Have you experienced cashew butter? It is sublime and somehow much more delicious than a handful of toasted cashews. A spoonful of homemade cashew butter tastes like a treat. It’s nearly as enticing as cookie dough, as far as I’m concerned—sometimes, I add a few chocolate chips to achieve the full cookie dough effect.

This homemade cashew butter recipe is easy to make in a food processor. The trick is to lightly toast your cashews before blending for the best flavor and texture. Even then, cashew butter has a more neutral flavor than most other nut butter. It’s quite versatile.

Homemade cashew butter contains no additives like sunflower oil; it’s made simply with cashews and a dash of salt to enhance the flavor. Since it is so fresh, it offers better flavor than store-bought options.

Store-bought cashew butter can be quite expensive—I often balk at the nearly twenty-dollar jars at Whole Foods. Making it at home can cost half as much. We could get into a philosophical debate about time versus money, or make cashew butter in the same length of time. Let’s make some already.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Cashew Butter appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

If you’re a fan of chai lattes and turmeric, you’re going to love this recipe. This ultra creamy golden milk is inspired by traditional Indian turmeric milk (haldi doodh), but it is by no means authentic.

In its most basic form, haldi doodh is made with turmeric (haldi) stirred into milk (doodh) or tea. Typically, households will add more warming spices to the mix, including ginger, cinnamon and cardamom.

Indian mothers prepare turmeric milk for colds, coughs and sore throats, and aches and pains. It’s warming, soothing and supports the immune system, which is exactly what we all need right now.

This recipe uses cashews instead of milk, which makes it lusciously thick, yet dairy free and vegan. Serve it warm in a mug, or cold over ice!

Watch How to Make Golden Milk

Continue to the recipe...

The post Creamy Golden Milk (Hot or Iced) appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

I used to be skeptical of vegan lasagna—could it really be that good? This recipe is proof that yes, it really can. This vegan lasagna tastes as good as it looks.

My husband, who has a major weakness for creamy pastas, also found the concept of a cheese-less lasagna questionable. I figured this recipe would convince him, so I brought some home and put it in the fridge. I soon found the man in the kitchen, going back for seconds. Then thirds.

If you’ve been paying very close attention to my recipe substitution notes over the years, you may have tried this technique already. It’s based on the vegan variation of the cheesy roasted eggplant lasagna in my cookbook, Love Real Food (page 163). I shared the concept in my classic vegetarian lasagna recipe, too.

Today, I wanted to show you the results with photographic proof. If you’re in the mood for a dairy-free alternative to traditional cheesy lasagna, this recipe is for you.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Best Vegan Lasagna appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

These roasted mixed nuts are completely irresistible. They’re a little sweet, a little spicy, and nice and toasty.

These nuts will be a hit at your holiday parties, or a redeeming snack in between. I love to add fresh rosemary, so they taste like the holidays in the best way.

This recipe is so versatile, too. You can easily change up the nuts and seasonings to suit your preferences. These photos show my favorite iteration, made with pecans, almonds and pepitas (pumpkin seeds).

Ready to raid your pantry for the ingredients?

Continue to the recipe...

The post Sweet & Spicy Roasted Party Nuts appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

It’s about time I shared my vegan sour cream on the blog. I developed this recipe for my cookbook as a dairy-free sour cream substitute. I ended up using it to replace a variety of other dairy-based ingredients: goat cheese, ricotta, even mozzarella and cheddar cheese.

As a dairy eater myself, I was both surprised and pleased to find a non-dairy substitute that I enjoy so much. It’s creamy, rich, and tangy, just like regular sour cream.

In the book, I offered vegan and dairy-free options whenever possible, and this vegan sour cream came in quite useful. I used it to replace the dairy-rich layers in lasagna (page 163), and we mixed it into the enchilada filling for a creamy element (page 148).

It’s a great substitute for the goat cheese in the quinoa-stuffed sweet potatoes recipe (page 144), and it easily replaced the cheese in my beans and greens quesadillas (page 147). I love the regular and dairy-free versions of those recipes!

Watch How to Make Vegan Sour Cream

Continue to the recipe...

The post Vegan Sour Cream appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Welcome to cocktail week! Since Christmas is just one week away, I thought it would be fun to share classic cocktail recipes for your holiday parties.

We’re kicking off with White Russians, which are usually made with cream or milk. I’m not a big milk drinker, so I replaced it with thick cashew milk. It’s creamy, dreamy and ultra delicious.

Cashew milk is relatively neutral in flavor, so it’s a great stand-in for dairy milk. I love that I don’t have to strain it like almond milk (no waste here). I first tried making dairy-free White Russians with light coconut milk, but when coconut milk hits ice cubes, it tends to form small lumps. Not a problem with cashew milk!

