Maple Cashew Icing

Maple Cashew Icing
1 cup cashews (preferably raw unsalted, but since roasted and salted are cheaper they work as well - soaking them draws out the salt)
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: add a little sea salt, almond or lemon or rum extract, cocoa or melted chocolate, citrus zest, or chopped nuts

Soak the cashews until very soft, almost like soft bread. This can be done ahead by soaking them in a bowl full of cold water overnight or longer, or quickly by boiling the cashews briefly, or just covering them with boiling water and allowing them to sit for an hour or two. Drain well.

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until very smooth. It is almost like making cashew butter. Add a little water or nut milk if needed to thin out the icing to the desired consistency. If the icing is chilled it becomes firm after a while, but will soften at room temperature. It doesn't harden as quickly on a cake stored in the fridge however.

This is an easy vegan frosting with no added fat or refined sugar. For a cream cheese-like frosting, add more lemon juice and replace the maple syrup with a more neutral sweetener such as agave or confectioners' sugar.

Bunny Butt Cake

Happy Easter Everyone!!!

Every year for Easter I make a decorated cake. I have done a white bunny, brown bunny, chick, basket, and egg. I always like to do a different design. I didn't have a lot of time this year, as I was busy cooking practice meals for competitions, so I went with a simpler design. I have seen this as a cake and cupcake design before and always wanted to try it.

It is a 'bunny butt cake'. Some versions have the bunny diving into a basket of candy or into some icing 'grass'. I chose just to keep my cake as a bunny. To make this, I made a standard two-layer size vegan chocolate cake recipe, baked in an eight inch round bowl, and three cupcakes (I actually made six cupcakes but reserved the other three for a different use). 

Ideally, I would have frosted the cake completely in white or brown icing to make either a white or brown bunny. But I didn't really have time to frost the sides of the bunny, and decided to go with a 'transition' bunny look - transitioning from a white winter bunny to the a  brown summer bunny.

I also made a new type of vegan icing - maple cashew, and because of the maple syrup it turned out a tan-color. 

I then dusted the entire cake with shredded coconut. The ears are just made of paper - I tried forming cupcake ears, but that didn't work either, and every version I say online used paper ears or didn't have ears at all.

Vanilla Cashew Butter

What could be better than peanut butter, almond butter, and even Nutella? (Ok, maybe not Nutella, it is hard to compete with the combination of chocolate AND hazelnuts on a spoon) How about vanilla cashew butter?

My partner's mother recently got a fancy new food processor as a gift and has been coming up with all sorts of neat goodies. This machine really cuts down on prep work and time and allows hummus and and pesto and pasta making in a fraction of the time Of course the machine is also great for nut butters. I love nut butters. I have made a few at home myself, but my food processor is not quite as good and it is easier (and pricier) just to buy a jar of nut butter. I had never had cashew butter before, but it is comparable to peanut butter, only milder. The addition of vanilla really makes it a treat! This butter is tasty for sandwiches, oatmeal, even a dip for fruits and vegetables, or my favorite way; on a spoon. It is such a yummy treat and a jar of it certainly doesn't last long in my apartment.

Vegan Citrus Cheesecakes

Vegan Citrus Cheesecakes
1 1/4 cup raw cashews
1 lemon
1 lime
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup agave

Place the cashews in a small saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer gently until almost all water has evaporated. Drain, then transfer to a food processor or ideally a Vitamix blender. 
Slice the hard ends off the lemon and lime, then cut into pieces. Add to the cashews.
Process mixture until very smooth, then add vanilla and agave (more or less, to taste. Chill until firm, or serve immediately as a cheesecake dip, but it will be slightly warm and the texture and 'cheesecakeyness' will be much better once cold.

I put my batter into six muffin cups, lined with melted chocolate. You will be amazed at how much the texture is like cheesecake. The taste is similar too, maybe not as 'cheesy' but close. This is a good basic vegan cheesecake recipe, and can be flavored in a variety of ways - chocolate, cinnamon, berries, etc. 

Vegan Mac and Cheese

Vegan mac and cheese. Some may call it an oxymoron, fake, or a sin. But I call it delicious. It doesn't have that same 'sharpness' you get from mac and cheese using old cheddar, but it does have a similar flavor profile and the same look and texture, it's hard to tell the difference. This is a hearty but healthy comfort food meal that can be on the table within thirty minutes. The procedure seems lengthy, but only because I've explained it in detail. It's really only a matter of cooking and puréeing. The key here is a good food processor or Vitamix if you have one - my sauce was not quite as smooth as I would have liked since I don't have a great food processor. Cooking the veg slightly longer if you have the time may also help alleviate part of this problem. 

