the panko. Eventually, you might have to add a little more water to the egg-replacer dish in order to cover all 9 slices. In batches, place the eggplant slices in a skillet with enough oil to fry—about 2 minutes each side. Try to avoid flipping the pieces more than once, otherwise, you’ll end up with lots of fried chunks of breading in the skillet.
Place finished slices on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat process until all 9 slices are done. Next, coat the bottom of an 8×8″ baking dish with a ladle of the tomato sauce. Place 3 slices of the eggplant on the bottom and spread each slice with cashew cheese. Top with sauce, then repeat process.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces and enjoy!

Layered Eggplant with Cashew Cheese

This is part lasagna, part eggplant "Parmesan." I originally set out to make the latter, but I didn't want to use packaged vegan cheese. Homemade cashew cheese has become a favorite around here, especially with Italian food, so I decided to give it a try with this. The recipe for the cheese is the same from the Butternut Stuffed Shells and I think it turned out delicious! I didn't soak the cashews very long---maybe just an hour---and it still turned out creamy and smooth. This makes about 6 good-sized portions; great for a larger group, or for having leftovers.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 medium eggplant, peeled (a carrot peeler works great) and sliced into 9 thin slices
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs olive oil
2 14-oz can diced tomatoes (I used the Italian variety), undrained
½ C white wine
1 Tbs dried basil
1 tsp oregano
¼ C flour
2 C panko or breadcrumbs
2 Tbs Italian dried seasoning
½ C Ener-G Egg replacer powder
¾ C almond milk
⅛ C water
Olive oil for frying
Cashew Cheese
2 C raw cashews, soaked in water for up to 2 hours, then drained
2 Tbs nutritional yeast
2 Tbs lemon juice
2-3 Tbs almond milk
1 tsp tahini
½ Tbs onion powder
1 tsp salt

Directions

To make the cashew cheese, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. If you want it thinner, feel free to add more almond milk and/or lemon juice. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350.
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the garlic over medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the onion and saute for 7-8 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften and brown. Add the tomatoes, wine, basil, and oregano, stir to combine, and lower heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
While the sauce is cooking, combine the egg-replacer powder with the almond milk and water in a shallow bowl. Do the same with the Italian seasoning and panko, and add the flour to a small bowl.
Dust the entire eggplant slice with flour, cover with a thin layer of egg-replacer, then coat with the panko. Eventually, you might have to add a little more water to the egg-replacer dish in order to cover all 9 slices.
In batches, place the eggplant slices in a skillet with enough oil to fry---about 2 minutes each side. Try to avoid flipping the pieces more than once, otherwise, you'll end up with lots of fried chunks of breading in the skillet.
Place finished slices on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat process until all 9 slices are done.
Next, coat the bottom of an 8x8" baking dish with a ladle of the tomato sauce.
Place 3 slices of the eggplant on the bottom and spread each slice with cashew cheese.
Top with sauce, then repeat process.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Cut into 6 pieces and enjoy

Stuffed Shells with Butternut Squash and Cashew Cheese

May 28, 2013 by epicureanvegan

A BIG thank you goes out to Luminous Vegans for this outstanding recipe. When I saw it a couple of weeks ago, it immediately bookmarked it. This also reminds me a bit of the Sweet Potato Ravioli I made a while back, which was also a favorite. Everyone loved this—a keeper for sure. The only thing I did different was made a full box of jumbo shells (about 40 shells), otherwise, I followed the recipe as it was. These are not overly squashy tasting, thanks to the amazing cashew cheese. You can make the filling ahead of time and store it in the fridge until ready to use, which is a time saver, but not a must. From start to finish, it took me about an hour and a half of (easy) prep and cook time.

INGREDIENTS:
1 box jumbo shells
1 large butternut squash
1/3 C chives, chopped
1/3 C basil, chopped
salt and pepper
1 jar marinara sauce
Cashew Cheese:
2 C raw cashews, soaked in water for up to 2 hours, then drained
2 Tbs nutritional yeast
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs almond milk (I did add about another tablespoon)
1 tsp tahini (I accidentally used a tablespoon, hence, the extra almond milk, but it all worked out)
1/2 Tbs onion powder
1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 450. Cut the butternut squash in half. Roast for 30-45 minutes. Oven temps and cooking times vary, so check after 30 minutes; the squash should be tender and soft.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine all of the cashew cheese ingredients and puree until smooth. Pretty easy. In a medium bowl, combine the chives, basil, squash and about 1/2 to 3/4 C of the cashew cheese.

Season with salt and pepper.

Of course, while all this is going on, boil the shells (10-15 minutes). Once drained, stuff each shell with the filling. Don’t get too heavy handed—you can always add more to any of the shells.

Layer on the jarred marinara sauce. I used about 3/4 of a jar. The rest will be great for a quick spaghetti lunch this week.

