Cooking with Oscar: Vegan Mac n' Cheese

I know Mac and Cheese shouldn't be messed with and that there are some amazing recipes out there loaded with cheese, heavy cream and butter to make it super tasty and addicting. I've made "real" mac and cheese but never feel good after eating it. I am very sensitive to dairy so heavy cream and butter don't work well with my body. I could use cheese but wanted to make something that resembled the cheesy flavor without unhealthy ingredients.

Don't expect this to taste like regular mac and cheese because...it just won't. It tastes good but in a different way! So be open to a new recipe for this classic dish. You might be pleasantly surprised.

By the way - almond milk has more calcium than regular milk, nutritional yeast is one of the best sources of vitamin B12 and turmeric is an amazing anti-inflammatory ingredient. This is a great way to incorporate all of those ingredients into one dish!

Vegan Mac n' Cheese
Serves: 4

You'll need:

Elbows or Penne (any kind of pasta - I used brown rice pasta)
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tbsp yellow miso
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
*optional: 1 head steamed broccoli, peas or sautéed mushrooms

1. Start preparing pasta according to package directions. Save some pasta water for later.

2. Heat almond milk and arrowroot powder (or cornstarch) on medium high heat until its simmering.

3. In a high powered blender mix in the cashews, nutritional yeast, yellow miso, lemon juice and spices. Mix until you get a "nut butter consistency" then add the warmed almond milk and arrowroot powder and mix for a few more seconds. Adjust consistency by adding more cashews or milk. Adjust seasoning by adding salt or pepper.