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VegNews’ Macaroni and Cheese

May 28, 2011 by epicureanvegan

VegNews Mac n' Cheese -- Epicurean VeganSo legend has it, this recipe from VegNews is the “best  mac ‘n’ cheese on the planet,”—vegan or not. I had to try it for myself and well . . . the rumors are true. This mac and cheese is outstanding! It doesn’t take fake at all, is creamy and incredibly tasty. You won’t believe that it has onions, carrots, and potatoes in it. Seriously. Between the three of us, we cleaned up a 9×12 pan of it in no time.

INGREDIENTS:
8-oz elbow macaroni (I used about 10-ounces)
4 slices of bread, torn into large pieces (I recommend using two. Four was WAY too much)
2 Tbs + 1/3 C Earth Balance margarine (this is one stick)
2 Tbs shallots, chopped
1 C red potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used one large russet potato)
1/4 C carrot, chopped|
1/3 C onion, chopped
1 C water
1/4 C cashews
2 tsp salt (I used 1 tsp)
1/4 tsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp paprika
Optional: 1/4 C nutritional yeast (I threw it in for some extra B vitamins)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Place the bread pieces in a food processor with the 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance and process until well crumbly and well combined. I used Rudi’s brand and it made so much! I ended up only using maybe half of what it made and even that was too much. I highly recommend using 2 slices of bread with 1 tablespoon of margarine.

VegNews Mac n' Cheese -- Epicurean Vegan

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. In a medium saucepan, combine the potatoes, carrots, onions, and shallots with the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes.

VegNews Mac n' Cheese -- Epicurean Vegan

Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, combine the cashews, salt, garlic, remaining margarine, Dijon, lemon juice, pepper, cayenne, and nutritional yeast, if using. I recommend grinding the cashews up first before adding the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.

VegNews Mac n' Cheese -- Epicurean Vegan

Add the vegetable/water mixture to the cashew mixture and blend it until smooth. You’ll end up with a creamy cheesy sauce.

VegNews Mac n' Cheese -- Epicurean Vegan

In a large bowl, combine the sauce and pasta until well coated. Pour it into a 9×13 baking pan.

VegNews Mac n' Cheese -- Epicurean Vegan

Top with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle with paprika.

VegNews Mac n' Cheese -- Epicurean Vegan

Bake for 25-30 minutes and enjoy!

VegNews' Macaroni and Cheese
 
Print
So legend has it, this recipe from VegNews is the "best mac 'n' cheese on the planet,"---vegan or not. I had to try it for myself and well . . . the rumors are true. This mac and cheese is outstanding! It doesn't take fake at all, is creamy and incredibly tasty. You won't believe that it has onions, carrots, and potatoes in it. Seriously. Between the three of us, we cleaned up a 9x12 pan of it in no time.
Author: Epicurean Vegan
Ingredients
  • 8-oz elbow macaroni (I used about 10-ounces)
  • 4 slices of bread, torn into large pieces (I recommend using two. Four was WAY too much)
  • 2 Tbs + ⅓ C Earth Balance margarine (this is one stick)
  • 2 Tbs shallots, chopped
  • 1 C red potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used one large russet potato)
  • ¼ C carrot, chopped|
  • ⅓ C onion, chopped
  • 1 C water
  • ¼ C cashews
  • 2 tsp salt (I used 1 tsp)
  • ¼ tsp garlic, minced
  • ¼ tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbs lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ⅛ tsp cayenne
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • Optional: ¼ C nutritional yeast (I threw it in for some extra B vitamins)
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Place the bread pieces in a food processor with the 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance and process until well crumbly and well combined. I used Rudi's brand and it made so much! I ended up only using maybe half of what it made and even that was too much. I highly recommend using 2 slices of bread with 1 tablespoon of margarine.
  3. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
  4. In a medium saucepan, combine the potatoes, carrots, onions, and shallots with the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, combine the cashews, salt, garlic, remaining margarine, Dijon, lemon juice, pepper, cayenne, and nutritional yeast, if using. I recommend grinding the cashews up first before adding the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.
  6. Add the vegetable/water mixture to the cashew mixture and blend it until smooth. You'll end up with a creamy cheesy sauce.
  7. In a large bowl, combine the sauce and pasta until well coated. Pour it into a 9x13 baking pan.
  8. Top with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle with paprika.
  9. Bake for 25-30 minutes and enjoy!
3.5.3208

Filed Under: Dinners Tagged With: easy, mac and cheese, vegan mac and cheese, VegNews

