You can do a lot with the simple cashew. They can be enjoyed alone, raw or roasted. You can season them, use them to make dips, sauces, main dishes or make milk. Cashews are loaded with nutrition. Check out these facts.
CASHEW NUTRITION FACTS:
packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
helps reduce blood pressure
helps form blood cells
protects against cataracts
contains good fats
Store cashews in an airtight container to preserve freshness. They won't last long on the counter, so store them in the refrigerator or freezer and they will last 6 months.
https://www.healthline.com/health/are-cashews-good-for-you
Check out these recipes:
SPICY ROASTED CASHEWS
Enhance this snack with spices. How hot can you go?
2 cups cashews
½ tsp chili flakes
1 ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 F°.
Place the cashews, smoked paprika, chili, lime juice, olive oil, honey and salt in a bowl and toss to combine.
Spread the cashews on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake, turning halfway, for 20 minutes or until golden.
Let the nuts cool completely before serving. You can keep the nuts in an airtight container for up to one week.
http://paleogrubs.com/spicy-roasted-cashews
HOMEMADE CACAO CASHEW BUTTER
This is a nice combo for cashew butter. Chocolate chip butter, what could be better?
2 cups raw cashews
2 cups raw almonds
1-2 teaspoons coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut sugar (optional)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons cacao nibs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On large baking sheet spread out almonds and cashews and roast in oven for 10 minutes until slightly brown. Be very careful not to burn the nuts! Cool for 10 minutes.
Transfer nuts to the bowl of a food processor and process for 10-15 minutes, scraping down the sides as necessary (about every 2 minutes). At this point the nuts should start to clump together. Add in a teaspoon of coconut oil and continue to process until you reach the desired consistency; add another teaspoon of coconut oil if you'd like it creamier.
Next add in vanilla extract, coconut sugar and sea salt. Process again for 30 seconds. Taste and add more salt or coconut sugar if necessary.
Next add in cacao nibs and pulse a few times to incorporate nibs into the nut butter.
Transfer to a mason jar and store at room temperature for 1 week. Store in fridge for up to a month if you want it to last longer.
REGULAR CASHEW BUTTER
It doesn't get easier than this. It's so creamy you'll have to pull yourself away.
2 cups (240g) roasted lightly salted cashews
½ tsp salt, or to taste
Add the cashews to a high-speed blender, and blend on low for 8-10 minutes or until creamy, scraping down the sides with a spatula as necessary. Add the salt, and blend for 20-30 seconds. Transfer to a jar or airtight container, and store in the refrigerator.
https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/homemade-creamy-cocoa-nib-cashew-almond-butter/
https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2015/07/28/easy-blender-cashew-butter/
DAIRY-FREE COFFEE CREAMER
Ditch the dairy and try the nut.
1 cup raw cashews - soaked for 8-12 hours
3 cups water
3 dates - pitted
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Soak your raw cashews overnight or for at least 8 hours. This makes them soft and malleable.
When you're all ready to make your creamer, drain the cashews and set aside.
Place 3 cups of water in your blender.
Then, add your cashews, dates, vanilla and cinnamon.
Blend on high for about a minute. Then turn it up to super high (the switch on a Vitamix that turns your blender into a rocket - seriously sometimes I think my blender is going to take off!)
Blend for another mixture or two until it looks like all of the ingredients, especially the dates are completely blended.
Turn your blender off and pour your cashew creamer into an airtight container and store in the fridge for about 5 days. I wouldn't push it much past that as I've had bad cashew milk before and your stomach will not be very happy. Learn from my mistakes.
Pour this stuff into your morning brew and enjoy! I love to blend my coffee and the creamer together, so it gets all frothy. Yum!
https://realsimplegood.com/dairy-free-coffee-creamer/
CASHEW RICOTTA
You can make many varieties of cheese with cashews. This this in your next zucchini lasagna.
2 cups raw cashews
2 cups hot water
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Put cashews in a jar, cover with hot water and then refrigerate overnight.
Cashews should be soaked at least 24 hours.
Drain cashews and set aside water (it's great added to soup stock).
Put cashews, coconut milk, salt and nutritional yeast in a blender or food processor.
Blend well 5-7 minutes until it had a creamy smooth texture.
Let sit for 10 min or so and then it's ready to use!
https://theprimaldesire.com/paleo-ricotta-cheese/
CASHEW CREAM SAUCE
This is one of my favorite sauces. It's so easy to make and you can use it in and on anything. Thin it out for a great creamy base for soup (broccoli, potato, veggie, clam chowder, etc.)
2 cups cashews
1 1/4 cup water or broth
1-2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
Place cashews in a bowl. Cover with water and soak for about 2 hours. Drain and rinse thoroughly.
Place soaked cashews in the bowl of a food processor or blender with the water, garlic, and salt. Puree until very, very smooth. Thin out with more water to desired consistency. Store in fridge for 3-4 days or freeze.
https://pinchofyum.com/five-minute-cashew-sauce
CASHEW CHICKEN
No need to for takeout. Make this cashew chicken at home.
