Mac and Cheese Sauce
This is an excellent, versatile all-purpose, cheesey vegan sauce. It is great on everything from pasta to potatoes and veggies of all kinds, but it especially loves broccoli ! Add some salsa to the finished sauce for an amazing Queso Dip. Thin it out with more water or milk for a cheesey soup base.
1 cup peeled and cubed waxy potatoes ( such as Yukon Gold or a red )...about 1 medium
1/2 cup cubed carrots ( or butternut squash or sweet potato )
1 cup water
1/2 cup raw cashews ( can be soaked, then drained for a few hour if you've got the time )
1 bullion cube or 2 teaspoons miso 2 tablespoons roasted red pepper ( the jarred kind are fine )
1 tablespoon prepared mustard...yellow or dijon
1/3 cup vegan margarine or oil
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Place potato and carrot cubes in a small pot with the one cup water , add the bullion cube ( if using the miso wait until the you are finishing the sauce in the blender) and bring to a boil. Then cover and lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the veggies are very soft...10-15 minutes. Do not drain the water. Remove the pan from the heat and toss in the cashews, roasted red pepper, mustard, margarine, yeast and lemon juice. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes or so to let the cashews soften up some ( if you havent soaked already ) and then scrape all into a blender ( add the miso now ! ) and slowly, at first, start grinding it all together. It will take several stops, starts and scrapings-down to get it to begin to blend smoothly. Add a little more water if it's not mixing well, or you want a thinner sauce. Then keep blending for a few more minutes...you'll be amazed how smooth it will get !
1 cup peeled and cubed waxy potatoes ( such as Yukon Gold or a red )...about 1 medium
1/2 cup cubed carrots ( or butternut squash or sweet potato )
1 cup water
1/2 cup raw cashews ( can be soaked, then drained for a few hour if you've got the time )
1 bullion cube or 2 teaspoons miso 2 tablespoons roasted red pepper ( the jarred kind are fine )
1 tablespoon prepared mustard...yellow or dijon
1/3 cup vegan margarine or oil
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Place potato and carrot cubes in a small pot with the one cup water , add the bullion cube ( if using the miso wait until the you are finishing the sauce in the blender) and bring to a boil. Then cover and lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the veggies are very soft...10-15 minutes. Do not drain the water. Remove the pan from the heat and toss in the cashews, roasted red pepper, mustard, margarine, yeast and lemon juice. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes or so to let the cashews soften up some ( if you havent soaked already ) and then scrape all into a blender ( add the miso now ! ) and slowly, at first, start grinding it all together. It will take several stops, starts and scrapings-down to get it to begin to blend smoothly. Add a little more water if it's not mixing well, or you want a thinner sauce. Then keep blending for a few more minutes...you'll be amazed how smooth it will get !
Funny how many of the mainstay vegan favorites are very expensive to buy ready-made, but crazy-cheap to make at home. Think hummus, cookies, cakes, crackers, tofu salad, cheesy sauces...even seitan is super easy ( really ! ) and cheap to make at home.
Tofu ( and it's cousin tempeh) , however, is best left to tofu-makers. It's so available and inexpensive to buy and such a pain in the you-know-what to make, I think our time is better spent elsewhere.
Tofu ( and it's cousin tempeh) , however, is best left to tofu-makers. It's so available and inexpensive to buy and such a pain in the you-know-what to make, I think our time is better spent elsewhere.