Lemon Garlic Ricotta
1 1/2 cups soaked and drained raw cashews (soak in salted water overnight)
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cloves of raw garlic
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup water + more as needed
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
dash of pepper
dash of cayenne
1 tsp mixed dried Italian herbs (optional)
a few dashes of ground flax seeds (optional)
small scoop of nutritional yeast (optional)

Pesto
(use your favorite pesto recipe or the one below)
1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup spinach (or another leafy green)
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped with stems
1 cup raw walnuts (or a mix of raw seeds/nuts you may have on hand - pumpkin seeds and pine nuts work well too)
2-3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
a few dashes black pepper
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
water as needed to thin out pesto during blend
optional: 1 small jalapeno, stem removed (for heat)