The Vegetarian Memoirs: A little bit of the vegan mac n cheese

I am really getting big into the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.  Part of it is that the whole Vegan lifestyle really intrigues me.  The other is that she really tests things out like measurements and substitutions and gets them just the way she wants them, less fat and all.  It also may be that I am trying to get rid of this food baby that I developed over Christmas (even though I never stopped exercising, doggonit).  Anywho, I decided to try another recipe of hers the other night.  I went by her exact recipe first…and then added some extra of the ingredients.  The additions didn’t add to the fat, though, so I feel like it’s cool.  Plus it tasted way better.

My review is a 4 out of 5.  It doesn’t really taste like cheese, but it is a tasty little sauce.  It has a nice consistency, and I will be using it again.  I guess it is losing the point because when I first tasted it, I made a little face.  I started “dashing” more of certain spices, so I think I could make this without all the measuring devices next time. *My changes are in italics beside the ingredient*

Le Vegan Mac n Cheese by Susan V over at Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

“Easy Macaroni and Cheeze”

You can make this dish creamier by adding Earth Balance margarine. Try it the low-fat way first, and if you need it to be richer, add a little margarine to taste. This recipe is also low in sodium, so salt-lovers may need to add salt.

1 pound pasta (regular or gluten-free)

Blend together:
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup plain, fat-free soymilk (may use other non-dairy milk)
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch (I used cornstarch and it was a perfect consistency)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste) (Um, yeah, I don’t know how much more I added to this, but it was definitely more)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (a good dash or two more)
1 teaspoon onion powder (a good dash or two more)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (a good dash or two more)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (I have not been able to find this for the life of me.  I used regular paprika, and I used about 1 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (a good dash or two more)
pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon mellow white miso (or additional salt) (I got this at Whole Foods, but if you can’t find it, it probably won’t hurt the flavor one bit.)
black pepper to taste

Put the pasta on to boil, according to package directions. While it’s cooking, blend all remaining ingredients together in a blender. When the pasta is al dente, drain it, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and return the pasta to pan. Add the sauce mixture and cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Add a little of the pasta water if more moistness is needed.

If the sauce is not as flavorful as you’d like, add a little more mustard and onion powder.

Note: My daughter likes her macaroni a florescent yellow, so I usually add more turmeric.

Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 303 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat; (10% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 54g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 316mg Sodium; 5g Fiber. Also, if you use nutritional yeast fortified with B-12, one serving provides 100% of the daily requirement of that vitamin.

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Serving Suggestions: We like to have this with a bean dish, such as barbecued beans, and with steamed vegetables, most often a blend of broccoli and cauliflower.

Additional Uses: Heat the sauce alone until it thickens and use it to pour over baked potatoes or top pizzas. Or stir in some salsa and it makes a yummy dip for tortilla chips.

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