Macaroni without Cheese
I’ve never cared for Kraft, but I love homemade macaroni and cheese. However, Sam has been monitoring his cholesterol, so all of that cheese is a no-go. So instead, I made this macaroni without cheese– using silken tofu, spices, nutritional yeast, and a topping of apples, fennel, cherry tomatoes and bread crumbs. It’s actually vegan! What’s more, it’s a delicious dish in its own right– lighter than a true mac and cheese– that both vegans and omnivores will enjoy.
Macaroni without Cheese
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound box of medium shells, macaroni, or pasta of your choosing
- 12 oz soft silken tofu
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons turmeric (or to taste)
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed and finely minced
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce* (if you want this to be truly veggie/ vegan, substitute soy sauce or use a vegan version like Annie’s)
- 2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast (if you happen to live in my neighborhood, the Meat Hook carries this)
- 1/8 cup fresh chives, chopped
- 4-5 scallions, chopped
- 1 green apple, cored and diced
- 5-10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/2 small-medium sized fennel bulb, sliced and diced
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375. Fill a large stockpot with water. Add a dash of salt, and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook 7-9 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
While the pasta cooks, in a large bowl, mix tofu with mustard, turmeric, garlic, worcestershire, nutritional yeast and chives until smooth. Add salt and pepper. Toss with pasta. Pour into a greased baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix apple, scallions, fennel, tomatoes and breadcrumbs. Pour mixture over the pasta. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm, with cornbread and a salad.
Looks good! Here’s a vegan/vegetarian pasta dish you might like:
http://www.vegrecipes4u.com/spicy-vegetable-pasta.html
We tried this, and were intrigued by the texture and combination of flavors – sort of an Indian inspired pasta dish. The unfortunate aspect, for us, was the amount of turmeric. Two Tablespoons is far, far too much and overwhelms the dish. Ultimately, we had to throw it out as no one would eat it. Two teaspoons would be a much better amount. As I was making it, I questioned that quantity of so assertive a spice but decided to follow the recipe to the letter anyway, as is my way on a first attempt. My theory is that you can always change things the next time around, but you have to start from a specific place to do so. I thought maybe it was a mistake, but noticed that “Tablespoons” was spelled out in its entirety, so figured the recipe’s author must have been sure about it. Otherwise, this one is definitely worth doing.
My advice to readers – try it with less turmeric first!
Whoops! The tablespoons was actually a typo– I’ve edited the post to reflect the correct measurement 2 TEASPOONS! I always spell everything out in its entirety on this blog, but as I am cooking, I use shorthand to write down what I am adding, and sometimes there are mistakes in the transcribing. Thanks for catching that and I’m sorry that you made something inedible. I hope you’ll try it again, because it really is delicious.
That said, with all my recipes, the spices and herbs should always be adjusted to your taste. I love spicy food (not just hot-spicy, but super-flavorful). When I look at other recipes, I often use double, or sometimes even quadruple the amount of spices initially called for. So with my recipes, if you have a more sensitive palette, try starting with less and then adding more for your tastes.