I recommend soaking the cashews for a few hours in advance, unless you’re using a high-powered blender like a Vitamix. In addition to cashew milk, you’ll simply need vodka (Tito’s is my favorite brand), coffee liqueur (Kahlua) and ice.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Dairy-Free White Russian appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Did you know that this seven-year-old vegetarian food blog did not have a macaroni and cheese recipe until today? It’s true. I’ve failed you on the mac and cheese front, but I’m making it up to you with this vegan (I repeat: dairy free) mac and cheese recipe.

From one cheese lover to another, I’m here to tell you that this mac and “cheese” is remarkably cheese-like and absolutely delicious.

I’ve been slowly working on this mac and cheese since I published my vegan queso recipe two months ago. The first time, I tried to use pasta cooking water instead of my queso’s secret ingredient (grated potato), and it was just ok.

Then, I added the potato back, and the potato starch makes this cashew-based queso super silky and creamy. It’s remarkable!

Continue to the recipe...

The post Amazing Vegan Mac and Cheese appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

I’m finally sharing this iced matcha latte recipe. We had to cut either the warm chai lattes or this one from my new cookbook, and I decided to share the more recognizable recipe in the book. I adore them both equally. This chilled matcha latte kept me going on some long writing days. I remember pouring several glasses at my desk, straight from the blender.

Matcha is still relatively new to me. It’s powdered green tea leaves that have been served at Japanese ceremonies for centuries. Since you’re essentially consuming the entire leaves rather than straining out the leaves, matcha tea offers somewhere between three and 137 times the amount of EGCG in regular green tea. That’s a lot of antioxidants.

Matcha dissolves begrudgingly when whisked into warm water. Warm matcha tea is still a bit much for me, though—it tastes green and ambiguously plant-like. I absolutely love matcha in creamy, cold, iced latte form, however.

I make homemade matcha lattes by blending matcha with cashews, natural sweetener, vanilla extract and mint (either fresh or mint extract). I’m basically making matcha cashew milk and serving it over ice. It’s creamy and delicious, and you don’t have to strain it if you have a great blender like this Vitamix (no waste!).

Continue to the recipe...

The post Minty Iced Matcha Latte appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Queso! I adore it, but I always overdo it, and waddle out of Mexican restaurants with a belly full of cheese. Unfortunately, my queso-digesting powers seem to be diminishing rather than improving with age. So, I decided to come up with a dairy-free version to rival my favorite restaurant’s.

This stuff is remarkably queso-like. You can serve it in a bowl or drizzle it over nachos, burritos, or maybe even French fries. I won’t judge. I aimed to create the tastiest vegan queso, not the absolute quickest queso, which usually just consists of cashews blended with spices. For mine, you’ll build flavor on the stovetop, then transfer everything to a blender. It’s totally worth the effort.

Let’s talk about the ingredients inside my queso. It starts with sautéed onion, like all delivious savory recipes. Then, russet potato comes into play, which has a magical tendency to become silky smooth, creamy and a little stretchy once blended. I grated the potato, which is faster than chopping it, and it cooks very quickly that way.

Fresh garlic and dried spices offer some complexity and familiar queso flavor. I included onion powder and garlic powder, which might seem redundant, but the combo makes this sauce taste irresistible—that’s a little trick I learned from Serious Eats, along with the potato factor.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Creamy Vegan Queso appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

I met Amie Valpone in New York a few months ago, at the International Year of Pulses launch party. I was surrounded by people I didn’t know and feeling a little shy, and Amie bounded up and introduced herself, bubbling over with enthusiasm. I was so glad.

She kept referencing how sick she had been—a decade of chronic illnesses (lyme disease, hypothyroidism, leaky gut syndrome and more) slowed her down immensely. She is finally cured after seriously detoxifying her life, from the products in her home to the food she eats.

I had a hard time imagining this vivacious woman with glowing skin being sick and bedridden, but I could sense by the passionate tone in her voice that her illness and recovery were both very real. The motivation behind her website, The Healthy Apple, and her new book, Eating Clean, is to help others get better and feel better.

She sent me a copy of her book, which is full of solid information and practical advice for detoxifying our homes and diets. I like to think I run a pretty clean operation over here, but she has inspired me to do even better. I can’t wait to make her simple (and cheap) cleaning solution of orange-infused vinegar.

Her book offers over 200 simple and healthy recipes (that’s right, 200!). The chia seed pudding in the breakfast chapter caught my eye, and I enjoyed it so much I just had to share it. I’ve tried chia seed “pudding” before and just couldn’t get behind that oddly gelatinous texture. Amie’s version, however, is blended with cashews and dates for ultra creamy pudding. She added a swirl of chia gel to hers, but I think I like mine best all creamy. It’s up to you.

Continue to the recipe...

The post Creamy Chia Pudding appeared first on Cookie and Kate.