Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

Every vegan wannabe has an arsenal of  favorite recipes for vegan mac and cheese….here is our first.

The other night we were seeking some comfort food, you know the kind of food that fills your belly and a place in your soul that is wanting to feel safe and loved too.   We discussed some of our favorites and then suddenly, macaroni and cheese came to mind as the perfect option.   Mac n cheese was a staple of my childhood.  When I was little, the Kraft Mac n cheese from the blue box was nothing short of divine, but my palate has changed along with other dietary choices and now I prefer a slightly more grown up variation on an old friend.

A few months back Sandy whipped up a hollandaise sauce that had a slightly cheesy overtone to it.  When there was some leftover, she made it into a macaroni and cheese that was positively craveable.  So, she made again the other night, this time with the idea in mind that it was to become macaroni and cheese right from the start.

Vegan Mac n Cheese

by S. Boulton

Hollandaise Ingredients:

1 pkg Silken tofu (approx 15 oz)

1/2 + 1/8 C nutritional yeast (set this 1/8 C aside)

1 Tbsp white or yellow miso (we used white paste)

2 Tbsp tamari

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 tsp turmeric

Dash black pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1 Tbsp arrowroot

Unsweetened non-dairy milk as needed to thin sauce (we started with 1/4 C and ended up closer to 1/2 C)

Rest of Mac n Cheese ingredients

~ 1/4 to 1/2 C shredded non-dairy cheese (I used Daiya)

~3 C your favorite pasta shape (dry)

~1 C frozen peas

Make it Happen:

~Put all of the Hollandaise sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until very smooth.  It should be pourable, but not runny.

~boil the pasta according to the package instructions.  Toss the peas into the boiling pasta for about the last 2 minutes to heat them through.  You could add other veggies if you wanted as well, like chopped peppers or artichoke, let your imagination roam free.  Drain the pasta and peas in a colander and return to the pot.  Stir in the shredded cheese and as it begins to melt, add the hollandaise sauce, the 1/8 C additional nutritional yeast and warm together on low just enough  to heat through.

If you felt even further inspired, you could toss in some chopped olives here too.  We kept it simpler on this evening and enjoyed it with only adding peas.

Makes 4 generous servings.

This was a perfect comfort food for my body and my soul, just as I had imagined it would be.

Have a delicious weekend.

Tags: comfort food, compassionate eating, dairy free, healthier comfort food, plant based diet, vegan challenge, vegan comfort food, vegan entree, vegan experience, vegan mac n cheese, vegan macaroni and cheese, vegan recipe, vegan wannabe