Butternut Squash Mac n' Cheeze (Vegan)

(Picture by Katie M.)

This recipe was sent in by Katie M. She found it at Oh She Glows. She says that her hubby (who loves his $1 box of Mac n' Cheese) thought this was great.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and chopped (yields: 3.5 cups raw)
• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened + unflavoured soy milk), or more to thin out
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 6-7 tbsp Nutritional yeast (provides the cheesy consistency)
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp or a bit more of dried Italian seasoning
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Tumeric powder, optional (gives the orangey colour)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Paprika + more to season
• Your pasta of choice (I used ~450 grams/4.5 cups dry penne for the casserole) + mix-ins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet.  In a bowl, season chopped squash with some oil (~1 tsp) and kosher salt (couple pinches) and stir. Add to baking sheet and roast in oven for 40 minutes, flipping once half way through baking.
2. If making the baked casserole: Process 1 slice of bread + 1 tbsp Earth balance until crumbs form in a food processor. Set aside. If you plan on enjoying it straight from the pot you can skip this step.
3. Assemble your cheeze sauce ingredients (cashews, non-dairy milk, garlic, lemon, salt, nutritional yeast, pepper, mustard, seasonings) and add just the cashews to food processor. Process until a fine crumb forms similar to corn meal. Now add in the rest of the cheese sauce ingredients and process until smooth. Leave the sauce in the processor as you will be adding the squash.
4. Cook your pasta according to package directions. When squash is finished roasting, add it to the food processor and blend it with the cheese sauce until smooth. Adjust to taste. The sauce will thicken up with time. If at any point the sauce becomes too thick, you can add a bit of milk to thin it out.
5. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water. Now add the pasta back into the same pot and add your desired amount of cheeze sauce on top. Stir well. Add in any desired mix-ins like peas or broccoli. You can either heat this up in the pot, or pour it into a casserole dish (I used a 4 cup dish), sprinkle on breadcrumbs + paprika, and bake it at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. The casserole will serve about 4 people if you use 450 grams dry macaroni or penne. Store any leftover sauce in the fridge and use within a few days.

Notes about this recipe:

I followed this recipe exactly and added peas before baking. Although it takes a little time (need to roast the butternut squash ahead of time) it is super easy and I will definitely be making this again.

Peanut Sauce Baked Tofu

(Image from Love Veggies and Yoga)

This recipe was sent in by Liz D. She found it at the blog Love Veggies and Yoga. Both she and her husband gave the recipe a thumbs up. If you like picture steps for your recipes, check out the link because she has a pictoral guide for her recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 package tofu, pressed (select firm or extra firm)
• 1/3 c orange juice
• 3 tbsp peanut butter
• 3 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp agave (or honey/maple syrup or combo)
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• Pinch of cayenne (more to taste, if desired)
• Pinch of chili powder (more to taste, if desired)
• Optional: 1 Tbsp EVOO or use more sesame oil

Directions:

Press your tofu (use a tofu press or press between heavy plates/objects and get the paper towels handy), and slice pressed tofu into 1/4 inch strips.

Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a bowl (it will not be pretty) and allow tofu to marinate for at least 20 minutes but a few hours or overnight is ideal. The longer the better. Reserve a couple tablespoons of the marinade that’s likely at the bottom of the bowl.

Line a cookie sheet with foil to save on cleanup time and spray with cooking spray.

Broil the marinated tofu for 5-6 minutes on the first side.

Flip, and broil for another 3 to 5 minutes on the second side. Apply what’s remaining of the reserved marinade to the top side of the flipped tofu.

The author of the blog recommends NOT leaving the kitchen during the broiling process, because of how quickly peanut butter can be burnt in the broiler.

Yield: About 19 strips out of 1 block of pressed tofu.

Mock Chicken Soup

(Photo from Fabulous Foods)

This recipe was submitted by Tracy G. She found it at Fabulous Foods.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large celery stalks, finely diced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, minced
• 6 cups water with 2 vegetable bouillon cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning, such as Mrs. Dash brand
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
• 4 to 6 ounces short, fine noodles (see note below)
• 4 to 6 ounces baked tofu, finely diced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the celery, carrots, garlic, onion, and about 2 tablespoons water. Cover and sweat over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.
2. Add the water with bouillon cubes, seasoning and dried dill. Bring to a rapid simmer. Lower the heat, cover, ad simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
3. Raise the heat and bring to a more vigorous simmer. Add the noodles and simmer steadily for 5 to 8 minutes, or until al dente.
4. Stir in the diced tofu, then season with salt and pepper. Serve at once. As the soup stands, the noodles quickly absorb the liquid. If you plan on having leftovers of the soup, add a cup or so additional water before storing, and adjust the seasoning. This way the soup can develop more flavor as it stands.
5. Note: You can use vermicelli or angel hair, broken into 1 1/2 inch pieces; soba noodles are good too, if you want something a bit more nourishing or assertive. Fine, round noodles such as anellini are also good.

Notes about this recipe:

I omitted the Dash Seasoning and dill and used salt, pepper, thyme and oregano instead.

I replaced the spaghetti noodles with whole wheat egg noodles.

I sauteed the tofu cubes in olive oil and thyme instead of baking it.

Raw Vegan Apple Crumble

This recipe was submitted by Aubrey. She adapted it from Love Veggies and Yoga.

Ingredients and Directions:

Raw Crust:
1 c oats
2/3 c Whole Wheat Flour
9 Medjool dates, pitted (you can get these at Costco)

Grind these up together in your blender or food processor and then press in the bottom of a 9x9 pan.

Filling:
4 large apples (this could be interchanged with other fruits- I'm going to try pears next time)
Peel, core and dice. Place in bowl and add:
2 Tbsp Agave
2 Tbsp Raw Organic Powdered Sugar
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 Tsp Molasses
1-2 Tsp Cinnamon - according to your taste.

Mix well and spread over the top of the crust.

Crumble topping:
3/4 c Almond Meal (you can just grind up almonds in your blender or food processor)
3/4 c Oats
3-4 Tbsp Agave (depending on how sticky/crumbly you like your crumble)

Give these a good couple of pulses and crumble evenly over the top of your apples.

You're done! Just place it in the fridge until you're ready for it. It's best to do this several hours ahead of serving to allow the flavors to meld, and the crust to get a bit gooey from the sauce in the apples.