Amazing Mac ‘N Cheez Sauce

January 7, 2011 by epicureanvegan

Amazing Mac 'N Cheez Sauce -- Epicurean VeganGuess what? You’ll never guess where this recipe came from! That’s right . . . how’d you know? The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook. All right, I have one more recipe from the book in the queue, then that’s it. Promise. I just can’t help it; these recipes are amazing. As vegans, we all know how difficult it can be to find tasty “cheese” so when you find what works—go with it. This sauce is delicious, creamy and ready in less than 10 minutes. I added some vegan Worcestershire and some light miso, but feel free to tweak the recipe to your liking because it’s a pretty basic sauce. You can serve it over pasta, potatoes, or other veggies.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 C flour (any kind)
1/2 C nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika, sweet, hot, smoked or regular
2 C nondairy milk (I like almond milk)
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 tsp prepared mustard, any variety (I used Dijon)
Optional: 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire, 1 Tbs light miso

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium saucepan, combine the flour, nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. Gradually whisk in the nondairy milk, olive oil, and mustard. Combine well, then add the optional ingredients, if using. Cook over medium heat stirring with a whisk constantly until the sauce is smooth and thick. Enjoy! Oh, and when it comes to leftovers, like most nondairy cheese sauces, I recommend heating the sauce in a saucepan on the stove. Otherwise, it gets dried out.

Filed Under: Dinners, Dressings/Condiments, Lunches Tagged With: fast and easy, mac and cheese, nutritional yeast, Uncheese Cookbook

Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese

May 23, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Creamy Cashew Cheese Pasta -- Epicurean VeganYou’re probably thinking. . .how many non-dairy mac and cheese recipes can there possibly be? Turns out, quite a few, but as most of us know, they’re not all that tasty. This one, however, from The Vegan Table, is the first cashew cheese sauce I’ve tried (but close to the Hurry Up Alfredo) and I really, really, love it. I ate way too much of it, too. 🙂 I’ve made some minor alternations such as less oil and milk. By the way, if you need to omit the miso because of a soy intolerance, you can use a chickpea (garbanzo) miso or a barley miso. Another alternative is to use tahini mixed with a bit of salt.

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/4 C raw cashews
1/2 C nutritional yeast
2 tsp onion powder
1 to 2 tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp white pepper
3-1/2 C nondairy milk (I use 3 cups)
3 Tbs cornstarch
1/2 C canola oil (I use about a 1/4 cup and will often use olive oil instead)
1/4 C light (yellow or white) miso
2 Tbs lemon juice
12-16oz macaroni, cooked (I used about 16 ounces of both small shells and rotini)
I added 1-1/2 tsp of truffle oil, but it’s optional (I recommend it)!

DIRECTIONS:
Place cashews in a large-sized bowl of the food processor and finely grind–just don’t let the cashews turn to a paste. Add nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. Pulse three more times to blend in spices.

Creamy Cashew Cheese Pasta -- Epicurean VeganIn a heavy saucepan, combine milk, cornstarch and oil(s). Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease heat to low-medium, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or until cornstarch dissolves.

With the food processor running, gradually add milk/oil mixture to cashew/nutritional yeast mixture. Blend for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Next blend in miso and lemon juice.

Creamy Cashew Cheese Pasta -- Epicurean VeganCombine cashew cheese with macaroni noodles and serve. You may also bake it: Preheat oven to 325 and place macaroni mixture in a 8 or 9″ square baking dish (I recommend a 9″x13″ one). Cover and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with 1/2 C herbed bread crumbs. Continue baking, uncovered, for 15-25 minutes until topping is golden brown. (I’m going to do this with the leftovers)! Enjoy!

Creamy Cashew Cheese Pasta -- Epicurean Vegan

Recipe source: The Vegan Table

UPDATE: I baked the leftovers and it was good, but I think I like it better unbaked.

Creamy Cashew Cheese Pasta -- Epicurean Vegan

Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese
 
Print
This recipe, from The Vegan Table, is the first cashew cheese sauce I've tried and I really, really, love it. I ate way too much of it, too. 🙂 I've made some minor alternations such as less oil and milk. By the way, if you need to omit the miso because of a soy intolerance, you can use a chickpea (garbanzo) miso or a barley miso. Another alternative is to use tahini mixed with a bit of salt.
Author: Epicurean Vegan
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 1-1/4 C raw cashews
  • ½ C nutritional yeast
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 to 2 tsp salt, to taste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ⅛ tsp white pepper
  • 3-1/2 C nondairy milk (I use 3 cups)
  • 3 Tbs cornstarch
  • ½ C canola oil (I use about a ¼ cup and will often use olive oil instead)
  • ¼ C light (yellow or white) miso
  • 2 Tbs lemon juice
  • 12-16oz macaroni, cooked (I used about 16 ounces of both small shells and rotini)
  • I added 1-1/2 tsp of truffle oil, but it's optional (I recommend it)!
Directions
  1. Place cashews in a large-sized bowl of the food processor and finely grind--just don't let the cashews turn to a paste. Add nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. Pulse three more times to blend in spices.
  2. In a heavy saucepan, combine milk, cornstarch and oil(s). Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease heat to low-medium, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or until cornstarch dissolves.
  3. With the food processor running, gradually add milk/oil mixture to cashew/nutritional yeast mixture. Blend for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Next blend in miso and lemon juice.
  4. Combine cashew cheese with macaroni noodles and serve.
  5. You may also bake it (I prefer this unbaked) Preheat oven to 325 and place macaroni mixture in a 8 or 9" square baking dish (I recommend a 9"x13" one). Cover and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with ½ C herbed bread crumbs. Continue baking, uncovered, for 15-25 minutes until topping is golden brown. (I'm going to do this with the leftovers)! Enjoy!
  6. Recipe from The Vegan Table
3.4.3177

