Wasabimon!

The best vegan macaroni and cheese recipe I’ve yet to find is from The New Farm Cookbook. This casserole style dish is insanely creamy - and fattening. I’ve halved the amount of oil with no ill effects to the end result, so feel free to take it down a notch to make it a little healthier. Then again, when has mac and cheese ever been healthy?

(BTW, it’s really not this nuclear orange color - it’s just weird lighting.

New Farm Cookbook’s Vegan Macaroni and Cheese

3 ½ cups elbow macaroni*
½ cup margarine
½ cup flour*
3½ cups boiling water
1½ tsp salt
2 tbsp soy sauce*
1½ tsp garlic powder
Turmeric
¼ cup oil
1 cup nutritional yeast flakes
Paprika to taste

Cook elbow macaroni. In a saucepan, melt margarine over low heat. Beat in flour with a wire whisk and continue to beat over a medium flame until the mixture (called a roux) is smooth and bubbly. Whip in boiling water, salt; soy sauce, garlic powder, and a pinch of turmeric, beating well to dissolve the roux.

The sauce should cook until it thickens and bubbles. Then whip in oil and nutritional yeast flakes.

Mix part of the sauce with the noodles and put in casserole dish, and pour a generous amount of sauce on top. Sprinkle top with paprika and bake for 15 minutes in a 350 degree preheated oven.

*For those of you who are gluten-free, use any type of non-white flour elbow macaroni, wheat free tamari instead of soy sauce, and brown rice flour to make the roux.

While I’m at it, here’s a recipe for another gluten-free flour that makes a very nice roux, from the lovely Epicurious.com:

2 cups brown-rice flour (extra finely ground)
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca flour

Put all ingredients into a sealable airtight container and shake until combined well.

Makes 3 cups.