Sometimes my 3 year old is adamant that she does not like eating whole nuts, but cashews are the exception. I guess it’s because they are a fairly soft nut, easier to chew, and have a mild, sweet flavor. We liked snacking on these salted cashews so much (even though I nearly burned them because we were busy building a fort in the kitchen) that I had a hard time reserving any of them for dinner. If you don’t have millet you can use a full cup of quinoa, which is easier to find in stores these days. Did you know quinoa is the only grain that qualifies as a complete protein? Awesome stuff, easy to prepare and cooks a heck of a lot faster than brown rice.
Quinoa Cashew Salad
Quinoa:
1 ½ cups water
½ t. sea salt
1 t. fresh thyme or ½ t. dried thyme
¾ cup quinoa, rinsed
¼ cup millet, rinsed
Use a sieve to rinse quinoa and millet in warm running water for about 60 seconds. Place in pot with 1 ½ cups water, salt and thyme, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook 15-20 minutes until fluffy.
Cashews:
1 t. earth balance (can substitute coconut or olive oil)
Pinch of salt
½ cup raw cashews
In a medium stock pot or large saute pan, toast 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently, then remove from pan.
Squash:
1 T. olive oil
½ butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 large fuji apple, peeled, cored, cut into 12pieces and halved crosswise
¾ cup water
3 cups fresh spinach, rinsed, dried and roughly chopped
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Dressing – whisk together:
2 t. apple cider vinegar
2 T. olive oil
1 T. molasses
Heat oil in the same pot used for cashews, cook squash 4 minutes, then add apple and water, cook 15 minutes until soft. Stir in spinach, cooked quinoa, and dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Plate and top with toasted cashews.
Raised from Scratch 