Lima Cashew Cream (gluten free, vegan)

I had a vision last night before going to bed.  It was a vision of a creamy, thick, dippy, saucy kind of thing to eat over the steamed kabocha squash that was on deck for breakfast.  Something with cashews.  And lima beans.  Yes, lima beans.  

I love lima beans!  The little green baby ones, the white mature ones, in salads, in soups, in cassoulets, and dips; I love them all, I love them always.  I was not damaged as a child with bad lima bean experiences, thank goodness.  If you were damaged as a child in the lima bean department, give this dip a try.  It might heal your wounds.  It is thick and creamy and rich and totally easy to make.  I flavored mine with a dollop of pesto, but feel free to jazz yours up however you'd like with other fresh herbs, spices, or lemon or lime juice.  If I could, I think I'd try making a chili-lime-cilantro version! Before I added the pesto, it was a lovely, very pale green color; after, it took on a brighter shade of green.  
 

The cream was delicious spooned over my squash.  So delicious, in fact, that after finishing my breakfast portion, I proceeded to eat the rest of the cream out of the jar with a spoon.  Not smart. Now I have a bellyache, ugh.  I would not recommend eating the entire batch in one sitting.  I just may be one of the only people on earth who binge eats lima beans.  

A better way to use it would be as an awesome vegetable dip, a sauce over pasta, grains, or vegetables, or spooned on a sweet or baked potato or over squash.  Made in a double batch, I think it would be great filler in some vegetable-laden, gluten-free lasagna (the Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles are pretty great!).  I hope you like it enough to eat the whole batch.  But don't.

Lima Cashew Cream

yield: approx 1 c

• 1/3 c raw cashews, soaked 4-6 hours
• 2/3 c frozen, pre-cooked baby lima beans
• 1 T pesto OR 1/2 T olive oil and 1 T other herbs/spices
• 1/2 c water
• a few drops of ume vinegar or a pinch of sea salt

Soak cashews for 4-6 hours.  Drain and rinse well.  Puree cashews, thawed limas, pesto, and about 1/3 c of water until totally smooth.  Add salt/ume to taste, and any additional water needed to reach desired consistency, and puree again until well mixed and creamy.  Serve!  Will thicken slightly if refrigerated.

VARIATIONS:

Try using soaked almonds instead of cashews.  Or, choose to season with different herbs, spices, or oils.  Here's a few ideas spinning through my head...

• chili powder, lime juice, cilantro
• sesame oil, ginger
• dill, lemon juice
• fresh garlic
• roasted onions
• curry powder