Vegan Honey Mustard Cashew Dressing and Chicken Salad

We are in full on healthy salad mode in Maohaus right now. (Side note- mao= cat, haus= bauhaus nod...you can see our house restoration/renovation on instagram using the #Maohaus!). With the warmer temps we're on our salad a day healthy eating habit and it's nice to be back. While we typically make a home made healthy vinaigrette dressing, sometimes you just want something creamy. But ranch dressing on my greens? Over my dead body. To get the same creamy texture as a cream dressing with extra protein and healthy fats, you're going to flip for this vegan honey mustard dressing...made with cashews. CASHEWS! Not only is this dressing delicious on greens, it's also so good as mart of a shredded chicken salad but also with (let's get real) soft pretzels. 

To touch a little bit more on Maohaus, oh my gosh...I'm thrilled to pieces with the latest project: privacy creation in the form of shrubs and fences. If you live in a downtown area/neighborhood you know how nosey people are. It is insane how many people have literally come up onto our porch and taken pictures, peeked in windows etc. We've been tempted many a time to pop up from behind the window and scare the bejesus out of someone. But the worst part isn't even the tourists. It's the neighbors themselves who, I swear to goodness, walk straight into our yard, peek around corners and even crazier things I can't even mention. You'd think they'd want privacy too, but apparently we are far too interesting to let be? Anyway, we are SO excited to be able to use our outdoor space more in this gorgeous weather without having eyes on us all the time. Because even though we 'do' social media... one still likes a bit of privacy. You know? Do you have crazy neighbor stories?

Vegan Honey Mustard Dressing

makes 3/4 cup

/// Ingredients ///

• 1/2 c. Raw Cashews (not roasted!)
• 1/3 c. Water
• 2 T Cider Vinegar
• 2 T Honey
• 2 T Dijon Mustard
• 1/4 T cracked pepper
• 2 T EVOO
• Salt to taste

/// Directions /// Place cashews into some boiling water (Not the water quantity above, that goes in the blender.). Allow the cashews to soak and stand for 30 minutes. Drain cashews, add to blender with the rest of the ingredients including 1/3 cup water. Use plain or toss with cubed or shredded chicken breast and pair with spinach, fuji apple, celery and cucumber.