Tested: Maple Walnut Blondie, Orange Chocolate Cookie, Molasses Cookie, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Cranberry Oatmeal, Double Chocolate Brownie.

Courser Farm Kitchen a little home based business located about 2 hours north of me in Warner, New Hampshire. I love supporting small local business and though they aren’t super local to me, they are local enough! I will definitely be placing orders in the future for these super awesome treats! They make cookies, brownies, bars, blondies and breads that are all gluten free and vegan! They also take special orders for cakes and cupcakes!

When I got the little box of heaven in the mail from Emma it may as well have been Christmas! I ripped it open and took a few nibbles of a few of the products but found the strength to wrap them back up (well, almost all of them…) and wait for my neighbor to be available to come taste test with me since he is gf. We had a blast eating them. The goodies we got to try were the Chocolate Chip Cookie, Cranberry Oatmeal Cookie, Orange Chocolate Cookie, Molasses Cookie, Double Chocolate Brownie and the Maple Walnut Blondie!

I am a sucker for Cranberry Oatmeal cookies so those were definitely my favorite, I just wish they had a little more cranberry in them. But then again, I always almost double the amount of cranberries in the recipe I use… The cookie was nice and chewy and perfectly spiced. The Chocolate Chip was pretty fantastic too, it reminded me of the Cookie Crisp cereal I used to eat when I was a kid. It would have been perfect dipped in an ice cold glass of almond milk. Molasses cookies rock my socks in general so it’s no surprise this one was another winner! Give me chewy cookies or give me death! The dark sweetness of the molasses with the gentle hint of ginger really made me wish I had a whole truckload of these bad boys.

Now, I am very against combining chocolate with fruit flavors like cherry, orange, raspberry, etc etc, but I was extremely surprised at how much I liked the Orange Chocolate Cookie. It is a chocolate cookie with chocolate chips with a touch of orange, which was the perfect amount for me. It actually has me rethinking my hatred (yeah, really) of fruit flavored chocolate. I wouldn’t say that I’m a convert, but I’m going to be more open minded about it. See what a good product can do?! Speaking of good products, Double Chocolate Brownies? Hell to the yes! Fudgy, chewy and wicked chocolatey? The brownie was so good it didn’t last long enough to be photographed!

New England is pretty awesome to begin with, but the fact that we have the best of the best maple syrups makes it that much better. And that is exactly what you get with the Maple Walnut Blondie. New Hampshire maple syrup in a cake like little bar sprinkled with walnut chunks. Are you salivating yet?

(Left: Maple Walnut Blondie. From Top to Bottom: Orange Chocolate Cookie, Molasses Cookie, Chocolate Chip Cookie, Cranberry Oatmeal. Not photographed: Double Chocolate Brownie. I inhaled it.)

Course Farm Kitchen sells there goods at a few local cafes and farmers markets, if you live in the New Hampshire area, or happen to be passing through, definitely stop by any of the places listed on their to grab some! If you don’t live in the area, get your butt over here and order some! What are you waiting for?!

Pros:

• Homemade.
• Local (sort of to me).
• Delicious!

Cons:

• None. Seriously.

Reviewed by Liz Whitaker

**************

My love affair started like any other. I found myself thinking about him non-stop, watching him from afar, trying to picture our beautiful life together.

Eventually I gave in to temptation. I knew it was meant to be. That was a day that forever changed my life. That was the day that I brought a Nutrimill home.

In case you wondering what a Nutrimill is, I’ll tell you. It’s a fabulous machine that takes whole grains and beans and turns them into silky flour. It is an incredible boon to the gluten-free kitchen, especially if you use a lot of rice, quinoa, corn, millet, buckwheat and sorghum flours.

It’s extremely easy to use, and is well designed so that the hopper is nestled right in the center of the machine. You simply turn it on, and begin milling. Beyond the fabulous rice and grain flours, the bean and lentil flours are amazing too. I find myself making savory red lentil pancakes for breakfast, with no effort at all. You can also make black bean and split pea flours, for quick cooking soups or white bean flour to use as a healthy, high protein thickener. How cool is that? I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen red lentil flour in the grocery store. And I love knowing that I can easily grind myself a batch whenever the mood strikes me.

The machine is not small, so if lack of space is an issue (and really, don’t we all have that problem?), you may want to make some room in your linen closet as I have. Hopefully you have an understanding spouse, who adores you so much that they’re happy to overlook the kitchen spill-over into the rest of the house.

