#169 The Case of Refrigerator Staple—Cashew Cheese

Open my restored retro fridge. Isn't it darling? My friends think I'm crazy 'cause it's not even frost-free but I'm a designer so I'm allowed to seem cuckoo even though I'm nowhere near totally out of my mind. Reclaiming this Kelvinator kept a huge hunk of metal out of landfill.

 

Keeping with the environmental theme, two separate appliance repair guys assured me my retro fridge is more energy-efficient than a new energy-saver model. More insulation. Less gizmos.

 

Now, on a middle shelf, you'll find a container of Cashew Cheese. Take it out and lift the lid. See the sheet of plastic wrap pressed right down on the surface of the "cheese"? That's how I protect it, like I do Guacamole, because air affects its delicate ivory colour. If you take this extra precaution, Cashew Cheese will stay luscious for weeks in your fridge.

 

Check out what Cashew Cheese looks like on top of my Spaghetti in a Beet Pesto Sauce.

 

And here's the recipe in case you want to keep some Cashew Cheese handy in your own fridge.

 

Cashew Cheese

 

1/2 bulb garlic

drizzle of olive oil plus 1/2 tablespoon

1 cup raw cashews, soaked uncovered in plenty of water for at least 4 hours then drained and rinsed

2 teaspoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

2-1/2 teaspoons vinegar

 

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

 

Slice the top off the 1/2 bulb of garlic to expose each clove. Place upright on foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap. Roast for 45 min. Let cool.

 

Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves (leaving out the papery skins) into a blender with the 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt and vinegar. Blend until smooth.

 

Serves 4.

 

♥ Becki

 

PS Cheese please!

#168 The Case of Spaghetti in a Beet Pesto Sauce

Beets are sweet!

4 beets (2 cups total volume)
drizzle of olive oil plus 1/4 cup for later
enough whole-wheat spaghetti for two people
enough regular spaghetti for two
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted in oven at 350ºF for 10 min.
salt
Cashew Cheese
pepper
I/4 teaspoon chilli pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Trim the beets. Place on foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap. Roast for 1 hour. Let cool.

Cook the spaghetti (add the whole-wheat spaghetti to the pot first, bring back to a boil and cook for 1 min. before adding the regular spaghetti).

In the meantime, peel and chop the roasted beets into large pieces and pulse them in a blender with the garlic, toasted walnuts and salt to taste. Add the 1/4 cup olive oil and pulse again. Check seasoning.

Drain the pasta and toss with the pesto. Twirl onto plates using tongs. Top each portion with a dollop of Cashew Cheese and grind pepper on top to taste. Sprinkle with the chilli pepper flakes.

 

Serves 4.

 

♥ Becki

PS I have minced the garlic cloves and toasted walnuts by hand, grated the roasted beets with a box grater into a bowl, then stirred all the pesto ingredients together. It adds minutes to the prep time. It's messier, for sure. But it's equally heavenly and the cosmic pic above proves the point! 

#167 The Case of Creamsicle Smoothie

1/2 orange

1/2 banana

1/2 cup light coconut milk
2 tablespoons Sunwarrior raw vegan protein powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 ice cubes

Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender, in the order given, and blend.

Serves 1.

♥ Becki

PS Do you feel the love?
PPS Now's the time. Summer Sizzles Sale—A PURSE TO DIE FOR 99¢, A KILLER NECKLACE $1.99 on Amazon, and on Smashwords with coupon codes WK87T for PURSE and TP99S for KILLER.

#166 The Case of Guacamole

Welcome back Avocado Green!

 

1 avocado

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

 

With a large knife, score the avocado in half lengthwise around the pit. Twist the two halves in opposite directions to separate. With the pitted half lying on a cutting board and with a swift chopping motion, embed your knife in the pit. Turn your knife to remove the pit from the flesh. Cut each avocado half into three lengthwise strips then peel off the skin, dropping the flesh into a small bowl.

 

Mash together the avocado flesh and the rest of the ingredients.

 

Serve with tortilla chips.

 

Serves 2.

 

♥ Becki

 

PS Friend Richard Hawes shared this recipe with Cynthia; she shared it with me; I'm sharing it with you; who will you share it with?

#165 The Case of Oat Groats with Cashew Milk and Maple Syrup

Glamming up oatmeal!

1 cup oat groats (whole, hulled oat kernels)
3-1/2 cups water

pinch salt
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked uncovered in plenty of water for at least 4 hours then drained and rinsed
2 cups hot water (not above 118ºF)
1/2 tablespoon raw agave syrup
maple syrup

Bring the oat groats, water and salt to a rolling boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.

In the meantime, in a high-speed blender, blend together the soaked cashews, hot water and agave syrup. You can store the cashew milk in the fridge for about a week.

When the oats are ready, divide between two bowls. Pour on some cashew milk then drizzle on maple syrup to taste.

 

Serves 2.

 

♥ Becki

 

PS There’s no comparison between purchased cashew milk and homemade!

#164 The Case of, Yeah, Veggie Paella!

2 cups boiling water
2 rounded teaspoons (for 2 cups) vegetable bouillon powder
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup Arborio rice
1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

3 oz thinly sliced veggie chorizo or spicy andouille sausage (about 1 sausage)

1/2 cup roasted mixed peppers, chopped
1/2 cup peas
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt

Prepare a bouillon with the water and vegetable bouillon powder.

In a wide pot or paella pan over medium heat, sauté the onions in the olive oil for 2 min.

Add the rice and garlic and sauté for 4 min.

Add the paprika and cayenne.

Add the bouillon and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 min. Add 1/3 cups of water if getting too dry.

 
Stir in the veggie chorizo or spicy andouille sausage, roasted mixed peppers and peas and simmer for 5 min. Rice should be firm but not hard.

Stir in 2 tablespsoons fresh parsley and salt to taste.

Plate, scattering remaining parsley on top.

Serves 2.

 

♥ Becki

 

PS It's all good!

#163 The Case of Cauliflower Couscous

You won't believe it until you try it!

1 medium head cauliflower, in florets
4 green onions, chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons cumin seed
2 teaspoons raw agave syrup
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon chilli pepper flakes
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup currants
salt
pepper

Pulse the cauliflower in a blender in batches until it looks like fluffy cooked couscous or rice.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients, including salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately to preserve texture.

Serves 4.

♥ Becki

PS Willing to share?