I created this recipe out of a frenzy to find a Mexicali dip that didn’t make me feel bad. I mean it, there was a frenzy. Dairy is not my friend.
The back story: When Noah was a baby, we visited a functional doctor rather than a pediatrician. It was a hospital requirement to see someone when we left the NICU. During one of the final visits the doc looked at me and asked, “Do you have a dairy intolerance?”
I responded with, “Ummm, noooo way. I love dairy.”
He said, “The whole time you’ve been sitting here, your right ear has gotten redder and redder. You may have a dairy intolerance.”
I was a little offended. Whatever. I do not.
Fast-forward about nine months later. I could NOT lose the baby weight. I had no motivation, no energy, no drive to do anything. In my lazy stupor, I found a vegan documentary. And, I was amazed… primarily at the whole processed dairy world.
So I tried it. I quit every form of dairy, and even meat. I became a vegan. I ate fruit, vegetables, rice, quinoa and all the legumes. I lost 15 pounds very, very quickly. And, I felt better than I ever had. It was at that moment that I realized Mr. Functional Doctor guy was right. I had a dairy intolerance.
I’ve been on and off over the last few years, but I can tell a huge difference in how I feel if I have too much dairy. Processed dairy, specifically. Which is everything at the store. I can drink raw milk and I feel great.
So, this recipe was developed because I love Mexicali-style dips, and the dairy ones weren’t doing me right. The vegan dips that I LOVE are super expensive because this girl can polish off a container a day. (Albeit, they’re very small containers.) That’s like $7.00 a day just in dip! Husby was not a fan.
So here you go. I can’t stop eating this. Most days it’s a meal right by itself. And, it’s HEALTHY.
You’re welcome.
Best Vegan Queso Ever (pictures to come)
- 1 cup raw cashews, whole or pieces (it doesn’t matter)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 Tbs. oil – MCT, avocado, olive (optional)
- 2 Tbs. tahini
- 2 Tbs. nutritional yeast (if you can find one without added folic acid, it’s better, see note below)
- 1 Tbs. arrowroot powder (or less if you like it thinner)
- 1/2 Tbs. salt
- 1/2 Tbs. smoked paprika
- 1/2 Tbs. cumin
- 1/2 Tbs. chili powder
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 Tbs. coconut aminos, tamari or soy sauce
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños (skip if you don’t want spicy)
- 2 Tbs. jalapeño juice (skip if you don’t want spicy)
- Handful of cilantro (optional)
- Pour boiling water over the cashews, let sit for an hour. If using a high-powered blender (like Vitamix) you don’t have to wait. Just add it to the blender.
- Add everything else to the blender.
- Blend until smooth. I let it go for about 60 seconds on high.
- Serve immediately, while warm, OR put in fridge and serve cold.
HEALTH NOTES: Some folks be thinking about anti-nutrients, known to be in nuts. If this is you, soak your cashews for a couple hours (or more) and dump the water. But remember to add a fresh 1 cup of water, hot or warm if you care about your dip being warm after it’s blended.
And, about folic acid. It’s a synthetic form of folate. Folate good – folic acid bad. So if it’s added folic acid, avoid that.
ANOTHER NOTE: I just happened to find a measuring spoon that is 1/2 Tbs. I don’t know where it came from. So, if you don’t have one of those, it translates to about 1.5 teaspoons. But you don’t have to be exact for this recipe.
VARIATIONS: omit the spicy stuff and add taco meat for the kids (mine love it); add your favorite salsa for a salsa con queso; or chili for, you guessed it…chili con queso. Or whatever else you can think of.
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