I keep a few lbs of raw cashews in the freezer. My enjoyment is profound in that I think cashews elevate a dish. For lunch I’m having a pan mix of leftover roasted parsnips, carrots and cauliflower along with poached chicken strips and a handful of raw spinach heated, wilted and tossed in a bit of olive oil. Ok, pretty tasty but throw in a handful of cashews to toasty goodness, a much more flavorful lunch.
Cashew milk makes a luscious shake.
Roasted cashews in just about any spice as a snack rings my bell.
What’s your best cashew move?
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Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
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Their main purpose in this house is simply as a snack.
But I do substitute them for the peanuts in the classic Sichuan dish Gong Bao Chicken. Partly because I prefer the flavour - but mainly because they’re easier to pick up with chopsticks.
Kuddos on the chopsticks, a cashews tail does make it fun!
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
4
I claim no skill whatsoever . I feel embarrassed in some Chinese restaurants by the mess I make over the table. Fortunately, most places near me are sensible enough to provide a fork and spoon for Anglos.
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
5
Mrs H reminds me that we have a recipe waiting to be tried.
Kaju aloo - a potato and cashew curry . Mainly spuds with the cashews being more a flavouring than a main player. There’s also green chilli, ginger, mustard seeds, fresh curry leaves , onion, turmeric, salt and maybe a little sugar for balance. It seems a very worthy dish which is probably why we havent got round to cooking it.
I had a barley pilaf once in DC that I try to copycat at home - roasted cashews add crunch factor. So good.
Also - to fancy up plain basmati rice - roast or fry some cashews and mix in at the end with other flavors you would enjoy (for me - browned onions, whole spices, roasted coconut, etc).
Also for creaminess in vegetable purée soups - soak the cashews first and blitz with the rest.
Trips to the Indian market uncovered a very flavorful cashew ice cream with bits of cashew, cardamom and turmeric. It was hard to share and I hope to try my hand at a homemade version.
I have read interesting ideas cashews bring to a vegan diet, raw food recipe. Hoping to hear from experienced devotees on that.
Cashew butter on a crisp apple or pear is darn near perfection as snacking goes.
Cashew “cream” aka raw soaked cashews (a few hours or overnight, drain, then blend til creamy smooth and fluffy with a splash of water). This basic cashew cream is used for anything from nondairy sour cream (add salt and lemon) to nondairy salad dressing to my favorite which is adding into soup to make creamy. Great in smoothies too.
Making cashew based ice cream at home won’t be easy though unless you have a vitamix or a fine sieve and a lot of patience, even some commercial brands can be grainy. The brand So Delicious makes a great very creamy cashew based ice cream, the chocolate one is amazing. Look for it on sale, widely available but will be extra expensive at whole foods.
Cashew based soft cheeses are easy to make at home, this is a basic recipe that you can flavor any way that’s appealing
Normally I would buy organic raw cashews when it’s on sale.
Soak it for few hours with some salt in distilled water. Then dry roast
them in an oven. Always have it as a snack with other nuts; sometimes with wine and cheese.
I made a batch of cashew cream for the first time. 1 cup of raw cashews soaked in water overnight, drained in the morning and blitz with a dash of kosher salt and a splash of vanilla extract with a cup of fresh water made an incredibly creamy coffee creamer. Today, I poured hot coffee in the blender with the cream and a touch of cinnamon. Nice frothy cup of java.
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