This was my first attempt at a totally vegan meal. I have to say, it was really delicious. It was fun to make something different and creative. Who knew that cashews could make an amazing cream sauce for pasta? Add sauteed onions, edamame and peas and it was a great, totally filling meal. Only tip that I learned making this is to add the cream sauce to the sauteed onions at the last minute and then immediately toss the pasta with the sauce. I had to let the onion cashew mixture sit for about 10 minutes while I left to pick up Jack from Hebrew school and the sauce thickened, very fast.  Still amazingly delish though. 

This came from Lisa Dawn's blog Lisa's Project: Vegan. Thanks Lisa Dawn for a great new dinner idea!!

Ingredients:

Cashew Cream Sauce
1 cup raw cashews
1 extra virgin olive oil
1 water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 small onion
1/2 bag frozen peas
1/2 bag frozen edamame
4 cups (cooked) quinoa spaghetti

Preparation:

Boil pasta in well salted water. When it is almost done, add the frozen peas and edamame so they can thaw in the boiling water. While this is happening, put the cashews into the blender and process them until fine. Then add oil, water, salt, nutmeg and lemon juice and process.

In the meantime, saute an onion in a other pan until translucent. It only takes a few minutes. Pour the cashew cream sauce over the onions. Drain the pasta, peas and edamame and add into the pan and toss around so all of the pasta is coated with sauce.
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When my daughter Rachel goes away to sleep away camp every summer, she always requests this side dish as part of her "last" meal the night before she leaves. This usually accompanies lamb chops and sauteed spinach. This is so easy as you cook quinoa the same way you cook rice

with a 2 to 1 ratio liquid to quinoa/rice. I usually just saute a bunch of veggies from my fridge and add it the cooked quinoa. It's a good way to use up what you have lying around in your fridge.

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 box sliced mushrooms

1 small onion diced

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup chopped red and yellow bell pepper

1 cup frozen baby peas

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 T olive oil

Preparation:

Combine quinoa and broth in a saucepan over high heat until it comes to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover pot. Simmer until all the liquid is absorbed about 10 minutes.

Saute onion in olive oil until soft and just starting to brown. Add the other vegetables and saute until just starting to soften. Add in the cooked quinoa and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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