Vegan Mac & Cheese

[teacherpippi]

We made VegNews' vegan mac & cheese tonight for dinner (one dd has a severe dairy allergy). YUMMY! YUMMY! YUMMY!

It was creamy and delicious. My meat-loving husband gave it the thumbs up and said many people wouldn't be able to tell it was cheese-less. It wasn't cheese, but it was creamy and good!

Serves 6 What You Need: 4 quarts water 1 tablespoon sea salt 8 ounces macaroni 4 slices of bread, torn into large pieces 2 tablespoons + 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated margarine 2 tablespoons shallots, peeled and chopped 1 cup red or yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped 1/4 cup carrots, peeled and chopped 1/3 cup onion, peeled and chopped 1 cup water 1/4 cup raw cashews 2 teaspoons sea salt 1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon paprika What You Do: 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. In a food processor, make breadcrumbs by pulverizing the bread and 2 tablespoons margarine to a medium-fine texture. Set aside. 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. 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. 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.