WICKED HEALTHY CHEESE SAUCE
MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART (1 HIGH-SPEED BLENDER LOAD)
This is one of those slam-dunk mother sauces. Don’t let a couple of weird ingredients like nutritional yeast (or as I call it, hippy fish food) scare you. This is not hippy food. It just happens to be healthy. And it works with everything. At Whole Foods Market, I developed a version called Vegan Mac Sauce. Want it thicker? Add less soy milk. Want it like a Mexican queso sauce for nachos? Add Hatch chiles, cilantro, cumin, and chili powder. Instead of the squash, try it with different orange vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, or golden beets. You can take this recipe in any direction. You could even drop in some Thai chiles, Thai basil, and a squirt of lime to take it Eastward. Oh, and did we mention that it happens to be gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, and oil-free? So much free! —DEREK
1 cup raw cashews
2 cups chopped peeled butternut squash (frozen also works)
¼ cup garlic cloves (8 to 10 cloves), peeled
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 cups unsweetened soy milk
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons white miso (chickpea miso is an option)
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Soak the cashews overnight in water to cover. Drain.
Combine the drained cashews, squash, garlic, and vinegar in a medium saucepot. Add water to cover (4 to 5 cups), and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until everything is super soft and smushable, 10 to 15 minutes.
Drain, and then pour the solid ingredients into a high-speed blender and start blending low and slow. Increase the speed, and gradually add the soy milk. When the milk is fully incorporated, add the remaining ingredients and blend on high until super smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Like cream-sauce smooth. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
OPTIONS
Want it richer for a special occasion? Add ¼ cup coconut oil to the blender.
MAC & CHEESE: Mix 2 quarts sauce with 1 pound cooked macaroni. Look beyond the elbow: Shells, gemelli, and other short pasta shapes also make great mac and cheese. Serves 6 to 8.
BAKED MAC & CHEESE: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Toss 1 pound cooked short-shape pasta with ¼ cup olive oil, then mix with 2 quarts sauce. Stir in 2 cups cooked broccoli or other vegetables if you like! Pour into a 3-quart casserole dish and top with 1 cup cracker crumbs, panko, or crushed potato chips. (Or first mix the crumbs and some fresh parsley and finely chopped sautéed Field Roast Italian sausage if you’re getting wicked!) Bake that mac daddy until nicely browned on top, about 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.