Comfort Food

I'm not very political or activist-minded. I make my choices fairly quietly and feel that the best answer for anything, even if nobody has asked the question, is good food.

Being gluten-free and also free of meat, dairy and egg, there are obviously a few foods that have needed, er, adjustments so that they may remain in my repertoire. The one that has stalked me, ever since I first cut out dairy, is macaroni and cheese.

Mmm, the gooey noodleyness of warm melty cheese with slippery al dente noodles and little crunchy browned bready bits on top. Just thinking about it makes me hungry and ready to curl up under a blanket with a big bowl, a fork and the teevee.

I have tried vegan cheese, I have tried soy milk, I have tried tofu. I finally found something tasty, tinkered, and came up with some tummy-warming goodness that has no equal.

I give you my new favourite Macaroni and Cheese. Be warned: it uses three (three!) separate pots, but I can assure you the dishes are worth it.

Ingredients:
1 lb gluten-free pasta, elbows or shells (Tinkyada is the brand that I use)
1/4 cup grapeseed oil or melted vegan butter
1 small yellow onion, diced finely
1/4 cup gluten-free flour (sorghum works well, or baking mix if you have it)
2 cups non-dairy milk (I like unsweetened almond milk but rice milk or soy milk will work too)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 - 1/4 tsp cayenne (depending how you feel about heat)
1 clove of garlic, minced (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder)
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan topping:
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
Generous pinch of sea salt (or to taste)

Preheat oven at 375 degrees F.

Prepare topping while you are waiting for pasta water to boil. Put walnuts, nutritional yeast and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined and the texture of parmesan cheese. I have a small food processor attachment that goes on my hand blender that is perfect for this.

First pot: Cook pasta until just al dente. You can start the water while you prep the other ingredients, and put the sauces on when the pasta goes in (the Tinjyada elbows take about 15 minutes to cook).

Second pot (white sauce): In large pot over medium heat, heat grapeseed oil or vegan butter until melted. Add onion and saute for a few minutes until softened but not browned (if some bits brown it isn't the end of the world). Add 1/4 cup flour along with salt and pepper to taste, and whisk for one minute. Pour in non-dairy milk and continue whisking.

Third pot(cheese sauce): In smaller saucepan, heat olive oil and add nutritional yeast, corn starch, cayenne, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper plus 1 cup of water. Whisk until sauce thickens.

Pour cheese sauce into white sauce and whisk to combine. Add in drained macaroni and stir. Top with Parmesan topping. Make sure your oven racks are in the middle (not the top) of your oven and bake for 20 minutes. Turn on broiler and DO NOT WALK AWAY! It should take just a few minutes for the top of your macaroni and cheese to brown and get crispy, but guaranteed if you leave the kitchen as you are broiling your dish will catch fire (I speak from experience here).

Take out of the oven, let sit for 10 minutes so you don't burn your tongue, and then serve to hungry omnivores who were dubious about your excitement. Prove them wrong and watch them have seconds.

Note that the photo doesn't show the vegan parmesan topping (in case you are looking for it), I made that addition after I took photos but then I was so excited to eat I forgot that I was supposed to take a new picture. Just imagine if you sprinkled a crumbly breadcrumb-like topping and then broiled until crispy.