Many times at parties and at home we make savory dips. We don't make dips to pair with sweeter foods very often. I created this Creamy Cashew Dip for just that reason, and also to give to our girls... another way to get those nutrient-dense nuts in their diets!It is very thick and luscious, and thought it's not too sweet on its own, it accompanies sweeter foods - like fruit or biscuits - very nicely. Also nice to spread on bagels, sweet loaves or muffins, top on hot cereal, or eat straight off the spoon!
This recipe will of course be in Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan, but you can also get a sneak peak of it in my next VegNews article (Nov/Dec issue). I will remind you again when that issue is out so you can check out the recipe for the holidays. :)
17 comments:
looks good! and a great alternative to margarine to spread on muffins too :)
Oh yummers! I made a dip kind of like this for fruit at my wedding and it was a huge hit. I'll definitely be looking forward to the sneak peak. When is Eat, Drink, and be Vegan supposed to hit the shelves?
I've seen Leslie making some of your creamy stuff too..I think it was maple cream. Can't wait to get my hands on both those recipes.
Yum! That looks amazing. Almost as amazing as the Celestial Cream, but I'll have to wait for VegNews or your book to really take the test. Wonderful post, Dreena!
Savanna, what are you worried about? Being too young for alcohol (ha, just kiddin'). The alcohol is in most tamari's. You may be able to find some without, but if you are cooking with it the majority of alcohol evaporates. There's nothing bad, nothing to be worried about and it's even better that it's organic. Plus, you don't use enough at a time for any sort of worry (unless you have an allergic reaction).
Savanna, it looks like Leslie has addressed your q, (thanks, Les), and so perhaps you are okay with that now. The alcohol is most likely in there to help keep the tamari from spoiling, and I think it's probably in all/most tamari/soy products - though I haven't checked. It's also in most vanilla extracts, fyi. I wouldn't fret about it, as Leslie said, most times the alcohol is burned off through cooking, and if not, it's in small amounts.
Hi Michelle - yes, and a much more nutritious spread too (though we do love EB spread here)!
Vivacious, it sounds like your wedding food was fresh and delicious - was it all vegan? E,D,&BV will be published in Fall 2007 (just a year now)!, but I have to finish up my manuscript for May - eeek!! :)
Thanks Megan, and yeah, Leslie has been making the 'Celestial Cream' recipe I blogged some months ago! Have you had much success with using silken tofu for sweeter spreads/dips lately - I know you had some disappointments trying a few things...? (this cashew dip doesn't use silken tofu though)
Thanks Les, I'm not sure if it can compare to the Celestial Cream - at least for you... knowing how much you love that stuff! :) Thx for answering Savanna too!!
Oh my! That looks divine! It looks so fluffy and creamy. I signed up for a subscription to VegNews so I will surely check this out.
Sorry about that previous post. I was helping Simon work on a post and I guess he forgot to sign out. That message above was from me. :o)
Oh Dreena,
this dip looks heavenly! I will definitely check out VegNews for the recipe, can't wait!
Since you are the undisputed cookie queen, would you mind if I asked you 2 questions about baking cookies?
1- What type of baking sheet works best, in your opinion? Silicone, aluminum, etc? Or does it not matter if it's lined with parchment paper?
2- Where do you get high quality extracts like coconut, almond, lemon, etc? I don't have a Whole Foods or that type of market nearby, I was wondering if there's a good on-line place that you were aware of? I'm looking for something all-natural and can't seem to find any.
Dreena - finally got your cookbooks!! I'm pretty excited and have made a few things.
On the Soy Delicious topic - We just had a container of it and it was really good the first 2 times, but then the flavor went south. Hmmm...
-Crystal
Oh wow, that looks very good... I can't wait to make some!
Wow, creamy cashews! That's my kind of dip. I am one of those weirdos who prefers creamy peanut/soy/almond "butters" and my oh my does this look outRAGEous!!! YUMMERS, Dreena!
