Recipe of the Week: Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheeze

Husband approved. Cook approved. Vegan approved. Omnivore approved. ‘Nough said.

This recipe is Vegan with Gluten-free & Nut-Free options

Yield: 4 servings or 1.5 cups of cheeze sauce

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 Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter replacer) 3/4 cup unsweetened & unflavoured almond milk (revised from 1 cup) 1 tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch) 6 tbsp nutritional yeast, or more to taste 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1/4-3/4 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2-1 tbsp fresh 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 Earth balance over low-medium heat. In a bowl, whisk together milk and arrowroot powder (or cornstarch or flour) 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.

Lauren's Notes: 1) My 3.5 pound squash made 5 cups cooked squash, so I had about 4 cups leftover. 2) The sauce does not cut in half well (the blender has a hard time blending it up) 3) I tried this recipe with canned pumpkin and it was awesome!

Read more: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/10/03/butternut-squash-mac-n-cheeze/#ixzz2gUMpfiPb

Recipe of the Week - Garden Veggie Linguine with Cilantro Pesto

I may or may not have a secret love life with Pesto.  I love everything about him from his dairy free, herby, nutty, personality to his beautiful color and versatility.  And I love to just eat him up with a spoon. Every now and then, pesto and I go out on the town.  We normally meet up with pasta and veggies.  We have a grand ol’ time.

I thought I’d share this pairing with you.  This version of pesto is good for many reasons—summery, inexpensive, and easy.

So enough about my love life.  On to the ingredients to create your own affair.

Ingredients:

8 oz. dry linguine or fettuccine (I use half whole wheat and half white)

8 oz. zucchini, sliced

8 oz. pkg. peeled fresh baby carrots, halved

2 oranges

½ cup olive oil

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1 tsp. dry mustard (I prefer to use a little Dijon mustard instead)

1 tsp. minced garlic

½ tsp. crushed red pepper

Cilantro and/or finely shredded orange peel and/or orange juice (optional)

Meat or Cannellini Beans for protein (optional; we LOVE cannellini beans in any Italian recipe.  We normally sauté them with onions.  YUM!).

Note:  the veggie listings are easily substituted with whatever you have on hand and whatever sounds good.  I’ve used snap peas, cabbage, spinach, and they’ve all tasted great.

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package, adding zucchini and carrots (and any other veggies) during the last five minutes.  Drain, reserving ¼ cup pasta water.
2. For pesto, peel and quarter one orange.  You could also take some zest from the peel and add it to the pesto.  In a processor or blender combine orange, olive oil, cilantro, 1 tsp. salt (I don’t add this much), mustard, garlic, and red pepper.  Add pasta water or orange juice until you get the consistency you want.
3. Peel and chop remaining orange.  Toss orange, pasta and veggies, and pesto all together.  Top with more cilantro and orange peel.  Makes 4 servings

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens.  You can view it here:  http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pasta/garden-veggie-linguine-with-cilantro-pesto/