Vegan Stuffed Shells

As I mentioned earlier. Gary really missed stuffed shells. While I made the lasagna with the filling, he still wanted stuffed shells. I decided to make it since I wanted to try out the filling with the spinach.

I found it really weird that Gary has never mentioned anything about stuffed shells in the 6 years we've lived together. That might be one of the reasons I've never made before, but I digress.

Although the original said to scoop 2 TBSP of filling in each shell, I found that to be a bit much. I used a medium cookie scoop, which was about 1 TBSP of filling. It made it a lot easier to fill as well. Even doing that, I still have some shells left over. You can save them and serve with sauce or use them in another recipe.

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Vegan Stuffed Shells

made by cathy's kitchen journey
adapted from PBS Food




ingredients:

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 16-oz block extra firm tofu
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 TBSP nutritional yeast
• 1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1 box jumbo shells (about 25 shells)
• 1 24-26 oz jar marinara sauce

directions:

1. Drain the tofu and pat dry with paper towels, lightly squeeze out extra water. Crumble into the bowl of a food processor or high-speed blender along with olive oil, salt, oregano, garlic and nutritional yeast. Process on high until smooth and “ricotta-like”.
2. Transfer mixture to a bowl and mix in the defrosted spinach to the blended tofu mixture.
3. Cook shells in boiling salted water until el dente. Drain, and add cold water to so it's easier to handle.
4. Preheat oven to 350° F. Pour about ½ cup pasta sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan. Using a medium cookie scoop, stuff shells with 1-2 T of filling and place in pan, seam side down. Repeat until all shells have been stuffed. (I had leftover shells)
5. Pour remaining pasta sauce over shells, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Yield: 6-8 servings

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Vegan Zucchini Lasagna

When I first saw this recipe for the tofu ricotta, I knew it would be a winner. I've used tofu as a ricotta replacement before, and it worked very well. However, at that time, I didn't have as much knowledge I have now about tofu.

I've always been a fan of tofu, but I never really knew the difference between firm or silken or whatnot. I just ate anything my mom fed me. Now that I have to find dairy alternatives, I have to be creative in what I use. This tofu ricotta worked out beautifully and you really wouldn't believe it's vegan until I tell you.

Gary had a hankering for stuffed shells earlier in the week. Lucky for him, I had this recipe in my back pocket and I was already planning on making it. He thought the filling was perfect for shells, and of course it worked well in lasagna too, as I first thought when I saw this. Try this, and I bet you won't miss the cheese either!

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Vegan Zucchini Lasagna

made by cathy's kitchen journey
tofu "ricotta" adapted from PBS Food




ingredients:

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1 block (16 oz) firm or extra firm tofu, drained
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 TBSP nutritional yeast
• 1 large zucchini, peeled and slice lengthwise
• 1 24 oz jar marinara sauce
• vegan cheese (optional)
• vegan parmesan (optional)

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water, then boil lasagna noodles for 10 minutes. Once done, drain and add cold water.
2. In a food processor, blend the tofu, oil, salt, oregano, garlic and nutritional yeast until smooth and the consistency of ricotta.
3. Peel and slice the zucchini lengthwise with a mandolin. 
4. In a 9x13 baking dish, add 1/2 cup of the sauce.
5. Pat dry 3 lasagna noodles and add to the pan. Spread half the tofu mixture (you might have to use your hands), then layer with half the zucchini, overlapping slightly.
6. Add 1/2 cup sauce then layer with 3 more noodles, the remaining tofu, and the remaining zucchini. Then top with another 1/2 cup sauce.
7. Top with remaining 3 noodles, then pour the remaining sauce on top.
8. Cover the pan loosely with foil, then bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
9. During the last 5 minutes, top with cheese and sprinkle with parmesan if desired.
10. Let rest for 5 minutes. Run a knife through to cut into 9 even pieces.

Yield: 9 servings

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Roasted Sesame Maple Ginger Tofu

I've always liked tofu, but other than putting it in soups like my mom did, I never really ventured out. When I saw this baked tofu recipe, I knew I had to try it. It looked simple enough and the flavors sounded great. Gary was onboard, so that was also my deciding factor in finally making it.

This tasted great and Gary enjoyed it even though it wasn't fried! It had a nice crispy exterior and chewy center that worked very well. I did reduce the sesame oil by half, since Gary doesn't like the taste of it. He's fine with everything else sesame though, go figure.

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Sesame Maple Ginger Tofu

made by cathy's kitchen journey
adapted from Cara's Cravings




ingredients:

• 1 block extra firm tofu, pressed, cut into 1 inch squares
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 TBSP tahini
• 1 TBSP soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 TBSP pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 TBSP sesame seeds
• pinch of ground ginger
• pinch of red pepper flakes

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475° F.
   
