A few years ago, I grudgingly decided to start looking for some alternatives to cheese and sour cream due to lactose intolerance issues for some of our family, including me. I have been an intense lover of cheese and sour cream and all things dairy...but those things were no longer loving me back (if they ever did). I'm not saying I'll never have brie or manchego or gouda again, but it's just not going to be an everyday thing.
I began playing around with some cashew cheese recipes I found and right away it provided a lot of flavor and satisfaction, especially considering how easy it was to make! I haven't thought about buying sour cream in years because it's so good. I have tried just about every kind of flavoring but I also make it plain a lot as well.
3 cups of raw cashews - soak for several hours (at least 4)
Add them to a high speed blender along with about 1/4 cup of the water
Add:
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp mustard (dijon is excellent)
Flavor options (mix and match them!):
- Frank's hot sauce (about 2 Tbsp)
- Fresh garlic - 1-2 cloves crushed
- Chipotle pepper (I used canned peppers in adobo sauce - about 1 pepper)
- Roasted red peppers - 1-2 peppers
- Sundried tomatoes - 2-3 tomatoes
- Ranch style - parsley, dill, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper
Blend it until it's really smooth. I've made it numerous times and it’s easy to do and hard to screw up.
I use it on sandwiches, add it to soups, on crackers or with chips, baked potatoes....it's so versatile.
You can also make a quick salad dressing by using a bit of plain cashew cheese and adding water and some spices.
I buy my cashews in bulk from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HKOCEVW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&th=1
Happy Fooding!