I took this as a sign, so I picked up a copy of the cookbook and found a recipe inside that has significantly curbed my dairy cravings: Cashew Cream
Cashew Cream is the easiest recipe you've never (I'm betting) made. All it requires is water and raw cashews, but the resulting pureed cream is pretty darn close to heavy cream, but without all the dairy and saturated fat.
I've been using the cream in all sorts of applications, but my favorite is my Spring Risotto, which I made vegan last night. SPH responded when he tasted it,
"Is this vegan? It's fantastic!"
Woo hoo! A vegan victory for the whole family. Thanks Chef Ronnen.
Cashew Cream
Raw Cashews (preferably whole, but I've used pieces and they work good too)
Water
Cover the cashews with water. Place in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours.
Pour the cashews and water into a blender. Process until creamy, scraping the sides if necessary.
Unless you have a super-powerful blender (ie, a Vitamix) you will want to strain the cream through a fine sieve.
Voila! Cashew Cream ready to be seasoned or used just plain as it is.
I've found myself drizzling it onto risotto, using it as a base for dressings or sauces, and even on my pizza instead of cheese.
Like I said, it's a vegan's best friend, especially if that vegan happens to lust after dairy like a fool (I resemble that remark).
Life is sweet,
SPC
4 comments:
Cashew cream is awesome - and the uses for it really are endless. Kudos on taking on the vegan challenge! It's not easy to change but secret magical vegan ingredients can help. :)
Thanks Cat for the kind words!
Any suggestions on a starting quantity for the cashew/water combo that would equal one cup finished cream? I'd like to try using the cashew cream in a quiche recipe that calls for 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, but I don't know how many cashews to buy.
If you get 1 cup of raw cashews, you should be fine. Better yet, I can run some over tomorrow…we have a big bag at home. Just text me if you want some. :)
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