2. Line a baking sheet with foil, spray with nonstick cooking spray and add the tofu cubes. Lightly spray the top with more nonstick cooking spray and season with salt & pepper.
3. Roast for 10-12 minutes, or until the pieces of tofu are lightly browned on the bottom. Turn the pieces over, and roast for another 10 minutes.
4. Whisk tahini, soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, vinegar, sesame seeds, ginger, and pepper flakes in a small bowl until combined.
5. Remove the tofu from the oven, and toss with the tahini mixture.
6. Pour the the tofu back on the sheet, and drizzle the remaining sauce on top. Return the sheet to the oven and roast for another 5-7 minutes, mixing with a wooden spoon halfway through, until desired crispiness is reached.

Yield: 2-3 servings

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Tofu and Broccoli with Peanut Sauce

Happy New Year!

Here's to a new year, and a new you! I don't really make resolutions, but if I had to make one, it would be to eat healthier, less meat, and more whole foods. I've already started doing that, but I will continue to do so this year.

One of the things I've started reading up on and cooking is vegan meals. We've had a few good recipes for breakfast that are vegan, but we don't really have many vegan dinners. This meal was great because not only was it vegan, it was tasty and filling as well!

I made the mistake of using a stainless steel pan for this. I guess I missed the part about using nonstick! The tofu stuck a little and the sauce burned off a little. Next time I make this, I will definitely use a nonstick pan.

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Tofu and Broccoli with Peanut Sauce

recipe by cathy's kitchen journey
adapted from Vegan Yum Yum, as seen on Made Just Right




ingredients:

• 1 block extra firm tofu, pressed, cut into small squares
• 1 TBSP canola or peanut oil
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp mirin

peanut dressing:

• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 TBSP sugar
• 1 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 TBSP seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tsp hot chili oil (I omitted)
• pinch of salt

for serving:

• steamed broccoli
• 1 grated carrot
• cooked rice
• crushed peanuts (optional)

directions:

1. Whisk sauce ingredients in a small bowl until smooth (be patient, it’ll look curdle at first then smooth out) and set aside.
2. Fry tofu in the oil over high heat in a non-stick skillet until browned on both sides. Drain and return to hot pan (turn off the heat). Mix soy sauce and mirin together and pour over tofu, mixing well. It will bubble up and form a light glaze.
3. Plate rice, add broccoli, tofu, carrot, and crushed peanuts. Drizzle with sauce and serve.

Yield: 2 servings

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Tofu Parmigiana

Lately, I’ve noticed that we’ve been eating a lot less meat for several reasons. One being that good meat is really expensive. We’ve been a bit picky lately. Another is that, for us, eating less meat is better overall. Since we usually have chicken, it gets kind of boring.

I’ve wanted to try to work more with tofu. Gary has tried, but some recipes didn’t turn out that well. I first showed this recipe to Gary, thinking he would turn this down, but I was so surprised that he was willing to try it (he’s said no to lots of recipes I’ve thrown out there). I couldn’t wait to try this out since I’m sure he’s missed his Italian food since going dairy free.

This recipe turned out fantastic, and you definitely won’t miss the meat! I adapted it slightly since I didn’t use dairy, my substitutions are noted below. I’ve been using Daiya for a little while now, and I think it worked very well in this recipe.

Tofu Parmigiana
adapted from: Prevention RD

 printable recipe

ingredients:
1 (14 ounce) package extra firm tofu
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I used panko seasoned with 1 tsp each of basil and oregano)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided (I used nutritional yeast)
2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg, beaten
2 TBSP olive oil
16 oz marinara sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces  shredded mozzarella cheese (I used Daiya mozzarella shreds)

directions:
Preheat oven to 400° F.

Slice tofu into 1/4 inch thick slices (I was able to get 10 slices), and place on paper towels in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place another paper towel over the tofu, and place another cookie sheet on top and add weights on top to press the  water out of the tofu for 20 minutes (I used full juice bottles).

In a small bowl, combine bread or seasoned panko crumbs, 2 tablespoons parmesan or nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon oregano, salt, and black pepper.

Coat tofu in beaten egg and one at a time, press tofu slices into crumb mixture, turning to coat all sides.

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook tofu slices until crisp on one side, turn, and brown on the other side.

Combine tomato sauce, basil, minced garlic, and remaining oregano. Place a thin layer of sauce in an 8 inch square baking pan. Arrange tofu slices in the pan, slightly overlapping 5 in each row. Spoon remaining sauce over tofu. Top with shredded mozzarella and remaining TBSP of parmesan or nutritional yeast.

