vegan mac and cheese Archives

Product Review: Mac Uncheddar from Pastariso

April 15, 2015 by Epicurean Vegan

I recently got the chance to try out a new boxed vegan mac and “cheese.” This one is from Pastariso Foods and not only is it vegan, but it’s gluten-free and soy-free as well. Unlike the “real” mac and cheese varieties, this one isn’t full of freaky ingredients: White and brown rice flour, pea protein powder, organic maltodextrin, sunflower oil powder IP, sea salt, organic corn starch, fructooligosaccharides, citric acid, paprika extract.

Sometimes trying a new vegan product is like blindly eating food while backpacking through another country; it can be a little scary. You just never know. But vegan products are getting better and better-tasting these days, and I have to say, this stuff is pretty dang good. The Husband, who dislikes almost every vegan cheese there is, really, really liked this. We agreed that the sauce is fantastic—it doesn’t taste rubbery, plastic-y, or “fake.”

Because the noodles are gluten-free, I did find them a little grainy-feeling at first. They’re rice noodles, which have that kind of texture, and because I rarely eat gluten-free pasta, it struck me as odd at first. However, the sauce made up for it. Plus, the noodles are a good size—they cook up like a regular boxed mac and cheese noodle.

The package is only 5-oz, which seemed smaller than most, but it made for a nice little side dish. 2-ounces will run you 258 calories, 2 grams of fat (no saturated or trans fat), give you 190mg of potassium, 50 grams of carbs, 243 grams of sodium, and 10 grams of protein. When you compare it to regular Kraft mac and cheese, the calories are roughly the same, as is the protein and carbs, but the sodium is over twice as much with Kraft; more fat with Kraft; and 10 grams of cholesterol, compared to no cholesterol with Pastariso. I should point out, however, that Kraft’s serving size is about 20 grams more. All in all, if you’re going to feed your kids boxed mac and cheese, whether you’re vegan or not, this is a healthier choice.

You can find Pastariso Vegan Mac Uncheddar at Vegan Essentials ($3.79) and will be available at Sprouts later this month. I would definitely buy this product and I recommend you give it a try!

Pasta with Cashew Cream & Cheese

July 30, 2014 by Epicurean Vegan

(Unfortunately) most of us probably grew up on the boxed mac and cheese stuff, and likely, so have our kids. And kids like their mac and cheese. Instead of giving them that nasty, chemical-filled boxed junk, try making this kid-pleasing version using grated vegan cheese and cashew cream. Not only is it creamy, but it actually tastes cheesy and pretty darn delicious. While this may not top the list of the most healthiest vegan dishes, it’s miles from the fat-laden dairy version. Cashews are loaded with heart-protective monosaturated fats, antioxidants, calcium and protein. You can use your favorite vegan cheddar such as Daiya, Follow Your Heart or even make your own. This is also an easy recipe that your kiddos can help out with too!

INGREDIENTS:
16-oz uncooked pasta, such as elbows, shells or spirals
1 to 1-1/4 C vegetable broth (it just depends on how thick you want it)
4-oz vegan cheddar, shredded (I used Follow Your Heart brand)
1/3 C nutritional yeast
1 C cashews, soaked for at least an hour in hot water (if you can; no biggie if you can’t soak them)
1/2 C water
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
2 dashes of nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional ingredients: sneak in those veggies by adding peas, carrots or broccoli. Or spice it up with green chilies or salsa.

DIRECTIONS:
Cook the pasta according to package instruction, or until al dente. Meanwhile, make the cashew cream. If you soaked the cashews, drain them and transfer to a food processor. Puree until finely ground, scraping the sides of processor bowl if necessary. Add the water, apple cider vinegar and salt. Puree 2 minutes, or until smooth. Drain the pasta, then return it to the pot. Over medium-low heat, fold in the grated cheese, cashew cream, broth and nutritional yeast. Combine well and continue to stir until the cheese is completely melted. Season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper. If using, add the optional ingredients and stir until heated through. Enjoy!

