Lowrie, one the best friends ever, gave me Lauren Ulm’s VeganYumYum cook book as a winter solstice gift (before I ever went vegan). Some of my favorite vegan dishes to date have been from her blog and/or book. I wouldn’t want to take away from Lauren selling her book, so I wouldn’t share too many of her recipes unless they were found elsewhere on the net.. Thankfully she posted this one on her blog.
“This is one of my favorite recipes in the book. ..It’s the perfect creamy pasta sauce when you’re feeling like alfredo. It’s also a great sauce for casseroles, over steamed veggies, on top of lasagna — wherever you want a basic creamy sauce. So not only is it really versatile, but it’s also really quick! The whole sauce is made in a blender, so the faster you can toss ingredients into a blender, the faster it’s done.”
Hurry Up Alfredo
1 Cup plain soymilk/almond milk
1/3 Cup Raw, Unsalted Cashews
1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast
3 Tbs Low-Sodium Tamari or Soy Sauce (I’d prefer about half as much)
2 Tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1 Tbs Tahini
1 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp Paprika (smoked is awesome)
1 Pinch Nutmeg
2-4 Cloves of Garlic, optional (I used 4 big cloves)
Black pepper, to taste
Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. This may work best in a high-speed blender (like a Vita-Mix), but you can definitely make it in a regular blender. Just blend extra-long, or perhaps strain if if you want it perfectly smooth. Tiny bits of cashews won’t hurt anyone though!
“If you’re making this sauce for pasta (I used whole wheat/milled flax seed fettucini noodles), drain the pasta and return it to the hot empty pan. Pour the sauce over, place on medium heat, and stir until heated through. Serve with lots of fresh cracked black pepper. I love it with steamed broccoli added in!”
