Mac & No Cheese

One of my favorite things about holistic health, is that it emphasizes every part of our being. Mind, body, and soul. This is why food should not only be nourishing, healing, detoxifying and delicious – but it should also speak to your soul. Healthy renditions of childhood favorites are a great way to do all of this. One of my personal childhood favorites is Macaroni & Cheese. Specifically the Velveeta brand. I mean come on – this was my jam. However, this is not real or nutritious food. So I decided to come up with an easy and tasty version of my childhood favorite. I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:

• 3 organic Yukon Potatoes (cut into quarters)
• 6 peeled & roughly chopped large orange carrots  (don’t use yellow or purple)
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ chopped shallot
• 2 tsp Celtic sea salt (depending on your salt preferences)
• ½ cup Nutritional Yeast
• ½ lemon squeezed or ¼ cup organic lemon juice
• ¼ cup hemp hearts/seeds OR ½ cup soaked cashews
• If you cannot eat potatoes for any reason, substitute the potatoes for 2 cups of cauliflower

Your Base of Choice:

• Brown Rice Pasta
• Lentil Pasta
• Spaghetti Squash
• Zoodles
• Cauliflower Rice
  

Instructions:

• In a 6-10 quart stainless steel pot, add about 3 inches of water
• Insert your steamer. I use this one.
• Place the potatoes on the steamer, close the lid, and steam for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes, open the lid and poke the potatoes, they should be starting to soften but not be too soft at this point.
• Add the carrots on top of the potatoes, close the lid, and steam for another 7-8 minutes.
• After 7 minutes, check the carrots and potatoes, both should be pretty tender at this point. If they are not, continue to steam for another 3 minutes and check again.
• Keep your pot on, and add the whole garlic cloves, and chopped shallot on top of the carrots, close the lid, and steam for another 3 minutes.
• Transfer all items from your pot, into the Vitamix (or food processor) and add the nutritional yeast, lemon, hemp hearts or cashews and salt.
• Blend until all contents are 100% pureed. Think Velveeta cheese consistency.
• If you have trouble blending, you can add 1 tbsp of water or avocado oil as needed to get it going. Every blender is different, and may require a different protocol here.
• Transfer all contents of the blender into a large bowl, and whip it with a spoon to confirm that there are no chunks.
• Taste Test! Option to add more salt, or a little bit of avocado oil as needed.
• Make your base option (pasta, squash, zoodles etc.)
• Slowly combine your “No Cheese” with your Mac of choice.
• Enjoy!

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