Tag:

cashew

Little Gem Salmon Wedge Salad with Creamy Basil-Cashew Dressing

Salad season! Well heck, for me, every season is salad season. Either way, this Little Gem Salmon Wedge Salad with Creamy Basil-Cashew Dressing is lighting up my summer in a major way. A healthy spin on the typical wedge salad, this one hits all the notes: crunchy, fresh, herbaceous and slightly sweet. Juicy strawberries and salmon, yum! This is my go-to way to prepare fresh salmon. It can be eaten as a filet or broken apart and added to salads.

wu-haus-wedge-salad-salmon-recipe-basil-dressing

Little Gem Salmon Wedge Salad with Creamy Basil-Cashew Dressing
[Serves 4]

For the salad:
2 lb salmon filet, cut into four equal pieces
1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 ½ cup snap peas, vertically sliced in half
4 heads of little gem lettuce, halved lengthwise, or 2 heads of romaine, quartered lengthwise
1 pint fresh strawberries, cut into halves and/or quarters
To garnish: basil leaves, lemon wedges, salt + pepper

For the dressing:
⅓ cup Pomepeian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in just-boiled water for 20-30 minutes then drained and rinsed well with cold water
½ cup basil leaves, tightly packed
1 garlic clove, minced
¾ teaspoon salt
Water, as needed to smooth out consistency (add 1 Tablespoon at a time)

1.) Preheat oven to 450F. Coat salmon with olive oil then salt and pepper generously. Bake salmon, skin-side down on parchment-lined baking sheet for about 12 minutes.

2.)To make dressing, add all ingredients except water to a high-speed blender. Blend on high until smooth, adding water slowly if necessary.

3.) While the salmon is cooking, remove any broken or large leaves from outside of little gems or romaine and discard. Cut in half (or quarters) vertically. Lay salad wedges on plate and top with snap peas and strawberries. Serve salmon on the side or flake and add on top. Drizzle with a generous amount of dressing. Garnish with extra basil leaves, salt + pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.

July 10, 2019 0 comment

Main Courses

Quick and Easy Plant-based Pasta Primavera

This plant-based pasta primavera is all I want to eat lately! So creamy and satisfying and uses some of my favorite spring veggies. I love the optional dukkah topping, but the dish is great without it as well. If you are allergic to nuts but okay with coconut, you could try making the cream sauce using a can of coconut milk instead of the cashews and nut mylk. The cashew cream sauce is a great base to use for making other types of sauce. You could add fresh herbs or different spices to create new variations. Happy weekend, everyone!

Plant-based Pasta Primavera
[Serves 3-4]

Cashew cream sauce:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 4 hours then drained and rinsed well
½ lemon, juiced
1 cup unsweetened, unflavored nut mylk (I used Malk Unsweetened Cashew Milk)
3 roasted (or raw) garlic cloves
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Pasta:
1 package of your favorite pasta (I used Banza Cavatappi)
1 Tablespoon avocado oil, or your favorite cooking oil
1 lb asparagus, cut into 1” pieces
3 shallots, diced
16 oz fresh peas (you can substitute frozen peas)
12 oz mixed mushrooms (shitake, trumpet royal, button, etc.), sliced
½ lemon, juiced
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
2 teaspoons red chili flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Dukkah Topping:
½ cup pine nuts, toasted in a dry skillet, very roughly chopped
3 Tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted in a dry skillet until golden
2 teaspoon nigella seeds, toasted in a dry skillet until fragrant
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon sumac
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

1.) Combine the cashew cream ingredients in a blender and blend on high for about 2 minutes or until very creamy. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

2.) Heat a large pot of water and cook pasta according to directions. Rinse and set aside.

3.) While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, sauté the shallots in the olive oil until translucent. Add the mushrooms and asparagus and sauté about 5 minutes until vegetables are cooked, but the asparagus are still firm. Add the peas and fresh thyme and cook on low heat until the peas are warm.

4.) If making the dukkah, toast the nuts and seeds until golden and fragrant. Roughly chop the pine nuts. Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container.

4.) Add the cooked pasta and your desired amount of cream sauce. Mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Season with salt and pepper or the dukkah to taste and a generous squeeze of lemon. Enjoy!

April 13, 2018 2 comments

Dessert

Cacao-Cashew-Coconut Bark

This Cacao-Cashew-Coconut Bark is my new obsession. It tastes like fudgey chocolate and is my new go-to sweet fix. I’ve always been intimidated to make my own chocolate, but this recipe is seriously so easy. It’s only slightly sweet, so if you want it more sweet, you can increase the amount of maple syrup (or whatever liquid sweetener you’re using). On the other hand, if you don’t want to use sweetener, you can just omit it. You could up the cinnamon and add some mesquite powder or cardamom if you leave out the sweetener. If you’re allergic to cashews, I bet this recipe would work if you just added more coconut butter and omitted the cashew butter. Lots of options here! Enjoy!

