Kick-Ass Queso (Vegan, GF, Sexy Sugar Cleanse Approved)

Ti’s the season for holiday parties filled with trays of mystery cheese dips, bacon wrapped bread sticks (I don’t know where that came from!), cheesecake balls and endless finger foods. So how do you enjoy the party without feeling like you need to hibernate afterwards? My suggestion: set your day up with delicious satisfying meals so you don’t go into the party famished + bring your own healthy (and tasty) contribution that fools people into thinking they’re eating something just as decadent as all the other dishes! 🙌🏽

It’s also important that you ditch the restrictive self-talk which says things like “great, I can’t have any of the food here” and swap it out for abundance “I can enjoy as much of this as I want as long as I listen to my body.” If you go in thinking this is your “cheat day” you’ll want to binge on everything in site and start over tomorrow but if you feel satisfied from your previous meals with the mindset that you can enjoy anything you like, you'll realize that 2 pieces of pie won’t throw you off but two days of guilt and shame afterwards will. Life is all about enjoyment and figuring out how to create a yin and yang balance that works for you! I create balance in my life by finding swap outs that satisfy my cravings and then allow myself the real deal when I really want to-- I can eat this vegan queso all day but there's not really a substitute for a delicious glass of sauvignon blanc... so guess what? 🍷 I'll be drinking the real thing while dipping my carrots into my delish queso! 😋

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup soaked cashews 

1/2 cup mild or medium chunky salsa

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 

1/2 small red bell pepper

Optional: 1 scoop @FurtherFood collagen peptides (I love to sneak collagen into foods because it keeps me fuller and aids in digestion-- plus it's great for hair, skin and nails too!)

Salt, pepper to taste + a pinch or two of turmeric for yellow color!

DIRECTIONS

Soak cashews for 4-6 hours in water to allow for easier blending and digestion. Drain cashews and add to high speed blender along with all other ingredients (salsa, nutritional yeast, red bell pepper, collagen, salt, pepper, and turmeric). Blend on high until the consistency is smooth and creamy— this might take a few minutes so get in some exercise while you wait! Do a little dance, challenge yourself to 100 jumping jacks or run in place! 

Once mixture is creamy, taste with a spoon and adjust to your liking by adding in a little bit more salt or even a little more nutritional yeast for extra cheesiness! If you like it spicy, throw in some cayenne or red chili flakes! Scoop mixture into a fun serving vessel and serve with crudite or my favorite Siete Foods nacho cheese tortilla chips which are grain & corn free AND so yummy!

Oh and did I mention, this recipe is Sexy Sugar Cleanse Friendly? Enjoy! 💕