This smoked cashew-chipotle salsa was something I came across several years ago while having lunch at Empellon in NYC (Ohhh, the memories of dining out, sigh). They offer a selection of seven salsas and the smoked cashew salsa was the one that I vividly remember to this day.

Have you tried making plant-based cashew ‘whipped cream’?? If not, you must. Cashews soaked overnight in water and then whipped until smooth with a hint of sweetener (e.g., dates, maple syrup), vanilla and voila — plant-based, dairy-free whipped cream.

This salsa has that same luscious consistency, but is savory instead of sweet in nature. There’s only 3 ingredients in the salsa: smoked cashews, chipotle in adobo and a pinch of sea salt (and water).

I smoked the cashews in an outdoor smoker for several hours. That being said, before I owned the smoker I had decent success with a simple stovetop smoker.

The second salsa is a Yucatan pumpkin seed sauce called sikil p’ak. If you can overlook its less than aesthetic appeal, it’s got a lot going on flavor wise. Toasted pumpkin seeds combined with fresh herbs (chives and cilantro), charred tomatoes and a habanero for a kick of fruity, heat.

While you can certainly enjoy both salss with merrely a handful of tortilla chips to scoop them up, I’ve decided to serve with roasted cauliflower steaks. Although, I’ve got a bag of tortillas on back up.

Smoked Cashew-Chipotle Salsa

5 ounces *smoked cashews
5 ounces water
2 chipotles in adobo sauce
Pinch salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth.

*I smoked the cashews in an electric smoker, around 3 hours at 250 F.

Pumpkin Seed Salsa (Sikil P’ak)

Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Adapted from Saveur
1 1⁄4 cups raw, unhulled pumpkin seeds 
2 plum tomatoes, cored
1 habanero chile, stemmed
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
Salt, to taste

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add pumpkin seeds, and cook, swirling pan often, until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a food processor, and process until smooth, about 45 seconds; set aside.

Return skillet to heat and add tomatoes and chile; cook, turning as needed, until charred all over, about 5-10 minutes for the chile, 7 minutes for the tomatoes. Transfer to food processor with pumpkin seeds along with cilantro, chives, and salt, and pulse until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, and serve at room temperature.

Cauliflower Steaks

Cauliflower sliced into ~ 3/4 to 1-inch thick slices
Olive Oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Brush both sides of the cauliflower lightly with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.  When hot, add the cauliflower steak(s) and cook until nicely browned, about 2 minutes per side (depending on the size of your skillet and number of cauliflower steaks, you may need to do in batches). 

Place the skillet in the oven and roast until the cauliflower is tender all the way through, about 8-10 minutes.