This light and delicious side dish is topped with a vegan caramelized shallots and lemon vodka cashew butter sauce.
I love creamy sauces but without the richness. I thought why not use my favorite vegan substitutions and see what happens. I was elated that it worked! You can use this sauce recipe on fish, shellfish, chicken and other vegetables too. Asparagus is one of the most beneficial veggies for the body. It’s a diuretic, packed with antioxidants, and has sulfuric compounds, (which are harmless), but can cause gas and that foul smelling urine! Eating asparagus may also help protect against and fight certain forms of cancer, such as bone, breast, colon, larynx and lung cancers. Let’s face it, most vegetables can’t be harmful to our bodies and should be the food that is the predominant food on our plates.
INGREDIENTS 2 pounds medium to fat asparagus, blanched or roasted
6 large shallots, sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup vodka
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup So Delicious Coconut Creamer
3/4 pd. original Miyoko’s Cashew Butter
Pink salt and black pepper, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the asparagus on a sheet pan and drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and black pepper. Roast to just past crunchy, about 5-9 minutes depending on how fat your asparagus are. Remove and place on a platter.
If you want to blanch the asparagus, boil water and add a teaspoon of salt. Fill a bowl with water and ice. When the water comes to a boil, add the asparagus and cook to just past crunchy, drain and plunge into the ice bath. Remove the asparagus and place on a platter.
In a saute on high heat, add the olive oil and shallots and cook until golden brown. Place over the asparagus like in the photo. In a saucepan add the vodka and lemon and cook down by ½ and add the coconut creamer and reduce by ½. Turn off the heat and slowly add the cashew butter whisking vigorously until it’s melted. Season with pink salt and black pepper to taste. Drizzle over the shallots and serve! Grilled steak, chicken, fish, tofu, salad or a favorite carb of yours, if desired.