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We set up a fabulous taco bar one night during our family beach vacation in July.
Son #1 put me in charge of whipping up a creamy chipotle dressing. I followed his directions & used his made-up-in-his-head-off-the-cuff recipe. He makes this a lot in his own home.
Trust me, this topping can make a mediocre dish into a spectacular one.
Use it as a topping for tacos, enchiladas, burgers, or salads.
I brought it into work for a taste test, & everyone went wild over it. More like, swooned. Wanted the recipe. It's so yummy.
Here's Son #1's very simple recipe:
Creamy Chipotle Cashew Topping
Serves 8 - 1 tablespoon servings
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of raw cashews soaked in 1/2 cup of water for at least an hour. Longer is fine.
- 3-4 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 coarsely chopped garlic cloves, less to taste
- 1/2 to 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. Sizes vary, so go slowly--you can always add more
- a few grains of coarse sea salt to taste
Preparation:
1. Soak the raw cashews for at least one hour in 1/2 cup of water
2. Into a power blender (VitaMix works best) add the cashews AND the soaking water, the garlic, the lime juice, & the chipotle.
3. Blend well until the cashews are a creamy, silky consistency. Check for taste. Add more chipotle, if needed.
4. Add a few grains of salt to taste.
Creamy Chipotle Chia (no-nut) Topping
OK. I know a lot of you don't eat nuts, especially not cashews.
I figured I could come up with a close substitute for the cashew dressing with soymilk & chia.
It's quite good, and very close to the taste of the cashew topping. But, I've got to be honest.
If I had to pick, the cashew dressing would take the gold medal in this contest.
BTW, the secret ingredient to the chia topping is a teaspoon of agave. Turns out, cashews have a natural sweetness that is missing in the chia version. Agave came to the rescue.
Serves 8 - 1 tablespoon servings
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of Eden Extra Plain Soymilk (richer than other non-dairy milks)
- 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 coarsely chopped garlic cloves, less to taste
- 1/2 to 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. Sizes vary, so go slow--you can always add more
- 3 tablespoons of white chia (I like the Salba brand)
- 1 teaspoon of agave (more to taste, if needed)
- a few grains of coarse sea salt
Preparation:
1. Add all the ingredients into a power blender (I use a VitaMix), adding the chia seed just before you're ready to turn the blender on.
2. Blend well, until the consistency is smooth & silky.
3. Taste, & add extra chipotle, salt, or agave to your own taste.
