Monday, August 30, 2010

Quinoa Mac n' Cheeze

I already know what you’re thinking… ‘What the heck is cheeze’ ?! Well, let me explain. If you guessed cheeze is a mock cheese, you are correct! How on earth does one make a cheese sauce with no cheese? I’ll explain. The main ingredient in this vegan cheese sauce is nutritional yeast. Weird, right ? Not so weird… Vegetarians and vegans have been using these yellow flakes for ages to give food a slightly cheesy flavor. Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast that has a slightly cheesy, salty (but low in sodium) flavor to it. It’s also loaded with complete proteins (9 grams per serving), b-complex vitamins and amino acids (18). You can find this product in most natural food stores like Whole Foods, Henry’s or Mother’s Market. Some of the benefits of a diet rich in nutritional yeast are: ‘maintaining intestinal ecology, improved blood production, helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and improves liver health and function’. Once you’ve cooked your quinoa, this lighter version of macaroni and cheese comes together in less than five minutes. Can’t beat that!  Serve with mini meatloafs la florentine.











What You Need:




2 ( ½ cup - dry) servings quinoa, cooked in chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup nutritional yeast
4 Tbs milk
2 Tbs hummus (homemade or prepared)
1 ½ tsp butter or margarine
½ tsp garlic or onion powder
¼ tsp turmeric
¼ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp lemon juice
Pinch of salt and pepper






What To Do:


Combine all ingredients, except quinoa, in a small pot and bring to a simmer.











Add quinoa and stir to combine. Serve with mini meatloafs a la florentine.














Serves 2



Bon Appétit!
Mary

1 comment:

The Healthy Hostess said...

great recipe! I want to try this! :)