Cashew Cream

Cashew cream is a recent discovery.  I have been trying to find non-dairy ways to add "creams" and "milks" to recipes.  I happened upon an episode on "The Chew" where they were making a cashew cream sauce for a recipe they were making.  That began my research to find out what it is and different ways to use it.  Here is how to make cashew cream...

Ingredients:
Raw Cashews
water

Step 1. Crush 1 1/2 cups cashews into pieces.  Place into pot of water and boil 45 minutes-1 hour.

Step 2. Strain the water and place cashews into blender.  Cover cashews 3/4 of the way for a thicker cream, and completely cover cashews for a thinner cream. 

Step 3. Blend on high 2 minutes, allow to rest a minute, and blend again 2 minutes. 

The possibilities for use of the cream are endless.  Get creative in their use.  I am discovering a variety of uses.  Watch for recipes using the cashew cream!!!

Banana "Cream" Pie Quick Single Portions (Non-Dairy)

I was trying to come up with ways to use the cashew cream I made.  I decided to try a dessert.  Single serving banana "cream" pie.  Boy was it yummy, and Cael agreed!  The cream tasted similar to whipped cream, but with a slightly nutty flavor!

Ingredients
2/3 c. Cashew cream
8 drops lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs powdered sugar
water as needed to desired consistency
1/2 banana
1/2 gluten free graham cracker (I make my own so they are soy free)

Step 1. In bowl, crumble graham cracker into bottom.  Cut banana into slices on top of graham cracker. 

Step 2.  In blender combine cashew cream, lemon juice, vanilla, and powdered sugar.  Blend together.  Add water if wanting a thinner cream. 

Step 3. Pour over bananas.  (This amount was enough to make 3 desserts)

Step 4. Serve and ENJOY!

Tomato/Spaghetti Sauce

In keeping with our committment to use the vegetables in our Bountiful Basket, we decided we needed to make something with all the tomatoes. Neither one of us likes tomatoes on their own, and since we've gotten 4-5 tomatoes the last 3 weeks, we needed to make something that would use a bunch.  We decided to try to make tomato/spaghetti sauce.  Actually turned out well.  Here is our recipe.

Ingredients
9 tomatoes
1/2 carrot
1/2 celery stalk
1 Tbs crushed garlic
1 Tbs Basil
1 1/2 Tbs Onion powder
1/8 c. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1. Bring large pot of water to boil.  In another bowl, make an ice bath.  Cut an X on the bottom of each tomato.  Place tomatoes in boiling water for 20-30 seconds, then directly into the ice bath.  Peel the tomatoes.

Step 2. Cut tomatoes in quarters and get rid of the seeds and squeeze out excess liquid.  Place tomatoes into a pot.

Step 3. Cut celery and carrot into small pieces and add to pot.  Add all other ingredients. 

Step 4.  Cover with lid on low-medium heat and allow to simmer until carrots soften. 

Step 5.  Dump contents into blender and blend until chunks are gone.

Step 6. Pour back into pot and simmer on low heat to allow all flavors to combine.  While that is simmering, prepare choice of pasta as directed on box. 

Note: We cooked chicken and chopped into small pieces.  We layered pasta, chicken, spaghetti sauce, and parmesian cheese.

Step 7. Serve and ENJOY!!

Getting the oldest to sleep

It's pretty ironic that the baby sleeps through most of the night, maybe wakes up once, and our older son is the one waking up repeatedly.  I know it is because he is in his "Big Bed" and I know he is probably a little young to be in the bed, but we worked him into it so the crib will be available when we move the baby into his own room.  We read Berenstein Bears' The New Baby for weeks.  The story is all about Brother getting a bigger bed.  At the end of the book we would give our son the choice to sleep in his little bed or his big bed.  For awhile he wanted his little bed, but then one night he decided he wanted to try his "Big Bed."  He wanted mama to lay with him the first few nights and I quickly moved to the floor so he didn't get used to needing me in his bed to fall asleep.  I have since been able to get myself out the door with my head near the doorway to be near him while he falls asleep.  The problem is that he wakes 3-5 times or more a night.  My husband has been the one to help get him back to bed/asleep since I need to be available to feed the baby if he wakes.  However, my husband falls asleep on the floor for hours and his snoring along with Cael's restlessness can wake him up again.  He started to lay on the floor by daddy, which translated the other night to having to lay on the floor by mommy to initially fall asleep.  And again in the middle of the night to fall asleep again- I think he partly thinks it's fun to sleep on the floor by us.  However I again don't want to have him rely on lying by us to fall asleep.  So last night began our journey to get him to at least sleep in his bed. 