I can honestly tell you that I’ve used this machine over and over and truly love it. I love having the control over the freshness of my flours, as well as the savings. I buy all of my grains and beans in bulk, so the flours are very inexpensive to make.

Do you want to know what I love best about this baby? It’s the assurance of knowing that all of the flours I grind in this mill are gluten-free, especially if you start with certified gluten-free grains from a reputable company like Bob’s Red Mill. You have total control over your flours, and that’s something you can feel good about.

This post is brought to us by the only gal I know of who combines karaoke with awesome homemade vegan and gluten free eats! Give it up for Rachel from VGFK, everyone!

Over at Vegan Gluten Free Karaoke my mission is simple: make delicious vegan and gluten free food while lip synching to pop music in ridiculous outfits. Past triumphs have included Lady Gaga Spring Rolls and Since U Been Gone Lasagna. The Bieber Beans were also pretty irresistible, if I say so myself.

I’ve been stoked about this guest post all month and decided to do a little experimentation with ice cream for Halloween. Those of you from colder climes may not find ice cream seasonally appropriate, but here in New Orleans where we have enjoyed temperatures in the 70′s and 80′s for the past few weeks, I thought it would be perfectly appropriate to combine rich fall flavors with this chilly treat.

I decided to make a Candy Corn Napoleon: instead of chocolate/vanilla/strawberry I created the white/orange/yellow color scheme of candy corn with a tahini/pumpkin/ginger combo in three layers. These were all flavors that I made up on the fly without a recipe, so it was quite the experiment.

I have been obsessed with cashew cream in ice cream lately, which is so rich and creamy that it comes out more like frozen custard. The base for each flavor is cashew cream which is made by soaking cashews in hot water for 5 minutes, then blending them in the food processor with a little rice milk and agave. I split the cashew cream into three containers and then mixed each flavor separately before freezing each one for 20 minutes and layering into a clear container. I don’t tend to follow recipes when I’m making ice cream, so I don’t have measurements to share, just the list of ingredients that I added to the cashew cream.

White Layer: Tahini Vanilla
Ingredients: Vanilla extract, tahini, rice milk, agave nectar

Orange Layer: Pumpkin
Ingredients: Canned pumpkin puree, coconut milk (carton), cinnamon, agave nectar

Yellow Layer: Ginger
Ingredients: Powdered ginger, grated fresh ginger, turmeric, coconut milk (can)

Tahini Vanilla was definitely the best flavor. It was super creamy with a sophisticated, nutty flavor. Ginger was kind of strange – like eating frozen Thai food. I would experiment with adding something fruity to this one.

And with no further ado…please join me in rocking out to Katy Perry:

toppings

This post comes from the lovely Windy City Vegan… who just so happens to be celebrating her birthday today with some killer lookin’ pizza! Happy Birthday, Monika!

♥

It’s my birthday today and I want the perfect pizza crust for dinner tonight. Over the past few weeks much baking ensued! And once I got this crust figured out I just had to test it out for all three ways that my family eats their pizza – as a straight up traditional flat crust, fried-then-baked street food style, and my favorite, deep dish in a cast iron skillet.

Many, many, many pizzas later, I’m happy to report that this crust does an A+ job at getting it done all three ways.

As a birthday bonus I’m also throwing in my go-to roasted red sauce recipe. It’s a great way to make use of the oven while it’s preheating to 500 degrees, especially if it takes forever the way my behemoth convection oven does.

deep dish wedge

Pizza Crust

Yields 2 10-inch round crusts, 2 12-inch thin round crusts, 1 deep 8- or 10-inch crust, or several small personal-sized crusts.

{wet ingredients}

1 ½ C water, heated to 110 degrees

1 tsp sugar or agave nectar

1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) dry active yeast

1 T sunflower oil, or another oil with a comparable smoking point

…………….

{dry ingredients}

¾ C millet flour (loosely spooned and leveled, not scooped)

¾ C quinoa flour ( same as above)

½ C cornmeal (ground fine or course, your preference)

1 C tapioca starch

½ C potato starch

3 tsp xanthan gum OR 2 T ground flax or white chia seeds + ¼ C boiling water, mixed into a slurry

1 tsp fine grain salt

…………….

Additional oil for your pizza pans

deep dish, out of skillet

Grinding the flours: If you’re a thrifty hippie like myself, then gather up your jars of quinoa and millet, a spice mill/coffee grinder, and get on it already! The measurements above are for flour. I have no idea how much of each grain you need to get ¾ C of flour (although I think it’s pretty comparable).

