Vegan “Mac and Cheese”
Here is a healthy take on a Mac and Cheese Recipe which is easy to make, versatile and satisfying.
Coconut milk is a great substitute from cows milk and is super high in fibre, B vitamins, vitamin C, iron, calcium and magnesium. Not to be confused with coconut water! Coconut water is fresh from a coconut itself and is clear in colour. Coconut milk, which here in the UK comes in a can, undergoes a straining process and is white in colour and much thicker and creamier. Great for using in curries and soup to give a creamy consistency.
Lets get into the recipe (serves 2 – large portions):
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Butternut Squash
- 200g Coconut Milk (canned, full-fat type)
- 1/2 Vegetable Stock Cube
- 1 tsp English Mustard
- 2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- Juice of 1/2 Lemon (optional)
- Ground Pepper (to your taste – I like lots!)
- 300g Pasta of your choice
METHOD:
- Start by slicing the Butternut Squash into two halves, deseed and place face down on a baking tray with a little water (approx. 100ml)
- Bake in the oven on Gas 6 for 1 hour
- Once cooked take out Butternut Squash and set aside while you cook your pasta
- Cook pasta for 10 minutes (or as packet instructions suggest) and while cooking you can scoop the flesh from the Butternut Squash and add it into a blender with the stock cube, balsamic vinegar, mustard, garlic, pepper and lemon.
- Once pasta is cooked, drain pasta and return to the pan with the “cheese” sauce you’ve just blended up and cook for a further 5 minutes or so until it heats back up and gets creamy.
- Season to your taste and serve with vegetables or whatever you fancy 🙂