Carrot and Cashew Nut Roast - Comfort and Joy

The recent celebration of  National Cashew Day nudged me to retrieve a favorite recipe featuring cashews, Carrot and Cashew Nut  roast. I first made this recipe in the late 1990's when I was a practicing lacto-ovo vegetarian (I consumed eggs and milk, but no animal flesh).  I like the recipe because the ingredients are easy to find and the roast can be frozen before or after cooking.

The ingredients:

• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 medium carrots, cooked (retain cooking water)
• 1 1/2 cups cashew nuts
• 2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs  ( I've used regular bread crumbs too)
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1 tablespoon yeast extract (marmite)
• 1/2 lemon, juice of
• 1/3 cup water or stock from cooked carrots
• salt & pepper,to taste

 My steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. Grease 2lb loaf pan. Set aside.
3. Measure out all the dry ingredients and a set aside in bowls. I suggest putting the breadcrumbs in a large bowl because the other ingredients will be mixed with the breadcrumbs.
4. Wash the carrots and cut the ends of the carrots off, discard. I boil the carrots over low to medium heat. I have read that others steam the carrots. It is important that the carrots be soft because the will be mashed.
5. Grind the cashew nuts in a food processor or a coffee bean  grinder. When I first made this recipe I didn't have a food processor. The coffee bean grinder was a less expensive alternative, but meant that the cashews had to be ground in several batches.
6. Chop onions
7. Chop garlic. My friend Ally gave me this wonderful a few months ago - it comes in handy!
8. I use the tablespoon of olive oil to cook the onion and garlic on medium -low heat. I want the onion to be translucent in color
9.  Remove carrots from heat and mash in a separate bowl
10. Add carrots, onions, cashews, yeast extract, lemon juice, and remaining dry ingredients to breadcrumbs. Add water/stock to mixture so ingredients are well combined.
11. Move mixture to loaf pan. Press mixture into loaf pan
12. Place loaf pan in oven. Bake for 1 hour.
13. After removing loaf pan from oven, let the pan sit for 10 -15 minutes before cutting or unmolding.

photo by TEP

photo by TEP

photo by TEP

The roast is delicious  served warm or cold. I've served it with potatoes and  other vegetables as well as with salad.

photo by TEP

I hope you enjoy the dish as much as I do. Let me know if you make the carrot and cashew nut roast.


Be well,

Technicolor girl

image created by Ink+ LLC

SNAP Challenge Day 6 - Creativity

On Day 5 I ran out the door to work without eating breakfast. Was I tired of eating my oatmeal and raisins? Or was I subconsciously trying to stretch my food until the end of the week? I'm not certain. The day began with a meeting that ran much longer than planned, but somehow managed to have lunch at 1pm - the earliest I've eaten lunch all week. Instead of hummus for an afternoon snack, I had a banana. Before work concluded a few emails shifted what would be a quiet long weekend  into a semi-working weekend. Spinach is one of my favorite vegetables, but I didn't want spinach salad for dinner. I discovered the second package of turkey I purchased had not been opened yet; I cubed some of the turkey meat and sautéed it and the spinach with olive oil and a few spices.

Day 5 dinner



sautéing the spinach for dinner

Lessons Learned

• I am trying to strike a balance between being worried about the amount of food on hand and nourishing myself so I can function throughout the day.
• Preparing the spinach differently was a good idea. 
• I'm glad I remembered the bananas. I was going to only consume 1/2 a banana. Eating a whole banana was a treat!
• The soup will be gone on Day6 after lunch. I checked after dinner - I have plenty of oatmeal on hand. I may use it as a replacement for the soup on Day 7.

Questions posed to me on Day 5 and my answers:

• Q: Have you done any cooking during the SNAP Challenge?



boiling brown rice for dinner

• A: Not really because I prepared my meal at the start of the week. I primarily reheat the entrée, boil rice and prepare salad and/or veggies.

• Q: Are you getting enough to eat? 
• A: Actually, I am, but I think it is because of the food I chose to prepare and the portions I am consuming.

• Q: How is your energy level?
• A: My energy is pretty good during the day. At the end of the day I am tired, but I don't think it is a result of the food that I'm eating this week. It's more due to my schedule and the tasks on my to do list.

Day 6 will be a full day including running errands, attending a training class and volunteering in another cooking class. I will also need to apply a bit more creativity to my meals moving forward. Day 6 will be the end of my tasty hummus and raisin packages. I'll have to sort out what will  be snacks on Day 7.  Perhaps grapefruit sections?


Be well,

Technicolor girl

image created by InkPlus LLC