Pasta with Cashew Cream & Cheese

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

(Unfortunately) most of us probably grew up on the boxed mac and cheese stuff, and likely, so have our kids. And kids like their mac and cheese. Instead of giving them that nasty, chemical-filled boxed junk, try making this kid-pleasing version using grated vegan cheese and cashew cream. Not only is it creamy, but it actually tastes cheesy and pretty darn delicious. While this may not top the list of the most healthiest vegan dishes, it's miles from the fat-laden dairy version. Cashews are loaded with heart-protective monosaturated fats, antioxidants, calcium and protein. You can use your favorite vegan cheddar such as Daiya, Follow Your Heart or even make your own. This is also an easy recipe that your kiddos can help out with too!

Author: Epicurean Vegan

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

16-oz uncooked pasta, such as elbows, shells or spirals
1 to 1-1/4 C vegetable broth (it just depends on how thick you want it)
4-oz vegan cheddar, shredded (I used Follow Your Heart brand)
⅓ C nutritional yeast
1 C cashews, soaked for at least an hour in hot water (if you can; no biggie if you can't soak them)
½ C water
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp salt
2 dashes of nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional ingredients: sneak in those veggies by adding peas, carrots or broccoli. Or spice it up with green chilies or salsa.

Directions

Cook the pasta according to package instruction, or until al dente. Meanwhile, make the cashew cream. If you soaked the cashews, drain them and transfer to a food processor. Puree until finely ground, scraping the sides of processor bowl if necessary. Add the water, apple cider vinegar and salt. Puree 2 minutes, or until smooth.
Drain the pasta, then return it to the pot. Over medium-low heat, fold in the grated cheese, cashew cream, broth and nutritional yeast. Combine well and continue to stir until the cheese is completely melted.
Season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper. If using, add the optional ingredients and stir until heated through. Enjoy!

The Forty-Year-Old Vegan

June 25, 2014 by Epicurean Vegan

Nope not me. Thank goodness. I still have a few more years before I hit the little eff. The Husband, however, gets the honor of hitting this milestone first. He took it all in stride and even had a whiskey flight to lessen the blow.

So for the big day, I asked him what he wanted to do: restaurant or eat at home. Petrified of singing waiters, he happily opted for dinner at home. He couldn’t decide what he wanted, so he chose two favorites that really don’t go together, but hey, it’s his day.

Yep. Tacos and Mac n’ Cheese. Two of his favorites. He thought he had died and gone to some vegan buffet. For dessert, I wanted to try making carrot cake and I found this excellent recipe from Love and Lemons.

The cake is delicious! I would certainly make this again, however, I’d probably go with a vegan cream cheese frosting rather than the macadamia nut frosting. It was still good, but I think we all preferred the traditional cream cheese kind.

So my present to myself (for his birthday) is I got a new site! (I sure hope you noticed). Isn’t it be-u-tee-ful?! I’m still playing around with some stuff, but I’m loving the new look. My friend Carolyn, who is starting her own design business created this much more user-friendly, easier-on-the-eye site. Email me via the fancy new contact page, if you’d like to get Carolyn’s info—she does great work!

I will be posting a new recipe in a day or two and thanks to the new layout, you’ll have the ability to print the recipe! (Yes, I know, I’m a so behind the times). See you soon!

VegNews’ Macaroni and Cheese

May 28, 2011 by epicureanvegan

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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

Top with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle with paprika.

Bake for 25-30 minutes and enjoy!

VegNews' Macaroni and Cheese

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

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.
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.
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.
Add the vegetable/water mixture to the cashew mixture and blend it until smooth. You'll end up with a creamy cheesy sauce.
In a large bowl, combine the sauce and pasta until well coated. Pour it into a 9x13 baking pan.
Top with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle with paprika.
Bake for 25-30 minutes and enjoy!

Product Review: Mac Uncheddar from Pastariso

Pasta with Cashew Cream & Cheese

The Forty-Year-Old Vegan

VegNews’ Macaroni and Cheese

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