Two More Layers.

PSA for I.E. Viewers:  It came to my attention today that folks who visit this blog by way of Internet Explorer haven't been able to see any of the photos I've posted since LAST MOFO!  So I figured out what the issue was, and I fixed it.  I now hope the majority of you are enjoying CM2TS in extreme technicolor, because it's good exercise for your eyeballs and looks prettiest when you can actually see what I'm posting.  

But, just so ya know, this blog is best viewed in Firefox.  Internet Explorer still burps at some of my formatting and makes the dashes around the pictures look funny.

Here's where I left you yesterday--gaping wide-eyed at a bunch of sweet potato circles.

If you guessed that I topped those sweet, round disks with salt and pepper and a nice little scoop of Mac 'n' Cheesie, you've got a magical mind, ESP or both, 'cuz that's exactly what I did.

Season as you layer!

Then I seasoned the tops of the pasta too, because it's important to build flavors as you stack the layers.  These were dusted with smoked paprika and a little more S+P.  

Paprika Confetti.

Here's my go-to recipe, as promised (versions of this can be found in Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian Food and The Vegan Girl's Guide to Life).

Mac 'n' Cheesie du Jour
Makes about 8-10 servings (a big casserole full)

What You Need:

• 16 oz. brown rice shapes of your choosin'
• 1 cup raw cashew pieces
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup sorghum, brown rice or oat flour
• 2 tablespoons chickpea flour
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2-1 teaspoon ground chipotle
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tamari (sounds weird, but needed for umami)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• dash turmeric
• 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
• paprika, salt and fresh ground pepper for seasoning

What You Do:

1. In a blender, soak the cashews and water for 1-3 hours, but don't drain.  Blend until perfectly smooth, about three minutes, to make cashew milk.  (If you have a high powered blender, no need to soak).
2. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare the pasta according to package directions.  Drain.
3. In a dry saucepan, toast the flours over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly until they become slightly fragrant.  Add the olive oil and whisk well to make a roux.  Reduce heat slightly and add the chipotle and garlic.  Stir constantly until the roux is a light peanut butter color, 3-4 minutes.  Don't let the garlic burn, or it'll become bitter!
4. Carefully whisk in the cashew milk, beat vigorously until smooth.
5. Increase heat back to medium and whisk in the turmeric, salt and tamari.  Whisk constantly until the sauce just begins to bubble and becomes quite thick.
6. Whisk in the nutritional yeast, beat until smooth and thick, then remove from heat.
7. In a deep casserole dish, combine the cooked pasta with all of the sauce except for approximately 1 1/2 cups.  Mix well to combine.  Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the pasta and spread to even out.  Sprinkle the top generously with paprika (I use both smoked and sweet).  Bake until hot and bubbly, approximately 25-30 minutes.  If desired, place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown top.

On top of the M.A.C, I placed smoky collard greens! I bet you knew that, too, huh?

MmmMM, greens!

All this MoFoing has left me beat and up past my bedtime, and when I get tired I write with too many exclamation marks!  You're gonna have to wait for the collard and layer FOUR details tomorrow.  Don't even try to guess what's next.

xo
kittee

This blog, has joined with over 600 others to celebrate Vegan MoFo - The Vegan Month of Food. Learn more about MoFo by visiting Vegan Mofo Headquarters.