Beauty Food - Paired, Vegan and Gluten - Free Mac 'N Cheese
Mac and cheese is among the leading carb cravings that people tell me they have. It’s not just the carbs they crave; it’s also all the fatty dairy. So many vegan dishes get their creamy, cheesy quality from cashews, but I wanted to avoid those here. Nuts are a pro- tein, and combining them with pasta, even when it is gluten free, results in a dense protein-starch combination that should be avoided for easier digestion. In this recipe, the fatty richness is derived from a blend of butternut squash and coconut milk. This recipe is a variation of the one that caterer Hope Bailey and I created together as an appetizer and served in elegant little espresso cups at an event we hosted. I hope you, too, enjoy this properly combined, much healthier version of mac and cheese!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash 1⁄2-inch cubes
- 1 cup diced white onion
- 2 medium cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil plus 1 tablespoon for the bread crumbs
- 1 ⁄2 teaspoon sea1 salt plus 1⁄2 teaspoon for the sauce, plus ⁄2 teaspoon for the bread crumbs
- 1 ⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus 1⁄4 teaspoon for the sauce, plus 1⁄4 teaspoon for the bread crumbs
- 2 cups full-fat unsweetened coconut milk 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast plus 2 tablespoons for the bread crumbs
- 1 ⁄2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 ⁄2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Few drops Tabasco sauce or other similar hot sauce optional
- 3 ⁄4 cup gluten-free bread crumbs made from about 3 pieces of toasted gluten-free bread, which are cooled, then pulsed in a food processor
- 11 ⁄2 teaspoons paprika
- 8 ounces gluten-free pasta elbows or shells cooked according to the package directions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Toss the butternut squash cubes, onions and garlic with 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon of the pepper in a large bowl. Spread the squash mixture on a baking sheet and roast in the oven until the squash cubes are soft and golden brown, around 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the coconut milk, thyme and bay leaves in a medium saucepan, and bring the coconut milk to a rolling boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat and let the coconut milk steep for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs with a slotted spoon.
- Combine the cooked coconut milk, the squash mixture , 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt, the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper, 2 tablespoons of the yeast, the dry mustard, turmeric, and Tabasco sauce in a blender and process until smooth. Set the butternut squash sauce aside.
- Toss the bread crumbs with the remaining 1 tablespoon coconut oil, the remaining tablespoons nutritional yeast, the remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, the remaining 1⁄4 tea- spoon pepper and the paprika. Set the bread crumb mixture aside.
- Arrange the cooked pasta in a large bowl. Pour the reserved butternut squash sauce over the pasta and combine well. Spoon the pasta into a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Sprinkle the reserved bread crumb mixture over the pasta and bake for 20 minutes, or until top is golden. Spoon out, serve at once and enjoy each bite!
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