Oh, that dip looks heavenly. We're big brunch eaters at my house and I was just thinking this past weekend that I need to find a dip for dipping fruit in because I'm tired of using sweetened soy yogurt. And cashews? You had me at hello. Or, I mean, cashew.
What a great idea Dreena. I adore cashews. I agree with michelle, great alternative to margarine for on loaves and muffins
Well, Simon, it's about time your mom introduced you to us all - we've heard so much about you!! :) I think you might like this dip better than your mom... Carrie, is it you that likes almost all nuts but cashews? I think so - but, I have made this as a creamy almond dip and it was also good that way. Come visit anytime, Simon!
Ha, Bazu, that's very cute... no crown on this vegan cookie-baking mama, so I will humbly call myself a serious cookie lover (almost as serious as my love for non-dairy ice-creams)! Anyhow, I use parchment paper always. My cookies never stick, it is easy to clean up, and you can reuse it for other batches, or even something savory - if I'm doing home fries later in the day for instance, I keep the pan and paper out, and just flip the paper to the opposite side to use. I have never used the silicon bakeware. For a couple of reasons. First, I make the assumption that most people don't have it, so when I test recipes I use very basic cookware that I assume most people do have. Second, I just can't bring myself to buy a lot of extra baking ware if I don't need it, just because it's made of another material and my other pans, etc are still just fine. I use a heavy, large rimmed steel baking pan - it is probably "properly" termed a jelly roll pan. I like it because I can use it for cookies and also doing roasted veggies and home fries and garlic bread, etc. Very multi-purpose. Next... the extracts. I normally buy mine at my local grocery stores here, and for vanilla I do buy a nice organic vanilla (which, by the way is about the same price as regular pure vanilla). I try to also buy pure almond and other extracts, but they often are not organic. I don't shop online too much because with the exchange and shipping from US to Canada, it's pretty pricey. However, I am aware of an online source for high-quality extracts. Julie Hasson (www.juliehasson.com) gave me this source, and it is listed in her cookbooks as well. It is Boyajian. Here is the link to their flavorings and extracts page http://www.boyajianinc.com/citrus.html There are some beautiful flavorings on their site, and Julie has told me that their citrus oils are A-mazing! Good luck, hope that helps.
Hi Crystal! Well, that's interesting to know about the Soy Delicious. I have e-mailed them, but haven't heard anything yet. I popped on your blog and see you've already been cooking from my books - very cool! Thanks for your interest in them, and if I can ever help with any recipes or questions about cooking - please say so - either here or zip an e-mail! :)
Thanks Laura and Kleo (oh, and Kleo, that's not weird at all - I think nut butters are one of the best vegan foods - esp for making things 'creamy')!
Ha, funny Kris... thanks... oh, I have to e-mail you back - I would love to come by your store when I'm there - I'll get back to you soon! :)
Hi mum the weekend warrior - what a great blog name! :) Oh, I DO love macademia nut butter - isn't it divine? I think it's great your son loved it too - sometimes kids get used to the tastes of one or two nut butters and then are a bit funny when you try a new one on them - I have a few in the fridge at one time, just to keep mixing them up with our girls on sandwiches and such. I can imagine how good that combo of mac butter and strawberries would be... mmmm!
Thanks Melissa... our older daughter loves cashews - in fact, she'll eat them whole whereas she is not interested in other whole nuts. Nut butters are easier to disguise!! :)
Hi-D Ho! :)
So, get this...a little off topic but...this tainted spinach thing is getting to me...now some are saying Organic Spinach is to blame. Funny how when a case of mad-cow comes out the industries don't say to stop eating meat but when a case of E.Coli Spinach comes out certain industries blame raw and organics...and now many people are shying away from all organic and raw foods because of it. Sorry...just a little peeved today.
Thank you so much for your advice, Dreena. I agree with you that I don't want too many things cluttering up my kitchen, but I want to start baking a bit more seriously, so I'm going to follow your example. Also, thanks so much for the lead on extracts!
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