Filed Under: Dinners Tagged With: cashew cheese, cashews, comfort food, dairy-free, easy, mac and cheese, The Vegan Table

Baked Mac and Cheese

May 12, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Baked Mac and Cheese -- Epicurean VeganI made this recipe before and it was all right—I knew it had potential, so I made it again, but this time, I made a few changes and I really love how it turned out. The original recipe was just a little too dry for my taste but I’ll post that recipe with what changes I made. Overall, it’s a great basic recipe for vegan mac and cheese so it was easy to tweak.

INGREDIENTS:
5 C water, divided (I used more water…had to use more pasta)
3/4 C nutritional yeast
1/4 C pine nuts
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs fresh parsley
1 tsp pepper
1 Tbs soy sauce (I used 2 Tbs almond milk instead)
1 C uncooked pasta (This seemed way to little for the 4 servings it says it makes–I used 4 cups and didn’t even need to make more sauce)
3 Tbs olive oil
1/4 C flour
3/4 C breadcrumbs (I used about 1/8 of a cup)
I added 1/2 C Tofutti sour cream, 1/2 C shredded vegan cheddar cheese,  and 1/2 tsp of turmeric.
(This is great vegan comfort food–especially considering we got snowed on again–it’s mid-May)!


DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400. In a large pot, bring 5 cups of water to a boil (you’ll need more if using more pasta). While water is boiling, in a blender (or food processor) combine nutritional yeast, pine nuts, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, parsley, pepper, and turmeric until blended. Add remaining 1 cup of water and soy sauce (or almond milk) and blend. Add pasta to boiling water. In a large pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add flour and stir constantly to remove lumps. Pour in blended mixture and stir until a desired consistency is reached. (This actually happens pretty quick, so you could easily do this step after the pasta is already cooked). Remove from heat. (This is where I stirred in the sour cream and cheddar cheese). Strain pasta and pour into pan of cheesy sauce and stir to combine. Transfer to a oven-safe dish, top with breadcrumbs and bake 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Baked Mac and Cheese -- Epicurean VeganRecipe source: VegNews

Filed Under: Dinners Tagged With: dairy-free, fast and easy, mac and cheese, Pasta, Vegan

Hurry Up Alfredo

January 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Hurry Up Alfredo -- Epicurean VeganThis comes from Lauren Ulm’s cookbook, Vegan Yum Yum and is by far the best non-dairy “cheese” sauce I’ve tasted yet! The only thing I changed was adding 1/2 C Tofutti sour cream which made this sauce perfectly creamy!

INGREDIENTS:
3-4 C small pasta
Sauce:
1 C soy milk
1/3 rounded raw, unsalted cashews
1/4 C nutritional yeast
3 Tbs tamari (or soy sauce)
2 Tbs Earth Balance (or Smart Balance) margarine
1 Tbs tahini
1 Tbs lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch salt
Black pepper, to taste
2-4 garlic cloves
I added 1/2C Tofutti Sour Cream and used SMOKED paprika and WOW! It was so creamy and flavorful!

DIRECTIONS:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add noodles. Cook until tender, but not mushy. Meanwhile, to make sauce, mix all sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. When noodles are finished, drain and return to pot. Add as much sauce as you’d like and heat and stir. (What I did is transfer the sauce to a small saucepan and heat–this is also when I added the Tofutti sour cream. Then I just ladled the sauce on a serving of pasta). Top with Rice Parmesan and enjoy!

Note: for leftovers, I don’t recommend microwaving them. Keep sauce separate from pasta leftovers and reheat sauce in a pan over the stove and nuke the noodles. Sauce gets too dried out otherwise.

Hurry Up Alfredo -- Epicurean Vegan

Recipe source: Vegan Yum Yum

Filed Under: Dinners, Lunches Tagged With: Alfredo, cashews, comfort food, dairy-free, Italian, mac and cheese, Vegan

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The Epicurean Vegan is devoted to those wanting to eat healthy, save animals, and reduce their carbon footprint. My decision to go vegan started out as a quest to get healthier, but the more I learned about veganism, the more I realized how damaging the meat and dairy industries are to the environment and, of course, the animals. And it is for these reasons, that I would never go back to eating or wearing animal products. Ever.
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