It’s thick, it’s creamy, it’s easy to put together. Now go make lasagna.
Note: Makes a little over two cups.
Tip: Want it soy-free? Replace the tofu with one cup of raw cashews. See Notes section of recipe for instructions. 

Cashew Ricotta

 

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It's thick, it's creamy, it's easy to put together. Want it soy-free? Check the Notes section of this recipe!

Author: APB: Eats

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 12 ounces firm tofu, drained (but not pressed) and crumbled
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)

Instructions

1. In a food processor, blend the cashews, ¼ cup of the crumbled tofu, lemon juice, and garlic until mixture becomes a thick paste.
2. Add the remaining crumbled tofu to the food processor, in batches if necessary, blending until the mixture is creamy and well combined (you may need to scrape down the sides of the food-processor bowl a couple times).
3. Blend in the salt. Taste and add more if desired, but keep in mind that a recipe that calls for ricotta -- such as lasagna or stuffed shells -- may also call for adding additional salt; you may want to go easy here.

Notes

You can make your cashew ricotta soy-free by replacing the tofu with 1 cup of raw cashews. Since you won't have the water that's in the tofu to make blending easy, be sure to soak the 2 cups of raw cashews in water for at least an hour or more. Then drain the water and blend everything according to instructions.

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Tomato soup fans, rejoice! This is about to become your favorite recipe.

Creamy Tomato Soup

 

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Tomato soup fans, rejoice! This is about to become your favorite recipe.

Author: APB: Eats

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least an hour
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons white or cooking wine (optional but recommended)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1½ cups chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 28-ounce can San Marzano whole, peeled tomatoes (with liquid)
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• ¼ cup chopped fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1¼ teaspoon salt
• Cracked pepper, to taste

Instructions

For the cashew cream:

1. Soak raw cashews (do not used roasted cashews!) for at least an hour.
2. Drain and rinse cashews, place in high-speed blender (such as a Nutribullet or Vitamix), and blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

For the soup:

1. In a large soup pot, heat wine (if using) and olive oil. Lower heat to medium, and add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Pour vegetable broth and tomatoes (with their liquid) into the soup pot. With a wooden spoon, gently break tomatoes up into chunks. Add the basil, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove bay leaf and discard. Optional: Reserve ¼ cup of the cashew cream for drizzling on individual servings. Pour the remaining cashew cream into soup pot (or use all of it if you're not reserving any for presentation), and stir. Working in batches, transfer mixture to a high-speed blender and puree until smooth and creamy.
4. Serve with a drizzle of the reserved cashew cream and a basil leaf.

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Cauliflower needs a public relations manager — it is anything but bland and boring.
Tip: This soup is warm and savory; for contrast, serve it alongside a crisp, bright salad with apple chunks and a spritz of lemon.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

 

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This soup is warm and savory; for contrast, serve it alongside a crisp, bright salad with apple chunks and a spritz of lemon.

Author: APB: Eats

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped into large florets
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 shallot, cut into chunks
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• ½ teaspoon rosemary
• ½ teaspoon marjoram
• ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• drizzle or a few spritzes olive oil
• cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place the cauliflower florets, garlic cloves, and shallot chunks in a bowl and lightly toss or spritz with olive oil. Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet. Roast in oven for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a cast iron pot or large saucepan, combine vegetable broth, coconut milk, rosemary, marjoram, salt, and bay leaf.
4. Transfer roasted cauliflower mixture to the pot or saucepan and submerge the ingredients in the liquid (the liquid will probably not cover the cauliflower -- that's okay). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove bay leaf and transfer mixture to a high-speed blender (you may have to do this in batches). Puree until smooth and creamy, and season with additional salt if necessary.
6. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil or truffle oil and cracked pepper.

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Never be without this in the kitchen!
Noteworthy!: Cashew Parmesan cheese can be a great source of Vitamin B12, is delicious over pasta, and can be used in countless recipes — from pesto to potato pancakes to eggplant meatballs. Even the dairy-cheese eaters I know love this stuff!

