Creamy & Nutritious Mac-No-Cheese (ve)

When transitioning to a plant-based diet, cheese is the thing people seem to miss the most. However, with mounting evidence linking saturated fats (present in dairy products) and increased inflammation in the body, a traditional mac & cheese is far from being considered a healthy meal – at least in my books 🙂

Instead of feeling bloated, heavy and nauseated after your mac & cheese, this version is way more nourishing, healthy and light whilst still as (if not more) delicious. I used;

• wholewheat pasta due to its proven cardiovascular protective effects,

• butternut squash rich in vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium and manganese,

• cashew nuts which reduce the risk of stroke and, like all nuts, significantly lower the risk of dying prematurely overall,

• tofu which, like all beans, has been showed to have cancer-protective effects on a comprehensive analysis of diet and cancer which reviewed half a million studies and was performed by nine global independent research teams.

It’s absolutely delicious, cruelty-free, healthy giving food that will make you feel good, stay healthy and live longer.

• Ingredients

  • a small butternut squash (you want to end up with 400g after peeling and deseeding)

  • 5 garlic cloves

  • 2 bay leaves

  • olive oil

  • salt & pepper

  • 200ml plant-based “mylk” (oat or soya work best in this recipe)

  • 1 onion

  • 1/4tsp nutmeg

  • 300g whomewheat pasta

  • 125g cashew nuts (soaked overnight or for a few hours in very hot water if you have a powerful blender)

  • 1tbsp nutritional yeast

  • 150g silken tofu

  • 1 slice of rye bread

  • a sprig of rosemary

• Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC (fan). Peel, deseed and slice the butternut squash. Place in a roasting tray together with 4 garlic cloves (unpeeled) and bay leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 minutes and set aside once it’s done.

  2. Chop the onion into 8 wedges. To a small saucepan, add the “mylk”, onion, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Heat on low heat to allow the “mylk” to be infused with all the flavours.

  3. Cook the paste according to the package instructions. Drain and reserve.

  4. To a blender cup add the cashew nuts, nutritional yeast, tofu, infused “mylk”, peeled roasted garlic, roasted squash, salt and pepper. Blend everything until creamy.

  5. Toss the pasta in the sauce and transfer to an oven dish.

  6. Toast the bread and, tear it in bits and transfer to a food processor cup. Add the rosemary leaves, the garlic clove, 1tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper and pulse until you have a crumbly mixture.

  7. Top the pasta with this and bake for 20min in the oven. Serve immediately with some steamed kale and broccoli or a mixed salad.

Hope you enjoy it and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can see your recreations.