Creamy Cashew Recipes to Go Nuts Over
It’s time to make room in your cabinet for cashews. Almonds may be the go-to nut, but when it comes to versatility in the kitchen, cashews win hands down. With one bite of the swoonworthy blueberry swirl creamsicles, you’ll get a taste of the creaminess.
Want homemade yogurt without the wait? Cashews to the rescue. Blended together with coconut meat and probiotics, then lightly sweetened with agave, they make a creamy, full-bodied dairy-free yogurt like you’ve never tasted. Or, stick to something savory and use chopped cashews and mushrooms in place of ground beef for tacos. Together, they make a healthy ingredient swap that mimics the real deal.
Blueberry-Cashew Creamsicles
Makes 4
2 cups fresh blueberries
3 tablespoons honey
½ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight, drained and rinsed
¼ frozen banana
¼ teaspoon salt
In a small saucepan, bring the blueberries and 2 tablespoons of the honey to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, smashing the berries against side of pan with a wooden spoon until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to cool. Using a hand-held blender, puree until smooth.
Using a blender, puree the rinsed cashews, banana, honey, salt and ¼ cup water on high speed until smooth. Layer the blueberry and cashew mixtures into each ice-pop mold and insert ice-pop sticks; freeze until solid, about 6 hours. To remove, run the mold under warm water until the popsicles slide out.
Per serving: Calories 193; Fat 8 g (Saturated 1.6 g); Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 153 mg; Carbohydrate 30.5 g; Fiber 2.7 g; Sugars 22 g; Protein 3 g
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Mushroom-Cashew Taco Salad Bites
Serves 6
One 10-ounce container white mushrooms, finely chopped
1 cup cashews, toasted and cooled
1 carrot, finely shredded
½ red onion, finely shredded
1 clove garlic, finely minced
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro or parsley
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper
Blue corn tortilla chips
Chopped avocado, for topping
Hot sauce, for topping (optional)
Lime wedges, for serving
In a large pan, saute the mushrooms on medium heat until they are golden and the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes; let cool.
In a food processor, pulse the cooled mushrooms and cashews with carrot, onion, garlic, cilantro, scallion, jalapeno, cumin and chili powder until crumbly; season with salt and pepper. Return to the pan, and toss over medium heat until heated through, about 5 minutes.
To serve, spoon some of the taco meat onto each taco chip and top with the avocado, hot sauce (if using) and a squeeze of lime.
Per serving: Calories 315; Fat 25 g (Saturated 4 g); Sodium 49 mg; Carbohydrate 20 g; Fiber 4 g; Sugars 2 g; Protein 7.5 g
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Dairy-Free Instant Cashew-Coconut Yogurt
Makes about 2 cups
1 ½ cups young coconut meat
½ cup raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight, drained and rinsed
½ cup water
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon agave nectar
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon dairy-free probiotic powder (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt
Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender and process on high speed until smooth. Let sit at room temperature until tangy, about 2 hours. Refrigerate until cold.
Per serving: Calories 247; Fat 17 g (Saturated 10 g); Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 220 mg; Carbohydrate 31 g; Fiber 2 g; Sugars 17 g; Protein 3.5 g
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Silvana Nardone is the author of the Silvana’s Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Kitchen: Timeless Favorites Transformed.