Bake at 400° F for 20 minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Serves 4-5 (Based on our appetites. I ate a quarter of it and I was full. I’m also a light eater. Gary ate about 1/3 of it)

Avocado Ice Cream

I don’t know if you’re weirded out by my choices of ice cream flavors yet, but there are more odd ones to come!

I was lucky enough to get a copy of The Vegan Scoop once it was available at my library. There were plenty of good flavors to try out, but one that I’ve noticed before was the avocado flavor. When I saw it in the William-Sonoma book, I was interested. Then I saw it on Good Eats, when Alton Brown made all sorts of stuff with avocados (including buttercream frosting).

I was talking to my bro and sis about  my latest ice cream post, and  how I can make make weird flavors like that, and others that include basil, wasabi, and avocado. They told they can get wasabi and black sesame ice cream easily. Sure, you’re in NY, in the middle of Chinatown, within walking distance of the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory…of course you would be able get all that. Not everybody can though. Especially if I want to make it dairy free! And to be honest, I wouldn’t want to pay a couple of dollars for a scoop, when I can get a whole pint for that price.

So, here’s my latest venture in ice cream. I’ll soon get to the “normal” flavors, but for now, I’m having fun with the fun summer fruits. I’m not sure how I feel about this ice cream yet. It tastes like…well…it tastes like avocado! I usually don’t eat it plain. It’s always either in guacamole, sushi, or a salad. So eating it plain on a spoon is still new to me. Gary’s dad would love it though. He eats avocados plain as is.

I didn’t have soy creamer as the recipe states, so I pureed some silken tofu for this. Hey, soy milk and tofu come from the same source, so of course it would work!

Avocado Ice Cream
adapted from: The Vegan Scoop
printable recipe

ingredients:
1 package Mori-nu silken soft tofu, blended
3 ripe hass avocados
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBSP fresh lime juice
1 1/2 cup soy milk

directions:
In a blender, blend the tofu until smooth. Add in avocado meat, sugar, and lime juice. Blend until smooth and combined. Mixture will be thick.

Transfer avocado mixture to a large bowl. Add a bit of soy milk into the blender and mix again to get the remaining puree out if needed. Add soy milk to the bowl. Whisk the mixture until fully combined.

Transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and freeze per your ice cream maker’s instructions.

Crustless Spinach Tofu Quiche

I’ve been meaning to make a quiche for some time now. However, since Gary can’t have dairy, it poses a minor problem. I wasn’t sure how I would substitute all that cheese that is usually thrown into a quiche. I also had some leftover tofu that needed to be used. What better way to make a quiche, since tofu is pretty much one of my staple cheese alternatives nowadays. I searched for vegan quiche recipes, but most of the reviews said it didn’t set very well. I then found these instructions on how to make a crustless quiche. I adapted to our dietary needs and it turned out pretty good. The eggs were light and fluffy and tasted similar to steamed eggs my mom used to make.

Another reason I made this was to boost our iron levels before donating blood. Although my HGB levels were super high at 31, when the minimum requirement was 12, I still didn’t do too well after donating. Gary’s HGB level was at 16. I think there are a few reasons I didn’t recover so well. First of all, the minimum weight is 110, and I barely passed. I also usually don’t eat or drink enough, so I was probably weak. What sucks is that as I type, 4 days later, the puncture area is still black and blue…well more yellow and blue bruised. (I don’t heal well either).

Crustless Spinach Tofu Quiche
printable recipe

ingredients:
1 small onion, diced
1 10 oz box frozen spinach thawed and drained
salt to taste
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups soy milk
6 oz firm tofu, crumbled
1/8 tsp salt (I would add more)
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp white pepper

directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 9" pie pan or quiche pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Spray cooking oil in a pan and add onions. Cook until onions are turn clear. Add spinach and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat together the remaining ingredients.

Remove spinach from heat, spread spinach on the bottom the prepared pan. Pour egg mixture over the spinach.

Bake in oven for about 40 minutes or until center is set. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. The quiche will be puffy, but will settle after 10 minutes.

The only change I would make would be adding more salt (since I didn’t add it to the spinach). I also found it a little runny, so I would bake it slightly longer or let refrigerate before serving.

Spinach and Tofu Stuffed Chicken

Spinach stuffed chicken is one of the recipes Gary requests frequently. I’ve made it before, and it was very simple and tasty. I’ve since then modified the recipe slightly to reflect his new diet.

