Last weekend I had the opportunity to meet Ann from The Paleo Network. She and her husband are triathletes that have gone grain and dairy free and are reaping the benefits! They were featured on our local news a few weeks back to tell their story. We had a great time chatting about food, of course we did, we both love to be in the kitchen!
Today I am sharing a recipe with you for her Cashew Alfredo Sauce that she happened to mention to me. I decided I had to make this since it sounded so good!!! It is such a versatile sauce and could be used in so many ways! I was craving mushrooms today so I sauteed mushrooms and grass-fed ground beef together and drizzled...ok drenched it with the sauce! Yum!!! Ann uses it in a number of ways that she shares with you today!
The only thing I did differently was that I sauteed the garlic in coconut oil (or you could use butter) and then added it to the oil to add to the cashew sauce. I don't like to use olive oil with high heat is the reason for this.
Hello to all of you! A big thank you to Kate for giving me the opportunity to write this post. A little background on the recipe I’m sharing with you today. I grew up in the Midwest eating creamy casseroles and decadent comfort foods. My favorite Italian dish (and maybe my favorite dish all together) while growing up was Fettuccine Alfredo. Since going Paleo, I no longer eat dairy or grains. What does this Midwest girl do? I learned you could make creamy sauces out of cashews. I knew nutritional yeast added a "cheesy" flavor. Traditional alfredo sauce typically has garlic in it. So I threw ingredientstogether into my Vitamix blender and tested it out on some spaghetti squash and zucchini “noodles”. Perfection! Since then, I’ve used it as part of my Paleo Lasagna and on Paleo Pizza (drizzled on top of the meat and veggies). I’ve also mixed it into cauliflower rice, roasted Brussels sprouts and shredded chicken. It also tastes great in omelettes (serves as a glue to hold it together) or atop egg muffins.
Cashew “Alfredo” Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 6 hours
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 t. sea salt
Instructions
- Drain and rinse your raw cashews.
- Add the cashews to your blender (I use my Vitamix ) and enough cold water to cover the cashews. Blend until creamy and smooth.
- Saute minced garlic in the olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or until slightly golden.
- Add oil and garlic to the cashew sauce along with the sea salt and nutritional yeast. Blend again until incorporated and smooth.
- Add additional water, if necessary.
Variations
You could probably add a little fresh basil (either to the blender or as a garnish). Roasted red peppers (pureed into the sauce) could also be a nice touch.
Let us know what you drizzle or pour this Alfredo sauce over!!!
