Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese with Black Pepper & Broccoli
Author:Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese with a twist! The veggie-packed silky, "cheesy" sauce is loaded with broccoli and a spicy hit of black pepper. It can be ready and on the table in a little over 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2½ cups (600 mls) water
- 1 medium potato , peeled and cubed
- ⅓ cup (50 grams) carrots , chopped
- 4 cloves garlic , chopped, (or use 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 3 tablespoons onion , chopped, (or use ½ teaspoon onion powder)
- ½ small green chile (optional)
- 1 small tomato , chopped
- ¼ cup (30 grams) raw cashews , or macadamias (or ¼ cup pumpkin/sunflower seeds to make nut-free)
- 2 ½ cups (225 grams) broccoli , chopped into bite sized pieces
- ¾ teaspoon prepared mustard
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce , or tamari (or coconut aminos to make soy-free)
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , omit to make oil-free
- ¾ teaspoon salt , or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon sriracha sauce (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper , or to taste, divided
- 12 oz (340 grams) macaroni , gluten-free if necessary
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, combine the water, potato, carrots, garlic, onion, chile (if using), tomato, and cashews. Cover the skillet and cook 18 to 20 minutes, or until the potato is very tender. Let the mixture cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the broccoli and set aside. Then cook the macaroni as per the instructions on the packaging. Usually it's for around 8 - 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can add the broccoli to the cooking pasta pot in the last two minutes.
- Combine the potato mixture (along with its liquid), mustard, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, oil, paprika, and sriracha (if using) in a blender. Blend for 1 minute, let the mixture rest for 1 minute, and blend again until smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to the saucepan over medium heat. Add the salt, white pepper, and ½ teaspoon of the black pepper, stirring to combine. Add some additional water to adjust the consistency if the sauce is too thick.
- Bring the sauce almost to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add the macaroni and broccoli. Stir to combine, cover the saucepan, and cook for 3 minutes. Let the mixture sit for 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper. Sprinkle some more pepper on each serving, if desired.
NUTRITION
Calories: 531kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 692mg | Potassium: 935mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2759IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 3mg
