Winner! Mac & Cheese Bake

Winner, Winner....Mac & Cheese Dinner!

First off, let me say that this was a supreme hit with my 12 year old daughter who usually turns her nose up at almost everything I make! As a matter of fact, I hear her in the kitchen right now nibbling on the left overs...this is a good day. We have a winner here...this mac & cheese bake will hit the spot for the kids, just don't say a word about what's in it. ;) Now had I added veggies in the bake, it would not have passed which is why this is just a simple recipe. Feel free to add in veggies like broccoli, kale, etc...whatever you may usually add into a mac & cheese bake! 

As for myself, I seriously could have sat there and ate this whole thing myself. I haven't had a mac & cheese bake in I don't know how long. The cheese is just great! I especially love the bread crumbs and the light dusting of smoked paprika I added on top of my portion. I paired mine with some sauteed Tuscan kale which was terrific! 

Vegan Mac & Cheese Bake

Ingredients

• 16 oz. package pasta of choice (I used rice penne pasta) (works with an 8oz package too)
• paprika, garnish

For the bread crumb topping

• two pieces of bread or 1 cup bread crumbs 
• tablespoon olive oil
• twist or two of the salt grinder

Cheese Sauce

• 1 1/2 cup raw cashews, preferably soaked for a 2 -3 hours (aides in digestion)
• 1 3/4 cups water or unsweetened almond milk, or combo like I did
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• juice of one large lemon or 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white miso
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, to taste*
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• dash of cayenne powder 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, cook your noodles al dente and set aside.

While waiting for the water to boil, start with your bread topping first. I toasted two pieces of bread we had on hand really well and processed them in the food processor until crumbly, a high speed blender will work too. Place the crumbs in a small bowl, drizzle with olive oil and a twist or two of the salt grinder, mix well and set aside. Quickly rinse the processor/blender bowl and move on to the cheese sauce.

For the cheese sauce: In food processor/blender, combine all of the cheese sauce ingredients except for about 1/2 of the water/milk and blend until creamy. Add remaining water/milk and blend again. Taste for flavor adding anything extra to suit your taste.

Once pasta is cooked and drained. Add pasta back to the pot it was cooked in, add the cheese sauce and combine well. It may seem like too much liquid but the pasta will take care of most of it.

In baking dish, pour mac & cheese and top with bread crumbs. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, check after 15 minutes if crumbs are darkening too much for your liking, cover with foil.

When done, let cool about 10 minutes and serve. The sauce will thicken upon standing.

* The chili pepper adds a really nice flavor without being too powerful. If your worried about the spiciness, especially for the little ones, I would suggest using the smaller amount, taste and add more if desired.

Notes: If you use a smaller baking dish or use ramekins, lessen the cooking time to 10 - 20 minutes depending on the size of dish you use.

Enjoy!

Why I ♥ this cheese so much is not only does it taste fantastic and its easy to make, but also because not one cow was harmed, or had their baby taken away, or just simply had to live a life of misery in order to satisfy a taste we have come accustomed to without even realizing how these animals are handled, especially through factory farming. That in itself makes all dairy products undesirable to me. I began my vegan journey for health reasons and soon found out just how unpleasant the meat and dairy industry really is. It is not a question of whether it's wrong or right to consume animals and their products...that depends on your circumstances. But I do believe that in this day and age we live in we simply do not need them to survive, and we definitely do not need to factory farm them the way it is being done.

Veganism for me is liberation for ALL sentient beings! And it most certainly starts with my fork. :)

To find out more about the life of factory farmed animals and animal rights you can visit PETA.org for more information.

Whole Wheat Persimmon Ricotta Scones

This is my first time having persimmons...and they are so lovely. Not only are they colorful but they have such a nice flavor. I can't really explain the flavor as it is fairly unique to my taste buds but it's very pleasant, slightly sweet and subtle. I saw this recipe from Sprouted Kitchen and decided to veganise it. It came out wonderful and so I share with you to try for yourself these great little scones. Just the right combination of flavors, this is a great fall scone...

Dice up your persimmons...

Combine dry ingredients together. Add butter breaking it up gently, then add persimmons...

Mix in cashew ricotta cheese and almond milk...

Place dough on floured surface and form a 7 inch square that's 1 inch high, cut into 9 scones...

Place on baking sheet and bake 15-18 minutes...

Let cool...

So delicious and easy to make. Nice texture...each one is a little unique and a bit rustic...

