Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free Mac and Cheese
‘Do something today, that your future self will thank you for’
This is one of my brother’s favourite recipes, which says something from his discerning palate. My brother has gone from someone who used to eat mainly chicken, rice and potatoes to someone that introduced me to the best Peruvian ceviche in London town. I love exploring new places and cuisines with him, and he is a pretty good cook too!
As we grow older not only our palate but also our perceptions, learning and understanding change. We can therefore be more than a product of our childhoods, learning and habits; we can choose who we want to be.
You don’t have to commit to being a vegan, or cutting things out of your diet, but it is our responsibility to think about what we are putting into our bodies and where that food comes from. In the age of free and prevalent information, we no longer have the excuse, I didn’t know.
This recipe is adapted from ‘oh she glows’, a blog dedicated to plant based foods who overcame her eating disorder and managed to change her families diet from processed junk food to a fully plant based diet, embracing health, change and life! The butternut squash gives a beautifully creamy texture and the sage breadcrumbs add a create complexity to the flavor as well as an additional textural element.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 3 tsp. coconut oil
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp. paprika
- ½ tsp. herbs de Provence or other dried herbs
- 12 ounces dried gluten free pasta
- 5 unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup gluten free breadcrumbs/almond meal
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped sage leaves
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Place cubed butternut squash and garlic cloves on a baking tray lined with foil, after tossing with the coconut oil, 1 tsp. sale and ¼ tsp. black pepper
- Bake until tender, 45-60 mins
- Cook the pasta, drain and put to the side
- Once the squash is ready, allow to cool then place in the blender with the nutritional yeast, herbs de Provence, ¼ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. black pepper and almond milk and blend till smooth
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and place in a baking dish
- Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil, add the almond meal and chopped sage
- Evenly top over the mac and cheese and heat until the topping is crisp
- Serve hot