Cacao-Cashew-Coconut Bark
[Makes about 16 servings]

1 cup melted cacao butter (I use this brand)
1/2 cup raw cashew butter (I use this brand)
1/3 cup coconut butter
3 Tablespoons maple syrup (or any other liquid sweetener)
1 1/2 Tablespoon raw cacao powder
2 teaspoons reishi powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 vanilla beans (or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
Pinch or two of pink salt

Optional toppings: Crushed freeze-dried blueberries and raspberries, unsweetened dried coconut, salt, dried flowers (I used dried cornflowers), cacao nibs, slivered almonds or crushed walnuts, toasted coconut, etc.

1.) Place cacao butter in a heat-resistant bowl over a pot of water (or use a double broiler if you have one). Turn burner on high, and all cacao butter to melt to liquid form.

2.) Add melted cacao butter and all other ingredients to a high-speed blender. Blend on high until well combined and completely liquid.

3.) Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the contents of the blender out onto the parchment paper. Using a rubber spatula, spread the mixture to an even thickness.

4.) While still liquid, top with desired toppings. Place baking sheet in the refrigerator or freezing to set. Once bark is set, use your hands or a knife to break into pieces. Store in an airtight container. Bark will keep in the refrigerator for a week or in the freezer for several months.

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March 9, 2018 0 comment

Dessert

Mint Cacao Chip Nice Cream

Summer is in full swing here at Wu Haus! It’s been one of the busiest summers I can remember, but trying to stay focused and still save time for enjoying it. My post on relaxation, staying grounded and balanced in hectic times is coming out next week. I’m excited to share some of my favorite tips and what works to help keep me sane when I feel like things are spiraling out of control. For now, NICE CREAM!!! (Which is also a stress reliever in its own right 😉 )

This has got to be one of the best nice cream recipes I’ve ever made. The cashews are key here. They make the nice cream super creamy without being liquidy/watery, which translates to icy when it’s frozen. Sweetened with banana, this recipe is relatively low in sugar as far as desserts are concerned. Spirulina is optional, but I like the mint color it creates. This is the ice cream maker I use if you’re in the market for one. It’s relatively cheap, easy-to-use and works great. Definitely excited to adapt this recipe for new flavors. What’s your favorite nice cream flavor?

[This recipe was originally created for Barre3.]

Mint Cacao Chip Nice Cream
Serves 4

1 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in the refrigerator overnight
3 frozen bananas
1/4 cup nut mylk
2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/4 teaspoon spirulina (for color)
2 Tablespoons cacao nibs
To garnish: cacao nibs and dried coconut

1.) In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients except cacao nibs on medium-low until smooth – texture should be like soft serve.

2.) Scoop contents of blender into an ice cream maker. Churn nice cream for 20 minutes. Add the cacao nibs during the last 2 minutes of churning, or turn them in by hand using a rubber spatula.

3.) Spread nice cream into a small loaf pan using a rubber spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill in freezer until firm (about 2 hours).

4.) Remove from freezer 3-5 minutes before serving. Scoop into dishes, top with desired garnishes and enjoy!

July 13, 2017 1 comment

Dessert

Pastel Coconut Cashew Dream Bars

Well these might be the dreamiest bars I’ve ever seen or made! If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for muted tones and pastels. I thought with spring here and Easter right around the corner, Wu Haus needed a sweet pastel treat. These beauties are sweetened with coconut nectar. I always air on the side of less sweet, but you could certainly bump up the amount of coconut nectar in the filling. If you’ve never heard of or used sunflower or soy lecithin, it’s used here as a stabilizer. It works really well in raw desserts to help them keep their shape without having to store them in the freezer. If you don’t have any or don’t want to use it, the recipe is just fine without it. Just make sure to store in the freezer if you aren’t using lecithin.

If you end up making these (or any of the recipes on this blog), I would love to see them! If you use Instagram, use #WuHaus to show me your creations. ❤

Coconut Cashew Dream Bars
[Makes 16 bars]

For the base:
1 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup raw Brazil nuts
1 cup finely shredded coconut
1/4 cup coconut nectar
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/8 teaspoon pink salt

For the filling:
3 cups raw cashews, soaked in the refrigerator overnight
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 can full-fat coconut mylk, use all of the liquid and 1/2 of the cream
2 Tablespoons coconut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
1 teaspoon lecithin granules OR 1 Tablespoon liquid sunflower lecithin (optional)
1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries, crushed
1/2 teaspoon blue algae powder

1.) In a food processor, process the walnuts and Brazil nuts into small pieces. Add all the other ingredients for the base and process into a sticky dough.