Whole Wheat Persimmon Ricotta Scones

Ingredients

• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour or spelt flour (I used ww pastry flour)
• 1 tablespoon aluminum free baking powder
• 1/4 cup organic pure cane sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon all spice, cardamom or nutmeg
• 6 tablespoons coconut oil or vegan butter (chilled)
• 1 cup fuyu persimmons (about two medium), finely chopped
• 3/4 cup cashew ricotta cheese (if using this recipe only use the first four ingredients)
• 1/2 cup almond milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium size bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and spices, blend well. Add the chilled butter/oil and using either a pastry blender or by hand (which I did), break up the butter/oil into the size of small peas. Doesn't have to be perfect. Try to do this quickly so you don't heat the butter too much with the warmth of your hands. Toss in the persimmons and mix.

With a spatula in hand, add the ricotta and almond milk to the mixture and stir them to form a dough. Working quickly, use your hands to knead the dough gently into an even mass. Try not to overwork it. It's ok to have lumps and bumps, it gives a rustic look.

Transfer the dough to a well floured surface, flour the top of dough lightly and pat into a 7 inch square, 1 inch high. With a large, sharp knife, divide the dough into nine scones. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the scones for about 15-18 minutes until they are lightly golden at the edges. Let cool a bit before transferring to a cooling rack. Store leftovers in air tight container and eat within a couple days but they are best eaten right away.

Notes: 

I used coconut butter as it was all I had on hand. It isn't really suggested to use for baking but I found that it was fine in this recipe, Although it didn't melt quite like oil or butter would because it contains coconut meat but it still came out great, and wasn't too overwhelming of a flavor. You can buy it or make it. To make coconut butter...in blender/food processor, blend 1 pound shredded unsweetened coconut flakes until creamy smooth, may take 5 to 10 minutes. Store in air tight container in pantry or fridge for up to six months, maybe even longer. Makes approx. 2 cups.

A note on the flours: Feel free to change up the flour content...for example all spelt flour, all whole wheat pastry flour, spelt & whole wheat pastry flour, all gluten free all-purpose flour, etc...it should turn out just as well.


This is a note taken from the source that I thought I'd share here: 'Scones are best the day they are made. However, you can make and divide the dough, arrange on a baking sheet and freeze them until firm, then transfer them to a freezer bag. If you're prepping just one day in advance, cover the tray with plastic wrap and bake them the day you need them removing the plastic wrap before putting in the oven. No need to defrost them, just add another 2-3 minutes to your baking time.'

Enjoy!

Cashew Ricotta Cheese

As vegans and those eating a plant based diet, you will be glad to have this cashew ricotta cheese in your culinary library. This is so easy to put together and tastes fantastic! I made a Simple Lasagna and couldn't tell the difference...it tasted just like the ricotta I was accustomed to for many years. This is soy free for those limiting their soy intake. It's a simple recipe with lots of possibilities. Add your own tastes to this basic cheese by adding herbs and spices if you like. Try adding in some sun-dried tomatoes for a sweet tomato cheese. Use this ricotta in lasagna, stuffed pasta shells, as a topper for crackers or as a spread for sandwiches. I've even used it in a Persimmon Ricotta Scone recipe that came out wonderful (I omitted the pepper, onion powder and garlic for the recipe). You can use this with a few adjustments for any recipe that calls for ricotta. The ingredients are very common making this a great basic recipe for anyone starting out experimenting with nut cheeses. Make yourself some fresh cashew cheese...taste and feel the difference compared to processed cheese products. You will not be disappointed!

Cashew Ricotta Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
• 1/2 cup water
• juice of 1 large lemon or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast*
• 1 garlic clove
• dash of onion powder
• himalayan sea salt & cracked pepper, to taste

Soak the cashews for at least two hours in a bowl of water, covering the cashews about an inch of water as they will puff up a bit.

Drain cashews and place all remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor, blend scraping down sides as needed until creamy. Taste for flavors adding any additional ingredients. Some like a salty ricotta so feel free to add as much salt as you want.

Store in refrigerator in an air tight container for an hour or two, this will stiffen the mixture a bit. You can also just prepare your dish with it straight away without refrigeration if needed.

Makes approx. 2 cups. Stores in refrigerator for up to a week.

*You could do just as well without the nutritional yeast if you don't have it. I only added a small amount, probably pretty unnoticeable. I will be trying more next time to play around with it a bit. If you do add it, it will add a bit more cheesy flavor and some good nutritional value.

Note: If you have trouble with the mixture blending on it's own try this, or add extra water...

I find that the mixture will go to the sides and not incorporate itself, maybe my blender is not that powerful. A trick I use while blending is to use a rubber spatula, with the lid off, I will scrap down ever so gently and tightly against the wall of the blender to help push the cashew mixture into itself so it keeps moving. It can be tricky, you don't want to put the spatula too far in or the blades will hit it...only scrap down enough to help keep the flow going, you don't have to go all the way down. I will do this around the wall of the blender until it either moves on it's own or it's to my desired consistency. Be patient when doing this so you don't lose your spatula in the blender.

Very good...

Enjoy!

Adapted from Hipster Food Make Your Own Cashew Cheese