mac n cheese | FoodByNat

Vegan Mac ‘n Cheese? Say what?!

I love real cheese and real Mac ‘n Cheese, so I’m only posting this recipe because it fooled me and tastes like the real deal. I’m not vegan, so pulling off a non-vegan recipe without it tasting fake is rather impressive. Since this dish leaves out the cheese (and we all know some of the best Mac ‘n Cheese calls for high-fat, high-caloric, and sometimes artificial flavors) it’s actually healthier than the original classic. Don’t worry, the flavor and texture of creamy cheesiness is still there!

Ingredients:

300g pasta – Penne or Fusilli works great instead of Elbow Macaroni
350g (1 cup) chopped potatoes
170g (1/2 cup) chopped onion
170g (1/2 cup) chopped carrots
1 cup water (use from pot of boiled veggies)
230g (2/3 cup) raw cashews
75g (1/3 cup) coconut milk
2 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast (Hefeflocken in German, not to be confused with plain Hefe or Haferflocken)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper
couple dashes of cayenne pepper and paprika (optional)

Instructions:

Soak cashews in hot water for minimum 1 hour.
Boil and cook pasta until al dente in salted water (usually 6-8 minutes). Drain and set aside.
Boil potatoes, onion, and carrots in a couple cups of water for about 10 minutes or until tender.
Use a slotted spoon to place veggies in blender or food processor and add a cup of the boiled water they were in.
Drain cashews and add them to blender.
Add remaining ingredients, generous pinches of salt, pepper, and blend until smooth.
Pour over pasta and enjoy!