Veganmofo V: Autumn Mac-N-Cheeze

So once upon a time a brilliant Mac-N-Cheeze recipe appeared on my mofo feed using butternut squash. Better still, it used all the other ingredients I have laying around the apartment. It was calling my name and unlike the majority of things my greedy mofo-eyes started bookmarking for later, it wouldn't require I get up, put on pants and drag myself to the grocery store or market.

 

 Hurrah! I had a butternut squash in the fridge that was planned for AFR's Coconut Squash rice, but the stem had started going funky on me, so I roasted that sucker and cut off all the questionable chunks of skin just to be safe.

For those of you who don't know there are a variety of schools of thought on the Squash roasting process, to make things simple, I'm going to give you mine:


Lazy Woman's Guide to Roasting All Large and Orange Things:

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Cover your baking tray in a silapat or tinfoil (or lightly grease it, sugars can get messy as they cook)
3. Take a sharp knife and carefully slice your squash/pumpkin in half length wise. I also cut off the bit with the stem, but mine was starting to go bad.
4. Remove pulp/seeds. (Optional: put seeds aside for roasting later)
5. Lightly coat cut side of squash in olive oil and place cut side up on the baking sheet.
6. Place squash in oven for approximately 30 minutes.
7. Flip the squash over and return for another 30 minutes or until a fork easily peirces the squash

You can then slice, scoop or eat as is. I find it easier to scoop out the flesh and leave the skin intact, it also saves copious amounts of peeling/chopping while the squash is hard and resistant.

Anyway, time went on and I finally decided that I had eaten enough leftovers to warrant making myself some Mac. But suddenly, the original post was not in my feed, it wasn't stared or showing up when I search. Distraught, I found a few other tasty looking offerings but they were not the same. Thankfully a few google searches later I had found it On Raw for 10$ a day! (link to recipe).

Now  despite having everything I need right there, I did make a few changes for one I used my blender (which proved to be a  bit of a hassle) instead of a food processors. Actually, in my usual fashion I bastardized the poor recipe to death.

Complete list of changes made

• Used blender instead of food processor
• As such only used 1/2 of squash and closer to 3/4 cups of almond milk
• Apparently forgot about the lemon juice all together (whoops)
• Used Earth Balance
• Took some panko/Earth balance and toasted them together in my skillet
• Blended sauce, added it to a mixture of Gluten Free Rice Macaroni and steamed kale
• Topped with toasted bread crumbs and paprika/chili powder
• Baked for 20 minutes covered at 350, removed cover and baked for 10 more minutes

So for this version you will need (original recipe from Raw on 10$ a Day Here)

• 1/2 roasted squash, skin removed
• 3/4 cups almond milk
• 4 tablespoons Nooch
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons earth balance
• 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp onion powder, 
• Fresh ground pepper
• 1 tbps parika and 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 cup panko
• 2 more tablespoonsof earth balance
• 1/2 pack of rice-macaroni
• 1/2 bunch of kale

Preheat oven to 350 and bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta as directed on box, chop kale and add to a steamer basket above your pasta. Blend the first 7 ingredients in your blender/food processor until smooth. Stir it a few times to be sure.

Once pasta/kale is done, drain liquid and rinse under cold water. Dump pasta/kale into casserole dish and toss together with sauce until everything is evenly coated.

 

Pre-heat your cast iron skillet and melt 2 tbsp of Earth Balance, add your panko and toss until evenly browned.

 

Add these to the top of the Mac-N-Cheeze sprinkled with paprika and chili powder. Cover with lid and bake for 20 minutes until sauce is bubbly. Remove cover and turn to 400 to crisp top (approximately 10 minutes).

Eat with salt, pepper and hot sauce!

Veganmofo: Selection of Quick meal tips: Frozen Burgers

Being a student sometimes bringing cooking to a back burner, I won't get into a post about the various levels of terrible junk I consume in the guise of 'diner' most evenings (maybe another post). But I found a selection of easy, under 30 minutes to whip up meals which I've enjoyed over the past few weeks.