Proofing the yeast: Combine the wet ingredients including the yeast, whisk to combine taking care that yeast fully dissolves, and set aside for a few minutes.

Mixing the dry ingredients: Sift all of the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. If using a slurry instead of xanthan gum, DO NOT add it yet.

Mixing your dough: Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients and add the yeast mixture. If using the slurry, add this as well. Use a large spatula or mixing spoon and thoroughly – but quickly – mix everything together. A nice, cohesive ball of dough will form within a minute or so. It will be wet and a little sticky; it should not be runny. Add additional water or flour if needed, a tablespoon at a time.  Let the dough rest for about five minutes in the bowl.

Saving dough for later use:  If you aren’t going to use some/all of the dough right away, put the dough into an airtight bowl and store it in the fridge. When you’re ready to use it, let it sit out at room temperature for 90 minutes before proceeding.

The one – and only! – rise: That’s right, yeasted gluten free dough only needs one rise. Lightly oil your pizza pan or pans, divide your dough accordingly, and using lightly oiled fingers, carefully press it out into the pan or pans. Cover loosely with a towel and let the dough sit for 30-60 minutes in a warm area while the oven preheats; the dough won’t double in size, but it will puff up nicely. FYI, your dough will rise perfectly fine in a cool area, too – it will just take longer.

Preheating the oven: Preheat your oven to 500 degrees and move a rack into the bottom position (unless you put your pizza pan directly on the bottom of your oven, which is what I do). If you have a baking stone, place it on the bottom rack/bottom of the oven to preheat with the oven. Also, if you’re making your own sauce this is a great time to roast it up! A recipe for roasted red sauce is at the end of this post.

mise en place

Prepping and baking your pizza: Set everything out mise en place, and as soon as your oven is ready, dress your pizza. Quickly open the oven door and slide your pizza pan into position.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until crust is just starting to brown.

pizzas, prepped

Street food style pizza: While oven is preheating, heat a lightly oiled cast iron skillet over high heat. Pat a piece of dough out to ½ inch thickness and lightly oil on both sides.  When pan is hot, quickly sear the pizza dough for 30 seconds or so on each side. The dough will lightly cook on the outside, but will still be soft inside. Proceed with the step above, but reduce baking time to 10 minutes.

thin crust, baked, cross section

Bonus Recipe!

ready to roast

Roasted Red Sauce

Below are what I usually put into my sauce, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

10-12 roma tomatoes, OR a 28 oz can of whole or crushed tomatoes, drained

2 T brown sugar

1 large onion, cut into inch-sized chunks (white, yellow, red – your choice based on taste preferences)

2-3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 large sweet bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks

2 fresh bay leaves

1 large Cuban oregano leaf

Scant amount of quality olive oil

Get out a nice, heavy Dutch oven or roasting dish. Cover the bottom of the pan with the halved romas, cut sides up, and sprinkle with sugar. Next, layer the onion and garlic. On top of that, layer the root vegetables, squash or sweet potatoes and peppers. If using any herbs, tuck them in between the layers. Drizzle a few drops of olive oil over the top layer.

Place pot into the cold oven and then roast for 20-30 minutes while the oven preheats for your pizza.  When everything looks nice and is starting to brown, remove your pot from the oven. Remove bay leaves and anything else you may have added that will not be in the finished sauce. If you have a stick blender, puree everything right in the pot.  If not, ladle the vegetables into a blender or food processor and blend in batches (let cool a little first if you’re ladling it into plastic). Season to taste and you’re good to go!

deep dish, just baked

*****************************************************************************

My name is Camille, and I am serving in the Peace Corps in Northern Senegal, West Africa. I live in a very small village where my diet consists of rice, millet, and leaf sauce. When I do get a chance to go to the big city and hang out at our regional house, we still have very limited food options. So when a new store opened up featuring a lot of hard to find items (such as chickpeas and tortilla chips) we jumped for joy! Among the many gems, we happened to stumble across plantains.

For those of you who may not know, plantains are a tropical fruit that strongly resemble a banana. However plantains are much larger than bananas, and need to be cooked before eating. Additionally, plantains start out green (like bananas) but are not fully ripe until they are black. They are eaten as a staple food in many tropical areas of the world, and can be boiled, steamed, or fried.

I have a special place in my heart for plantains ever since I chanced upon them at a Caribbean restaurant in Cape Cod years ago. Then recently our local health food store started stocking Inka Plantain Chips, which with only three ingredients (plantains, palm oil, and salt) quickly became my favorite quick snack.

