Not Your Average Nacho Cheese
May 11, 2017
The recipe calls for soaking the cashews for a minimum of four hours prior to blending. This does a couple of things. It begins to break down the cashews, so that it's easier for your body to digest and absorb maximum nutrient value. The other reason, in this case, is for the purpose of making the nut much easier to blend. This leaves you with a creamier end product without any lumps or clumps. Nobody wants nacho cheese with clumps in it. This is also where a high-speed blender comes in handy to ensure that it can be as smooth as possible.
Before you read any further, take a second to go soak one cup of raw cashews in a small bowl of water. You'll thank me in about four hours when it's nacho time.
The way to achieve a cheesy flavor without adding dairy product, is by using nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast made from beet molasses. Because it is inactive, it is not used for beer making or baking, and it is acceptable for someone with candida to consume. While it is not a replacement for whole food, it is a great addition to your meals to boost protein and B vitamins. This is great news for everyone, especially folks that consume little to no animal product in their diet because it is an exceptional source for vitamin B12, which is often lacking. A little bit goes a long way with nutritional yeast. Because we can't stock pile B vitamins, the body uses what it has when it has it. It's recommended that you only need about 1 tsp. sprinkled onto your meal/snack if you're adding it for nutritional purposes. (Hint: It's great for making cheesy popcorn). If possible, purchase an unfortified nutritional yeast to ensure that natural B vitamins are not removed and replaced with synthetic forms.
This nacho cheese can be heated or eaten straight out of the fridge. Pull the dip out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes prior to serving and the flavors will pop more than when it's ice cold. I have heated it a few times, but you have to stir continuously over low heat and watch it very closely. If you heat it too quickly, you will acquire many clumps as the mixture begins to bulk up from the heat of the stove. I prefer it at room temperature, so I don't really bother with heating the mixture.
Serve as a dip for tortilla chips and veggie sticks or drizzle on top of nachos, rice and bean bowls, tacos, or anything else that you can think of. Whatever way you choose, I'm sure that your body will thank you for feeding it real food ingredients rather than MSG and yellow #567.
DF Nacho Cheese
Soak time: 4+ hrs., Prep time: 10 min.
Makes: 2+ cups (16+ oz.)
Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews, soaked 4 hrs.
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other dairy free milk of choice)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/3 cup sliced carrot (~1 carrot)
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. sea salt
~1/4 tsp. cayenne (plus a pinch for added heat)
Pinch black pepper
Directions
After soaking the cashews for 4 hrs. in a small bowl of water, drain and rinse well.
Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy, pausing to scrape down the sides of the wall every now and then.
Taste and adjust by adding more cayenne, if added heat is your preference. Go slow though because a little bit goes a long way with cayenne.
Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour before serving. This allows the flavors to meld.
Serving options: make a nacho dish loaded with veggies, top your favorite tacos, use as a dip for tortilla chips, add a dollop to your favorite bean and rice bowl, or anything else your heart desires.
Pro Tips
Prep: Soak the cashews for a minimum of 4 hours.
Note: if you don’t have a high-speed blender, a longer soak will be helpful for smoother queso.
Storage: keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for future use, leaving 1” headspace to prevent cracking. Stir or re-blend after thawing.
Shopping: save some duckets by buying cashew pieces (rather than whole cashews) and/or purchasing in bulk.
How do you enjoy nacho cheese best?
Let us know in the comments below.