Vegan Mac N Cheese Aka Creamy Cashew Macaroni Recipes

VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Rinse cashews in cold water. Place in a large bowl; add water to cover by 3 in. Cover and let stand overnight., Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse cashews, discarding liquid. Transfer to a food processor. Add 1-1/2 cups water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and seasonings; cover and process until pureed, 3-4 minutes, scraping down sides as needed., Drain macaroni; return to pan. Stir in cashew mixture. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until heated through. Sprinkle with additional paprika if desired.

VEGAN MAC N CHEESE AKA CREAMY CASHEW MACARONI

Steps:

• Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain and set aside in a large bowl. Cover so it won't dry out.
• Grind cashews in food processor on high speed until relatively smooth. It's okay if the result is rather grainy looking, so long as what you have is mostly a thick paste.
• With processor on low speed, slowly add in the entire can of coconut milk.
• Dissolve the bullion cube in the hot water completely. Again with processor on low speed, slowly pour into the cashew/coconut milk mixture to incorporate fully.
• Add in the garlic and blend.
• Still on slow speed, add in the nutritional yeast, 2TB at a time. Taste after each 2TB to determine the taste that suits you. More nutritional yeast = more cheddar-y type flavor, however, some people do not like the yeast-y flavor it can impart. Add in as much or as little as suits you.
• Add in the vinegar the same way, starting with about 1TB, then adding in more 1tsp at a time, tasting after each tsp to determine what you like. The more vinegar you add, the more "sharp" taste you get. For a very sharp taste, try white vinegar.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Once the sauce is at your satisfaction, pour over the pasta and mix well. Add in water (or make some additional broth) if you prefer a thinner sauce. Refrigerate any leftover sauce.
• I coupled this with some braised spinach (2 bunches of fresh spinach coarsely chopped and sautéed in 2TB olive oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes), that I threw right into the bowl (you can see the spinach in the picture above). Other veggies that would probably pair nicely: peas, braised julienne carrots, steamed broccoli, steamed asparagus tips.

VEGAN MAC N CHEESE AKA CREAMY CASHEW MACARONI

Steps:

• Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain and set aside in a large bowl. Cover so it won't dry out.
• Grind cashews in food processor on high speed until relatively smooth. It's okay if the result is rather grainy looking, so long as what you have is mostly a thick paste.
• With processor on low speed, slowly add in the entire can of coconut milk.
• Dissolve the bullion cube in the hot water completely. Again with processor on low speed, slowly pour into the cashew/coconut milk mixture to incorporate fully.
• Add in the garlic and blend.
• Still on slow speed, add in the nutritional yeast, 2TB at a time. Taste after each 2TB to determine the taste that suits you. More nutritional yeast = more cheddar-y type flavor, however, some people do not like the yeast-y flavor it can impart. Add in as much or as little as suits you.
• Add in the vinegar the same way, starting with about 1TB, then adding in more 1tsp at a time, tasting after each tsp to determine what you like. The more vinegar you add, the more "sharp" taste you get. For a very sharp taste, try white vinegar.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Once the sauce is at your satisfaction, pour over the pasta and mix well. Add in water (or make some additional broth) if you prefer a thinner sauce. Refrigerate any leftover sauce.
• I coupled this with some braised spinach (2 bunches of fresh spinach coarsely chopped and sautéed in 2TB olive oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes), that I threw right into the bowl (you can see the spinach in the picture above). Other veggies that would probably pair nicely: peas, braised julienne carrots, steamed broccoli, steamed asparagus tips.

VEGNEWS VEGAN MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring the water and salt to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente. In a colander, drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
• In a saucepan, add shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion, and water, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft.
• In a blender, process the cashews, salt, garlic, 1/3 cup margarine, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne. Add softened vegetables and cooking water to the blender and process until perfectly smooth.
• In a food processor, make breadcrumbs by pulverizing the bread and 2 tablespoons margarine to a medium-fine texture. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta and blended cheese sauce until completely coated. Spread mixture into a 9 x 13 casserole dish, sprinkle with prepared breadcrumbs, and dust with paprika.
• Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the top has turned golden brown.