Vegan Mac ‘N’ Chezzze

Ingredients –

• Carrots – 2-3 cups chopped (I prefer 3 cups)
• Yellow Onion – ½
• Gold Potatoes – 2 or 2-3 cups chopped
• Cashews – 1 ½ cups (use non-salted)
• Dijon Mustard – 1 Tablespoon
• Lemon Juice – 1 Tablespoon
• Plant / Non-Dairy Based Milk – ¼ cup (Almond, Soy, Coconut, Pea – any non dairy milk will work)
• Miso Paste – 1 Tablespoon (you can substitute ½ tablespoon of soy sauce)
• Nutritional Yeast – ¾ cup
• Garlic Powder – ½ -1 teaspoon
• Paprika – 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric – ½ teaspoon

1.Soak Cashews –

• Place cashews in airtight container and soak in water. Use enough water to completely cover the cashews. Water amounts can vary depending on size of the container you are using. The important thing is that the cashews are covered in water
• Soak in refrigerator for 6-12 hours, you can even soak overnight if prepping for the next day. The amount of soaking time when using cold water is up to you, best not to exceed to over 24 hours. The longer you soak the easier they will be to blend and also digest.
• Alternative Method – If in a hurry, boil enough water to completely cover the cashews. Water amounts can vary here also as pots may be of different sizes. For most pots, use between 3-6 cups - should be plenty. Once the water is boiling, turn off and let cashews soak for 45-60 minutes.

2.Veggies –

• Rough chop carrots, potatoes, and onions.
• There is no special knife cut or size you need to cut the veggies to. They should be cut so that they can be strained and pureed after cooking.

Did You know – Carrots are a great source of beta carotene. They also contain a great source of Vitamin A, Fiber, and Antioxidants such as Lutein.

This Chezzze sauce is a great base and can be altered by using different veggies, spices, herbs, and other flavors to make it how you want. Follow these steps to get started, and then get creative! Make cooking fun is the key!

1.Bring between 6-7 cups of water to boil with cut veggies. Lower heat to medium and cook for roughly 15 – 20 minutes or until veggies are soft.

• Don’t overcook, you are not mashing these by hand! The longer you cook the carrots, potatoes, and onions the less flavor you will have.
• *Quick Tip – If you can stab the carrots easily with a fork, they are ready!

2.Once veggies are soft enough to puree, take out 1 cup of the boiling water and set aside. Strain the remaining water out and set veggies aside or go ahead and place them in Food Blender / Processor.

• Only place hot veggies into blender / processor if product can handle hot items.
• WHY – Reserving 1 cup of the water will help in bonding the ingredients when blending. The water will contain nutrients and the starch from the potatoes that will help thicken the Chezzze sauce.

3.Next, strain your cashews through a strainer and add to a Food Blender / Processor.

2.Add all other ingredients into the Food Blender / Processor – Dijon Mustard, Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Garlic Powder, Turmeric, Miso Paste, Plant / Non – Dairy Milk, Nutritional Yeast, and Salt & Pepper to taste.

3.Puree until mixture is smooth and creamy.

• Add reserved water from boiling veggies as needed here (go lightly and slowly, only adding a little at a time) to get to the consistency you desire. You don’t want it to be runny or soupy. Feel free to add additional spices, lemon juice, or mustard as flavor is desired.

4.Once Sauce is to your desired consistency and flavor,  set aside sauce.

• Chezzze Sauce can be stored in airtight container for up to one week and yields about 6 cups. Cut ingredients in half to make half portion if desired.

Making Mac “N” Chezzze –

Recommendation –

For a more flavorful and nutritional profile you can add and substitute different veggies in the sauce such as cauliflower or sweet potatoes. This base formula above can be altered and changed as you like, making it an all around great vegan sauce recipe.