I could call this vegan, but I wanted to add shrimp for our dinner. You can leave out meat/seafood to make it a vegan meal!
Let me tell you a story of why I decided to make this dish. It all started with my fiancé...
Just kidding! I was simply craving comfort food, but I'm lactose intolerant. There are vegan mac n cheese options at some stores, but they have a lot of fillers and additives. There are tons of vegan cheese recipes online; a lot of them include cashews, which is fine, but I don't always indulge on nuts to have on-hand. This variation involves a simple roux.
What is a roux? A simple culinary technique: "flour and fat cooked together and used to thicken sauces...typically made from equal parts flour and fat by weight. The flour is added to the melted fat or oil on the stove top, blended until smooth, and cooked to the desired level of brownness. A roux can be white, blond, or brown."
The only "extra" ingredient is nutritional yeast, which I've successfully found at most accessible stores: Walmart, Target, Giant Eagle, and Marc's. I was always skeptical about using it, but when it's utilized correctly it truly gives a cheesy flavor.
There are tons of recipes online for alternative cheese sauces, so play around with it until you find a flavor and texture that you love!
Ingredients for the sauce
2 tbsp flour of choice(I used all-purpose)
1/4-1/2 cup nutritional yeast (more = more "cheesy")
2 tbsp vegan butter, ghee, or oil of choice
2 garlic cloves minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 a medium onion, small dice (you could even mince)
1 cup vegan milk
red pepper flakes to taste
Ingredients for the shrimp
1 pound small shrimp, deveined and peeled
1-2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Ingredients for pasta
Use whatever pasta you prefer! I used the Banza brand shells, which is made of primarily chickpeas.
Directions for sauce
heat fat or oil in a small/medium pot.
Add diced onion and sauté until translucent, then add minced garlic and sauté for 30 more seconds.
Add all seasonings (NOT the nutritional yeast yet).
Add flour and start whisking. This is when the roux occurs. I aimed for a blonde roux, so keep cooking and whisking until the combined flour/fat turns a light brown or blonde color.
Slowly add vegan milk while whisking; it will incorporate with the roux and begin to thicken.
Finally add the nutritional yeast and mix. I recommend starting with 1/4 cup and taste, then add more if you want more of a "cheesy" flavor. I ended up doing 1/2 cup.
Directions for shrimp
Heat oil in a pan to medium/high heat.
Add shrimp to pan. Lazy hack: since I used small shrimps, I added them to the pan while frozen. They're so little that it was still a very quick cook time
Wait until the shrimps are slightly "softened" and add the seasonings.
Cook until opaque.
Directions for pasta
Short and sweet: follow the cooking instructions on the package.
Combine the shrimps, sauce, and pasta in a bowl and stir to coat it all in that yummy sauce.
That's it! You can garnish with whatever you prefer; I chose parsley one day but it is up to you. And remember you can omit seafood or meat. You can use whatever pasta that is beneficial to you and your lifestyle. I figured I'd share the dairy-free sauce for anyone that is 1) lactose-intolerant or allergic to dairy, or 2) trying to limit dairy intake.
Thank you for supporting me and being patient as I work on my online presence and start adjusting to what I think will be helpful content. Social media is difficult and I never want to add more dangerous information.
Have a fantastic weekend! Drink water, get some sunshine, eat whole foods!
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