ย ย How-to-Video:
Who doesn’t love a one dish meal and mac and cheese? My family does. Since we no longer eat cheese I had to come up with an alternative that the whole gang would like. Creamy vegan cheese pasta and peas hit the mark. Full flavors, creamy, and healthy! Winner!
All the ingredients for this dish were purchased from Trader Joe’s. Gotta love Trader Joe’s. The prices, produce, frozen food section, vegan options, gluten-free choices, and of course, the staff.
Vegan cheese is much easier than I thought it would be. The only pain in the a@# is you have to remember to soak the cashews for at least 4 hours. Want toย avoidย this problem? Soak cashews over night, drain and keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Now, when you’re ready to make vegan cheese you’ll be ready.
I always keep a stock of nutritional yeast in my pantry. It is a staple of many of my vegan meals. “What the heck is nutritional yeast?”ย Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast, a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae; not much help. From what I have read, it is a great source of B-complex vitamins and minerals. ย It has a nutty cheesy flavor and can be used on all types of dishes. I happen to LOVE it! Unlike traditional dairy cheese, it has NO cholesterol, no fat, and is low in calories.
This is a dinner that even your pickiest eaters will enjoy. If you don’t like peas, roast some broccoli instead. Broccoli, not your thing, grill your family’s favorite veggies and make it your own. Fresh herbs are a tasty addition if you have any on hand. I added fresh basil and it was delicious. Speaking of spice; hot sauce, sriracha, or red peppers flakes are great options too. Comment below and let us know how you made it your own. I can’t wait to mix it up with some of your personal touches.
Make thisย delicious meal in under 30 minutes and you’ll have some happy campers! ENJOY!
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked 4-6 hours or overnight
- 1 cup garbanzo beans drained
- 1/2 cup coconut cream regular or lite
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/4 cup shallots diced
- 1/2-3/4 cup vegan broth or water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 box gluten-free pasta prefer bean pasta
- 1 bag frozen peas cooked
Optional Toppings
- 1 (3 oz.) julienned sun dried tomatoes
- fresh basil
- capers
- red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Using a blender or food processor combine cashews, garbanzo beans, coconut cream, nutritional yeast, lemon, and shallots. Begin blending slowly adding vegan broth or water until the desired consistency is reached (cheese sauce).
- In a medium sauce pan add cheese mixture, on medium heat warm sauce. If sauce becomes too thick slowly add more broth.
- Cook pasta according to directions.
- Heat peas until warmed.
- Start the assembly line! Lay out the toppings and ENJOY!
