Cashew Cheese Fries with Indian Spices

I know my vegetarian/vegan readers saw this title and got really excited, while everyone said to themselves "cashew cheese...what on Earth?!?"

If you've never heard of cashew cheese, let me assure you it's delicious. Afterall, this is a self appointed cheese connoisseur here. I wouldn't lie to you! No, it doesn't taste exactly like cheese, since it's made with cashews and all, but it lends the same rich, complex quality and creamy texture.

A basic recipe for cashew cheese calls for soaking cashews until soft, then blending them with a few other flavoring ingredients like nutritional yeast, mustard, garlic and spices. It's a much tastier and less processed option than soy cheese for anyone on a dairy free or plant based diet.


I saw a cashew plant for the first time when we went to Costa Rica. The nut grows from the bottom of a cashew apple, the fruit of the cashew tree. In the shell, it looks like a green kidney or some sort of weird appendage. Very odd looking I must say!

Here's a look at the health benefits of cashews:

Copper

With a days worth of copper in one ounce, cashews are one of the richest sources of this essential mineral. Copper is a component of many enzymes, including antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. Inadequate copper intake has been associated with arthritis, colon cancer, osteoporosis, nerve damage and elevated LDL cholesterol.

Magnesium

Cashews are also a rich source of magnesium with 30% your daily needs in a quarter cup serving. Magnesium is often referred to as the relaxation mineral, a term I love. Most medical professionals are aware of this effect as it's used to relax an irregular heart beat or bowel muscles before a colonoscopy. Regular and adequate magnesium consumption has been linked to a lower risk of many diseases including high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis and even insomnia.

Weight Loss

After the low fat diet craze of the nineties, many people are still afraid to eat nuts due to their high fat content. Although sitting down to an entire jar of cashews certainly isn't helpful, studies indicate a lower risk of obesity for people who eat nuts at least twice a week. And because cashews have a sweeter flavor than other nuts, I find they are especially helpful for anyone battling a sweet tooth. Not sure what a serving is? Lay the nuts out flat on the palm of your hand and it will be roughly equivalent to a serving.

It's easy to include cashews as a snack, tossed into an Asian slaw or mixed into a veggie stir fry with brown rice to round out the meal. But cashew cheese is now my favorite way to enjoy cashews. The rich, creamy blend can be incorporated into so many dishes! If you tried my dairy free macaroni and cheese you know how to incorporate them into a rich vegan sauce. Here's some of my other favorite cashew cheese recipes.

Vegan Stacked Enchilada Pie 
Mostly Veggie Baked Macaroni 
Ultimate Fully Loaded Vegan Nachos
Raw Beet Lasagna with Cashew Cheese and Pesto
Black Bean Tacos with Spicy Cashew Cheese
Vegan Caprese Sandwiches with Cashew Cheese

Also, my services were featured on Health Hands Cooking blog! To learn more about their programs, check out the article I wrote.

Cashew Cheese Fries with Indian Spices

Serves 6
Cheese sauce adapted from Serious Eats, potatoes adapted from Cooking Light and dish inspired by Adventures in Cooking (just giving credit where credit is due!)

I served this as a main dish along with a simple salad of microgreens tossed with lemon juice. It was exactly what was needed to cut the rich, spicy dish! You could also roast carrots alongside the potatoes to round out the meal with vegetable.

Potatoes:
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch thick wedges or sticks
1 3/4 teaspoons yellow or black mustard seeds
3-6 dried red chilies (Depending on your spice tolerance. I went with six and it was pretty sweat inducing...but I liked it!)
2 teaspoons mined fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (again, depending on how spicy you like it)
1 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
Scant teaspoon salt

Cashew Cheese Sauce:
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and diced
1 cup cashews
1/2 cup water plus more to thin sauce
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Lime wedges

First, prepare the potatoes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small skillet, heat coconut oil, mustard seeds and chilies on medium-high heat. Cook until seeds begin to pop, about 1 minute. Cover with a lid if the seeds are popping out of the skillet. Lower heat to medium-low and add ginger, garlic and jalapeno. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add tumeric, Garam Masala and a scant teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring constantly, for another minute.

Place potatoes in a large bowl. Pour spice mixture over the potatoes and toss to coat evenly. Spread across a large baking sheet, place in the oven and bake until tender and browned, tossing every 10 minutes, for a total of about 40 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the cheese sauce. Heat coconut oil on medium heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeno. Cook until tender, but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add cumin and tumeric, stir, and cook 1 minute. Add potato and cashews and stir to combine. Cook until cashews are lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. Add water and almond milk, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes until potato is tender.

Let cool for a few minutes, then transfer cashew mixture to a food processor or blender. Blend until pureed. Add 2-4 tablespoons water to thin to desired consistency. Taste and season with salt as desired.

When potatoes have roasted, arrange on a plate and top with cashew cheese sauce. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.