French cooking uses lots of milk and cream, here is how to make rich, delicious, and plant-based milk, heavy cream, and béchamel (white sauce).
Milk
* 1/2 cup raw cashews
* 4 cups of water
Blend cashews and water until smooth. And voilà!
Refrigerate for up to one week.
Note: If using a standard blender, soak cashews for a few hours before blending, then strain the liquid. The leftover cashew meal can be used for baking Indian sweets (or give it to the chickens who love it!).
Heavy cream
* 1 cup raw cashews
* 2 cups of water
Blend cashews and water until smooth. And voilà!
Refrigerate for up to one week.
Béchamel (or white sauce)
* 1 cup raw cashews
* 2 cups of water
* salt & pepper
* nutmeg
* 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional, for a cheesy flavor)
Blend cashews and water until smooth. In a saucepan, cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. (The natural starch and fat in cashews act as thickeners, eliminating the need for flour or butter.). Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.
For a cheesy sauce, stir in nutritional yeast.