I’ve used tofu before with success, and this was another successful recipe using it. It mimicked the consistency and taste of cheese quite well. Like before, I made this on my George Foreman grill.

Spinach and Tofu Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ingredients:
1 lb skinless chicken breast
cooking spray
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
1 10 oz frozen leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
salt
red pepper flakes
6 oz firm tofu (half a pack of Mori Nu tofu)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray. Set to medium heat and add garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add spinach and water. Loosen the spinach, cover and cook for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, uncover, stir to loosen the spinach. Add big pinches of salt and red pepper flakes. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, butterfly the chicken. Cover with saran wrap and pound thin with a meat mallet. Sprinkle salt on both sides.

In a small food processor, mix tofu until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add dashes of salt and pepper. Mix in with the spinach at the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Fill the inside of half the chicken with the spinach mixture. Fold over other side of chicken over the spinach. Transfer to the George Foreman grill and cook for 7-9 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken.

Remove from grill, let sit for 5 minutes, slice and serve.

 

This recipe is being submitted to:

Spaghetti Pie

When I first saw this post come up, I knew I had to try it. It seemed like a nice change from regular old pasta. I had to find a way to make it dairy free, so aside from using tofu instead of ricotta, I omitted the cheeses, and adapted it with ingredients we had on hand. Her original recipe was meatless, but since Gary was already defrosting the ground turkey, I decided to add that in.

It turned out very well. A little runny because I didn’t have tomato paste. I started reading the recipe and saw that she mentioned marinara sauce, and I took out both the can of tomatoes and the marinara, not realizing she was making her own sauce. I ended up using the can of tomatoes minus the tomato paste. I will try using marinara sauce next time since I usually don’t have tomato paste on hand.

Dairy Free Spaghetti Pie
Loosely adapted from: REC(ession)IPES

Ingredients:
8 ounces thin spaghetti
salt
1/2 lb ground turkey
olive oil
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 28 oz can whole stewed tomatoes, broken up
1 tsp oregano
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1 package extra firm Mori-nu tofu
splash of lemon juice
salt and pepper
2 large eggs
1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add salt to water, boil the pasta until al dente per package instructions. Lightly grease a 9x9 glass pan with olive oil or cooking spray and set aside.

Meanwhile, brown the ground turkey in a pan. Set aside. Dice onion and mince garlic. Cook in 1 tbsp olive oil until onions are just translucent, approx. 5-8 minutes. Add ground turkey back in, add tomatoes with their juice, along with oregano. Simmer on stovetop for 10 minutes.

Using the s-blade on your food processor, pulse the tofu and lemon juice a few times until the consistency of ricotta cheese. Swap out the blade for the shredding attachment, shred zucchini in a food processor (or use your grater). Place tofu mixture in bowl and mix thoroughly with salt and pepper to taste.

Drain the pasta and toss in large bowl with one tsp olive oil. Whisk eggs with a fork in a small bowl with nutritional yeast. Toss with spaghetti. Add spaghetti to prepared pan. Shape into crust shape by using fingers to flatten center and press up the sides of the plate.

Add tofu mixture to indentation in center. Top with tomato sauce and bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes.

Remove from oven, let cool 10 minutes, then cut into 9 even squares and serve.

Gary loved this. He thought the tofu tasted a lot like cheese!

Beef and Tofu Stir-Fry

Let me start off by saying that this picture doesn’t look very appetizing, but it does taste good. I hate it when something tastes so good, but looks so disgusting. Well, don’t let the picture fool you. This is a great way to use up tofu.

The recipe called for firm tofu, but I had some silken tofu I needed to use up so I used that. I recommend using the firm tofu so it keeps it’s shape better.

Beef and Tofu Stir Fry
Adapted from: Martin Yan Quick and Easy

Ingredients:
Marinade:
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 Tbsp cornstarch

3/4 lb flank steak (I cut into slices)

Sauce:
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp chili garlic sauce

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp minced ginger
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (14oz) package firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2" cubes (I used silken tofu)
1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tsp water

Directions:
1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl, add beef and stir to coat evenly. Let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

3. Heat a stir fry pan or wok on high heat. Add the oil, swirl to coat the sides. Add ginger and onion, cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef and stir fry until it is no longer pink in the center, about 2 minutes. Add the tofu and sauce and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the cornstarch solution and cook, stir until the sauce thickens, about 20 seconds.

3. Transfer to plate and serve. We ate this over rice.

Vegan Eggplant and Spinach Lasagna

One of the dishes I used to make all the time with dairy was lasagna. Gary would be able to eat probably half the pan in one sitting. His portions have gotten better now. He can still almost eat half the pan, but he can’t have the dairy anymore. When I saw this eggplant spinach lasagna, I knew I had to try it, especially since I had all the ingredients on hand.