The key to quick and easy meals is timing, multitasking and sometimes convenience food. Ok, so you going to grab that frost bitten veggie burger and pull a sesame seed bun out of the freezer, again. No big deal, take a few extra steps and it can really make the difference.

Tips for burgers from the freezer:

• Marinade or sauce it. Glaze your frozen patty in a thick, maybe sweet BBQ sauce, or Plum Sauce. Raid your condiment shelf for inspiration.
• Take the time to pre-heat the cast iron or use a grill. Sure, it's a frozen burger but it'll taste better grilled or seared properly.
• Toppings. Avoid the urge to squirt ketchup and call it a day. Mix it up with salsa, veggies, fruit (grilled pineapple!), chutney or some fancier pickles/sauces from the local market. Even adding lettuces/tomato gives you something fresh and a nice contrast to the chewy burger texture.
• Onions/Mushrooms. They fry up in minutes and can take the bruger experience to the next level.
• TOAST YOUR BUNS. If you spend time on nothing else, crisp the inside of that bun.

The little Darling featured  below may appear simple with its no-name ketchup and mustard, but the secret lies in that big meaty chunk of purple heaven. A wide slice of onion, which I baked in the oven (directly on the rack) and then broiled just before the burger finished. Amazing.

Happy Mofo'ing!

GUEST POST: Shannon Wills: 5 Easy Steps to Becoming a Vegan

I recently received an e-mail from a reader, Shannon Wills asking if she could write a guest post for the blog. I agreed and this is what she wrote, an easy no frills guide to going vegan. Mind you everyone comes about in their own way and for their own reasons. I for example went vegan instantaneously after learning about how 'food' animals were treated, others more gradually. So here are some easy steps for soon-to-be-vegans.
5 Easy Steps to Becoming a Vegan

Change is never easy, especially when it comes to getting rid of habits that have been ingrained in us from childhood and cultivating new ones at the same time. And because food is an integral part of our daily lives, one that we are so passionate about, it’s doubly hard to turn over a new leaf and adopt a vegan lifestyle after eating meat and dairy your whole life. But if you really want to go vegan for any reason whatsoever (concerns over your health, care for the environment, or just because you want a change), there are ways to make the transition easier and not so much a sudden change. And here they are, five easy steps to becoming a vegan:

* Give up one at a time: If you’re used to eating both non-vegetarian food and dairy, don’t give up both simultaneously. While cold turkey works best for addictions like smoking and drinking, when it comes to food, it’s best to ease off one by one. Start with your least favorite non-vegan food, and every few days or so, add another item to the list. When you avoid going out and limit the ingredients and food items in your home to vegan, it’s easier to stick to your resolution.

* Eat what you really love: Make the switch to vegan more appealing by choosing foods that you love in this category; it doesn’t matter that they may not be the healthiest of choices, all you need to do is ensure you try to stick to vegan as much as possible. And by opting to eat what you love, you don’t crave meat or dairy so much.

* Try it for a week or fortnight: When you start out, don’t tell yourself that you’re going to become vegan for good. Instead, set smaller goals that you can achieve and feel proud about – choose to go vegan for a week or a fortnight, and then as you taste success in the short term, push yourself to go a little further. This way, you have the satisfaction of adhering to your goal and being able to give up meat and dairy little by little.

* Find substitutes: Make the change easier by finding suitable substitutes – if you enjoy coffee or tea, try soy milk or low-fat non-dairy creamers as an alternative to milk. Talk to people who are long-time vegans and get yourself a few good recipes, a list of acceptable substitutes, and the necessary supplements to prevent vitamin and other nutritional deficiencies (food from plant sources lack Vitamin B12 and iron, so you may have to use fortified vegan products or take supplementary pills to prevent deficiencies and related illnesses).

* Don’t force yourself to stay the course: If you find the going tough, remind yourself why you decided to effect the change. And if you still crave meat and/or dairy, give in to the temptation once in a while just so you prevent a binge and a complete relapse. It’s better to enjoy the guilty taste of your favorite non-vegetarian dish once in a while than go back to your old eating habits for good.

By-line: This guest post is contributed by Shannon Wills, she writes on the topic of physical therapy assistant schools . She welcomes your comments at her email id: shannonwills23@gmail.com.