Today I show you a classic American dish, veganized: Vegan Mac and Cheese. Mac and cheese is basically macaroni and cheese with a creamy cheese sauce, a typical dish of American cuisine.
As you can imagine, the classic or original version is quite heavy, containing gluten and dairy products. That's why in this post I'm going to tell you how to achieve a version that is not only gluten and dairy free but also healthy.
To prepare this Vegan Mac and Cheese we are going to use very few and simple ingredients that you probably already have at home. Best of all, hidden in this creamy pasta dish are vegetables for added nutrients.
What you need to make these Vegan Mac and Cheese:
- Gluten-free pasta: in my case I used brown rice fusilli, but any gluten-free short pasta will do.
- Potatoes: although potatoes still have a bad reputation, they are one of the most powerful foods for our health. That's why those who have been following me for a long time know that I consume them daily. They are antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and provide us with good glucose to strengthen the brain and liver. And no, potatoes are not fattening. The problem is when we cook them with poor quality oils. Don't be afraid to eat potatoes, I can tell you that I've been eating potatoes literally every day for a few years now and I haven't put on weight because of it. We are going to cook them with the skin on for their iron content.
- Carrot: the carrot will give the yellowish color to our creamy sauce. If you use organic or ecological you can leave the skin on, otherwise I recommend peeling it.
- Garlic: this ingredient can be omitted if you want a more neutral flavor, or you can use half of what is in the recipe.
- Anacardos/Castañas de Cajú: las castañas de cajú, anacardos, marañón, merey, nuez de la india le aporta mucha cremosidad a nuestra salsa además de grasas saludables. It is important to soak them beforehand so that they disintegrate completely when blended. My favorite way to soak them is with boiling water for about 10-20 minutes. Or if you do it with room temperature water, soak them for at least 4 hours.
- Sea or Himalayan salt
How to prepare Mac and Cheese in a vegan version:
1- Cut the potato and carrot previously washed. Place in a pot with plenty of water and boil for a few minutes until fork tender. If the carrots are still hard, remove the potatoes with a skimmer and let the carrots cook for a few more minutes. Strain and reserve.
2- Place water in a large pot to cook the pasta according to package directions.
3- Add the boiled potatoes and carrots in a blender along with the garlic, sea salt, water and cashews previously soaked and strained. Blend until a smooth and homogeneous texture is achieved.
4- Once the pasta is cooked, strain it and return it to the pot. Pour the creamy sauce on top and mix so that it is well integrated. If the sauce has cooled, turn on the stove again to heat it up. And ready, just serve and enjoy.
Other recipes that may interest you:
- Caprese Pasta
- Cream noodles with mushrooms (vegan)
- Spaghetti al limone
- 3 vegan pastas
- Cauliflower gnocchi
- Vegan and gluten free chard cake
- Gluten-free savory tart dough
Mac and Cheese Vegano
Ingredients
- Pasta sin gluten
- 2 papas (2 tazas)
- 1 zanahoria (1 taza)
- 1 diente de ajo
- ½ taza castañas de cajú /anacardos naturales
- ¼ cdita sal marina o del himalaya
- 1 y ½ taza agua
Instructions
- Cortar la papa y zanahoria previamente lavadas. Colocar en una olla con abundante agua y hervir por unos minutos hasta que pinchando con un tenedor estén tiernas. Si las zanahorias aún están duras, retirar las papas con una espumadera y dejar cocinando las zanahorias unos minutos más. Colar y reservar.
- Colocar agua en una olla grande para cocinar la pasta siguiendo las indicaciones del paquete.
- Agregar las papas y zanahorias hervidas en una licuadora junto con el ajo, sal marina, agua y castañas de cajú o anacardos previamente remojados y colados. Licuar hasta lograr una textura suave y homogénea.
- Una vez que la pasta esté cocida, colarla y volver a colocarla en la olla. Volcar encima la salsa cremosa y mezclar para que se integre bien. En caso de que la salsa se haya enfriado, prender la hornalla nuevamente para que se caliente. Y listo, sólo queda servir y disfrutar.
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