This dairy-free cashew cream sauce is a simple, #nocook recipe that takes about 5 minutes to whip up. It's suitable for those avoiding dairy, but it still tastes creamy and cheesy! Made with cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and spices, this vegan "cream sauce" alternative will become a staple in your house - since it uses many pantry staples and is easy to make when you're short on time or when you didn't make it to the grocery store! My favorite way to eat this is over zucchini noodles (zoodles) with garbanzo beans - inspired by a dish I found at a farmer's market awhile ago - but it can be used on anything, from chicken over pasta to a veggie skillet.
Ingredients (yields 5 servings or ~ 1 1/4 C, 1 serving = 1/4 C sauce)
1 C whole cashews, roasted and lightly salted or unsalted
3/4 C water
1 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Place cashews in mini food processor or blender (I use my Magic Bullet)
2. Add water, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Blend until creamy and smooth, approximately 30 seconds. That's it!
*I usually pour the sauce over my dish when it's just about finished to warm it up!
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving (1 serving = 1/4 C sauce):
Calories 143 calories, Total Fat 11 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Total Carbohydrates 7 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 5 g, Sodium 120 mg, Calcium 16 mg
*Analysis uses roasted, unsalted cashews
Interested in making my Zoodles with Garbanzo Beans and Cashew "Cream" Sauce? It's so simple!
Ingredients (serves 2):
3 large zucchini (can be green or yellow - or both!)
1 15.5 oz can garbanzo beans, drained (no salt added) or 1 3/4 C cooked garbanzo beans
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 C cashew "cream" sauce (recipe above)
Directions:
1. Wash and dry zucchini. Cut top and bottom off of each zucchini and discard.
2. Use a spiralizer to make ribbons (or "zoodles"). I like to place a piece of paper towel on top of the plate or bowl to absorb excess water.
*Tip: If I plan ahead, I like to do this step a day or two in advance and then store in airtight container lined with paper towel. This helps to absorb excess water and eliminates additional steps (and cleaning) when you actually cook the zoodles!
3. Warm olive oil in medium sized saucepan over medium heat.
4. Add zoodles to saucepan and use tongs to mix with oil. Cook approximately 3-4 minutes, until zoodles are bright and tender, tossing occasionally.
5. Add beans, toss with tongs and cook another 3-4 minutes, until warm.
6. Add cashew "cream" sauce (please note: this recipe only uses 1/2 C sauce - not the full recipe). Mix with tongs and cook another 2-3 minutes, until warm. Enjoy!
*The cashew "cream" sauce stores well in an airtight container for about 3 days, so if you don't use it all, save it for your next meal - it goes well with so many foods!
Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:
Calories 465 calories, Total Fat 20 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrates 52 g, Fiber 12 g, Protein 20 g, Sodium 193 mg, Calcium 162 mg
*Please Note: While this dish is free from gluten-containing ingredients, I recommend using certified gluten free products if you need to avoid potential sources of cross contamination, such as in the case of celiac disease.
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