Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Scraps and Snippets - Vegan Mac and Cheese

I've tried the cauliflower as a creamy Alfredo sauce replacement. I also found the recipe using potatoes and carrots to pull off a canned nacho cheese substitute. Buzzfeed had a vegan mac and cheese sauce made out of potatoes and carrots that I just had to try.

You know when those potatoes in the pantry start getting not so delicious looking and they need to be used pronto? I had some of those. I also had grandkids coming over for dinner. Who better to try out a mac and cheese on than kids? If they don't like it, they is going to let you know, if you are picking up what I'm laying down. 

Watch the video for the recipe. The recipe is basically boiled potatoes, carrot and onion until soft, blended with cooking water, cashews and seasoning.

Here's where I veered. I followed the recipe to a T but decided to add more cheesy flavor. Because the cheese sauce has no cheese. So I added an additional 1/2 cup cooking water, 1/2 cup nutritional yeast and 1/2 tsp salt. Next time I think I'll add 3/4 cup nutritional yeast. 

The two oldest kids gobbled it up. (I even used brown rice/quinoa pasta from Trader Joe's). The youngest didn't eat much more than two bites. However, the next day when I decided to eat the leftovers she was like a bird. "Feed me!" Mouth wide open. So I think it's a winner. 

Here's what I love. This was completely whole food based. It was easy.  They liked it. 

I think, in the scheme of things, I might like the cauliflower based sauces slightly better, sometimes you just have to use up potatoes before they go bad and so this one will stick around in my go to recipes.