A vegan alternative to Mac & Cheese
The music, Seed Pods, is here
A great vegan alternative to Mac&Cheese, but with no substitute dairy - no oat milk, no "sheeze"
Low fat and tasty, this is comfort food at its best.
INGREDIENTS
macaroni - or your pasta of choice
dried mushrooms
onion
breadcrumbs
ground almonds - or any nut you fancy
cayenne
smoked paprika
garlic salt
oregano
The Sauce
garlic
dried sage
3 tins cannellini beans
cashew nuts
white wine vinegar
nutmeg
pepper
Watch the video
METHOD
Soak the mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes
Boil salted water
Cook the pasta for about 5 minutes, then cover - don't drain it
Drain the mushrooms, keeping the liquid - squeeze/press any excess water out
Slice the onion and chop the mushrooms
Heat oil in a pan
Fry the onions till they brown
Add the mushrooms
Add some salt and cook for about 5 minutes
Add a gloop of dry sherry and reduce for about 15-20 minutes
Drain the pasta (if necessary - I find by now it's absorbed the water) and return it to the pan
Add the onion & mushroom mix
Stir it through
Sauce
Soak the cashew nuts in warm water for 20 minutes
Slice the garlic
Heat oil in a pan
Add the garlic and sage
Let them cook for about 5 minutes, then add the cannellini beans - NOT drained
Add some pepper and simmer for 1 hour
When the beans are gloopy (if this gets too technical - let me know) add the soaked, drained cashews
Blitz it down. This takes a while - have faith - keep going till it's quite smooth
Add the mushroom water a bit at a time, blitzing after each addition
Keep checking the sauce, adding mushroom water and blitzing as necessary
You want a smooth, creamy sauce at the end of it - not water and not mortar
Add some nutmeg and the white wine vinegar
Whisk it all together
Add some of the sauce to the pasta and stir through
Add it in small amounts and stir it as you go
And now...
In a bowl put:
Breadcrumbs
Ground nuts
Cayenne, Smoked Paprika and Garlic Salt
Stir it all together
Add the pasta mix to an oven dish
Cover in the rest of the sauce and spread it around thoroughly
Cover with the breadcrumb mix
Dribble/drizzle/dropple some olive oil and sprinkle some sage and oregano
35 minutes at 180ºC
The music, Seed Pods, is here