This turned out great. Using tofu instead of ricotta makes this dish lighter and much healthier than a lasagna with meat and cheese. It almost makes it ok that Gary eats half the pan…*almost*.

Vegan Eggplant and Spinach Lasagna
Adapted from: Go Dairy Free

Ingredients:
12 ounces lasagna noodles (9 noodles. I used the leftovers from previous boxes of noodles.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-size eggplant, peeled and chopped (I used 2 Chinese eggplant)
3 cups tomato sauce, homemade or store-bought (I used the whole can of 26oz Hunts tomato sauce)
2 16-oz packages firm tofu, drained and crumbled (I used 2 packages of Mori Nu firm tofu – 12.3 oz each)
1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, cooked according to package directions and well drained (I used frozen leaf spinach)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded vegan mozzarella cheese (optional)

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the noodles and spread out on a work surface to keep them from sticking together. (I found it helpful to rinse with cold water, so it’s easier to handle. Place 3 noodles on a paper towel, layer with another paper towel, repeat to separate the noodles. You can also use a clean kitchen towel.)

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine the tofu and the spinach, blending well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

4. Spread a thin layer of the sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of noodles and top with half of the tofu mixture, spreading it out evenly. Top with another layer of noodles, a layer of sauce, and the remaining tofu mixture. Finish with a layer of noodles and the remaining sauce.

5. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the vegan cheese, if using. Continue to bake until hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes more. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

I didn’t use the cheese. I covered and baked uninterrupted for about 42 minutes. This was a great alternative to meat and cheese lasagnas.

Dairy Free Mac and Cheese

One of Gary’s favorite’s is mac and cheese. Since he can’t have dairy anymore, this is one of the foods he has missed. I found lots of recipes for melty cheese sauces, but this one seemed fairly simple to follow, and I had most of the ingredients on hand.

I found it very tasty for dairy free. Though it didn’t taste as rich as real mac and cheese would be, but I find that a good thing. I don’t like feeling yucky after I eat. Gary loved this because his guilty food was no longer so guilty! This reheated very well. I thought it tasted better the next day.

I added broccoli to this recipe to add more greens. I also used the full box of tofu so I wouldn’t have any leftovers. Since the whole box of tofu, I ended up adding 1.25x the amount of ingredients of recipe. The original recipe was vegan, but I used chicken broth to de-veganize it. Obviously, don’t do that if you want to keep it vegan.

Dairy Free Mac and Cheese
Adapted from: Branny Boils Over, originally from Veganomicon

Ingredients:

Cheesy Sauce: *I used heaping measurements
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (I used chicken stock)
1/4 cup AP flour*
1 Tbsp olive oil*
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt*
freshly ground pepper
1/8 tsp turmeric*
3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes*
1 Tbsp lemon juice*
1 tsp prepared yellow mustard* (I used spicy brown mustard)

Pasta:
1/2 pound elbow macaroni (I used shells)
1/2 pound extra firm tofu (I used the entire 12.3 oz of Mori-Nu)
1/2 tsp salt*
1/2 Tbsp olive oil*
1 Tbsp lemon juice*
1 head broccoli florets

Directions:
Boil pasta as directed on box, adding broccoli in the last 5 minutes of boiling.

Preheat oven to 325°.

Crumble tofu into an 8×8 inch baking dish until it resembles ricotta cheese. Add salt, olive oil, lemon juice, and stir.

Prepare the cheese sauce:
In a bowl combine the broth and the flour, whisking to dissolve the flour.

Preheat a small sauce pan over medium heat add oil and gently sauté the minced garlic for about 2 minutes. Add thyme, s&p, and cook a few seconds longer.

Add broth, turmeric, and nutritional yeast. Slightly increase heat and whisk constantly, about 3 minutes.

The mixture will begin to bubble and thicken. After about 2 minutes, add the mustard and lemon juice. Now the mixture should resemble melty cheese. If it does not, continue to simmer.

Combine pasta:
Add 1/4 cup of the cheese sauce to the tofu and stir. Add pasta to the tofu, reserve 1/2 cup of the cheese sauce and add the rest to the tofu+macaroni mixture. Stir well. Top with remaining sauce. (I found it easier to combine everything in the pot, transfer to the dish, then top with remaining sauce.)

Bake for 30 minutes. Allow the baked macaroni and cheese to rest outside of the oven before serving (about 10 minutes).

This was great for a first timer using nutritional yeast. I’m going to experiment with other cheese sauces to see which one we like better.