CASHEW CHEESE SAUCE

I recently bought a new dark tile and couldn’t wait to try it out for food photography, hence these unnecessarily moody shots!

I’m usually drawn to light and airy photography (as you might have noticed) but would love to practise my dark & moody shots more so expect to see a few darker shots in my upcoming posts!

This recipe has been a long time coming. I make this cashew cheese sauce all the time and have done for years – I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to blog it!

I finally got round to it as I have a few upcoming recipes that use the sauce, including a socca pizza & some stuffed peppers. It’s gonna be great, so stay tuned… (edit: recipes are now live! Use links above.)

As I said, I use this sauce all the time. On pasta, on pizzas, in risottos, drizzled over potatoes or vegetables, burritos and more. It’s SO delicious.

I remember when I first tried it years ago, before I was vegan, I wasn’t expecting to like it at all.

I was a very fussy eater and was only just starting to experiment with free-from foods so wasn’t expecting something made from cashews to be a good substitute for cheese.

But I was shocked at how delicious and cheesy it was! I remember I said “oh my god” out loud and proceeded to eat it by the spoonful.

So definitely don’t knock it before you try it! And don’t be put off if you’ve not heard of a couple of these ingredients because I promise you they’re not that expensive or hard to find.

Your local health food shop will more than likely stock nutritional yeast and you can find miso paste in your local Asian supermarket or the world food aisle at the general supermarket. The rest can be found at any supermarket!

I recommend soaking the cashews overnight or a few hours before hand but if you have a high powered blender, such as The Optimum G2.1, then you can get away with using them without soaking first.

This cheesy sauce is:

• Dairy-free & vegan

• Gluten-free & paleo-friendly

• Healthy

• Versatile (can be used for so many different recipes)

• Easy to make (you just need a blender!)

Use this cheese sauce on your pasta, on your toast or on a pizza!

Looking for more sauces recipes? Check out our favourite sandwich recipes here

Cashew Cheese Sauce

A delicious dairy-free cheese sauce, perfect for pastas, pizzas and more! Feel free to halve the recipe if you want a smaller portion.

yield: 1 CUP

prep time: 8 MINUTES

total time: 8 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 150g (1 cup) raw cashew nuts, soaked overnight in water

• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes, if using powder, you can use slightly less*

• 1 tbsp white miso, (Optional)**

• 1 tsp garlic powder, or fresh minced garlic

• 1 tsp onion powder, or fresh minced onion

• 1/2 tsp mustard powder

• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 240ml (1 cup) dairy-free milk, (unsweetened)

Instructions

1. Drain the cashews and discard the water they were soaked in.

2. Add to a high-powered blender along with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Add more almond milk, if needed to create the desired consistency. I like it when it's thick but runs off the spoon.

3. Use straight away or add to a container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

*Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast with a natural cheesy flavour. You can find it in most health food shops or online, and it's not expensive. **White miso paste really helps give that fermented cheese flavour. It can be found in health food shops or Asian supermarkets. I buy mine from my local supermarket in the Asian food aisle. You can use brown miso instead, if you wish.

5-MINUTE COCONUT CURRY SAUCE

This versatile, flavourful coconut curry sauce is delicious in pretty much any dish. It only takes about five minutes to make in your blender!

HOW TO MAKE COCONUT CURRY SAUCE

You don't need a fancy blender for this recipe at all. I've made this sauce in my Vitamix before, but I've also made it plenty of times in my 10-year-old Magic Bullet to make sure it works on even a low-end blender.

Like with anything you're blending, it will just come together more quickly in a high speed blender. With a regular blender, just keep blending, stopping occasionally to give the motor a rest, until you have a nice, smooth mix.

I like using Massa man or red curry paste best to make my Coconut Curry Sauce, but you can use any curry paste that you like. That's the beauty of this recipe - it's super versatile!

CHOOSING VEGAN CURRY PASTE

Finding vegan curry paste isn't too difficult, but you do need to read the ingredients. These are some of the animal products to look out for in curry pastes:

• fish sauce

• shrimp paste

• dairy ingredients

A lot of the more common brands, like Thai Kitchen, are free of animal products. Just give the ingredients a once-over to be sure.

ADJUSTING THE HEAT

Curry pastes can vary quite a bit in spiciness, so start with 1 tablespoon, then give the sauce a taste. Then, add more, to taste -- 1 teaspoon at a time -- from there.

You can also totally fix it if you end up with a sauce that's too hot. Just add more coconut milk until you reach your desired heat level. Making your perfect Coconut Curry Sauce is all about that balance, and once you find it, you are golden.

What's super great about this recipe is that you don't have to cook it. Just blend and pour.

I wasn't kidding about it only taking five minutes!

Of course, you can warm this sauce up in the microwave or on the stovetop, if you want a warm sauce, but it's not necessary. Just make sure you warm over low heat (see below about curdling).

HOW TO USE IT

My family has what you might call "divergent tastes" when it comes to food. My kid likes mild dishes, my husband doesn't like things too saucy, and I prefer bold, spicy flavors and plenty of sauce.

