November 29, 2014

Holly here! Cashews and nutritional yeast were the stars of the recipes I made this weekend. If you aren’t familiar with nutritional yeast, it tastes unbelievably like cheese! I love sprinkling it on popcorn and mixing it into pasta sauce. Many brands are fortified with vitamin B12, which is naturally only found in meat, dairy, and eggs, so it’s a great option for vegans and vegetarians.

     The cashews add a creamy, hummus-like texture to the “cheese”. I made an original cashew cheese and a ‘nacho cheese’ version. I really enjoyed the nacho cheese kind. In fact, it tasted like Doritos nacho cheese chips! If you don’t own a food processor, don’t fear! Cashew cheese can be made in a blender as well. I only soaked my cashews for 2.5 hours, but they turned out to be soft enough to work with.

Rich and Creamy Cashew Cheese
Makes 2 cups | Time: 10 minutes
Recipe from Vegetarian Times

• 2 cups raw unsalted cashews, soaked 12–24 hours, and drained
• 2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. white balsamic vinegar
• ¼ tsp. granulated onion powder
• ⅛ tsp. granulated garlic powder
• ⅛ tsp. white pepper, optional

1.) Place cashews in bowl of food processor. Process 1 minute, or until a rough paste develops.

2.) Add 1/2 cup water and the remaining ingredients.

3.) Process 3 to 5 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a lidded container in the refrigerator. After 12 hours of refrigeration, the cheese will thicken up more. Spread on sandwiches, crackers, pitas, apple slices, veggies, and more!

The nacho cheese definitely has a more ‘saucy’ consistency.

Finished products! This is before they were refrigerated, but they thickened up a bit later.

HOMEMADE NACHO “CHEESE” SAUCE
MAKES A LITTLE OVER 1 CUP | TIME: 15 MINUTES
RECIPE FROM PRODUCE ON PARADE

• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. water
• 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours
• 1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice (half of one small lemon)
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• extra water as needed

1.) Soak the cashews in cold water, making sure they are completely submerged. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

2.) Once done soaking, drain the cashews and then add to a blender with all of the remaining ingredients.

3.) Add in the 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. of water. Blend on high until creamy and smooth.

4.) In a small saucepan, add the cheese sauce and stir on low for about 5-10 minutes or until the sauce thickens to the consistency you’d like.