Vegan Nectarine Tofu Custard Yogurt Pots

I struggled to know what to call this recipe. It’s not really a custard and it’s not really a yogurt either. It doesn’t have any added probiotics so I can’t really call it yogurt, it also isn’t made anything like a traditional custard so it’s hard for me to call it that as well. I have been making a plain vanilla version of this for years. It is in the basics section of my blog. It’s something that I use as an alternative to yogurt and custard because I think it works for both and I use it as both. I still make it weekly and use it in many of my recipes. I recently had a friend that told me of a similar recipe that also added cashews and I thought that was a brilliant idea because it helps add extra protein and fat so is, therefore, better for blood sugar. I also remember being very influenced by how much more protein is needed in pregnancy when I learned about it at university and since then I have been more mindful of my protein intake. I’m learning to fortify some of the foods I make with a little bit more protein. It is true that we don’t need a lot of protein to survive. It is also true that the most current research seems to point to plant-based proteins being equal to if not superior to animal-based proteins, but you can not argue that it is harder to eat a lot of protein on a plant-based diet without some extra attention. You can read my article on protein for women here

I have used nectarine in this recipe but pretty much any fruit will work. Berries are a great idea as well as mango or any other stone fruit. You can also use frozen fruit which changes the texture to more like a frozen yogurt which is delicious. Cashews do not need to be soaked in this recipe. You are welcome to soak them if you like for digestive purposes or if your blender is not strong enough but most blenders these days should be able to handle raw cashews without a problem. There is also the addition of lemon juice in this recipe which is optional. The lemon juice gives a tart flavour that resembles yogurt more, but it is not necessary. If the fruit you are using is particularly tart you can omit it if you prefer a sweeter version. I sometimes use it and sometimes don’t.  I think this works for breakfasts like a yogurt bowl or a dessert. The recipe is a high protein, delicious and versatile. It’s also dairy-free, gluten-free and refined sugar-free.