I am really excited to share with you today an amazing Dairy-Free Cookbook and Guidebook,
, by Alisa Fleming! The fantastic nacho sauce recipe below comes from this book. I am also giving away a copy of the book, which will be sent to you directly from the author. Details at the bottom of the post.
This book is perfect for those of you looking for
natural alternatives to your favorite dairy products, such as cheese, ice cream, milk, sour cream, and more.
Go Dairy Free contains different recipes for each of those foods plus simple substitution ideas for practically all dairy products imaginable. From "Dairy-Free Fetta-ish to "Sunflower Seed Cheese to "Cashew Yogurt" to "Whipped Coconut Buttery Spread" to "Cashew Chai Frosting" this book has it all!
The book is about half recipes and half information on dairy. It starts out with "What is Dairy?" then moves into pasteurization and homogenization and the potential risks of these practices, and then on to evidence-based connections with dairy consumption and health issues which range from acne to cancer. Finally, if you are asking the question: "Where am I to get my calcium?" Alisa delves into non-dairy calcium-rich foods and other surprising secrets to strong bones. There are also chapters dedicated to dairy addiction, infants and food allergies, dining out, and reading food labels.
Go Dairy Free is a wonderful cookbook with so many great recipes. Most of the baking recipes contain gluten but the cheese alternatives are all gluten-free. I made macaroni and cheese today using the
Orange Cheesy Sauce recipe from the book and Tinkyada rice noodles. My kids devoured it! Glad I got a photo before it was all gone!
The Five-Minute Nachos were equally delicious though my kids were not as fond of them. They did eat some though. Nachos are a funny thing for me because I have had them maybe only a handful of times during the course of my life. I just wasn't raised on highly processed foods. I was so happy to find this recipe in Alisa's book because it is made from healthy ingredients, all of which I had on hand. Well, except for roasted red bell peppers. I did have a few fresh ones in the fridge I so quickly roasted one in the oven. This ingredient is key! I initially made the sauce without it and it was so awful I had to compost it. Then I remade the sauce, added my freshly roasted pepper (after removing the skin), and voila - absolutely amazing dairy-free cheese sauce! Seriously, this sauce is addicting in a good way. My advice: follow her recipes exactly!
Dairy-Free Nacho Cheese Sauce adapted from the book, Go Dairy Free, by Alisa Fleming
You'll love this nutritious "cheese" sauce recipe! It is very quick to prepare and can be made into a meal when topped with black beans or shredded chicken, chopped cabbage, and sauteed vegetables. The tortilla chips in these photos are homemade. I use sprouted corn tortillas and slice them into quarters using a pizza cutter then toss them in avocado oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and Herbamare. I spread them into one layer on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. You'll want to turn them with a spatula one or two times during baking. Let them cool completely before using.
1/4 cup raw cashews
1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (cashew, soy, or hemp)
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or olive oil
2 ounces roasted red bell peppers
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon Herbamare or sea salt
Optional Toppings:
sliced black olives
salsa
avocado
black beans
chopped cabbage
cilantro
Place all ingredients into a blender fitted with a sharp blade or a Vita-Mix. Blend until super creamy. Pour into a small saucepan and whisk over medium heat until thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before pouring using. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Pour over a plate of corn chips and top with your favorite toppings. Serve immediately. You could also stir into the sauce a can of diced green chiles if desired (the original recipe call for this).
**Note: To roast red bell peppers, place them into a baking dish or onto a cookie sheet. Roast in a preheated oven on "broil" until the skin is charred, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place into a bowl, cover with a plate, and let cool. Once cooled, the skin slides off easily and you can cut them in half and remove the seeds and stem. *One very small pepper is about 2 ounces, which is what is needed for this recipe.
Win a copy of Go Dairy Free!
To be entered in this drawing, please
leave a comment below. Be sure to use your initials or some way of identifying yourself amongst everyone else. Anonymous comments need to be initialed please!
And please only enter if you plan on checking back to see if you won. I will announce the winner here and in my next post. Drawing will be open until
Monday, April 19th, 2010 at 9pm PST.
To enter more than once:
- Tweet this post on Twitter and come back and leave another comment mentioning you did.
- Share this post on Facebook and come back and leave a second or third comment mentioning you did.
Note: All comments are in moderation to avoid showing nasty spam comments with links to viagra and stuff like that. Your comment will be published when either Tom or I are at the computer and click "publish." Thanks for understanding! :)
This drawing is now CLOSED!
Update: And the WINNER is....Comment #126, drawn using random.org.
Here is the comment: Lynn V. said...
"I was so excited to see this book that I sat at the bookseller for more than an hour writing down recipes (limited income). My grandson loves ice cream; it is difficult for both of us when I take him to dairy queen. Your cookbook is wonderfully helpful and I'm waiting for the new one. I love the generous way you share recipes and resources."
April 17, 2010 7:19 PM
Lynn V., could you please email me your mailing address? Thanks everyone for entering your comments into this great giveaway!
To answer the comments about yeast containing glutamates: Yes, yeast does contain glutamates. In fact, most foods rich in proteins do. Glutamic Acid (Glutamate) is an amino acid. Sequences of amino acids make up proteins. Therefore, foods that are rich in proteins such as meats, poultry, fish, eggs, yeasts, kombu, and dairy products are rich in glutamates.