3 tbsp avocado oil
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp finely chopped fresh galangal or ginger (can sub 1 tsp dried galangal)
2 lbs chicken thigh or breast, chopped into 1/2″ pieces
8oz mushrooms, sliced (I prefer oyster mushrooms in this dish)
5 oz can sliced bamboo shoots, drained and rinsed
5 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
8 oz whole raw cashews (about 1 1/2 cups)
4-6 bunches bok choy (or tatsoi, pak choi or similar vegetable) about 1.5 lbs or 14-16 cups chopped
1 cup broth, divided
t tsp coconut water vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 tsp salt to taste
2 tbsp arrowroot powder
Heat a wok over medium-high heat (you can also use a very large saute pan). Add oil, garlic and galangal, cook about 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add chicken and cook stirring frequently until cooked through, about 5-8 minutes.
Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts. Cook 3-4 more minutes, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are mostly cooked.
Add bok choy, cashews and 1/2 cup broth. Cook until greens start to wilt, about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
In a small bowl, mix arrowroot powder, vinegar and salt with remaining 1/2 cup broth to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the wok and stir until thickened, about 2 more minutes.
Enjoy!
https://www.thepaleomom.com/cashew-chicken/
CASHEW CRUSTED PORK CHOP
Shake & bake! Feel free to add any herbs and spices you like on pork.
5 medium size pork chops
2 eggs beaten
½ cup cashew meal or almond flour I found this at Trader Joes or you can grind up raw cashews into powdered meal, or get it here
1/3 cup ground sunflower seeds (grind up raw shelled sunflower seeds into a powdered meal)
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika like this one
1 tsp chipotle chili powder like this one
½ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp parmesan cheese (OR use nutritional yeast if you are dairy free
Preheat oven to 400 F, and generously grease or oil a large baking dish.
In a processor or magic bullet type blender, grind up cashews until powdered meal forms (if you can’t find cashew meal). Put ground cashews in a bowl and set aside.
In processor or magic bullet type blender grind the sunflower seeds until powdered meal forms. Add ground sunflower seeds to the cashew meal in bowl.
Combine with the cashew and sunflower meal: 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp chipotle chili powder, ½ tsp black pepper and 2 tbsp parmesan cheese * optional. Mix together thoroughly.
In a separate medium size mixing bowl beat 2 eggs.
Dip a pork chop in beaten eggs and place in the cashew breading bowl, and coat pork chop in cashew breading. Flip chop over and coat the other side. Once coated, place in prepared baking dish. Repeat with each pork chop.
Bake at 400 F for 20 to 30 minutes depending on thickness of pork chop. Half way through cooking time flip the pork chops over then continue baking for remaining time
https://beautyandthefoodie.com/garlic-cashew-crusted-pork-chops/
CASHEW BUTTER COOKIES
We can't forget about a sweet treat.
1 tablespoon ghee, (store-bought or homemade)
Pinch of Himalayan salt
¼ cup raw cashew pieces
Dry ingredients
1½ cups almond flour
2 tablespoons coconut flour
¼ cup tapioca starch (or arrowroot)
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon Himalayan salt
Wet ingredients
½ cup ghee, (store-bought or homemade)
½ cup raw honey
1 cup All-Natural Roasted Cashew Butter (make the recipe above)
1 large egg
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, (store-bought or homemade
Prepare the add-ins: In a small skillet set over medium heat, melt the ghee and salt, then add the cashew pieces and roast, stirring almost constantly, until the cashews turn golden and become highly fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Remove to a bowl and let cool.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flours, tapioca starch, baking soda, and salt together, then sift the mixture.
Put the ghee and honey in a separate bowl and beat on high speed with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the cashew butter and resume creaming until well combined and airy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and cream some more until light and fluffy.
Add flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until just incorporated, no more. Add the roasted cashews and gently mix them in by hand with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
Transfer the cookie batter to the refrigerator, uncovered, and let it chill for a couple of hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 13" x 18" baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll the dough into 1-inch (2.5-cm) balls (roughly the size of a Ping-Pong ball) and place them on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
Make the traditional criss-cross pattern by pressing lightly on the balls with a fork. This will also take care of flattening the cookies for you.
Bake the cookies for a total of 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden.
Cool completely on a cooling rack and store in an airtight container for up to a week.
https://thehealthyfoodie.com/roasted-cashew-butter-cookies/
The cashew is a soft and tasty nut. It is for that reason you can transform them into all kinds of foods. Try these cashew recipes today. Nuts can be expensive so watch for sales and store them in your freezer. Online stores like vitacost.com and nuts.com can have good prices. Natural Grocers (look in the refrigerator section) does as well. You can save money by buying cashew pieces as opposed to buying them whole. For these recipes I would suggest buying your nuts raw. That way you control the sodium. I'm always looking out for your health and I try to find inexpensive ways to keep you feeling your best.
Here's to your health! Happy Cooking!
Lori