Since going dairy free one of the best things I’ve found (apart from my husband avoiding surgery and my toddler starting to sleep through the night sometimes), is cashew milk. It’s yummy and creamy in my coffee. So it’s become a staple in our house. Since I try not to waste, I’ve been experimenting with what to do with the pulp that’s left when I strain it. The first recipe I found online said you didn’t have to strain it and it would still be creamy and delicious, but I found that not to be true. So in the interest of wasting not and wanting not:

Cashew Milk

Ingredients and supplies:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked 4 hours on the counter or overnight in the refrigerator

3 cups filtered water, plus more for soaking and rinsing

nut milk bag or cheesecloth

large measuring pitcher or bowl

high powered blender (or maybe a normal blender and lots of patience…)

 

Method:

After soaking, rinse the cashews until the water runs clear. Combine the 3 cups of water and the cashews in the blender. Blend on high for 5 minutes or more (I usually set a timer). Strain through cheesecloth or nutmilk bag until pulp and milk have reached desired consistency. For a thicker milk, add a little less water. For a thinner milk, add a little more. Store in the fridge. You can also add other flavoring agents like honey, maple syrup, or other sweeteners, or vanilla. I don’t do that, because I mostly use this for my coffee and for smoothies for the kids, but if you’re drinking it straight or on cereal or something that might be helpful.

Cashew Cream Cheese

Ingredients:

cashew milk pulp, strained to cream cheesy thickness

lemon or lime juice to taste (start with only a little!)

salt to taste

Method:

Mix ingredients well with a fork, starting with a tiny bit of each and adding until it has the flavor you want. This is very easy to customize however you like…sweet or savory.