Vegan Creamy Cashew Mac Recipe By Tasty

THE BEST VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE YOU'LL EVER EAT

Steps:

• *To make the cashew cheese sauce: soak the cashews in 4 cups of water for at least 2 hours; otherwise I've found that you can easily speed up the process by adding the raw cashews to a pot with water and placing over high heat. Bring water to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat; let the cashews sit for 30-45 minutes in the warm water, then drain.
• Once the cashews have finished soaking you'll be ready to make the sauce: add drained cashews, garlic, nutritional yeast, almond milk, jalapeno, turmeric, paprika, onion powder, dijon mustard, salt and black pepper to a high powered blender. Blend until a thick sauce comes together. If you want a thinner sauce, add a bit more almond milk. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
• Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package, until they are al dente. Drain noodles, then add back to pot and stir in your cashew cheese sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. You may need more salt! Garnish with freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!

VEGAN MAC 'N' CHEESE RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Peel and cube the potatoes. Peel and chop the carrot. Peel and quarter the onion.
• Add the vegetables to a large pot or Dutch oven of boiling salted water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender. Remove the boiled vegetables and save about 1 ½ cups of the cooking water.
• Add the cashews, boiled vegetables, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, reserved cooking water, and nutritional yeast to a blender. Blend until smooth.
• Pour the sauce over the macaroni and stir to coat.
• Sprinkle with paprika and serve immediately.
• Enjoy!

VEGAN MAC N CHEESE AKA CREAMY CASHEW MACARONI

Steps:

• Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain and set aside in a large bowl. Cover so it won't dry out.
• Grind cashews in food processor on high speed until relatively smooth. It's okay if the result is rather grainy looking, so long as what you have is mostly a thick paste.
• With processor on low speed, slowly add in the entire can of coconut milk.
• Dissolve the bullion cube in the hot water completely. Again with processor on low speed, slowly pour into the cashew/coconut milk mixture to incorporate fully.
• Add in the garlic and blend.
• Still on slow speed, add in the nutritional yeast, 2TB at a time. Taste after each 2TB to determine the taste that suits you. More nutritional yeast = more cheddar-y type flavor, however, some people do not like the yeast-y flavor it can impart. Add in as much or as little as suits you.
• Add in the vinegar the same way, starting with about 1TB, then adding in more 1tsp at a time, tasting after each tsp to determine what you like. The more vinegar you add, the more "sharp" taste you get. For a very sharp taste, try white vinegar.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Once the sauce is at your satisfaction, pour over the pasta and mix well. Add in water (or make some additional broth) if you prefer a thinner sauce. Refrigerate any leftover sauce.
• I coupled this with some braised spinach (2 bunches of fresh spinach coarsely chopped and sautéed in 2TB olive oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes), that I threw right into the bowl (you can see the spinach in the picture above). Other veggies that would probably pair nicely: peas, braised julienne carrots, steamed broccoli, steamed asparagus tips.

THE BEST EVER VEGAN MAC 'N' CHEESE RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Add the cashews to a medium bowl and cover with warm water by 1 inch (2 ½ cm). Soak for 3-4 hours, until the cashews are softened and plump, then drain.
• While the cashews are soaking, make the roasted garlic: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Cut off the top ½ inch (1 ¼ cm) of the head of garlic and drizzle the exposed cloves with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Replace the top of the head of garlic and wrap tightly in foil. Roast for 35-40 minutes, until the cloves are easily pierced with a fork. Unwrap the garlic and let cool completely. Once cooled, squeeze all of the cloves from their skins.
• Add the soaked cashews, roasted garlic cloves, and cold water to a high-powered blender. Blend on high speed until completely smooth. 30-60 seconds. Set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 12-inch (30 G) cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the panko, paprika, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir with a spatula to coat the bread crumbs in the oil. Toast, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes, until the bread crumbs are lightly golden brown. Transfer the bread crumbs to a bowl and set aside. Wipe out the skillet.
• In the same skillet, melt together the vegan butter and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant but not browned. Whisk in the flour, making sure there are no clumps. Cook the roux for 3-4 minutes, whisking continuously, until the flour is golden in color and fragrant.
• Add the blended cashew mixture to the skillet and whisk well to combine with the roux. Add the nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, turmeric, pepper, and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes, until slightly thickened. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and pool when drizzled, but not so thick that it is gloppy. If the cheese sauce is too thick, add more water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
• Add the elbow noodles to the sauce and toss until well coated.
• Sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs on top of the pasta in an even layer.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling around the edges of the skillet and the bread crumbs are deep golden brown.
• Garnish with fresh minced parsley and serve.
• Enjoy!