While many of the classic Thanksgiving sides can be made to work for vegetarians and vegans, it’s nice to do something special just for them. For a dish that’s as decadent and filling as can be, try this recipe for a vegan mac and “cheeze” from Alicia C. Simpson’s Vegan Comfort Food.
“Mac and cheese is classic American comfort food. Nearly everybody has had mac and cheese once in their life. Whether it comes in a box or it’s made from your great-grandmother’s recipe handed down through the generations, there isn’t another dish out there that screams classic American comfort food like mac and cheese. The vegan community has a special obsession with mac and cheese. If you do a Google search you will find hundreds of different recipes, some soy-based, some with nutritional yeast, some with margarine, some with oil, some baked, some made on the stovetop—the list goes on and on. I humbly lend my version to this tradition.”
- 1 pound elbow macaroni or rotini pasta
- 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- 2/3 cup diced white or yellow onion
- 2½ cups water
- 2/3 cups canola oil
- 1/3 cup raw cashews
- 1/3 cup macadamia nuts
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup plain bread crumbs, optional
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Lightly oil a 3-quart casserole dish or six 6-ounce ramekins placed on a baking sheet.
Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
While pasta is cooking, combine the potatoes, carrots, onion, and 2½ cups water in a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat until the water is simmering, and cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. The smaller you cut the vegetables, the less time it will take to cook them.
Put the oil, cashews, macadamia nuts, salt, garlic, dry mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, cayenne, and cooked vegetables with the cooking water into a blender and process until completely smooth.
Toss cooked pasta with blended cheeze sauce until it is completely coated. Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish or ramekins, and sprinkle with bread crumbs, if using. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheeze sauce is bubbling.
This winter, no vegan goes hungry. With easy-to-make versions of the foods we crave—baked ziti, “pepperoni” mini pizzas, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and much more—Alicia C. Simpson makes soothing comfort food a snap.
GET THE BOOK: Amazon | iBooks | B&N | Kobo | Google | Sony
