Cashew cream is a healthy, nutrient-packed, versatile ingredient. After soaking raw, organic cashews they can be pureed in a high powered blender until silky-smooth. The resulting "cream" can then be sweetened into a decadent confection, or turned into a savory sauce for vegetables and pastas, as I did here and here. The amount of water you add determines the thickness of the sauce. And unlike dairy cream, cashew cream is totally cholesterol, trans fat and cruelty free.
Lately I have been experimenting with making "cheeses" and spreads out of cashew cream by adding rejuvelac to it. Rejuvelac is a fermented beverage made by soaking sprouted grains in water. It is loaded with enzymes and probiotics. Here you can see the tiny sprouts just emerging from the quinoa.
When fully fermented, the rejuvelac is a cloudy liquid with a nutty flavor.
I poured the mixture of cashew cream and rejuvelac into cheesecloth-lined ramekins and allowed it to culture at room temperature for several days, which brings about a sharpness and depth of flavor similar to dairy cheese. After that I stored it in the refigerator until ready to serve. So far, I have made four different cheeses using cashew cream, including this fresh mozzarella style. Tomorrow I will post the photos of a cheese course I served over the weekend.
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