Blender altert
While most vegetarians happily eat dairy products, there is definitely a spectrum between an easy-going vegetarian (happy to eat caged eggs and factory-farmed milk products), and a full-on vegan (no honey or wool). Personally, I'm towards the vegan end of the spectrum and left to my own devices, I won't eat any by-product of cows. When I'm with other people I sometimes eat cheese, just because it's easier than causing a fuss. I would also eat cheese from the Mahoe Dairy in the Bay of Islands, because I've been to their farm and seen how well the cows are treated. But even if it were readily available in my local supermarket, I would still only eat it occasionally.
Apparently, soya cream and various alternatives are readily available in some parts of the world, but not in Northland and I suspect not in many places where a small-income veg~an may end up voyaging. That being so, the only alternative to dairy, is to make a substitute. Fortunately, the homework has been done for me and I can simply copy the recipe for you!
Makes a generous 1/4 cup
Ingredients
1/4 cup cashew nuts
1/4 cup water + more if necessary
Method:
- Put the cashew nuts into the blender and grind to a fine powder. To avoid inadvertently making cashew nut butter, it's better to do this in short bursts.
- Now add the water and blend again to a thick cream.
- Empty the contents into a small jug or bowl.
- The trouble with blending small quantities, is that as much seems to remain in the blender as pours out. Check the consistency of the cream in the jug. It will be pretty thick and if that's how you want it, you'll just have to patiently scrape out the rest of the cream. However, if you want it a bit thinner, add a little water to the jug, close it up and give it a good shake, to clean it out. Add that to the jug. Keep on adding a little water, and cleaning the blender until you get the consistency you want.
- There are a couple of arguments against using cashews. Firstly they are really quite expensive and secondly they appear to be produced in a way that badly exploits women, whose hands are often damaged by the caustic substances used in extracting the nuts. I usually use blanched peanuts, which are a lot cheaper and don't appear to have any real downside. The resulting cream doesn't taste quite as good, but as I never make desserts, it doesn't matter to me. If you are using the cream to be eaten as is, you might possibly find it unacceptable.
- Blanched almonds, also make a delicious cream. You can blanch them yourself by pouring boiling water over almonds in a bowl and leaving them for a few minutes. Once the skin has softened a little, it slips off easily.
- Hemp seeds also make a good cream, but it isn't as attractive due to the dark flecks in the seeds.
- Equally, Brazil nuts make a lovely cream, but again, the flecks of skin on most Brazil nuts spoils the appearance.
- I'm sure macadamia nuts would also make an excellent cream, but as they're shockingly expensive, I've never tried.
You will find many more recipes for this type of thing here.