Butternut Squash Mac n Cheeze

I happened to catch a little of the Today show last weekend - something that NEVER happens - and they were interviewing a chef. Her "thing" was healthy foods, so my interest was piqued. One of the dishes she had brought was Vegan Mac & Cheese made with butternut squash. "Very interesting..." I thought. So, I looked up recipes and decided to try it. The only problem was, one of the ingredients I had never heard of: nutritional yeast.

After a brief consultation with Google and Wikipedia, I learned that "nutritional yeast has a strong flavor that is described as nutty, cheesy, or creamy, which makes it popular as an ingredient in cheese substitutes. It is often used by vegans in place of cheese. It can be used in many recipes in place of cheese, such as in mashed and fried potatoes, and atop scrambled tofu. Another popular use is as a topping for popcorn."

Very interesting. However, it was not to be found at my local Wal-mart. So I thought I'd find a substitute. Some websites suggested cashews. So, that's what I tried. However, it did not make the dish taste very cheesy. The butternut squash taste was still a bit too strong. It wasn't unpleasant, just not much like the mac&cheese taste I was looking for.

I think we will revisit this recipe after I have nutritional yeast in my hands.

Here's the copied recipe with a few of my adjustments. I had some roasted squash on hand from a previous meal, so I skipped that part.

Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheeze

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh butternut squash* (peeled and chopped) OR 1 cup canned butternut squash OR canned pumpkin
• Extra virgin olive oil, S & P
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 3/4 cup unsweetened & unflavoured almond milk (revised from 1 cup)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 6 tbsp nutritional yeast, or more to taste (this is where I tried cashews)
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4-3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2-1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2-1 tsp kosher salt (to taste) & ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 servings brown rice macaroni (8oz or half a 16oz package) makes 3 1/4 cup cooked
• Mix-ins of choice (e.g., kale, spinach, broccoli, peas, pumpkin seeds, etc)

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Line a casserole dish with tin foil. Mix chopped squash with EVOO, S & P. Roast for about 40 minutes, uncovered, or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the cheeze sauce in a pot on the stove top. Add coconut oil over low-medium heat. In a bowl, whisk together milk and cornstarch until clumps are gone. Add into pot and whisk. Stir in remaining ingredients (nutritional yeast, Dijon, garlic, lemon, S & P) and whisk over low heat until thickened (about 5-7 minutes or so).
3. Cook your pasta according to package directions. The sauce makes enough to cover 4 servings of pasta.
4. In a blender, blend the sauce with 1 cup of roasted squash (or if using canned, simply stir 1 cup into the pot).
5. Add cooked, drained, and rinsed macaroni into pot, along with cheeze sauce & mix-ins. Heat and serve.

Read more: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/10/03/butternut-squash-mac-n-cheeze/#ixzz3y02I2yKQ