I can't stress this enough - even if you are not vegan - you need to try this recipe!

Vegan Mac and Cheese
2 medium white potatoes o use one large sweet potato, diced
2 small carrots, diced
1 small white onion, diced
1/2 cup cashews (preferably raw, unsalted)
1 package (4 serving size) dry elbow macaroni (I used whole wheat)
1/2 cup coconut milk (from a carton or can - doesn't have to be the thick kind)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon prepared yellow or Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
salt, to taste
cracked black pepper, for garnish

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile dice your veg - they don't need to be precise at all since they will just be blitzed in the end, but the smaller you make them, the quicker they cook, so I recommend spending the extra time chopping and not cooking.

Add the veg and cashews to the water and cook for 15-30 minutes until just tender. You don't want them mushy, but just soft enough to easily purée. I throw the cashews in here as well, in lieu of soaking them overnight, as is called for in many vegan recipes (cheeses, cheesecake, etc.) These is just for convenience sake and also to make the cashews extra soft for processing.

Once the veg are cooked, take them out of the water but don't throw the water away! Use a slotted spoon or spider to remove the veg, then save the water for cooking the pasta - this is economical, saves time as the water will still be hot, and reserves all the nutrients from the veg and infuses into the pasta. Simply return the water to a boil, if needed, and add some salt. Then add the macaroni and cook to the desired doneness. 

While the pasta is cooking, transfer the veg and cashews (well drained) to a food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Process until very smooth. Check consistency, and add some pasta water, more coconut milk, or oil as needed, and adjust the seasoning. 

Drain the pasta well, return to the pot, toss with the sauce, and serve immediately! You may also choose to transfer to a casserole dish and bake for a more traditional mac and cheese, but I like mine straight from the pot as I find it creamier. Baked mac and cheese is good for non-vegan versions where you sprinkle the top with shredded cheese and want it to melt, or if you plan to top with breadcrumbs.

Variations: You may add diced whole veg of choice, or diced and cooked vegan bacon into the mix, add more nutritional yeast, add vegan shredded cheddar, or top with pecan parmesan. Sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers would also add nice flavors.

Vegan Hollandaise Sauce

Vegan Hollandaise Sauce
1 cup raw cashews
1/2 - 2/3 cup reserved soaking liquid (from the cashews)
6 whole white peppercorns, crushed
1 Tablespoon minced shallot
3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1-2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
cayenne pepper, to taste
black salt/kala namak or regular salt, to taste (black salt provides an eggy flavor)
splash of butter-flavored olive oil (if you haven't already you have to taste it - it's unbeleiveable and completely dairy-free!)
dash of hot sauce, if desired
For Béarnaise sauce: add chopped fresh tarragon (about one Tablespoon) at the very end; stir in by hand, do not process

Cover the cashews with water and soak for at least one hour. If you want to make the sauce immediately, use boiling water or even boil the cashews for a few minutes. If you plan ahead, the cashews can be soaked in water overnight. The longer the better - the cashews need to become soft to purée and form a nice cashew cream - the basis of this sauce. RESERVE THE SOAKING LIQUID!
Place the peppercorns, shallot, and vinegar in a small saucepan over low heat and reduce by half. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, reserving the liquid and discarding the solids. 

Place the cashews along with 1/2 cup of the liquid in a food processor and process until very smooth and creamy. It is kind of like making a smooth nut butter - you want no chunks of nuts and a texture similar to heavy cream as an end product. It may take awhile, scrape down the sides as necessary. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth, tasting and adjusting seasoning as necessary, or adding more soaking water as needed. Stir in the tarragon by hand for a Béarnaise sauce.
Serve on crackers, toast, asparagus, broccoli, or make a vegan version of Eggs Benedict. Makes about one cup of sauce.

I have never been a huge fan of the flavor of hollandaise sauce, and never enjoyed making it either - in fact, I have failed at making it many times. This vegan version is fool-proof, the food processor does all the mixing for you, and you don't have to worry about the sauce splitting. Temperature is not important either - all the ingredients are mixed at room temperature, and then if you'd like your sauce warm, gently heat it on the stovetop or in the microwave. The sauce keeps well and can be made in advance - just double-check for taste and consistency before serving. Of course this sauce isn't exactly like hollandaise, but considering it is trying to mimic the taste of non-vegan butter and egg yolks, it does a pretty decent job. The key is the cashew cream - it provides all the fat and richness normally given by the butter. I actually prefer it to traditional hollandaise sauce.