Baked Mac n Cheese (Vegan)
 

This is from an issue of VegNews, my modifications are in parentheses. Very delicious!

4 quarts water
1 tablespoon sea salt (don’t need unless you cook your pasta in salted water)
8 ounces macaroni
4 slices of bread, torn into large pieces (I think 4 pieces are too many and wouldn’t use more then 2 personally. You can also use prepackaged breadcrumbs if you have them)
2 tablespoons + 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated margarine (you can cut this in half and use a few more potatoes and carrots to save cals/fat, I omit the 2tbsps from the breadcrumbs also)
2 tablespoons shallots, peeled and chopped
1 cup red or yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped
¼ cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup water
¼ cup raw cashews
2 teaspoons sea salt
¼ teaspoon garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (I personally use ¼- 1/2 tsp depending on who I’m making it for- I like this to have a bit of heat)
¼ teaspoon paprika

1. In a large pot, bring the water and salt to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente. In a colander, drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

2. In a food processor, make breadcrumbs by pulverizing the bread and 2 tablespoons
margarine to a medium-fine texture. Set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, add shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion, and
water, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft.

4. In a blender, process the cashews, salt, garlic, 1/3 cup margarine, mustard, lemon juice,
black pepper, and cayenne. Add softened vegetables and cooking water to the blender
and process until perfectly smooth.

5. In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta and blended cheese sauce until completely coated. Spread mixture into a 9 x 12 casserole dish, sprinkle with prepared breadcrumbs, and dust with paprika. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the top has
turned golden brown.

Looks yummy! Can't wait to try it!