Cashew Parmesan Cheese

 

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Cashew Parmesan cheese can be a great source of Vitamin B12, is delicious over pasta, and can be used in countless recipes -- from pesto to potato pancakes to eggplant meatballs.

Author: APB: Eats

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 3 slightly heaping tablespoons nutritional yeast (preferably one that's fortified with Vitamin B12)
• ¾ to 1 teaspoon sea salt (to taste; start with ¾ teaspoon and add more if desired)
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor or NutriBullet and mix/pulse until finely ground.
2. Store in the refrigerator to keep fresh.

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Grandma gave it to Mom who gave it to me. Makes 4 pints of a lovely Heinz alternative.
Tip: Great for topping veggie burgers, adding to baked beans, cooking up homemade barbecue sauce, and making my (or your) favorite sweet chili con ‘carne’ recipe.

Grandma's Homemade Ketchup

 

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Grandma's recipe! Makes 4 pints of a lovely Heinz alternative. Great for topping veggie burgers, adding to baked beans, cooking up homemade barbecue sauce, and making your favorite sweet chili recipe.

Author: APB: Eats

Ingredients

• 2 quarts tomato juice
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 2 cups vegan granulated sugar (such as Florida Crystals)
• ¼ cup sea salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ large yellow onion, diced
• ½ large green bell pepper, diced
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• Also needed: cheesecloth, cooking twine, and 4 1-pint canning jars/lids

Instructions

1. Lay out a piece of cheesecloth and place chopped bell pepper and chopped onion into the center. Gather up the edges and use cooking twine to tie it up into a sachet.
2. Place all the ingredients except for the cornstarch into a pot along with the sachet of peppers and onions. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, then lower to a medium heat and cook for 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir occasionally.
3. While sauce is cooking, in another bowl, mix the cornstarch with a little water to make a thin paste.
4. When sauce is finished (at 30 minutes), remove from stove. Remove the sachet of peppers and onions (discard, or eat them if you're so inclined), and slowly add cornstarch mixture, stirring sauce constantly while adding (stirring nonstop is critical or cornstarch will form lumps).
5. Return sauce to stove and boil until mixture thickens, about 2-5 minutes (stirring several times). Note: sauce will thicken slightly more as it cools.
6. Pour finished ketchup into 4 1-pint Ball canning jars and seal with canning lids.

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Classic marinara is made in 25 minutes or less. Here’s my favorite way to do it. 

Classic Marinara

 

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Classic marinara is made in 25 minutes or less. Here's my favorite way to do it.

Author: APB: Eats

Ingredients

• 1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8-9 medium garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (packed) fresh basil

Instructions

1. Pour tomatoes into a bowl and crush with your hands. Pour 1 cup water into tomato can and slosh it around to get tomato juices. Reserve this water.
2. In a large skillet (do not use a pot) over medium heat, heat the oil. When hot, add garlic.
3. Once garlic sizzling (do not let it brown), add the tomatoes and reserved tomato water. Add red pepper flakes and salt. Stir.
4. Place basil on surface. Let it wilt, then submerge in sauce. Simmer sauce until thickened and oil on surface is a deep orange, about 15 minutes.

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Plants make the best-o pesto.
Note: Before you begin, be sure to make a quick batch of cashew Parmesan cheese—you’ll need it for this recipe!

Pesto with Cashew Parmesan

 

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Plants make the best-o pesto.

Author: APB: Eats

Ingredients

• ½ cup pine nuts
• 3–4 garlic cloves
• 3 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
• ¾ cup good-quality olive oil
• ¾ cup cashew Parmesan
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Place pine nuts and garlic in a food processor and process for 20 seconds or so.
2. Add the basil leaves and salt. With the processor running, pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is pureed.
3. Add the cashew Parmesan and puree for another minute. Taste and add additional salt if desired. Serve over your favorite pasta.

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