“The delicately flavored cashew nut is a favorite between meal snack that can be readily found in your local market year round.”  WHF

When was the last time you made a different sauce to add to your steamed veggies?

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.  (Matt. 13:31; NIV)

Today’s recipe adds to our “Odds and Ends” category that we started last week.  This sauce is a nice addition to steamed vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower or Brussels sprouts.  It’s also nice on fish or chicken.  The base of the sauce is cashews. 

Now, I’m not talking about the kind found in a can that have been roasted in oil with lots of salt added!  Hopefully you’ve all seen cashews that haven’t been roasted or salted.  According to World’s Healthiest Foods, “cashew nuts are actually the kidney-shaped seeds that adhere to the bottom of the cashew apple, the fruit of the cashew tree, which is native to the coastal areas of northeastern Brazil.”

You’ve probably noticed that cashews in the shell are not available in stores. This is because cashews are always sold shelled since the interior of their shells contains a resin, known as cashew balm, which must be carefully removed before they are fit for eating.  Cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts and they are a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc.

The recipe also calls for arrowroot.  Perhaps that’s a new ingredient for some.  It’s used as a thickening agent in sauces, puddings, and pie fillings instead of cornstarch which is actually quite processed.  Arrowroot is a white powder with the look and feel similar to cornstarch, extracted from the root of a West Indian plant, Marantha arundinacea.  It’s essentially flavorless and can be used as a substitute for cornstarch in equal amounts.

The other ingredient that makes this sauce distinctive is Dijon mustard.  I’m not an expert on mustard but apparently a man named Jean Naigeon created his version of mustard in Dijon, France in 1856, using a sour liquid made from unripe grapes instead of the traditional vinegar.  Westbrae is the brand of Dijon mustard that I use.  It contains some organically grown ingredients and has no preservatives.  So, enjoy this simple and easy to make sauce on some veggies this evening.

Prayer Power
Father, we bless You.  You are so good to us and we are so thankful for the many, many ways that you bless us each and every day.

Link of the Day
Cashew Mustard Sauce

Blessings on you as you think about new ways to add flavor to your vegetables.