Recipe - Vegan Mac & Cheese

Sometimes imposter foods just don't stack up.  I made my husband a "tuna fish" sandwich once that was meatless.  Poor man.  I didn't make it clear enough that this was not tuna, but a knock-off.  It was a shock, and not a pleasant one.  After that first surprise, he kept eating and by the time the sandwich was finished it wasn't too bad.

Now, when I try an imitation recipe, I make sure it is crystal clear what it is.

A few weeks ago, I tried some vegan cheese sauce.  After a little tweaking, it tasted pretty good to me.  I made Mac & Cheese with it.  Yummy!

Soak the raw cashews for 2-6 hours.  This makes the cheese sauce creamy.  The salt can be any kind you have on hand.  The nutritional yeast was not hard to find.  I have seen it in the health food store and the local WinCo in the bulk section.  It is a yellow colored flake and has a cheesy taste to it.  The coconut oil is more like the consistency of butter than oil, but it melts at a very low temperature.

Vegan Mac & Cheese

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2	cups macaroni noodles (8 oz)
1 to 2	cups broccoli florets
For sauce
3	tbsp fresh, organic lemon juice
1	cup water
1/4	cup extra virgin coconut oil
3	tbsp nutritional yeast
3	tbsp tahini
1	tsp onion powder
1	tsp garlic powder
1/2	tsp paprika
1/4	tsp tumeric
1	cup raw cashews, soaked
1 1/2	tsp pink Himalayan or Celtic sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1.	Prepare your macaroni noodles according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Rinse and set aside.
2.	While macaroni is boiling, steam your broccoli. Don’t over steam. Vibrant broccoli means nutrients are intact.
3.	Place all sauce ingredients in the blender and pulse until creamy.
4.	Place sauce, cooked noodles and steamed broccoli in a saucepan to warm for about 5 minutes. This will thicken the sauce and blend all the flavors in a pretty magical way.
5.	Yum! Store extra in an airtight jar in the fridge. Warm over the stove or eat cold when you want more.
6.	TIPS & SUBSTITUTIONS:
7.	Try tossing a chipotle pepper into your cheese sauce and blend for a spicy version.
8.	Add organic red pepper to the cheese sauce when blending for an orangish cheese sauce.
9.	Add 1 tsp of Liquid Smoke (Colgin is gluten-free) to the cheese sauce for a smoked cheese flavor.
10.	Make it baked! Prepare recipe as you see here, but put in a glass casserole dish. In a separate bowl, toss some organic chopped kale leaves with olive oil, a pinch of salt and gluten-free flour. Sprinkle on top of your Mac & Cheese and bake in the oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes. The kale tastes just like a breadcrumb topping.
11.	Mix in some toasted sunflower seeds for crunch.
12.	Try using sprouted grain pasta or gluten-free spirals instead of macaroni noodles.
13.	Add some chopped sundried tomatoes.