Homemade Vanilla Cashew Milk

This is one of those recipes where every time I make it, I'm wondering why I don't do it more often. It takes about 15 minutes max (with a tiny bit of prep before hand), and is only 4 ingredients or less if you want it to be. It's creamy, delicious, and the perfect with smoothies, coffee, golden milk, alone, you name it! You can also make this with many other types of nuts, but cashew is by far my favorite because of the taste and texture.

Cashew milk takes the tiniest bit of prep before you can make it... You have to soak the cashews! I throw them into a bowl and cover them with some filtered water and let them sit for about a day while I'm at work (or at least 4-6 hours). Once they're done soaking, the milk is so so easy to make. You will just need a couple of items: a really good blender (the ninja is great), and a cheese cloth (optional, but without it, there can be tiny cashew sediment in your milk). 

All you have to do is throw all the ingredients (water, cashews, maple syrup, and vanilla bean) into a blender, blend on high until everything is mixed well and liquified, and pour through a cheese cloth to strain the sediment out! Voila, you've got the yummiest, creamiest, cashew milk. I use it to make my golden lattes every morning... Maybe I should do a post on those too!?

Oh! I should mention that I usually do a double recipe because this goes super quick! It lasts in the fridge for about 3-4 days, but if you (and your significant other) both use it, it'll disappear quickly, I promise!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cashews (soaked for about 6 hours or full day before hand)
• 3 cups filtered water
• 2 tbsp real maple syrup
• 1 vanilla bean, cut and scraped

Directions:

1. Throw the cashews in a bowl and cover in filtered water. Soak for about 6 hours beforehand.
2. Throw all ingredients into a blender and mix/blend thoroughly until liquified.
3. Strain milk through cheese cloth.
4. Enjoy. :)

Vegan Mac & Cheese With Butternut Squash

Full disclosure: I am not vegan, nor would I like to be (no offense to all you that are, I just really enjoy a good, grass fed hamburger on occasion). The reason I attempt vegan or vegetarian recipes sometimes though, is because I don't like to eat meat at every meal and I really try to limit my intake. Also, when I'm craving some bad food, like mac and cheese, I try my very best to give it a healthy twist so I don't feel like crap after eating it. This one was a huge success!

We love doing some type of yummy comfort food on Sunday's, whether it's pancakes (paleo and gluten free of course), quinoa bowls, or this time, vegan mac and cheese. I honestly have to say, I wasn't sure this one would work. How could you fake mac and cheese? Let's just say I was super doubtful. I got on my computer and searched for some recipes, and stumbled across this one, by one of my favorite food bloggers. 

Now this recipe has a slight twist... It's not your typical "cashew cheese and nutritional yeast" vegan mac. This one uses butternut squash as the main cheesy ingredient, and it was freaking good. A little garlic, a little dijon mustard, some almond milk and nutritional yeast, and the result was a creamy, cheesy sauce. I do have to say though, I used a really high quality, organic, grass fed butter instead of Earth Balance in this recipe. I can't stand that stuff! I also went with trader joes quinoa and brown rice gluten free pasta, which is my absolute favorite. I added some peas for a little extra protein and flavor, but you can add anything from kale to sausage. 

I doubled the recipe below as I wanted to have some leftovers. It's Thanksgiving week, and we have barely any groceries in our house and are heading out of town in a couple days, so this was the perfect Sunday meal. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash
• 1 bag Trader Joes gluten free brown rice and quinoa pasta (or whatever pasta you prefer)
• EVOO (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 tbsp organic grass fed butter (or Earth Balance for vegan)
• 3/4 cup unflavored and unsweetened almond milk (I think cashew milk would be amazing in this recipe though)
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder (or flour if not gluten free)
• 6 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp himalayan salt & pepper to taste 

Directions:

1. Preheat the over to 425 degrees F.
2. Peel and cut the butternut squash in half. Scoop out and remove the seeds. Chop the butternut squash into little cubs and toss in the EVOO, salt and pepper. Place on a baking tray and bake for about 35 minutes or until it's soft to the touch.
3. While the butternut squash is cooking, start on the cheese sauce. Heat the butter in a pot over low/medium heat, and whisk the almond milk and arrowroot powder in a separate bowl until there are no clumps. 
4. Add the almond milk mixture to the pot and stir. Add the remaining ingredients (dijon mustard, garlic and onion powders, nutritional yeast, lemon, salt and pepper) and mix over low heat until the mix thickens.
5. Cook the pasta according to the package.
6. Once the butternut squash is done cooking, mix 1.5 cups of the cubed butternut squash with the cheese sauce in a blender. Puree until smooth.
7. Add the butternut squash/cheese mix to the pasta and stir until it is well blended. You can also add in the peas, broccoli or whatever mix in you want at this point. 
8. ENJOY!!

Paleo Blueberry Muffins

I'm always trying out paleo baking options, because #1, I love to bake, #2, I love sweets, and #3, I really want to eat the healthiest sweets possible! Things like this are near impossible to buy in a grocery store without a ton of additives and unwanted ingredients added to them, so you just have to make your own! Luckily, these little muffins are super simple and quick to make, and they are a great snack or breakfast on the go.

I'll admit... These are not the most attractive muffins you've ever seen, but they're really pretty good and take minimal effort. I don't like to make anything with an extensive ingredient list. I try to stick to 8 ingredients or less. So for you lazy bakers like me, these are the perfect recipe!

Recipe:

• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 2 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of himalayan salt
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp melted coconut oil or ghee
• 2 tbsp almond milk (or other type of dairy free milk)
• 1 cup blueberries
• 2 tbsp maple syrup (or sub 3 tbsp coconut sugar or 1 banana)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together and then add in the wet ingredients. 
3. Fold in the blueberries.
4. Scoop the batter into a mini muffin tin (with liners). You may be able to just grease the muffin tin, but I didn't try that.
5. Bake for 12 minutes or until cooked through.