Southern Comfort: Irresistible Vegan Mac n' Cheese
By: Leah Rodrigues
Published: June 3, 2016

Vegan mac n' cheese is a delicious way to enjoy this classic comfort food without using any animal products.  The key to this recipe is the cauliflower sauce.  In recent years, cauliflower has been re-purposed to make pizza dough, rice and bechamel sauce.  This versatile ingredient is pureed with coconut milk, garlic, lemon juice and spices until smooth.  When combined with elbow macaroni, this meal is reminiscent of early childhood days with a bit of grown up flair.   
Vegan Mac n' Cheese
Submitted to Foodista by Adina Beck
Ingredients:
3/4 cups raw cashews
	2 1/2 cups chopped cauliflower
	1 3/4 cups chopped potatoes
	2 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
	1/2 cup coconut milk
	3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
	2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
	1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
	paprika, to taste
	kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
	1 pound elbow macaroni Preparation
	Directions:
	Step 1: Soak the cashews in water for about 1 hour.
	Step 2: Bring two pots of water to a boil. Add the chopped vegetables and the garlic cloves in the smaller pot and cook for about 10 minutes or until they are soft. Keep about ½ cup of the cooking water and drain the rest.
	Step 3: Cook the macaroni in the other pot. Drain well.
	Step 4: Blend the vegetables, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper until really smooth and creamy. Add some of the cooking water little by little to reach the right consistency. Adjust the taste again and serve immediately.