This coconut curry sauce is a solution to that problem. I can make a simple bowl for supper. Dave can put a little soy sauce on his, and I can douse mine in curry.

Everybody wins!

The dish in the photo above is a super simple weeknight meal: brown rice, Ginger-Sesame Kale, and air fryer tofu topped with avocado, green onions, cashews, and plenty of Coconut Curry Sauce.

Steamed rice or quinoa, your favourite veggies, and tofu or tempeh are a nice basic vehicle for this sauce. You can also use it on stir fries, veggies roasts, or even put some of this sauce into pureed dips to add a little bit of punch.

Try adding it to hummus in place of the oil to give your next batch of hummus a curried edge.

A NOTE ABOUT HEATING Like any creamy sauce, coconut curry sauce will curdle if you overheat it. As I mentioned in the "How to Use" section, I like to pour this straight from the blender overcooked dishes, like grain bowls or even salads. If you do want to heat this up, add it to the pan at the very end of cooking, and stir constantly until it's just heated through. If you bring coconut milk to a boil, it could curdle.

Looking for more sauces recipes? Check out our favourite sandwich recipes here

ALL-PURPOSE COCONUT CURRY SAUCE RECIPE

You make this simple coconut curry sauce in your blender. It takes about five minutes!

Course: Sauces and Dressings Cuisine: Vegan Keyword: coconut curry sauce, easy curry sauce, vegan curry sauce

Prep Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 65kcal

Ingredients

• 1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk - (see note)

• 1-2 tablespoons curry paste - of your choice (see note)

• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger

• 2 cloves fresh garlic

• 1 teaspoon brown sugar - optional

• salt - to taste

Instructions

• Toss all of the ingredients into your blender or food processor.

• Puree until smooth, then pour over whatever your dish is, and sprinkle with fun toppings, like cashews, green onions, or chopped avocado!

Equipment

• Blender

Notes

• Before you open your can of coconut milk, shake it well, especially if your kitchen is cold. Coconut milk separates in the can, and shaking will make it easier to get more of the goods out of the can.

• The recipe calls for 1-2 tablespoons of curry paste, because the pastes can vary in how hot they are. Start with 1 tablespoon, then add more if you want a spicier result.

Nutrition

Calories: 65kcal

Dairy-Free Chipotle Sauce

I’ve got a two-part recipe to share with you guys in preparation for Cinco de Mayo next week. Today we’ve got this incredible dairy-free chipotle sauce (seriously it’s delicious) and on Tuesday we’ve got tacos using this vegan aioli wonder. I typically never line up my blog’s content with calendar holidays because I’m a disorganized hot mess so let’s just all take a moment to appreciate the seasonality and relevancy of today’s post. *pats self on back*

Tacos, burritos, nachos–all perfect matches for this vegan chipotle aioli sauce. But it also makes for an unreal dip for French fries or home-made potato wedges. And if you’re looking to assemble a Buddha bowl with a flavour kick, try drizzling it over your favourite roasted veggies and grains. Clearly there are tons of uses, and it’ll keep well in the refrigerator all week. If your meal prepping this weekend, add this recipe to your list!

Dairy-Free Chipotle Sauce

Yield: roughly 1

Ingredients

• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

• 1 tsp of the adobo sauce

• 2/3 c raw cashews, soaked

• 1/2 c unsweetened almond milk

• 2 tbsp lime juice (juice from about 2 limes)

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 2 tbsp avocado oil (optional--increases the creamy texture)

Instructions

1. Cover the cashews in filtered water in an airtight container and soak overnight. If you're in a pinch for time, cover with boiling water and let soak (uncovered) for an hour. Drain and pat dry.

2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or quality blender until smooth, scraping downsides as necessary. If too thick, add a little more almond milk.

3. Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week.

Flavourful sauces and the right seasoning combinations can completely transform a meal. I’m by no stretch of the imagination a trained cook, but over the years I’ve come to realize that. I mentioned The Flavour Bible in a past My Favourite Things post (I have the Vegetarian version), and it’s been so helpful in creating sauces (like this dairy-free chipotle sauce!) and spice combos that actually work with the ingredients I have. It’s seriously become my holy grail in the kitchen. Highly recommend it to any other aspiring home chefs.

Stay tuned for Tuesday’s taco recipe! It was a huge hit in my apartment–granted that’s comprised of two people, but Joe is ridiculously picky, so he carries a lot of weight. That’s what I tell myself anyway …

Looking for more sauces recipes? Check out our favourite sandwich recipes here

Dairy-Free Chipotle Sauce

Yield : roughly 1 c

Ingredients

• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

• 1 tsp of the adobo sauce

• 2/3 c raw cashews, soaked

• 1/2 c unsweetened almond milk

• 2 tbsp lime juice (juice from about 2 limes)

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 2 tbsp avocado oil (optional--increases the creamy texture)

Instructions

1. Cover the cashews in filtered water in an airtight container and soak overnight. If you're in a pinch for time, cover with boiling water and let soak (uncovered) for an hour. Drain and pat dry.

2. Combine all ingredients in a food processor or quality blender until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. If too thick, add a little more almond milk.

3. Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week.