Cashew Cream

I was totally excited when I checked out the conscious cook by tal ronnen from the library... After seeing him on Oprah, I knew I wanted to give his stuff a whirl. And then when I saw his vegan solution to cream... I couldn't wait to try it. I've made his mashed potatoes and they were scrumpy. I've had success with substituting it in soups when called for cream. It's great in cream based pastas. The whipped cashew cream for desserts is heavenly! Use anywhere you use whipping cream for desserts.

regular and thick cashew cream

2 cups cashews, raw (not pieces, which are often dry) rinsed very well under cold water

Put the cahsews in a bowl and add cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. (I've found this isn't necessary, you just blend a little longer)

Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place in a blender with enough fresh cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Blend on high for several minuts until very smooth. (If you're not using a professional high-speed blender, which creates an ultra-smooth cream, strain the cashew cream through a fine-mesh sieve.)

To make thick cashew cream, simply reduce the amount of water in the blender, so that the water just covers the cashews.

makes about 2 1/4 cups thick cream or 3 1/2 cups regular cream

prep tims: 10 minutes, plus soaking overnight

whipped cashew cream

1 cup thick cashew cream (above)

1/4 cup light agave nectar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup refined coconut oil, warmed until liquid

Place the cashew cream in a blender and add the agave nectar, vanilla, and 1/4 cup water. Blend until thoroughly combined.

With the blender running, slowly drizzle the coconut oil in through the hole in the blender lid. Blend until emulsified.

Pour into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator, covered, for 2 hours. Stir before serving.

makes about 2 cups

prep time: 5 mintues, plus 2 hours chilling

The Conscious Cook

Tal Ronnen