today’s prep sauce is a good one. a bit indulgent, insanely tasty, and like all our prep sauce sunday sauces, it’s easily used for multiple meals. it’s what i like to call a do-it-all sauce. this creamy pesto is put together by essentially making 2 separate sauces, and combining them to make one phenomenal sauce. we start by blending a simple savory cashew cream - raw cashews, water, vinegar, garlic, salt & pepper. it’s luscious and creamy, and lends the perfect velvety texture to this pesto. next, we blend up our pesto. you can use whatever combination of greens and herbs you like, but i went with a basil/arugula combo just because i love these 2 flavors together. then we add the usual suspects: toasted pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, s & p , and evoo. then, then best part, we stir in a good bit of cashew cream. we generally eat in pasta, but you could drizzle it over grilled poultry, fish, or vegetable kebabs. it could definitely be used for dipping - cut up veg, or even grilled (or toasted) bread would be a dream. and this creamy pesto could easily be thinned out a bit and used as dressing for salads, roasted vegetables, a leaf-less salad like this one, or even used for potato salad.
and before i sign off, i wanted to link to a recipe on my instagram feed that you won’t find here on the blog. it’s for yet another indulgent recipe for chocolate chip peanut butter blondies. they are chewy and dense, just like a good blondie is. plus, there’s peanut butter and chocolate - can’t really go wrong with either one!
lastly, i wanted to share the Always Pan, by Our Place. full disclosure, it was gifted to me. but it’s an 8-in-one ceramic skillet that i absolutely love cooking with. if you’re on the market for a new fry pan/steamer/saucier head over to my post here for a code for $10 off.
sunday hugs ❤️
pesto cashew cream sauce | v
| makes 1 heaping cup |
notes: the cashew cream makes plenty extra for other uses. some of my favorite include: use leftover cashew sauce as sour cream, blend it with 1/2 chipotle pepper to make vegan chipotle crema, add it to tomato sauce to make an even more delicious creamy tomato sauce, add it to dressings for a creamier consistency, add to soups, or blend in some herbs and make a dip!
method
in a container of a food processor fitted with a metal “s” blade, add the basil, arugula, pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, a few pinches salt, and a few grinds of pepper. with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor and blend. taste and adjust, adding more salt, or lemon juice if need be.
transfer the pesto to a mixing bowl. stir in 3 tablespoons of cashew cream until fully combined. add another tablespoon if you want it creamier. use right away, or store in a tightly fitted jar in your refrigerator for up to 1 week.
make cashew cream
place the cashews in the container of high-speed upright blender. add the water, vinegar, garlic, salt, and a few cracks of pepper. blend everything on high for a couple of minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container, as needed. blend until the cashew sauce is silky smooth. store in a lidded container for up to 1 week.
ingredients
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 cup baby arugula
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
salt & cracked pepper, to taste
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons - 1/4 cup cashew cream (recipe below)
cashew cream (makes extra)
1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight (or at least 4 hours), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup filtered water
2 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
cracked pepper, to taste