There seem to be an endless variety of ways to cook this amazing plant. Last week, my friend Rachel and I experimented with this recipe for Plantain Patties Stuffed with Black Beans and loved it!

It works best when you have plantains that are yellow with some black. Also, I found I enjoyed these the most when it seemed as if we had burnt them. It sounds weird, but if you get them fully black on both sides when you fry them they end up tasting nice and sweet. Golden brown was good too, but it almost tasted a bit uncooked.

Here are some pictures of Rachel making the patties:

My favorite, and the most simple way to cook plantains, is to wait until they are completely black and almost mushy and then fry them. All you do is peel the plantain and cut into ½ inch pieces. Then heat up oil (enough to generously cover the pan) and fry them. When frying, the plantain will turn a deep yellow and puff up a little when it is ready to flip. Be patient, it will take a while and then suddenly they will all be ready to turn at once. Again, if you end up ‘burning’ them, it actually tastes pretty good. Drain, add salt, and serve.

Fried plantains are good alone, but also make a great addition to stir fries. Try combining sautéed onions, garlic, carrots, corn, and black beans with raw tomatoes, cilantro, and fried plantains. Sprinkle with a lime and serve over quinoa for a easy, tasty, and healthy meal.

♥

Hi folks – I hope you are bundling up during these cooler days of autumn. Today, I wanted to discuss potlucks, specifically raw vegan potlucks. Potlucks are a fantastic way to establish a sense of community, get to know your neighbour(s), and share in the abundance of healthy, plant-based food.

A few months ago, I was approached by my newfound friend Lee from  Truly Organic Foods about organizing a raw vegan potluck meetup group in our area. I’d had the opportunity of attending some amazing vegan potlucks, but had never attended a raw vegan potluck before.

Little by little, Lee and I discussed ideas about possible venues and ways to connect with others who shared our interest in healthy, raw vegan food. Sure enough, there were many others out there who were also looking for a raw vegan potluck.

For our first potluck, held at a local eatery in April of this year, we had about twenty fantastic people in attendance. Each month, we expanded in numbers, and eventually took our potlucks outdoors for a backyard meetup during the summer months. Recently, we relocated to our third venue to accommodate the larger numbers (now between forty to fifty people!).

The premise for the potluck is simple: bring a raw and vegan dish (a recipe that only uses 100% raw, uncooked and plant-based ingredients) to share with about 4-6 people. People are also encouraged to bring a copy of their recipe to share with the group. We also try to upload the recipes online so people can access them afterwards.

The food is simply out of this world, unbelievably delicious, and I feel honoured to be surrounded by such talented cuisine artists each and every month. The enjoyment, love, and positive energy that everyone brings to these meetups is what keeps bringing me back month after month. Also, some of the best meals of my life have taken place at our gatherings – the following are just some examples of the inspiring rawesome dishes that grace our communal table:

Chocolate Raspberry Cheezecake

Creamy Kelp Noodles

Sumptuous Green Salads

Falafels

Sweet Potato Pie

Thinking about starting your own meetup group? Here are a few tips to get your motors running towards organizing your very own potluck:

1.    Seek out like-minded foodie folk: This might seem like a given, but try to connect with others who are interested in plant-based, healthy food. Is there a similar potluck group already in your area? If so, see if you can help their group, or have a themed evening based primarily on raw vegan foods. In terms of venues, see if there are any local halls that are available to rent, or even start out in someone’s home to save money.

2.    Plant the seed and communicate: Get the word out about your group online, in person, or through word of mouth. Print media (posters, little leaflets or cards) that advertise the potluck can be handed out to local health businesses, at universities, or farmers markets. Remember to indicate the time of the potluck, and outline any information attendees will need to know.

3.    Organize the community: This can be done using social media tools like Facebook and Meetup (the latter does require a yearly fee to use the website). This way, you can put out monthly reminders about the potluck, and have an idea of who will be attending based on the number of RSVP’s.

4.    Think about potential guest speakers: Guest speakers add a wonderful flair, and can help to spark an engaging discussion about a health topic. In the past, we have had talks from yoga instructors, a recipe demonstration from yours truly, as well as people sharing their health journey. We’ve even screened some health-related films.

5.    Get ready for the first potluck: Remember, introductions are key. Nametags are a great way of connecting people together and to get them talking about the wondrous food they are about to enjoy. It can be beneficial to have the organizer’s introduce the dishes so enough attention is paid to the time and effort of everyone’s contributions.

