I get asked for this recipe a lot! Mostly from parents with lactose intolerant kids but it’s also very yummy comfort food for us vegans who remember bowls of gooey mack and cheese as kids. As a bonus the main ingredient is nutritional yeast (available at health food stores) that supplies a boat load of B vitamins*, I Tablespoon provides 386% Thiamine, 337% Riboflavin, 175% Niacin 150% of the ever-elusive Vitamin B12, 270% B6 and 29% Folic Acid. You can easily whip up a batch of “Cheese” while your pasta is boiling. To make this meal easier toss some broccoli or frozen peas into the pasta water as it cooks, the vegan cheese id especially Delicious on green veggies!
*Vegan Cheese Ingredients:
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp wet mustard
Optional: 2 tablespoons of pureed squash baby food.
Whisk all ingredients except mustard and squash in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it starts to bubble and thicken stirring constantly. After it starts to bubble cook foe 1 more minute (keep stirring!) Remove from heat and whisk in the mustard and squash if desired. I usually use more garlic powder and salt than I listed so feel free to adjust. You can sneak any pureed mild flavored veggies in this recipe. I keep jars of squash baby food on hand for this (also good in spaghetti sauce) but tomato paste works well in this too!
Now Moms this is important: Do not try to pass this off as “Kraft Dinner” I call it “Mommy’s mac ‘n cheese”. Make a plate for yourself and start eating, within minutes you little ones will appear wanting a bite, begrudgingly let them try it, when they are hooked get them your own bowl. My kids act suspicious when I offer them the food in their own bowls willingly, for some reason thinking that I made the food just for me makes it all the more tasty!
This “cheese” is also great on chili! While were at it here’s one more recipe:
Fat Free Vegan Chili:
1 Can of each: kidney beans. black beans, sweet corn, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beer (if desired)
1 bag of Morning Star Farms or Boca Recipe crumbles
1tsp each of: chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and salt
Put everything in a pot and cook high until it starts to bubble, then turn down to low to keep it warm until ready to serve. You can make this in the crock pot as well. Just a note: since their is no fat in this recipe you need to use less spices than traditional chili. Top with vegan cheese or guacamole.
Vegan guacamole:
2 ripe avocados
1 tsp each: garlic powder, Lemon juice, salt
Mash all ingredients with a fork until well blended or puree if you like it smooth. Yum!
*Nutritional Yeast info from “The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook” a great reference for any vegetarian.
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