Smoky Vegan Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe is based on a recipe created by vegan chef Jerri Hastey (Jessica Chastain's mom). I saw it in a magazine (can't remember which one), made a couple of tweaks to suit my tastes, and BAM. This is good. Careful - it's addictive!


Ingredients:



  • 1 sweet potato

  • 1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

  • 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon liquid smoke

  • 1 box of quinoa rotini pasta (8 oz.)

  • 1/4 cup vegan buttery spread

  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg, grated

  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  • 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk

  • 2 tablespoons sriracha chili sauce

  • 8 oz. Daiya cheddar shreds

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

  • pepper to taste

  • nutritional yeast to garnish


Preparation:



  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce the potato several times with a fork, place it on a baking sheet lined with foil, and bake it until tender - about 45 minutes. Peel the potato and set it aside.

  2. In a mixing bowl, toss together the mushrooms, onions, olive oil, liquid smoke, and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once. Remove from the oven and set aside.

  3. While mushrooms are cooking, boil pasta per package directions until it is al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

  4. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mash the sweet potato until it is smooth. Add pasta water, 1 teaspoon salt, vegan buttery spread, nutmeg, onion powder, lemon juice, non-dairy milk, sriracha, and Daiya cheddar shreds, and stir until smooth.

  5. Fold in pasta, onions, and mushrooms.

  6. Bake, covered, in a lightly greased baking dish for 30 minutes.

  7. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes.

  8. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and serve!

Popular posts from this blog

Soy Yogurt in the Instant Pot

Image
It is SO EASY to make soy yogurt in the Instant Pot - you need just two ingredients and some time. Be careful with the soy milk that you use, though. The only ingredients should be soybeans and water. Any additives/preservatives may throw off your end product. I typically use Westsoy original unsweetened or EdenSoy unsweetened soy milk. Also, keep in mind this may be a little thinner than some commercial yogurts, as it doesn't have any thickeners. Ingredients: 1 32 oz. box of unsweetened soy milk 1 Jarrow Formulas Jarro-Dophilus probiotic capsule Preparation: Open the package of soy milk. Pull or cut open the probiotic capsule and pour its contents into the soy milk carton. Cap the carton and SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE. Pour the soy milk into four small (8 oz.) jars. Place the jars inside the Instant Pot pot - no water, no rack - just put them on the bottom of the pot. Put the lid on the IP and close the vent. Set the Instant Pot to the yogurt setting for 13 - 15 hours.
Read more

Sage and Pepper Gravy Mix

Image
I always have this mix in my pantry because it makes gravy making SO EASY! It's also gluten free, if that matters to you. I love my gluten - and my favorite way to enjoy gravy is on the Minimalist Baker's Best Damn Vegan Biscuits . Ingredients: 1 cup brown rice flour 1/4 cup nutritional yeast powder 4 teaspoons ground sage 2 teaspoons salt 1-2 teaspoons ground black pepper (depending on how much pepper you like) Preparation: Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Store in your pantry in an airtight container. (I use Mason jars.) When you're ready to enjoy: mix 1/4 cup gravy mix with 2 cups of unsweetened plant-based milk. Make sure the milk is unsweetened or you will end up with a sweet gravy, and that's no good. (Yes, I made that mistake once.) Heat over high heat until the mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Keep stirring until the gravy reaches your desired thickness. Notes: Be sure to use nutritional yeast powder instead of flakes - this wa
Read more

Easy Teriyaki Sauce

Image
Oh my goodness - if I'd known making teriyaki sauce at home was this easy, I'd have quit buying it YEARS ago! This recipe is borrowed almost entirely from this post on budgetbytes.com . I added a little extra garlic and ginger because...well...that's the way I roll. Ingredients: 1/4 cup soy sauce or Tamari 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/2 cup water Preparation: Put the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger in a small sauce pan. In a Pyrex measuring cup, mix the cornstarch and water until the cornstarch dissolves. Add the cornstarch and water mixture to the sauce pan. Bring the contents to a simmer, whisking constantly. Once the contents begin to simmer, remove from the heat. Enjoy as a sauce or marinade! (I like it with canned jackfruit and sliced mushrooms, cooked in the Instant Pot and then used to make teriyaki tacos - delish!)
Read more