Vegan Mac N Cheez Food

VEGAN MAC N CHEEZ

Steps:

• In a vegetable steamer, steam the sweet potatoes, carrots, onion and red bell pepper until fork-soft, about 15 minutes. When the vegetables are half cooked, put the water on to boil for the pasta. Salt generously.
• When the veggies are soft, put them in the blender with the remaining ingredients, then blend, adding milk until you obtain a thick pouring sauce. Stop blender once to scrape down the sides blend a little longer to get the sauce really smooth and creamy.
• Drain the pasta and return to the pan. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir over a low heat for a few minutes to warm through and combine thoroughly.
• Serve with kid-friendly greens of your choice.

20-MINUTE MAC AND CHEESE (VEGAN)

Steps:

• Place cashews in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak for 15-20 minutes, until very soft. Drain and rinse the cashews and set aside.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and generously salt. Add the pasta, stir, and cook according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup (240 ml) of pasta water (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), then drain and return the noodles to the pot, off of the heat.
• After soaking, transfer the cashews to a high-speed blender. Add the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, turmeric, chili powder, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup (120 ml // amount as recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) reserved pasta water. Blend until smooth. Add more pasta water if necessary to reach your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed, adding nutritional yeast for cheesiness, lemon juice for acidity/brightness, turmeric for more vibrant color, and salt to taste. It should be very flavorful!
• Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and toss to coat. Add more pasta water as needed to coat the noodles.
• Serve immediately as is or garnish with vegan parmesan cheese (optional). Leftovers will keep in a sealed container up to 3-4 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot, adding a little plain unsweetened dairy-free milk (almond typically works best) to rehydrate as needed. Not freezer friendly.

AMAZING VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Cook according to package directions. If using broccoli, stir it into the pot when just 2 to 3 more minutes remain. Drain, and transfer the contents to a large serving bowl.
• Meanwhile, in a medium-to-large saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender and turning translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the grated potato, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, salt and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute to enhance their flavors.
• Add the cashews and water, and stir to combine. Let the mixture come to a simmer. Continue simmering, stirring frequently and reducing heat as necessary to avoid a rapid boil, until the potatoes are completely tender and cooked through, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Carefully pour the mixture into a blender. Add the nutritional yeast and 2 teaspoons vinegar. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. If the mixture won't blend easily or if you would prefer a thinner consistency, add water in ¼ cup increments, blending after each one.
• Taste, and blend in additional salt until the sauce is utterly irresistible (I typically add at least another ½ teaspoon). If it needs a little more zip, add the remaining teaspoon of vinegar. Blend again.
• Pour the sauce into the bowl of pasta. Stir until well combined, and serve immediately. Leftovers keep well, chilled and covered, for 3 to 4 days. Gentle reheat, adding a tiny splash of water if necessary to loosen up the sauce.

VEGAN MAC N "CHEEZE"

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the celery and carrots and cook until the vegetables have softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the butternut squash and cook until slightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add just enough water (about 2 cups) to barely cover the vegetables. Add the cashews and 1 teaspoon salt, bring to a boil and cook until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes, but cooking time will vary slightly, depending on the size of the vegetables.
• For the pasta: Salt the water and cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• For the breadcrumb topping: Roughly chop the bread and pulse in a food processor until the bread resembles coarse crumbs. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, paprika and salt and toss to combine. Cook, tossing regularly, until golden and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer the vegetable-cashew mixture to a blender along with the remaining cooking liquid. Blend until smooth, then add the nutritional yeast, garlic powder and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth, then taste and adjust the seasoning to taste.
• Pour the creamy sauce over the cooked pasta and toss to combine.
• Sprinkle with crispy breadcrumbs and parsley and serve.

VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• The night before, soak the cashew nuts in water and leave overnight.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Steam the carrots and potatoes together for 5 mins, until completely softened. Transfer to a food processor. Drain the cashews and add these with 60ml of the oil, then blitz to break down the nuts. Tip in the other ingredients - apart from the macaroni, breadcrumbs and the remaining oil - then blitz again until the mixture is smooth and season well. Add a splash of water and just a drizzle of olive oil if it looks too stiff, then set aside.
• Cook the macaroni in a large pan of salted water for 1 min less than packet instructions, drain then stir through the sauce. Transfer the mix to an ovenproof dish, stir the breadcrumbs with the remaining oil and some seasoning. Scatter over the top of the macaroni and bake for 20-25 mins until piping hot and crisp.