Thick 'n' Creamy Vegan "Cheese" Sauce

When you mention going vegan to people, a lot of the time their first reaction is to think of all those creamy dishes which they wouldn't be able to have if they went vegan too.

Visions of satin-like ice cream, luscious, creamy cheeses, and chocolate - oh god! Don't take my chocolate! - pass through their mind.

These realisations usually follow with a form of weeping. Not necessarily crying (on the outside at least), but there's no mistaking the heartache in their voice.

When I first told my housemate I was going vegan I distinctly remember her crying out, as if to curse the heavens, and rambling nonsensical things about never having ice cream and cheese ever again.  

That was until I told her that you can still have those things!

And the good news is, that not only do they taste great but they're a whole lot healthier for you!

Oh, yeah! 

So, here's a recipe that will change the minds of almost any non-vegan.

Thick 'n' Creamy Vegan "Cheese" Sauce

Ingredients 

• 3 1/2 cups of Cashews (preferably organic)
• 300g Silken Tofu 
• 1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon of Rice Bran Oil (vegetable or canola would work too)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of Salt
• 2 teaspoons of Onion Powder
• 2 teaspoons of Garlic Powder
• 2 teaspoons of Mustard Powder 
• 3 Tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast Flakes 
• 2 Cups of Water (preferably filtered)

First you will need to soak the cashews for 6 hours (or overnight). Once they have been soaked for that amount of time you then boil them for 10-20 minutes (time will vary depending on if you have a powerful blender or not. More powerful=less time boiling. I boiled mine for 20 minutes because the blender I use is pretty weak). 

Let them cool for 10-15 minutes before putting them into a blender.

Once cooled, place into a blender with 1 cup of water, and blend until it is mostly blended. It can still be chunky, that's fine. :)

Depending on the type of blender you have, you may need to stop throughout blending to scrape down the sides, or turn the mixture so that it blends properly. 

Now, you can add the tofu and begin to blend again. Stop every so often to gradually add another cup of water, and blend until almost smooth. 

Lastly, add the remaining ingredients to the mixture and blend again until it is smooth. The smoother you want it the longer you will need to blend it. I only blended mine for a few minutes, so it's not as smooth as it could be, but I like it this way. :)

After blending, taste the mixture to make sure it's to your liking. You may find that you want it "cheesier", or saltier etc. If that's the case just add more of those ingredients to the mixture and blend once more so they're properly combined. 

Now simply pour the mixture into a large, airtight container. You can keep this for up to a week in the fridge. :)

Hope you likey, likey! ^_^ 

Things to do with your vegan "cheese" sauce:

Mini Vegan Pizza Pies

xo.

Moonlight