VEGAN BÉCHAMEL

MAKES 4 CUPS

WHENEVER A RECIPE CALLS FOR a heavy cream sauce, our vegan béchamel is an obvious substitute. A pantry staple around the Field Roast kitchen for good reason, this supercreamy sauce was inspired by a few friends who run a plant-based website called Wicked Healthy. What makes it different from other vegan sauces? It relies on boiled garlic for flavor, which may seem slightly fussy at first, but boiling it actually removes the sharpness and replaces it with mellow, almost sweet, creamy layers of flavor. I love this sauce on pastas and whole-grain dishes or drizzled over roasted vegetables, and we use it as a base for a number of the recipes in this book.

8 cloves garlic, left whole

1 cup raw cashews

2 teaspoons safflower oil

½ yellow onion, ¼-inch diced

¼ cup white wine

2½ cups water, plus more if needed

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon white miso

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon mustard powder

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons sea salt

1. In a small saucepan filled with water, boil the garlic for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. In a medium-size bowl, cover the cashews with ample water and soak for 2 hours. Drain them and transfer to a blender.

3. In a medium-size saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil and add the onion. Cook the onion until it begins to soften and glisten. Add the wine and lower the heat to low. Allow to simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until most of the moisture is gone. Remove from the heat and add to the blender.

4. Add the remaining ingredients, including the 2½ cups of water, to the blender and process until very smooth, adding more water, if needed. The result should be the consistency of a melted milk shake. You can freeze any extra for later use in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag for up to 6 months.