Creamy Vegan Cheese & Mac GWilkerson12/12/2014 Favorite Plant-Based Recipes
Creamy Vegan Cheese & Mac I was sent this delicious vegan cheese recipe by a friend… adapted by by Author: Lindsay Rey from VegNews’ Vegan Macaroni and Cheese. This doesn’t taste like dairy cheese…but it’s close enough! Actually we omit the coconut milk as it is not whole food, it’s refined ‘food’ and has saturated fat. Her Grilled Cheese Sandwich recipe has the exact same recipe for the cheese. We also took this ‘vegan cheese’ as a nacho dip to a potluck.. just add a little spices of your liking. Our dip layered blended ‘refried’ pinto beans, a pico mix, then this vegan ‘cheese’ on top in a serving dish. The entire dish was emptied! (lucky she didn’t take All of it!) Vegan Cheese Ingredients:
10 ounces dried macaroni (or about 2⅔ cups) 1 cup peeled/diced yellow potatoes (or russets) ¼ cup peeled/diced carrots ⅓ cup chopped onion ¾ cup water (preferably use liquid from pot of boiled veggies. Use less water for thicker vegan cheese) ½ cup raw cashews ¼ cup coconut milk – (can be omitted to be more healthful) 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes 1 tablespoon lemon juice ¾ to 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste) ¼ teaspoon garlic powder 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1 pinch paprika
Vegan Cheese Instructions:
1. Cook macaroni al dente, according to package instructions (usually requires boiling for 68 minutes in salted water), drain, and set aside. 2. Bring several cups of water to boil in a small pot. Place chopped potatoes, carrots, and onion in the boiling water, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and soft enough to blend. Cooking time will vary slightly, based on how small you have chopped your veggies. 3. When veggies are soft enough to blend, use a slotted spoon to remove them from cooking water, and place them in your blender. Add ¾ cup of that cooking water to your blender, along with your remaining ingredients. 4. Blend until smooth. 5. Pour sauce over your cooked macaroni noodles in a dish of your choice, taste for salt, and serve immediately. 6. Or, place macaroni mixture in a baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, or until crumbs are turning golden brown. Notes: This is almost as tasty and not near as pricey as fermented cashew cheese. If you are not using a high-speed blender (like Vitamix of Blendtec) for this recipe, I recommend soaking your cashews for at least 30 minutes before attempting this recipe. Also, for slightly thicker cheese use less water and more cashews…it is yummy… It is from Vegan Yumminess site… Chili Mac? make a vegan chili, this cheese and a whole grain pasta, mix and enjoy… yummy.. What else is cheese mixed with?? Broccoli cheese, of course! Grilled Cheese Sandwich Nacho Cheese Creamy broccoli soup Cheesy Potato soup Try it in many places one might use vegan cheese