Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese

This recipe uses a different variation of "cheese" made from cashews.  It is so delicious and really fills you up!  Once again my kids were loving the "cheese" and eating it by the spoonfuls.  The only thing I did differently was that I left out the miso paste because I didn't have any.  I baked mine in the oven with bread crumbs on top (see note at bottom of recipe) which was delicious.  I found this recipe in The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.  Great cookbook and absolutely delicious recipe.

Creamy Macaroni and Cashew Cheese

1 ¼ cups raw cashews

½ cup nutritional yeast

2 tsp. onion powder

1-2 tsp. salt, to taste

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. ground white pepper

3 ½ cups nondairy milk (soy, rice, almond, hazelnut, hemp, or oat)

3 Tbsp. thickener such as cornstarch or kudzu root

½ cup canola oil

¼ cup light (yellow or white) miso paste

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

12-16 oz. elbow macaroni noodles, cooked

Place cashews in large bowl of the food processor and finely grind. Don’t, however, allow cashews to turn to paste. Add nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. Pulse three more times to blend in spices.

In a heavy saucepan, combine milk, thickener, and oil. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease heat to low-medium, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1- minutes, or until thickener dissolves.

With food processor running, gradually add milk/oil mixture to cashew/nutritional yeast mixture. Blend for 2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Next, blend in miso and lemon juice.

Combine cashew cheese with macaroni noodles and serve. You also may bake it (see below). If you have extra cheese, make more noodles, pour over broccoli, or serve as fondue dip. Cashew cheese will keep for 4 days, covered and refrigerated.

Yield: 8 servings

*The cashew cheese for this recipe will be creamy, perfect for macaroni and cheese or as a sauce for vegetables. To make a hard block of cheese, substitute thickener for 1 cup (about 2 oz) afar flakes. Transfer creamy mixture to container you want to use for a mold (rectangular, square, round). Once it sets (after a few hours in the refrigerator), unmold, and slice or grate. Serve on crackers.

*To make the baked version: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Transfer macaroni mixture to an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through. Uncover dish, and sprinkle ½ cup herbed bread crumbs on top. Continue baking, uncovered, for 15-25 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and crisp. Serve hot.