Vegan Yum Yum's "Mac and Cheese. Cheeze? Yeast?"

[obsidienne]

The first time I made Vegan Yum Yum's Mac and Cheese. Cheeze? Yeast? I went: OMFG. OMFG! It was amazing. And I hate vegan cheese substitutes; I've spent a lot of money only to throw away packages of vegan "cheese" that smelled and tasted like wax crayons.  No more for me, thanks.  This is something else.  And how!

Mac and Cheeze
from the Vegan Yum Yum blog

Serves 2-3

• 1/3 Cup Earth Balance Margarine
• 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 2 1/2 Tbs Low Sodium Tamari or Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbs Lemon Juice, fresh
• 1 Tbs Sweet/White/Mellow Miso
• 1 Tbs Tahini
• 1 Tbs Tomato Paste (not sauce!)
• 1 1/4 Cup Soy Milk
• 1/3 Cup Nutritional Yeast
• 1 Pinch Salt
• Black Pepper, to taste

Begin by heating a sauce pan and adding the earth balance. Once melted, add flour and whisk vigorously until a smooth paste forms, called a roux. Be careful not to add flour to a pan that is very hot, or your roux will be lumpy and you’ll need to start over. If you mix in the flour as soon as the margarine is melted and you should avoid any problems.

To this paste, add tamari, lemon, miso, tahini, and tomato paste and whisk until well incorporated. The mixture should still be paste-like. Then slowly pour in the soymilk, whisking constantly, until it is completely incorporated. Add the yeast and mix well. Cook the mixture until it thickens, whisking often. This should take approximately 5 minutes, but it’s flexible. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I like this the most baked. Cook 3 cups of dry, small pasta (like elbows or shells or rotini) and toss with the finished cheezy sauce. Add steamed broccoli (pictured) for a real treat. Top with fresh breadcrumbs and bake at 400º for 25 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.

Notes: I never bake this.  Far too much waiting time. ;)  Also, the broccoli is indispensable here for me, and asparagus is good, too. Lastly, whole wheat pasta makes this a much tastier, healthier option...

If you have never tried any of the recipes at Vegan Yum Yum, you should head right on over there.  I cook from her blog all the time, and everything is so amazing, tasty, and easy that I find myself making a lot of her dishes over and over again.