Have fun and enjoy!

]]> http://xgfx.org/2011/10/potluckin%e2%80%99/feed/ 7 http://xgfx.org/2011/10/nikkis-spiced-chocolate-chia-pudding/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nikkis-spiced-chocolate-chia-pudding http://xgfx.org/2011/10/nikkis-spiced-chocolate-chia-pudding/#comments Fri, 21 Oct 2011 05:00:11 +0000 Guest Blogger http://xgfx.org/?p=5782 Happy Friday!  Nikki here from Fresh Young Coconut, a high-raw vegan blog.  One of the benefits of eating high-raw is that most of the food is gluten-free by default.  That makes for some happy bellies.  Being a lover of xgfx.org I jumped at the chance to make a MoFo guest appearance.

Today’s treat is Spiced Chocolate Chia Pudding, a sweet and spicy Fall favorite of mine that’s yummy enough to be a dessert, but healthy enough to enjoy for breakfast.  In case you’ve been missing out on the chia goodness until now, they’re an easily digested, high fiber, nutrition-packed seed that form a gel when mixed with liquid and take on the taste of whatever you mix them with.  When left whole they remind me of tiny tapioca.  When mixed with chocolate they become a tasty and wholesome way to indulge your sweet tooth.  I love chia seeds almost as much as I love Fall.

Spiced Chocolate Chia Pudding

• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 2 cups coconut milk beverage (or nut milk of your choice)
• 1/3 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup agave or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• pinch sea salt

Stir together the chia seeds and shredded coconut in a mixing bowl.

In a high powered blender mix together the rest of the ingredients until completely smooth. Stir the wet mix into the seed mixture.

Let sit for 15 minutes and stir again. At this point the pudding can be divided into individual serving cups or left in the bowl to refrigerate. I like to put mine in 8 ounce juice glasses. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours before serving. Makes about 4 servings.

Now, this recipe is super flexible so you can make this completely raw or less raw depending on your nut milk, sweetener and cacao vs. cocoa.  It’s just a little bit spicy.  Adding more cayenne will heat it up if you’re into that sort of thing.  Enjoy!

♥

******

When I was a child, my idea of “dessert” always—or should I say, only—included a baked good. And said baked good almost always involved chocolate. Chocolate Layer Cake? Dessert. Chocolate Chip Cookies? Yep, dessert. Chocolate Brownies with chocolate candy bar bits? Dessert again. My mom’s much-lauded, mile-high Chiffon Cake? Okay, dessert (but only grudgingly, as it sported no frosting and the tiniest flecks of grated chocolate). Rice pudding? Definitely not dessert in my books.

Similarly, I could never understand my mom’s fascination with candy-like sweets. To me, a lollypop or hard candy were simply a waste of perfectly fine sugar (which could be mixed into a cake batter or cookie dough, for instance). Mom also loved chewy bites, like toffee, Turkish Delight (still can’t get my head around that one) and licorice (which I did enjoy, but sorry, still doesn’t make the cut as dessert).

One of her favorite treats was a confection called halvah, which she used to buy in huge slabs from the deli department of our local supermarket. It was made primarily from tahini (sesame seed paste), egg whites and honey, and to my youthful palate, had an overwhelming flavor of sesame, of which I wasn’t too fond at the time. What I did like about halvah, however, was its incredible sweetness and the somewhat caramelized, melty texture, almost like sponge toffee. And, of course, the ribbon of semi-sweet chocolate that was marbled throughout (I learned later that halvah can also be bought in other flavors, but my mom only ever brought home the marble).

These days, I no longer eat any of the ingredients in that original halvah except for the tahini. As my health and dietary habits changed once I started the anti-candida diet, I learned to love desserts that were decidedly not baked goods, from pudding, to fudge to ice creams,and more; and halvah definitely falls within this more recent “dessert” category.

Once I tasted my own naturally-sweetened, whole-foods halvah, I fell in love with it, both for the rich flavor and smooth texture as well as the impressive array of health benefits. This newfangled version is a great source of calcium as well as fiber, iron, manganese and zinc. The oils in sesame are also very resistant to rancidy and provide phytosterols, compounds known to lower “bad” cholesterol in the body.

Whether you call it dessert, a snack or a healthy whole-food treat, halvah is one confection well worth trying. I’m sure my mom would agree.

