Weird Works in This Recipe

Vegan Mac and Cheese. Yep…..VEGAN Mac and Cheese.  I know, I know those words don’t seem like they should belong in the same recipe. However, I went out on a culinary limb and gave this one a go. Much to my surprise, it was great! I wouldn’t tell CP what was in it until after he had declared that it was in fact yummyJ.  This was my first time using nutritional yeast, and after some investigation, I’ve found even more ways to use it.  The nutritional yeast gives off a cheesy flavor, and combined with pureed cashews (yes, you read that correctly) and a few other simple ingredients, the sauce was delicious.

Vegan Mac n’ Cheese (source)

Author: Detoxinista.com

Prep time:  20 mins

Cook time:  20 mins

Total time:  40 mins

Serves: 4-6

A creamy, vegan “cheese” sauce that’s sure to fool even the pickiest of eaters!

Ingredients

·         1½ cups raw cashews

·         3 T. fresh lemon juice

·         ¾ cup water

·         1½ tsp. sea salt

·         ¼ cup nutritional yeast

·         ½ tsp. chili powder

·         ½ clove garlic

·         pinch of turmeric

·         pinch of cayenne pepper

·         ½ tsp. mustard (dijon or yellow)

·         8 oz. of elbow or shell pasta of choice

·         freshly ground black pepper

·         paprika, for garnish

·         *optional add-ins: roasted broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, spinach (I highly recommend these!!!)

Instructions

1.     Preheat the oven to 350F. (If you are adding roasted broccoli to your dish, this would be a good time to start preparing that, so it can roast in the oven while you work on the rest!) You should also start boiling some water to prepare your pasta.

2.     If you have a Vita-Mix, or other high-powered blender, making this sauce is incredibly easy. Simply throw the first ten ingredients into the blender, and blend until smooth and creamy!

3.     If you do not have a high-powered blender, don’t worry– you can easily use a food processor or blender to process the cashews first, until they are finely ground, or ideally, a nut-butter-like consistency. Once your cashews are thoroughly processed, add the rest of the ingredients and process until thick and smooth.

4.     At this time, you should check your pasta. Once it’s cooked to your liking, drain and rinse it, then return the pasta to the pot to be mixed with the cheese sauce.

5.     If you’re adding any roasted or sauteed veggies, this would be the time to do it. I highly recommend adding roasted broccoli to this dish!

6.     Once you’ve mixed everything together, pour the mac n’ cheese into an 8 x 8 square dish and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and black pepper. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

7.     Let cool for about 5 minutes, then serve!

 

In case you’re looking for something a bit more traditional to go along with the vegan mac and cheese, here’s a recipe for crock pot chicken that’s wonderful! (source)

The Best Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne (red) pepper
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 large chicken

Directions

1. Combine the dried spices in a small bowl.
2. Loosely chop the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker.
3. Remove any giblets from the chicken and then rub the spice mixture all over. You can even put some of the spices inside the cavity and under the skin covering the breasts.
4. Put prepared chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, cover it, and turn it on to high. There is no need to add any liquid.
5. Cook for 4 – 5 hours (for a 3 or 4 pound chicken) or until the chicken is falling off the bone. Don’t forget to make your homemade stock with the leftover bones!