2.) Line an 8×8 cake or brownie pan with parchment paper or plastic wrap. (This makes removing the bars from the pan easier.) Press the mixture into bottom of cake pan evenly to create your base layer. Transfer to freezer to allow to chill while making your filling.

3.) Drain and rinse the soaked cashews. In a high-speed blender, blend the cashews, coconut oil, coconut mylk, coconut butter, vanilla bean powder and lecithin (if using) until very smooth, about 2-3 minutes. [Note: you may have to stop and start your blender and use a rubber spatula to help this process along.]

4.) Divide filling into 3 bowls. Using a rubber spatula, spread the contents of 1 of the bowls on top of your base to create a cream-colored first layer. Transfer back to freezer to allow to chill while making the other layers.

5.) Create the pink layer by blending the contents of 1 of the bowls and about 1/2 of the freeze dried strawberries. Set aside.

6.) Create the blue layer by blending the contents of the last bowl and the blue algae powder. Set aside.

7.) Once your first layer has set for about an hour, using a rubber spatula spread the pink layer over the set cream layer. Sprinkle then press the rest of the freeze dried strawberries onto the pink layer. Allow to set in the freezer for about another hour.

8.) Spread the blue layer over the pink layer using a rubber spatula. Top with dried rose petals, cornflowers and finely shredded coconut. Allow to set in the freezer for about another hour.

9.) Remove from freezer. Using the parchment or plastic wrap, pull up to remove the “cake” from the pan. Using a sharp knife, cut into 2″ x 2″ squares. Bars will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, or in the freezer for a month. If you didn’t use lecithin, I would recommend storing in freezer.

March 28, 2017 21 comments

Main Courses

Roasted Yam, Black Bean and Spinach Tacos with Cashew Cream Sauce

Tacos are one meal we never get sick of around here. These tacos specifically. This year being the International Year of Pulses, I’ve been incorporating more pulses (dry peas, chickpeas, lentils and beans) into my diet than ever before. Packed with protein and rich in fiber and folate, pulses are an affordable, delicious and sustainable food choice. I love adding chickpeas or kidney beans to just about any salad. This lentil salad recipe is also one of my all-time favorites. Join me in taking the Pulse Pledge by committing to eating pulses once a week for 10 weeks. It’s easy and inspiring!

You can make the black beans from scratch using dry pulses, or for conveinence, keep your pantry stocked with canned pulses. Before mashing the yams, I roasted them in the oven to get a deeper flavor, but you could always steam them and then mash if you prefer. This recipe requires little prep. Just be sure to soak the cashews overnight in the refrigerator, or for at least 4 hours. I’ve said it before, but I just love the creaminess cashews bring to vegan dishes. This spicy sauce is the perfect addition to these tacos. I garnished these tacos with avocado and cilantro. Scallions and salsa would also be great toppings.

[This post was sponsored by USA Pulses & Pulse Canada. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Roasted Yam, Black Bean and Spinach Tacos with Cashew Cream Sauce
[Makes 8-10 tacos]

For the tacos:
1 3/4 cup cooked black beans, equivalent to 1 can of beans
2 medium yams
2 large handfuls of spinach
3 teaspoons chili powder
3 tablespoons of oil (I used avocado oil)
Juice from 1/2 a lime
Corn tortillas (I used a mix of blue and white corn)

For the cashew sauce:
1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
2/3 cup water
2 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 chile in adobo
1 small garlic clove
Sea salt, to taste

To garnish:
Avocado
Cilantro
Scallions
Lime

1.) Preheat the oven to 425°. Cube the yams then toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil and 3 teaspoons chili powder. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet, and roast for 25 minutes, turning 2-3 times during cooking.

2.) Blend the soaked cashews, water, yeast, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, chile in adobo, garlic clove and sea salt in a high-speed blender until very smooth. Add more water to achieve desired consistency.

3.) Over medium heat, sauté the black beans and spinach in 1 tablespoon of oil until the spinach is wilted.

4.) Meanwhile, once the yams are done, move to a bowl and using a fork or masher, mash to desired consistency.

5.) Heat tortillas. (I place the tortillas directly on my gas range burner to heat up. This gives them a grilled taste.) To assemble tacos, scoop a couple spoonfuls of the mashed yams onto tortillas then top with spinach and black bean mixture. Drizzle with cashew sauce, and garnish with cilantro, avocado and any other toppings you are using. Serve immediately.

July 26, 2016 0 comment