Preparation
Soak the cashews in a bowl of water overnight or for at least one hour. Rinse and drain.
While soaking, move onto the next steps.
Making the “cheese” sauce
Peel the carrots and potatoes. Put the potatoes and carrots in a medium pot and add water to cover. Bring to boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until fork-tender. Drain. (Alternatively, you can steam the veggies.)
If you are using organic carrots, you can skip peeling and just wash them.
We recommend dicing the vegetables before weighing them.
Transfer the cashews, potatoes, and carrots to a blender, add the nutritional yeast flakes, oil, water, lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of the salt, garlic (peeled), and vinegar and blend until smooth. If using a Vitamix, use the tamper to help it blend. If it’s too thick, you can add another splash of water or oil to help it along.
We have deliberately halved the amount of oil used in the original recipe (see “Tips”) and decided to use flaxseed oil (see "Notes about recipe"). The author recommends “refined coconut oil or other neutral-tasting oil, such as grapeseed oil.
Seasoning
Season with chili powder or chili flakes to taste.
In the original recipe, the author adds Sriracha sauce. We have replaced this with chili powder.
Storing
The “cheese” sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Detailed Nutritional Information per Person for this Recipe
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
This decadent, silky, and pourable “cheese” sauce with potatoes and carrots is kid-friendly and it can be used in a wide variety of dishes.
Quantity: The quantity of ingredients given is suggested for 6 servings and makes around 250 mL “cheese” sauce.
Cashews: Cashews sold at the grocery store are not actually raw. Their shells contain a toxic nut shell liquid (cardol) that has to be deactivated by roasting or steaming. Cashews are a good source of minerals such as magnesium, which is good for bone health, as well as iron, which is an important component of hemoglobin and red blood cells. Since vitamin C promotes the absorption of iron, the lime juice (containing ascorbic acid) that this recipe calls for has benefits both in terms of health and taste.
Carrots and vitamin A: Carrots are a variety of vegetables that are low in calories. They are particularly rich in carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, to which they also owe their typical orange color. Vitamin A is important for our vision, but also for the immune system.
Nutritional yeast flakes: Nutritional yeast flakes are deactivated yeast (single-cell fungi) that are first dried and then processed into small flakes. They are low in sodium and used in cooking as a seasoning; a binder for soups, salads, and sauces; and a topping for spicy dishes.
Flaxseed oil: Flaxseed oil, also known as linseed oil, is obtained from the seeds of the flax plant (Linum usitatissimum). Cold-pressed flaxseed oil has a distinctive flavor that is crisp, clean, and mildly nutty. It is golden yellow in color. Cold-pressed flaxseed oil is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, but it oxidizes quickly and can only be stored for a very short time.
Tips
Stick to the quantities given: Always weigh the carrots and potatoes to make sure you are sticking to the given quantities. It is important to dice the potatoes and carrots small before weighing (about 1 cm pieces).
Reducing the amount of oil: We have intentionally reduced the amount of oil. If you don’t think it is enough, you can add a little more. If you are interested in reading more about why it is a good idea to reduce your oil intake, please see our detailed review of the book Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss.
Storing:The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Ideas for enjoying “cheese” sauce:Use it in my Chili “Cheese” Nachos (see page 169) or Mac and Peas (see page 177), or heat it up and use it as a nacho dip paired with salsa or as a spread on a wrap. It’s also fantastic drizzled over roasted or steamed broccoli or cauliflower! I love to add my favourite Sriracha sauce to this to really amp up the flavors.
Alternate preparation
Oil: You can swap flaxseed oil for another oil. The author recommends refined coconut oil or grapeseed oil.
Make it nut-free: You can simply leave out the cashews to make the sauce nut-free. The sauce will taste less rich, but will still be delicious!
Potato type: It is up to you whether you use starchy or waxy potatoes — all of the ingredients are pureed it doesn’t matter much.
