Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese

Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

I’ve made a lot of vegan mac and cheese. All kinds. If you can think it, I’ve probably made it: some good, some bad but this one is my absolute favorite. It also happens to be exceptionally easy. A staple in our house, I hope it will become one in your house as well. This vegan version is oil-free and oh so creamy and delicious. Inspired by BuzzFeed *A high powered blender works best. If you don’t have one just soak the cashews in boiling water for 20 minutes prior to use.

Ingredients

2 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and diced

1 large garlic clove, peeled

1 large carrot, peeled and sliced

¼ medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced

½ cup raw cashews*

scant ¼ cup large-flake nutritional yeast

1 ½ tsp kosher salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

¼ tsp ground turmeric

dash of freshly ground black pepper

12 oz dry pasta shells

Instructions

Bring a medium pot of water to boil for the vegetables. Boil the potatoes and garlic clove for 2 minutes. Add the carrots and boil for 5 additional minutes. Add the onion and boil for 7 additional minutes.

While the vegetables are boiling, add the remaining ingredients except the pasta to a blender. Drain the veggies saving the water (1 ½ cups), add them to a blender along with the saved water; blend on high until smooth and creamy. It makes about 4 cups of sauce.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta and cook according to the package. Drain and return to the pot. Stir 3 cups of the sauce into the cooked pasta, reserving 1 cup for stirring in later if all the mac and cheese won’t be all eaten immediately. Serve hot.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

This is an incredibly easy and quick meal that is simple enough for a busy weeknight after a long day at work. Super healthy, this dish emphasizes plant-based protein, whole grains, and getting some greens in! Teriyaki sauce adapted from food.com.

Produce On Parade - Easy Grilled Teriyaki Tofu w/ Quinoa & Broccoli - This is an incredibly easy and quick meal that is simple enough for a busy weeknight after a long day at work. Super healthy, this dish emphasizes plant-based protein, whole grain…

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Hey everyone! I hope that the seep of fall is blossoming beautifully for you. The air here in Alaska is crisp and pungent with the perfume of wild, highbush cranberries.

We've been having a bit of storm this week, complete with powerful winds and angry rain; many of our leaves have already dropped from the trees. Fall in Alaska is about four days long and this intense wind has just given it a big shove, hurrying it along. It goes something like this:

Day 1 of Fall - It starts to get real cold at night.
Day 2 - The leaves turn banal yellow.
Day 3 - The leaves turn pale brown.
Day 4 - The (normal) wind and rain arrives; the leaves vacate the trees.

Yes, this is a 100% accurate representation of an Alaskan fall. We don't even count it as a season, it's so short and decidedly unremarkable. We only have three seasons up here. Breakup (spring), construction (summer), and winter. Now you know! I still love our fall though...

The end of construction season has the CSA we subscribe to in full swing with lots of fresh and yummy veggies like this broccoli. As our no-oil, whole foods diet trial continues, this made an excellent and quick weeknight dinner last week. I confess that I've had some slip ups here and there. Mainly a sneaky sneak of some vegan ice cream and bagged popcorn, etc. Todd for the most part has been doing pretty good on it. He made the vegan America's Test Kitchen pancakes (a former staple of his), which use coconut oil, for my non-hermit book club last week and had a few. He told me he did seem to feel worse after eating them, so maybe there is something to this whole oil thing with regards to it's inflammatory influence on rheumatoid arthritis.

I'm currently reading, The Other Side of Impossible: Ordinary People Who Faced Daunting Medical Challenges and Refused to Give Up by Susannah Meadows. It's collection of stories about families that have struggled with a chronic illness and sought out 'alternative' treatments when standard western medicine wasn't helping. It's pretty incredible how resilient these people are and I found Todd and myself relating to them in different ways. He's so incredibly enthusiastic and flexible, always willing to continue try this thing or that thing I read about in new study. And myself, unrelenting with research and constantly pouring through both anecdotal and scientific evidence regarding upcoming treatments for autoimmune diseases. #cantstopwontstop

A couple of the folks in the book have RA and I found it especially inspiring to read how they didn't stop trying to find a cure or at least something that helped them managed their pain and symptoms. No matter how bad it got, they were always hopeful that something had to give. It took me a long time to realize that we were the same. That's why we won't stop at just being vegan. If we need to cut out oil and adopt a low-fat, whole foods diet then we'll be there. It might seem extreme to some, but like the book states, until you're faced with the struggle of a chronic autoimmune disease and finding that nothing is working, not even harsh chemotherapy drugs and injectable biologics, you don't know what you wouldn't try if you even had the remote possibility at making a difference in your quality of life.

The book actually centers on the caregivers of those suffering just as much as the victims, and how far they'll go to help their loved ones. It's really incredible at the hope and tenacity of these people. If you can relate in any way, I encourage you to pick up this book.

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Easy Grilled Teriyaki Tofu w/ Quinoa & Broccoli

Recipe by Kathleen @ Produce On Parade

Ingredients

14 oz firm or extra firm tofu, pressed for 15 minutes then sliced into 4 rectangles
1 cup dry quinoa
1 ½ cup water
1 large broccoli head, chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
½ cup water
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp cold water
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup chiffonade fresh basil
dash of sesame seeds, for garnish

Cooking Directions

Press the tofu to remove water, then slice. Grill each slice in a nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes on each side, until they have nice marks. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a small saucepan, toast the dry quinoa over medium heat for about 1 minute then slowly add the water (carefully as it will spit in the hot pan). Bring to a boil over high heat with a dash of salt then reduce to a simmer and cover; cook for 15 minutes until all the water has evaporated. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork; cover and set aside.
While the quinoa cooks, chop the broccoli and steam for about 5 minutes until bright green and still retains some crunch. Remove from steam basket and set aside.
In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce through the agave. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat in a small saucepan. Whisk together the cornstarch and cold water then slowly whisk into the soy sauce mixture; simmer for a few minutes until thickened slightly. Remove from heat.
To plate, place ¼ of quinoa and broccoli in a shallow bowl, top with one rectangle of tofu, drizzle with the sauce then top with green onions, basil, and sesame seeds. Repeat with 3 more bowls. Serve hot.

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