Mac 'n' cheese

Happy Friday everyone - the weekend is here and it's time to chill!

For those of you that are planning to have an evening in over the weekend, this vegan mac 'n' cheese recipe is the one for you! Mac 'n' cheese is the ultimate comfort food and when you're curled up on the sofa, a big bowl of it is exactly what you fancy, but then the pre/post guilt sets in and either you avoid it altogether feeling dissatisfied and ever so slightly sorry for yourself, or you spend the rest of the evening riddled with guilt. Well stop right there - that is no way to live! This recipe looks, tastes and smells totally indulgent, and will leave you feeling satisfied and chuffed with your latest healthy creation!

You'll need the following:

Gluten free pasta (how much will depend on how many you're cooking for and how hungry you all are)

Broccoli (chopped florets and stems! Don't throw the stems away, they're really tasty and filled with extra nutritional goodies!)

Leeks

For the 'cheese' sauce:

1/4 cup vegan butter

1/3 cup gluten-free flour

3 cups dairy-free milk (I use almond but the choice is yours)

1/2 cup nutritional yeast (NB - not baking yeast!! They are not interchangeable!)

1/3 cup cashews

1/4 cup pine nuts

3 tbsp tomato puree

1 clove garlic finely chopped, or 1 tsp garlic paste

2 tsp Boullion powder (any other good quality veg stock)

Lemon juice

Start by boiling the pasta according to packet instructions ensuring there is plenty of water and space to add the broccoli for the last 5 mins of cooking. Slice the leeks and shallow fry in a little olive oil or vegan butter until soft.

The cheese sauce is super simple. Simply melt the vegan butter in a pan and whisk in the flour to make a paste. Meanwhile, pop the cashews and pine nuts in a food processor (or similar appliance) and give them a whizz until you have a fine flour. Add the milk, nutritional yeast, nut flour, garlic, Boullion and a squeeze of lemon juice to the mixture and let the sauce simmer on a low heat until you have the desired consistency. Have a try and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mix the pasta, cheese sauce, broccoli and leeks and you're done. Either serve there and then with a side salad of your choice, or (for the goats cheese lovers out there) pour the whole lot into an oven dish and grate a layer of hard goat's cheese on top and put under the grill for a few minutes! 

So invite some friends over this weekend and show off your culinary skills but make sure you do a big batch because I promise everyone will be having seconds!

Oh and don't forget - spread a little happiness today! X