Vegan Thai Mac N Cheese Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
• Meanwhile, add the cashews to a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium, stirring frequently, until fragrant, toasty and slightly golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer cashews to a blender and add the almond milk. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel.
• Add the oil to the skillet and heat over medium. Add the onion, garlic, onion powder, ground turmeric and mustard powder, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until onions are very tender, 8 to 10 minutes, lowering the heat as necessary to avoid scorching. Remove from the heat, stir in 1/2 cup nutritional yeast and the tamari, then transfer to the blender.
• Blend the cashew mixture on high until thick and creamy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. (This works best with a high-power blender, but any blender will work - just keep blending the mixture 1 to 2 more minutes after the mixture looks creamy; it will emulsify further.) You should have about 1 1/2 cups.
• Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta, then return cooked pasta to the pot. Stir in the cashew cream, then add the pasta cooking water 1/4 cup at a time until you achieve desired sauciness. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional nutritional yeast, if desired. Serve immediately. (The sauce thickens significantly as it sits. If it starts to coagulate, or if you have any leftover macaroni and cheese, stir in a splash of the remaining pasta cooking water to loosen.)
• If you'd like a little crunch on top, prepare the optional panko topping: Heat the broiler. In a small bowl, add the panko, olive oil and 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast. Pinch the mixture together gently to combine thoroughly; season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Transfer the prepared macaroni to a lightly oiled 9-by-13-inch baking dish, arrange in an even layer and sprinkle the panko mixture on top, if using. Transfer to the oven on the shelf nearest to the broiler and broil until just golden on top, about 2 minutes. (The panko toasts quickly, so you'll want to keep an eye on it.) Serve immediately.

Steps:

• The night before, soak the cashew nuts in water and leave overnight.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Steam the carrots and potatoes together for 5 mins, until completely softened. Transfer to a food processor. Drain the cashews and add these with 60ml of the oil, then blitz to break down the nuts. Tip in the other ingredients - apart from the macaroni, breadcrumbs and the remaining oil - then blitz again until the mixture is smooth and season well. Add a splash of water and just a drizzle of olive oil if it looks too stiff, then set aside.
• Cook the macaroni in a large pan of salted water for 1 min less than packet instructions, drain then stir through the sauce. Transfer the mix to an ovenproof dish, stir the breadcrumbs with the remaining oil and some seasoning. Scatter over the top of the macaroni and bake for 20-25 mins until piping hot and crisp.

Steps:

• Add the cashews to a medium bowl and cover with warm water by 1 inch (2 ½ cm). Soak for 3-4 hours, until the cashews are softened and plump, then drain.
• While the cashews are soaking, make the roasted garlic: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Cut off the top ½ inch (1 ¼ cm) of the head of garlic and drizzle the exposed cloves with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Replace the top of the head of garlic and wrap tightly in foil. Roast for 35-40 minutes, until the cloves are easily pierced with a fork. Unwrap the garlic and let cool completely. Once cooled, squeeze all of the cloves from their skins.
• Add the soaked cashews, roasted garlic cloves, and cold water to a high-powered blender. Blend on high speed until completely smooth. 30-60 seconds. Set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 12-inch (30 G) cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the panko, paprika, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir with a spatula to coat the bread crumbs in the oil. Toast, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes, until the bread crumbs are lightly golden brown. Transfer the bread crumbs to a bowl and set aside. Wipe out the skillet.
• In the same skillet, melt together the vegan butter and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant but not browned. Whisk in the flour, making sure there are no clumps. Cook the roux for 3-4 minutes, whisking continuously, until the flour is golden in color and fragrant.
• Add the blended cashew mixture to the skillet and whisk well to combine with the roux. Add the nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, turmeric, pepper, and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes, until slightly thickened. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and pool when drizzled, but not so thick that it is gloppy. If the cheese sauce is too thick, add more water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
• Add the elbow noodles to the sauce and toss until well coated.
• Sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs on top of the pasta in an even layer.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling around the edges of the skillet and the bread crumbs are deep golden brown.
• Garnish with fresh minced parsley and serve.
• Enjoy!