Cashew Cream Sauces
The best things I've learned so far from a 2-week Purple Carrot trial are (1) the surprising fun and beauty of layering items on beds of other items, (2) using a peeler to make zucchini ribbons (delicious tossed in a little lime and salt and used as a raw topping, like for soba), and (3) easy, flavorful cashew cream sauces that pull the dish together. Two (of the six) meals in the trial -- Smoky Portabello Tacos and Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Spicy Cashew Sauce -- both had really good cashew cream sauces. These two were my favorite meals (partly because of the tasty sauce!) and they were the easiest to make, too. Photos and recipes below! See also How to Make Cashew Cream.
Ingredients
Jalapeno Cashew Sauce:
1/3 C cashews
2 garlic cloves
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeno, deseeded and roughly chopped
Serve on: Corn tortillas topped with Spanish rice, sliced portabellos sautéed in a little soy sauce and liquid smoke, diced scallion, sliced radish, and shredded purple cabbage
Spicy Cashew Sauce:
1/3 C cashews
2 garlic cloves
2 T rice vinegar
2 tsp agave
1 tsp tamari/soy sauce
1 tsp pepper flakes
2 T olive oil
3 T water
Serve with: Roasted yams served on a bed of sautéed chard, topped with sauce and cashew pieces
Instructions
Put ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. (I use a small ninja single-serve cup, and pulse a few times.) Pour sauce over dish! For yams, optionally top with more cashews.
Baked yams on a bed of sautéed chard tossed with a pinch of salt and lime juice,
topped with spicy cashew sauce and cashew pieces:
