Sunday, December 19, 2010

Food Post Recipe: Vegan Potato Leek Soup, Vegan Mac & Cheese

Here are some not very detailed recipes of recently cooked food for everyone! I don't measure ingredients, so it all comes out different every time, but if you're using quality ingredients it should all come out delicious with slight variations. Chop stuff. Cook stuff. Boil Stuff. Eat stuff.

Potato Leek Soup:
Chop the greener parts and the ends off two large leeks or a few smaller leeks and discard. Slice each of the whiter parts in half. Wash very well... a lot of dirt gets trapped in these suckers. Chop the (half) rings  to a quarter to a half inch thick slices. (It will look like a large amount of leeks, but you will be surprised how much they cook down). Saute and cook in oil. Add about 3 chopped potatoes-- the creamier the potato the better. Cover in vegetable stock and cook 'til the potatoes are soft. Add generous amounts of salt and pepper. Garnish with chives or green onions. Thats it.
Unless....
1. You want to add chickpeas.
2. You blend half the soup and leave it half chunky (my favorite)--- also works with chickpeas.
3. You blend all the soup until very creamy-- add milk or cream if you'd like. Blend more.
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Vegan Mac & Cheese:
Okay, so maybe this wont taste exactly like the real thing, but it's delicious for what it is. It's healthy (minus the butter) and its vegetable and cashew based, so not only do you get your serving of veggies, but you also get protein.
Chop onions, carrots, creamy potatoes... If I have a butternut squash around I usually add that too, but if I don't, then whatever-- it really doesn't need it, just add more carrots and potato. About 3 small potatoes, two carrots and a quarter onion. I saute all the veggies in a bit of oil--- or don't. It's fantastic either way. Cover in water and simmer until all the veggies are soft. While veggies are simmering: cook 3/4 a box of pasta (I like shells) in salted water. With a blender or food processor blend a quarter cup of butter (I use vegan earth balance), a quarter to a half cup of raw-unsalted cashews, a clove or two of garlic, a tablespoon of lemon juice, a pinch of cayenne 1/2 cup (or more) of nutritional yeast.  Once all the veggies are soft add them into the cashew sauce mixture and blend... you will also be blending in most, if not all the water they were boiling in. You want to create a smooth "cheesy" consistency. Mix in salt a pepper to taste. Add the pasta to a casserole dish and mix in the "cheese" sauce. Cover in buttered bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and a sprinkle of smoked paprika. Cover and bake for 10 minutes. Broil until breadcrumbs brown. Serve hot.
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I don't have a picture of the finished project, but you get the idea.

Nom Nom Nom.

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