Easy Mac n' Cheeze

I've been lazing it up again with the recipe posting, mostly just because I've just NOT been feeling funny at all, at least in the way of food. And that's my shtick, babies. Orange-feces-talk and funniness. What would this blog be without the two?

Unfortunately the streak continues ("unfunny streak," not "poo-streak"). But I post this recipe today nonetheless, lest the masses rise up against me for playing hooky for too long.

Nooch. I loves it. I loved it even when I wasn't vegan. I know that it's a love-hate thing with many veg*ns, but damn, folks--it is a good source of Vitamin B12, so LEARN TO LOVE IT.

So when I was reading SusanV's intro to her easy mac n' cheez, I realized how very unpicky I am about vegan mac n' cheez. And that's because I loves the nooch.

Then again, I know many of you DON'T loves the nooch, and for that, I think you should be bent over and spanked until you LEARN TO LOVE IT.

Point being (yes, there IS a point somewhere in here): I'm probably not the best judge of vegan mac n' cheezes, because I've never really tasted one that I've not liked.

NONETHELESS, there are definitely some recipes that stand out amongst the plethora of vegan mac n' cheez recipes out there, one of which is the infamous creamiest mac n' cheez ever, of which I've only ever read positive reviews.

And I must say: I really really liked SusanV's Easy Mac n' Cheez quite a bit as well, I think mainly because of the clever addition of tahini, which adds a nutty and rich depth of flavor to the sauce. And the fun thing is, once you get the general base for your mac n' cheez, you can tinker away with the spices to get it right for you. (My favorite thing to do--as you can see from the pic--is to sprinkle crushed red pepper onto my macaroni n' cheez to give it a zingy kick. I also think I added in a little bit of soy sauce as well.)

So yes: good basic recipe. Try it. Learn to love the nooch.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound pasta (regular or gluten-free)


Blend together:


• 1 1/4 c. water


• 1 c. plain, fat-free soymilk (may use other non-dairy milk)


• 3/4 c. nutritional yeast


• 3 T. cornstarch or potato starch


• 1 T. lemon juice


• 1 t. salt (or more to taste)


• 1/2 t. garlic powder


• 1 t. onion powder


• 1/2 t. dry mustard


• 1/2 t. smoked (or regular) paprika


• 1/2 t. turmeric


• pinch cayenne pepper


• 2 T. tahini


• 1 t. mellow white miso (or additional salt)


• black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Put the pasta on to boil, according to package directions. While it's cooking, blend all remaining ingredients together in a blender. (I am now realizing that I didn't do this--I just blended them all together with a spoon in the pot. Works just as well.) When the pasta is al dente, drain it, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and return the pasta to pan. Add the sauce mixture and cook, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Add a little of the pasta water if more moistness is needed.

If the sauce is not as flavorful as you'd like, add a little more mustard and onion powder.

(Recipe from the FatFree Vegan Kitchen)