so lately i have been eating MORE vegan - not fully vegan, but pretty close. as a vegetarian who is allergic to eggs and cow's milk, my diet is probably 85% vegan anyway. i cheat on my allergies sometimes (they are not the deathly type), and i eat goat cheese. i have been thinking a lot about veganism lately as well. i'll talk more about that later, but (as i'm sure you can see from my last post) my house is nowhere near cheese-free.
matt loves cheese. he rarely eats meat (only when someone else cooks it for him, or if we go out for dinner, which happens about once a year), drinks soy and almond milk, he's happy as long as there is tasty food, meat or not. but, i think he would die without cheese. he LOVES cheese. that's fine with me, i can appreciate a good cheese, but in my never-ending quest for awareness about what goes into my body and the ethical treatment of animals, i have been making more and more vegan choices that happen to apply to him because he doesn't cook.
let me just say, he RAVED about this recipe. he always seems a bit skeptical (but supportive) when i come out with some crazy idea like "vegan mac and cheese! no, i don't have a recipe, i'm winging it!", and this time was no different. he actually mentioned several times while we were eating, and a few times in the days after, how amazing it was. how the cheese sauce was just perfect.
my freaking meat-eating-cheese-loving boyfriend thought this shit was fabulous.
and he's totally right. go make it!
(gluten free if made with gluten free macaroni! BAM!)
ingredients:
2 c macaroni (dry)
3 c chopped broccoli and cauliflower
2 c chopped spinach
1 med onion
1 t oil
1 1/4 c plain, unsweetened almond milk
1 1/2 t grainy mustard
1/8 c flour (rice flour if you're gf)
1/8 c nutritional yeast*
1 T garlic
1 c daiya (gluten free, vegan cheese substitute) shreds**
3 c chopped broccoli and cauliflower
2 c chopped spinach
1 med onion
1 t oil
1 1/4 c plain, unsweetened almond milk
1 1/2 t grainy mustard
1/8 c flour (rice flour if you're gf)
1/8 c nutritional yeast*
1 T garlic
1 c daiya (gluten free, vegan cheese substitute) shreds**
*nutritional yeast is great great GREAT in making fake (and real!) cheese substitutes. it's not the end of the world if you leave it out, i ran out last time i made this, and it still turned out amazing.
**i used about 1/2 and 1/2 cheddar and mozzarella because i had 2 bags i needed to finish. they also make "pepperjack" flavour. once i try it with that i'll get back to you on how it is!!
to make:
chop up your veggies.
you want the onion in smallish bite sizes, and the broccoli and cauliflower in florets.
don't forget the spinach. just chop it up a little.
boil water. add some salt (about a teaspoon), and the macaroni.
while your pasta is boiling, fry up the onion in the oil. about 10 minutes on med-low should do it, you want it just browned and soft.
also, mix up the sauce ingredients. put almond milk, mustard, flour, nutritional yeast and garlic in a bowl, and whisk them up.
have your (fake) cheese ready to go. things happen quickly when we get to the saucy part!
when the pasta is almost done (after about 10 minutes of boiling) add the broccoli and cauliflower to it. let it boil another 3-4 minutes (or until it's done how you like it. you're the boss), then drain.
make sure you have all the macaroni out of the pot, and put it back on the stove, on medium heat. pour in the sauce mix, and whisk pretty much constantly for about 3 minutes, until it starts to thicken up!
then, add your cheese. keep whisking. it will take a minute or two for the cheese to really break down and melt. keep at it. you're awesome!
(if the sauce is too thick, add a bit more almond milk. if it's too thin, a bit more flour)
finally, combine everything - macaroni and vegetables, onion, spinach and sauce. mix it all up real well!
season with salt and pepper as you like. add ketchup? just try not to eat it all in one sitting. it may be vegan, but it's still macaroni and cheese.
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