Skip to main content

Creamy Garlic Cashew Dressing/Dip

Back in March, I posted a recipe for Citrus Tahini Dressing that is really tasty. After making several batches and consuming it for the last few weeks on my salads, I decided that it was time to branch out and look for other dressing recipes. I don't miss store-bought dressings but I do miss the variety available. The other day at the grocery store, I struck up a conversation with another shopper about vegan dressings and sauces (which seems really random, but it was actually pertinent to the situation at the time). She told me about a tzatziki sauce that she had made recently using soaked, raw cashews and how good it turned out to be so I thought I would give the idea a try. Using this recipe as my main base recipe, here is what I came up with:


3/4 Cups of raw cashews
1/2 Cup of unsweetened coconut milk (or almond, soy, etc)
Juice of 1 large lemon, or of 2 Meyer lemons
1 Tablespoon of chia seeds
1 garlic clove
1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
1/8 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon of seasoning of choice (I used Weber's beer can chicken seasoning)


Soak the raw cashews in water overnight.



Once they are soft from soaking, drain the water. Place the drained cashews in a blender or food processor and add coconut milk, lemon juice, garlic, chia seeds, salt, pepper, and seasoning of choice.


Blend and blend and blend until super-smooth.



My end result was startlingly garlic-y at first but once I added it to my salad, it was just the right level of flavor to enhance the raw veggies. I was a little concerned that this dressing would set up overnight and become too thick due to the chia seeds because I have made my fair share of Berry Chia Pudding (which is amazing, by the way). To be on the safe side, I put it in a wide-mouth jar but I had no problem with it the next morning when preparing my salad for lunch.

I think this recipe will prove to be quite versatile. The original recipe that inspired me included some fresh herbs but if you don't have those on hand, you can use just about any other dried herbs and spices that sound good. For my next batch, I think I will try less garlic and more herbs...fresh ones if I can plan ahead. I think this could also make a really good avocado dip or dressing. If you decide to try this for yourself and get creative with what herbs, spices and other ingredients you use, let me know what you think!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Intro to Carpentry, or Yes, I Went Back to Class...AGAIN

After creating the cabinet boxes for my kitchen last year, I was inspired to do more. I have worked with wood before, but for some reason this time, the whole process really resonated with me. The smell of the sawdust after making a fresh cut, the sound of the hand planer as it takes thin curls off of the surface, the feel of the wood once it's been sanded and finished...it just made me smile and gave me a deep sense of satisfaction. In addition, I found myself relaxing for the first time that I can remember in decades. My mind went quiet every time I started working, which was pretty amazing to me. I had been so stressed at my previous job for so long that my shoulders never relaxed and my mind was never truly quiet until I picked up my carpentry tools and started really working on my kitchen. After completing the two cabinet boxes, I wanted to do more which meant that I wanted to learn more. I looked around town at all of the options I could find and concluded that the most co...
2 comments
Read more

Two New Chakra Meditations

I have two new chakra meditations now available to you on my channel! The first video includes an explanation of the chakras and a meditation that focuses on observing each chakra within your body. To summarize the chakra meanings and associated colors here:  Crown: Connection to the Universe Third Eye: Intuition Throat: Communication and self-expression Heart: Compassion for self and others Solar Plexus: Strength and drive Sacral: Creativity Root: Stability and safety I love working in the realm of the chakras and invite you to explore different aspects of each one. The second video includes a Qi Gong-inspired meditation that guides you through a process of energizing each chakra. This is a longer meditation but one of my favorites to feel aligned, rooted, and present. I want to thank you for accompanying me on this journey and I look forward to sharing more with you as we move forward. If you would like to schedule a distance Reiki session, please reach out to me at Resonate963...
Post a Comment
Read more

Two New Videos, Including Energy Sphere Meditation

 I have two new videos to share this week, including my first meditation video that I am calling the "Energy Sphere Meditation". This technique is something that developed from my Qi Gong practice during my massage therapy school days. I consider this my foundational meditation practice, one that I use daily and that serves as the basis for my other meditations, which I will be sharing with you more as this project unfolds. This latest video can be found here . And for those of you who are curious, I have an additional video posted last week which was really more of an exercise in testing equipment. We took a road trip to Cold Springs Park, Iowa and I filmed our walk through the park from the lake near the entrance to the sandy beach of the East Nishnabotna River. Okay, maybe it wasn't the sandiest beach I've ever been to but it was still fun. I am contemplating YouTube as of late but still haven't fully decided if I want to use a more main stream platform. If I ...
Post a Comment
Read more