If you’re looking for some comfort food as we settle into a new year – but are also having a crack at veganuary – you’ve come to the right place.
You can indulge in a delicious, creamy mac and cheese bake without eating any dairy – and you have Henry Firth and Ian Theasby to thank for that. The pair are the brains behind Bosh, the plant-based and vegan recipe brand.
In their latest cookbook, Speedy Bosh!, published in Sept 2020, they share more than 100 recipes for quick and easy plant-based dishes. And we think the recipe below is a real highlight.
Ultimate Vegan Mac & Cheese
Serves 4–6
Ingredients:
300g macaroni
750ml unsweetened plant-based milk
50g cashew nuts
40ml olive oil
1 garlic clove
40g flour
100g dairy-free cheese
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp Dijon mustard
50g fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Method:
1. Cook the mac. Bring the pan of salted water to the boil. Add the macaroni and cook for one minute less than stated on the packet instructions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, make the nut milk mixture. Put the almond milk and cashews into the medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Allow to cool. Transfer the mixture to the power blender and blitz until smooth.
3. Make the sauce. Put the frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil. Peel the garlic and grate it straight into the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes until just starting to brown. Add the flour to the pan and whisk until it combines with the garlicky oil to make a paste. Cook for one minute. Reduce the heat to low. Slowly pour in a little of the nut milk mixture and whisk until completely combined. Keep adding more, little by little, whisking until all the nut milk is incorporated. Cook for two minutes. Grate the dairy-free cheese. Add the nutritional yeast, mustard and cheese to the pan.
4. Stir to mix, adding a splash more almond milk if the mixture is too thick. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper. Drain the cooked macaroni. Take the pan of sauce off the heat and tip in the drained pasta. Stir to coat the pasta in the sauce.
5. Make the topping. Put the breadcrumbs, olive oil and a big pinch of salt and pepper into a bowl and stir to mix. Scatter the crumbs over the pasta.
6. Finish. Place the pan under the grill and cook for two to three minutes, keeping a close eye on it, until the topping is crispy. Serve.
Speedy BOSH! by Henry Firth & Ian Theasby is out now (HQ, HarperCollins).