Marbled Halvah

This recipe is one of the gluten-free offerings in my cookbook, Sweet Freedom. If you’re curious about a revamped and even lower-glycemic version for those of us on the anti-candida diet, check this one.

• 1/2 cup (80 g) cashews, lightly toasted
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) tahini (sesame paste)
• 1/4 cup (35 g) sesame seeds, lightly toasted
• 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) agave nectar, light or dark
• 1/3 cup (70 g) dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)

1. In the bowl of a food processor, whir the cashews until they attain the texture of a coarse cornmeal (there should be no pieces larger than sesame seeds). Add the remaining ingredients and process again until the mixture comes together in a homogenous, slightly pasty “dough.”
2. Turn the mixture onto a plastic placemat or cutting board, and push it together to form a disk. Then flatten the disk with your fingers to create a rectangle, about 9 x 8” (22.5 x 20 cm). Set aside.
3. In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (the bowl should sit over the pan without touching the water), melt the chocolate chips. Drizzle the chocolate directly over the halvah in the processor bowl, pouring in a ring shape.  Don’t worry if it’s not even or if it doesn’t cover the entire halvah mixture.  Replace the processor cover and pulse once or twice ONLY to barely incorporate the chocolate in rivulets through the mixture (any more than this and you will end up with chocolate halvah).  You want the chocolate to be distributed between the bits of halvah, but not blended into it.
4. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap on your counter and turn the mixture onto it.  Folding the plastic over the halvah mixture, press the mixture into place to form a compact rectangle.  Cover with plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 2-3 hours.  Once firm, cut into small squares for serving.  Store, covered, in the refrigerator up to one week.
   

Makes 20-30 small squares.

Bring on the Mac & Cheese! (Hold the Cheese and Gluten, Please!)

Most of us did not grow up vegan. For those of you who are gluten-free, you probably didn’t grow up shunning wheat either. Cheese, bread, meat, and pasta were mainstays in the fridge and cupboards of your childhood.

Although I, admittedly, did grow up with a lot more exposure to health foods that most kids (I only found out recently that I was not among the masses when I enjoyed broccoli on homemade pizza. Go figure), I loved dairy when I was a youngster. I would make Alton Brown’s macaroni and cheese recipe (all by myself, thank you very much), which, looking back, may have contributed to the severe cramps, bloating, and headaches I got frequently at the time; complete with four tablespoons of butter and uncountable cups of full-fat cheddar cheese, I am happy to say my tastes have changed considerably for the better…. although I will forever have “the cheese button”.

Perhaps you have a “cheese button”, too? In this recipe, a strange gaggle of ingredients join together to create something that definitely begets cheese. Of course, it is not cheese, so it does not taste exactly like cheese (<— how creepy would that be?). It’s the thought that counts however, and I guarantee you will get cheesy vibes from this sauce. Pour it over some gluten-free pasta and take a trip down memory lane! Bonus: it has veggies, is low in fat, and contains nothing artificial!

Vegan [Cauliflower] Cheese Sauce

(Vegan, gluten-free, low in fat, sugar-free)
You can find orange cauliflower at the farmer’s market. Failing that, white works just fine, though the color is a bit paler. Original post on my blog, Adventures of Vegirl.

• ½ head (approx. 4 loose cups) orange cauliflower, chopped
• Up to 2 cups water, depending on you desired consistency and the dependency of your blender.
• 1 small tomato OR ¼ cup canned diced tomato OR 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 ½ tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cashew butter (OR 2 tablespoons cashews, if you have a gung-ho blender)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon tamari OR soy sauce
• ¼ teaspoon ground tumeric
• 1/16 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Optional: maca powder (about 1 teaspoon, adds interesting flavor)

Chop the cauliflower and steam until soft. Drain the cooking water into a liquid measuring cup and top it off to get two cups. Add water as needed to allow your blender to process the cauliflower to a smooth consistency. The amount of water you use will give you anything from fondue, sauce, spread, and gel. Blend in remaining ingredients. Store leftover “cheese” in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Suggested uses: use as a topping or dip for cooked or raw veggies, a spread in wraps or sandwiches, or as a sauce for pasta.

For Macaroni and Cheese:

Prepare your choice of pasta (preferably whole-grain!) according to the packages instructions. Drain and rinse the pasta, and toss with sauce. If desired, cook the finished product in a pot over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. This cooks off a bit of moisture and allows the sauce to stick better to the pasta. For a quick meal, make ahead the cheese sauce or cook it while the water boils and the pasta cooks, so that all components are ready within 20-30 minutes!