YOU GOT SOME EFFIN GRATITUDE!

YES!! Thanksgiving is here again.  This is my favorite holiday, folks.  True, I love a good spread but I also lovelovelove sharing it with my favorites.  This year I am giving up the reigns and letting my inner food control freak chillax.  I'll be a guest for the big day and I've promised to only be bringing a COUPLE dishes.  I promised.  No dessert (you know about No-Sugar-November, right?), no appetizers, just some delicious vegetable based sides and my giant PMSing appetite.  I know… good timing again, body!  Okay, maybe one appetizer.

I posted this recipe on my instagram a while ago as I had some leftover cashew cream and wanted to make a super quick &decadent sidedish one weeknight.  Everyone went a little wild on it, so here's the recipe, dudes!  This would, of course, make a super appropriate side dish for the big day and really any night of the week.  Oh, and I know you're thinking, "you're out of your mind i don't want to soak cashews just to make one dish", cause that's what I usually am.  However, thanks to a very beautiful, brainy friend of mine recently I was informed soaking is a thing of the past and just adding boiling water to the cashews about 10 minutes before using them does all the work 8 hours of soaking does JUST LIKE THAT!  Yup.  Sorry for blowing your mind so close to the holiday, guys. 

Braised Fennel in Cashew Cream

3 bulbs fennel, trimmed of stalks (save a couple pretty fronds for garnish)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt + pepper
1/2 cup cashew cream (recipe below)

1. After you cut off your stalks from the fennel, cut the bulb in half, then quarters, making little half moons.  Trim out the core just so that each moon is still held together.  If the outer leaves look gnarly or super tough trim those off, too.  Same for the base.  Just make sure they're all relatively the same size and free of any super tough ends.

2. Melt the butter and oil in a big skillet with a lid.  When it gets foamy, add in your fennel in a single layer with a cut side down to achieve some good color.  Let them cook for about 8 minutes on that side, then carefully flip them puppies over + give them a good salt sprinkle and pepper grind.

3. After another 8 minutes on that side, dump in about 1/4 water to the pan and quickly cover it.  Let it steam for about 15-20 minutes, checking for tenderness and water level.  If your lid isn't super tight, your water will evaporate faster so you may need to add more in. 

4. When the fennel is fork tender and the water is evaporated pour in your cashew cream and give the pan a little shake.  Serve it up!!

15 Minute Cashew Cream

1 cup cashews
1 cup (give or take a couple tablespoons) unsweetened almond milk
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (or pecorino if your tummy can handle it)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of nutmeg + white pepper

1. Boil water and pour over cashews and let them sit covered in a heat proof bowl.

2. While that happens, bring your milk up to steaming in a small saucepan on the stove.

3. When your cashews feel mushy add them to your food processor or blender and add in the garlic and seasonings.

4. Turn on processor and begin to blend, adding in milk little by little until smooth.  This can take about 5 minutes or so and sometimes all the milk or a little more.  Obviously, you can make it as thin or thick as you want.  I like it around the texture of a heavy dairy cream.

This will last in your fridge for a good while, if you want it to last longer you can use garlic powder instead of the fresh garlic.  In this savory form, add it to your pasta sauce, veggies, drizzle on tarts, the possibilities are endless and most importantly, delicious.