Macaroni and Cheese
It’s one of our main comfort foods in North America. I remember my grandmothers mac. Lots of grated cheese, milk, eggs, and butter, mixed with elbow macaroni and baked until it’s a rich cheesy custard. Now the thought of it makes my stomach clench up.
The MAC of today is a vastly different thing. More and more people associate the preprocessed box of pasta and yellow powder with their childhood. In general, we don’t cook anymore. The industrial age has brought us industrial cooking. Tomatoes are picked from shelves in cans and jars instead of vines. Food is a factory product and business practices try to determine our diet.
This has led to analogue foods. They mimic the taste, texture, and consistency of unavailable or undesirable ingredients. Expeller pressed oils are colored, flavored, and mashed into blocks of “cheese”. Wheat protein is isolated and formed into meat substitutes. Of course our most comforting foods will be replicated first. Which has brought about vegan macaroni and cheese (mac).
Vegan mac is similar to a modern holy cow.
There are competitions and pot lucks all over the US and Canada. Several agricultural and animal rights organizations frequently sponsor these events as a way to bring attention to their cause. People are easily led by their stomachs.
Creaminess seems to be the most important quality. This is frequently achieved with cashew cream, tofu, starchy vegetables or a simple roux.
Texture is a close second, there are frequent additions that add crunchy and or meaty bits.
Flavors are extremely diverse. The only requirements are pasta and a cheese like substance. Also, the cheese like substance may only look like cheese, or taste like cheese, or act like cheese.
My typical version begins with off the shelf elbow macaroni. There are many choices for size, shape, and texture. The pasta is the foundation. Everything else is to be carried by it. Using alternate grains, whole grains, rice, or other seeds will result in very different textures. The shape is important in how much of the sauce it will carry. Tubular shapes are the most often used. They have the strength to carry a heavy cheesy sauce or custard.
Starches need salt when boiling. It reduces the slimy texture and keeps them together. I use about a gallon of water with a couple tablespoons of salt for one pound of pasta. I’ve heard more salt or less, that seems to do it for me. The cooking time will depend on the type of pasta as well as the desired end result.
I prefer a roux as the beginning of my cheesy sauce. The preferred fat is olive oil with a mix of all purpose flour and corn starch. The corn starch will prevent darkening of the wheat, making this a pale sauce. I mix the dijon and the almond milk with some shoyu for the liquid. I add cumin, coriander, oregano, and a little tumeric to the nootch. For extra calories and protein, I will add a cup of sunflower seed meal. The dijon is imperative. Non-dairy milks are usually sweetened. The mustard will cut through the sweetness. It needs that sour note.
Bring your cheesy sauce to the right consistency. The longer you whisk, the thicker it becomes. Any vegetables you add may release water when baking and thin the sauce. Saute them before adding if needed.
Title: Vegan Mac
Yield: 12 servings
Category: Entree
Cuisine: Eclectic
Source: Keeffee
Original Page from www.keeffee.netIngredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 2 tbs salt
- 1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup corn starch
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cups almond milk
- 2 tbs dijon mustard
- 2 tbs shoyu
- 1 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 cup ground toasted sunflower seeds (optional)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground corriander
- 1 tbs dried oregano
- 1 ea large onion (optional)
- 2 cups broccoli florets (optional)
- 1 ea carrot sliced (optional)
Instructions
Cook pasta as directed, rinse with cool water to stop the cooking action, and drain well.
Add chopped onion, broccoli florets, carrot slices, fresh herbs to the pasta.
Add flour, cornstarch, and olive oil to a heavy sauce pot. Turn the heat to high and whisk continuously.
Let the roux fry for several minutes. Add the almond milk, mustard, and shoyu while whisking. When mixed and smooth add the nutritional yeast and spices. Continue whisking and reduce the heat to half when it begins to bubble. Around 5 minutes. Keep whisking until the right consistency is reached.
Combine the cheesy sauce with the pasta and vegetables. Pack into a half pan or 9 x 12, place in a 350 oven for 45 minutes.
There should be a browned crust on the top. Remove from the oven and cool until firm for serving.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional information reflects amount per serving.
Calories 371
Total Fat (g) 12
Saturated Fat (g) 2
Cholesterol (mg) 3
Sodium (mg) 2399
Total Carbohydrate (g) 50
Dietary Fiber (g) 6
Sugars (g) 7
Protein (g) 17