Dear Anderson Cooper,

Here’s how to make the Best Macaroni ‘n’ “Cheese” ever: Ingredients: 8 ounces macaroni; 2 slices of bread, torn into large pieces; 1 tablespoon + 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated margarine; 2 tablespoons shallots, peeled and chopped; 1 cup yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped; 1/4 cup carrots, peeled and
chopped; 1/3 cup onion, peeled and chopped; 1 cup water; 1/4 cup raw
cashews; 2 teaspoons sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced; 1/4 teaspoon
Dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 1/4 teaspoon
black pepper; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (or even half that amount); 1/4
teaspoon paprika. Directions: In a saucepan, add shallots, potatoes,
carrots, onion, and water, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer
for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft. Cook macaroni
according to package directions. Set aside. In a food processor, make
breadcrumbs by pulverizing the bread and 2 tablespoons margarine to a
medium-fine texture. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a
blender, process the cashews (fyi, it’s much easier to quickly blend up
the cashews before adding the other ingredients), salt, garlic, 1/3 cup
margarine, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne. Add softened
vegetables and cooking water to the blender and process until perfectly
smooth. In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta and blended “cheese”
sauce until completely coated. Spread mixture into a 9 x 12 casserole
dish, sprinkle with prepared breadcrumbs, and dust with paprika. Bake
for 30 minutes or until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the top has
turned golden brown. Easy, breezy, deliciously cheesy, 100% natural mac
‘n’ cheese.

xox,

Jan, a.k.a. Vegan For Life