Cashew Cream Cheese
When you are trying to minimize your dairy intake, Cashew Cream Cheese is a decadent alternative to cream cheese or sour cream. This creamy spread is raw, vegan, protein-rich (raw cashews contain 5 g of protein per 1 oz.) and hormone-free (unlike dairy). Try it atop hearty chilies or spread on celery sticks for an afternoon snack. If you suffer from candidiasis, eating raw cashews is usually bad idea, since raw cashews (along with peanuts and pistachios) can contain mold, which is essential to avoid while trying to minimize candida in the body. Grapefruit seed extract is an excellent anti-fungal to combat this problem. Adding 3 drops of concentrated grapefruit seed extract to the water for soaking your cashews will help to kill any fungus in the raw cashews, making this cashew creme cheese anti-candida friendly. Just make sure to rinse the cashews off after you soak them to remove any extract (it's totally edible, just not something I really want as an addition to my creamy spread). And it's best to not soak the cashews longer than overnight, and keep them covered and refrigerated while doing so.
cashew cream cheese
- PREP: 10 mins
Pureed raw cashews make for a decadent and creamy spread, great as an alternative to sour cream or cream cheese.
ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1/4 cup water cold
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
instructions
- Place cashews in a medium size bowl. Pour water over cashews, making sure to add enough water to cover the top of the nuts. Cover, refrigerate and soak for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Drain cashews, and place in a food processor. Add water, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar, and process until smooth. You may need to stop the processor a couple of times and scrape down the sides to ensure that a creamy consistency is achieved throughout the spread.
- Fold in herbs of choice, if desired. Chopped chives, garlic or rosemary are all delicious additions. Spread on celery sticks or add a dollop on top of a savory stew.
- Cashew cream cheese can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week.