There was a week when I had a kilo of kale, and there was no choice but to put it to good use. Cake? Yes. Sauteed with fried egg? Yes. Random sauce concoction that you can put on anything from pasta to salad? Of course.

I have a thing for dishes made with raw cashews – serve them to people and they’d never be able to tell you that it’s something vegan. It’s just straight up delicious. Not that I am vegan myself, but as we’ve discussed before, I like the challenge of making vegan dishes.

My friend Paul (who happens to be much more well versed on vegan cooking than I am) once sent out a recipe he called “Strawberry… Stuff,” which was a delicious cashew strawberry combination that was something like ice cream if frozen, or yogurt at a warmer temperature.

This recipe could in fact be called “Kale… Stuff” because it’s really just a multipurpose dish of goodness. Sort of like a pesto, almost like a cheesy alfredo if put atop pasta, and similar to a creamy dressing, you can use it with just about anything.

My preferred way of serving it? Over roasted potatoes and vegetables on top of a bed of lentils. Healthy comfort food at its best.

The I-Can-Do-Anything Kale and Garlic Cream Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews + 1 cup of water for soaking

1 cup of water

3-4 large kale leaves, with stem removed and chopped

1-2 cloves garlic (depends on how punchy you want this to be – if you want a smoother taste, roast the garlic first)

Dash of sea salt + black pepper

Lemon juice to taste (optional)

Preparation

Soak cashews in one cup water for at least an hour. Drain.

In a blender or food processor, combine drained cashews, kale leaves and garlic. Add in one cup of water. Puree until you get a smooth consistency.

Store in an airtight container (like an old peanut butter jar) in the refrigerator.