Sara's Cashew Cream
If you are trying to cut back on your milk or dairy consumption, cashew milk is a great option! Cashews are soft, light in color, and slightly sweet - so it makes a beautiful creamy white milk, and it tastes delicious!! It is a nice base for smoothies, and can easily be made into or added to savory dishes.
Considered nuts, cashews are not really a nut - they are technically a seed or legume.
Cashews are rich in monounsaturated fats, fiber, are an excellent source of copper, and a good source of magnesium, manganese, and zinc.
Note: Cashews do contain rather high levels of oxalates, which are naturally occuring organic acids that in some individuals can be linked to kidney stones. Those who are prone to kidney stones might wish to avoid. Cashews also contain lectins, which individuals with autoimmune disease and digestive issue may wish to limit or avoid.
Ingredients:
1 cup raw* unsalted organic cashews, soak in water for 5 mins - 2 hours.
2-3 cups of water (depending on desired thickness).
1/8 -1/4 teaspoon of unprocessed sea salt (I like Real Salt brand)
Directions:
Soak the cashews in filtered water for 5 mins - up to 2 hours.
Drain cashews and put them into blender, blend several minutes to make a smooth consistency.
Add in 2 cups of water (this makes a thicker cashew milk, like cashew cream - if you want more of a regular milk consistency, add more water - approx. 3 cups total).
Salt to taste - I like about 1/4 teaspoon of Real Salt. Blend to combine.
If desired - strain (if needed - shouldn’t be if using a powerful blender).
Chill. Store in air tight container in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Optional additions:
1 vanilla bean (sliced in half, beans scraped out)
cinnamon - to taste
Add into oatmeal, make chia pudding, or use in smoothies. The cream is also delicious swirled into soups.
*Technically "raw" cashews that you buy in the store are not really "raw," as they have been steamed to remove the urushiol, which is a compound also found in cashews and poison ivy and should not be consumed. Steaming the cashews removes the urushiol.