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Stuffed Shells with Butternut Squash and Cashew Cheese

A BIG thank you goes out to Luminous Vegans for this outstanding recipe. When I saw it a couple of weeks ago, it immediately bookmarked it. This also reminds me a bit of the Sweet Potato Ravioli I made a while back, which was also a favorite. Everyone loved this---a keeper for sure. The only thing I did different was made a full box of jumbo shells (about 40 shells), otherwise, I followed the recipe as it was. These are not overly squashy tasting, thanks to the amazing cashew cheese. You can make the filling ahead of time and store it in the fridge until ready to use, which is a time saver, but not a must. From start to finish, it took me about an hour and a half of (easy) prep and cook time.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1 box jumbo shells
1 large butternut squash
⅓ C chives, chopped
⅓ C basil, chopped
salt and pepper
1 jar marinara sauce
Cashew Cheese:
2 C raw cashews, soaked in water for up to 2 hours, then drained
2 Tbs nutritional yeast
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs almond milk (I did add about another tablespoon)
1 tsp tahini (I accidentally used a tablespoon, hence, the extra almond milk, but it all worked out)
½ Tbs onion powder
1 tsp salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450. Cut the butternut squash in half. Roast for 30-45 minutes. Oven temps and cooking times vary, so check after 30 minutes; the squash should be tender and soft
Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine all of the cashew cheese ingredients and puree until smooth. Pretty easy. In a medium bowl, combine the chives, basil, squash and about ½ to ¾ C of the cashew cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Of course, while all this is going on, boil the shells (10-15 minutes). Once drained, stuff each shell with the filling. Don't get too heavy handed---you can always add more to any of the shells.
Layer on the jarred marinara sauce. I used about ¾ of a jar. The rest will be great for a quick spaghetti lunch this week.
Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Raw Alfredo with Zucchini Noodles from Vegangela

July 25, 2011 by epicureanvegan

I saw this recipe from Angela at Vegangela earlier this week, and it’s all I could think about. I had to wait until the reboot was over since it contains cashews. She came up with the sauce based on the creamy cashew sauce. Using non-pasteurized miso will make it raw and I think zucchini makes ideal noodles. Thanks for another amazing recipe, Angela!

INGREDIENTS:
4 medium zucchinis
1 C raw cashews
3/4 C water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper, to taste
1 Tbs light miso paste (optional)
2 Tbs nutritional yeast (optional)
Fresh basil (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Soak the cashews for minutes in water. While that’s going on, remove the peel of the zucchinis. Using a peeler, peel the zucchinis from one end to the other, rotating until the core is too small to peel anymore.

Next, grind the cashews in a food processor to a fine consistency. Add the other ingredients and blend until fairly smooth.

You can mix the noodles with the sauce or spoon it over them. Top with some fresh basil and enjoy!

Raw Alfredo with Zucchini Noodles from Vegangela

I saw this recipe from Angela at Vegangela earlier this week, and it's all I could think about. I had to wait until the reboot was over since it contains cashews. She came up with the sauce based on the creamy cashew sauce. Using non-pasteurized miso will make it raw and I think zucchini makes ideal noodles. Thanks for another amazing recipe, Angela!

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

4 medium zucchinis
1 C raw cashews
¾ C water
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper, to taste
1 Tbs light miso paste (optional)
2 Tbs nutritional yeast (optional)
Fresh basil (optional)

Directions

Soak the cashews for minutes in water. While that's going on, remove the peel of the zucchinis. Using a peeler, peel the zucchinis from one end to the other, rotating until the core is too small to peel anymore.
Next, grind the cashews in a food processor to a fine consistency. Add the other ingredients and blend until fairly smooth.
You can mix the noodles with the sauce or spoon it over them. Top with some fresh basil and enjoy!

Cashew Spread

April 4, 2011 by epicureanvegan

I think I might be getting the hang of these nut cheeses. I thought I’d try my hand at making a cashew cheese spread and I love it! It’s perfect as a sandwich condiment, a cracker topper, or lathered on an apple slice. You can play with the flavors, but I like an herb-y kind of spread and I think you’ll like this one, too!

INGREDIENTS:
1 C raw cashews
1/4 C lemon juice
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp yellow miso
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried chives
1/4 C cold water
1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:
Soak the cashews in a bowl of water for about an hour; drain and rinse. In a food processor, grind the cashews until fine. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.

Transfer to an airtight container and chill for 3-5 hours. Makes about 1-1/2 cups. Enjoy!

Cashew Spread

I think I might be getting the hang of these nut cheeses. I thought I'd try my hand at making a cashew cheese spread and I love it! It's perfect as a sandwich condiment, a cracker topper, or lathered on an apple slice. You can play with the flavors, but I like an herb-y kind of spread and I think you'll like this one, too!

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Ingredients

1 C raw cashews
¼ C lemon juice
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp yellow miso
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried chives
¼ C cold water
¼ tsp salt

Directions

Soak the cashews in a bowl of water for about an hour; drain and rinse. In a food processor, grind the cashews until fine. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.
Transfer to an airtight container and chill for 3-5 hours. Makes about 1-1/2 cups. Enjoy!

Pasta with Marinated Mushrooms and Cashew Cheese

September 12, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I have been making this dish for years, usually using vegan Parmesan or mozzarella, but since I have a huge hunk of cashew cheese, I decided to use that (which by the way, shreds beautifully). This dish also makes great leftovers for the next day’s lunch. The amounts of each ingredient isn’t specific, but dependent upon how much you want to make.

INGREDIENTS:
Pasta
mushrooms, sliced
tomatoes, chopped
red wine
minced garlic
olive oil
cashew cheese, shredded
Earth Balance margarine
Salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Marinate the mushrooms in some red wine and let sit 15-20 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile heat olive oil and garlic in a small saute pan, then add mushrooms. Saute a few minutes—I don’t like to cook them until they’re shriveled. You may have to drain some leftover marinade.

Drain pasta and add 1-2 tablespoons of Earth Balance to pasta pot and coat the drained pasta. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes and combine well. Season with salt. Serve with cashew cheese and enjoy!

Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese

May 23, 2010 by epicureanvegan

You’re probably thinking. . .how many non-dairy mac and cheese recipes can there possibly be? Turns out, quite a few, but as most of us know, they’re not all that tasty. This one, however, from The Vegan Table, is the first cashew cheese sauce I’ve tried (but close to the Hurry Up Alfredo) and I really, really, love it. I ate way too much of it, too. 🙂 I’ve made some minor alternations such as less oil and milk. By the way, if you need to omit the miso because of a soy intolerance, you can use a chickpea (garbanzo) miso or a barley miso. Another alternative is to use tahini mixed with a bit of salt.

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/4 C raw cashews
1/2 C nutritional yeast
2 tsp onion powder
1 to 2 tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp white pepper
3-1/2 C nondairy milk (I use 3 cups)
3 Tbs cornstarch
1/2 C canola oil (I use about a 1/4 cup and will often use olive oil instead)
1/4 C light (yellow or white) miso
2 Tbs lemon juice
12-16oz macaroni, cooked (I used about 16 ounces of both small shells and rotini)
I added 1-1/2 tsp of truffle oil, but it’s optional (I recommend it)!

DIRECTIONS:
Place cashews in a large-sized bowl of the food processor and finely grind–just don’t let the cashews turn to a paste. Add nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. Pulse three more times to blend in spices.

In a heavy saucepan, combine milk, cornstarch and oil(s). Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease heat to low-medium, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or until cornstarch dissolves.

With the food processor running, gradually add milk/oil mixture to cashew/nutritional yeast mixture. Blend for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Next blend in miso and lemon juice.

Combine cashew cheese with macaroni noodles and serve. You may also bake it: Preheat oven to 325 and place macaroni mixture in a 8 or 9″ square baking dish (I recommend a 9″x13″ one). Cover and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with 1/2 C herbed bread crumbs. Continue baking, uncovered, for 15-25 minutes until topping is golden brown. (I’m going to do this with the leftovers)! Enjoy!

Recipe source: The Vegan Table

UPDATE: I baked the leftovers and it was good, but I think I like it better unbaked.

Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese

This recipe, from The Vegan Table, is the first cashew cheese sauce I've tried and I really, really, love it. I ate way too much of it, too. 🙂 I've made some minor alternations such as less oil and milk. By the way, if you need to omit the miso because of a soy intolerance, you can use a chickpea (garbanzo) miso or a barley miso. Another alternative is to use tahini mixed with a bit of salt.

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

1-1/4 C raw cashews
½ C nutritional yeast
2 tsp onion powder
1 to 2 tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
⅛ tsp white pepper
3-1/2 C nondairy milk (I use 3 cups)
3 Tbs cornstarch
½ C canola oil (I use about a ¼ cup and will often use olive oil instead)
¼ C light (yellow or white) miso
2 Tbs lemon juice
12-16oz macaroni, cooked (I used about 16 ounces of both small shells and rotini)
I added 1-1/2 tsp of truffle oil, but it's optional (I recommend it)!

Directions

Place cashews in a large-sized bowl of the food processor and finely grind--just don't let the cashews turn to a paste. Add nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. Pulse three more times to blend in spices.
In a heavy saucepan, combine milk, cornstarch and oil(s). Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease heat to low-medium, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or until cornstarch dissolves.
With the food processor running, gradually add milk/oil mixture to cashew/nutritional yeast mixture. Blend for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Next blend in miso and lemon juice.
Combine cashew cheese with macaroni noodles and serve.
You may also bake it (I prefer this unbaked) Preheat oven to 325 and place macaroni mixture in a 8 or 9" square baking dish (I recommend a 9"x13" one). Cover and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with ½ C herbed bread crumbs. Continue baking, uncovered, for 15-25 minutes until topping is golden brown. (I'm going to do this with the leftovers)! Enjoy!
Recipe from The Vegan Table

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Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese

Recipe source: The Vegan Table

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