He fought going to sleep in his bed by throwing a fit and kicking the bed rails.  I looked into his eyes and told him that wasn't ok and that it was time to sleep.  I reassured him that mommy was sitting right by the door.  He fell asleep quickly after that.  However he woke every hour or 2 and tried to fight the fact he needed to sleep in his bed each time we went in.  My husband did well with it.  We made the plan to reward him in the morning if he was able to at least sleep in his bed.  Our goal was to try to console him before he made his way out of bed by letting him know daddy was there.  He did manage to get out of his room a couple times before my husband heard him, but my husband stuck to the plan very well and managed to get Cael to fall back asleep in his bed.  It got more difficult as the night went on, and eventually he wanted mommy, so I helped out.  In the morning we rewarded him with a cookie for sleeping in his bed and really made a big deal about how well he did even though he didn't like it.  Our plan is to reward him with some small cars and spread out the number of times he needs to sleep in his bed and he gets more used to the idea.  We just have to get some cars, so in the meantime- cookies it is.  This will be a definite trial and error process, but I'm hoping to get him sleeping in his bed before he gets too used to getting up all the time and falling asleep on the floor by mom and dad.  To be continued!!

Carrot-Pumpkin Soup

In our attempts to get more vegetables into our diet, we have been trying new meals.  Our soup of the moment is carrot- pumpkin soup or some form of that (see modifications).  It freezes well and is great to take for lunches as it is surprisingly filling.  So far my favorite of the 3 forms of this soup is the carrot-pumpkin combination, although all have been good.  You can reduce or add more water to change the thickness of your soup as well!

Ingredients: 

1 pound carrots

1 can pumpkin

¼ c. shredded coconut

½ tsp ground ginger

1 small onion (I use 3 green onions)

4 c. Chicken broth

1 1/2 c. water

1 large can (19 oz) coconut milk

1 Tbs coriander

1 Tbs curry

3 Tbs butter

1 Tbs Chia seed

1.       Melt butter in pot over medium-high heat.  Add carrots, onion, coconut, ginger, and coriander.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until vegetables release some of their liquid (10-15 minutes). 

2.   Add broth, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until carrots are tender (abt. 20 min).  Remove from heat

3.       Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth. 

4.   Pour into pot and add coconut milk, pumpkin, and Chia seeds.  Cook over low heat until heated through. 

5.   Serve with naan bread, rice, or cornbread!  ENJOY!!

NOTES: sometimes I add a little more curry depending on how much taste I want.

Modifications: 2 pound carrots 2, 14 oz cans coconut, and 1 c. water- prepare the same way as listed above

Modifications: 2 cans pumpkin, 2 Tbs curry, 1 ½ c. water- prepare as above blending the soup mixture to blend in the onions and coconut.

Breakfast Banana Split

Saw a recipe similar to what I made and thought it would be a healthy snack or something a little different for breakfast.  I modified it using things we have in the house. 

Ingredients
1 banana sliced in half length-wise
1 jar homemade coconut yogurt
1 cup frozen berries, thawed
1/2 c. rice crispies
2 Tbs slivered almonds

Step 1. Place banana in bowl.

Step 2. Spoon yogurt over banana

Step 3. Add berries, rice crispies, and almonds

Step 4. Serve and ENJOY!

Potato Soup (non-dairy)

We recently began getting Bountiful Baskets fruits and veggies.  My mom had been talking about this as they have been getting baskets for a couple of months where they live.  I happened to catch an article in the local paper that they were starting one up in our area.  I was so excited.  Seemed like a cheaper way to get fruits and veggies, but also to force us to expand our use of veggies (we aren't very good about getting vegetables in our diet).  Last week we got a bunch of potatoes.  While I like potatoes, they are not part of our diet, except for during holidays.  I have always enjoyed potato soup, but don't make it since we are having to limit dairy for my oldest, but I am also limiting my dairy intake while breastfeeding.  While on maternity leave, I watched a cooking show where they used cashew cream in some recipe.  I did a little reading about cashew cream and found it has many uses for recipes that call fo cream of milk.  So I modified a potato soup recipe I have.  Here it is!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups raw cashews covered in water and soaked for 8 hours to make 2 cups cashew cream
14 small or 6-8 large potatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup butter (I use non-dairy)
1/3 cup flour
10 strips bacon (I buy center cut and after cooked get rid of much of the complete fat parts of the bacon)
1/2 c. non-dairy cheese

Step 1.  Peel and cube potatoes.  Boil in water until soft, but not mushy.

Step 2. While potatoes are cooking, drain cashews and place into blender. Put enough water in blender to cover cashews.  Blend on high 2 minutes, let rest a minute, and blend again for 2 minutes.

Step 3.  After potatoes are cooked, drain from water.  In large pot, melt butter and whisk in flour.

Step 4.  Measure out 2 cups cashew cream.  Whisk in chicken broth and cashew cream.  Add potatoes, bacon, and cheese. 

Step 5. Serve and ENJOY!!