Review: Road's End Organics and Leahey Garden

Greetings fellow Mac and Cheese lovers. There are those of us, like Leigh, who are gifted enough to create amazing recipes all of their own. Then there are those like me, who make and eat the creations of others. Earlier this year I went to the US, a magical place, and I was able to purchase two boxes of mac and cheese. This is my review.

First up, let's look at the Road's End Organics Mac and Chreese. This comes in a green box, and I may have seen it previously available in Australia? The macaroni is loose inside the box, and then there is a package of the powdered cheese mixture to become the sauce.


The instructions call for boiling the pasta, draining and returning to the pot, and then mixing in the cheese powder and some non-dairy milk until heated and thickened. I'm sorry to say that I didn't enjoy this. The pasta was quite woody and odd, and the sauce was just stodgy and didn't have a great cheesy taste. I would save my dollars and my baggage space for something else in the future.


The second type I brought back was Leahey Garden's macaroni and cheese. This came in a paper bag, and contained the pasta loose in the bag with a sachet of cheesy mix. For this one, you actually mix the sauce powder and milk together and heat in their own little pot to cook and thicken while you cook the macaroni, and then mix together.


Oh.... yeah... I think you can see the difference. This stuff was awesome, creamy and delicious. You could smell a little bit of a tang to the powder when you make up the sauce, and I don't quite know how to describe it, but it makes for an incredibly tasty sauce that will leave you craving more! I actually think they sell the powder for the sauce separate. So if you get the chance, try some of this stuff!

It would be great to see more products like this available in Australia! Then I can eat them and do more reviews. Until that time, I shall be popping in here every now and then and reviewing mac and cheese recipes from some of my favourite cookbooks. I'm a mac and cheese fiend. Nom nom nom.

Appetite for Reduction: Tempeh Helper

I'm on a bit of a diet kick at the moment, so macnnotcheese is not really on the menu. Sadly.

However, in Isa Chandra Moskowitz's latest opus, Appetite for Reduction, there's a great cheezy sauce recipe that's integral for the Tempeh Helper recipe.  This is, technically, mac and cheese, so check it out:

http://zbveganrecipes2.blogspot.com/2011/09/appetite-for-reduction-tempeh-helper.html

Again, if there are any folks out there who want to help out by writing of their love of macnnotcheese, especially whilst I'm on sabbatical, please comment and I'll add you to the blog as an author!

Cornbread Topped Chili Mac

Creamy slightly smoky and spicy chili mac, topped with fluffy cornbread.

I love chili, and it's fun to have it as a side to macnncheese. So, why not combine them in one glorious dish, and round it out to ridiculousness by topping it with cornbread instead of breadcrumbs?

Yeah, you know I had to do it.

Ingredients

Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle chilli in adobo sauce, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 cup TVP + 1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 can kidney beans (about 200g when drained)
1 can chopped tomatoes (400g)
1 tablespoon Braggs
1 tablespoon sweet dark soy sauce

Creamy Sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup rice flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons miso
3 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup soy milk
juice of 1/2 lemon

Cornbread Topping

2/3 cup vegetable stock
1 to 1 & 1/2 cups finely ground cornmeal
1 tablespoon rice flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Other

350g elbows/macaroni

Method

Chili

Soak the TVP in the boiling water until it has rehydrated, about 15 minutes.

In a deep sided frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over a medium heat.  Saute the onion, garlic and chipotle until the onion is translucent - about 5 minutes.

Pour in the TVP and any remaining soaking liquid. Then add the kidney beans, oregano, coriander, smoked paprika and stir together well.  Pour in the chopped tomatoes, Braggs and sweet dark soy sauce.

Bring to a simmer and continue simmering until the chili is thick and the liquid has cooked off.  Set to one side.

Creamy Sauce

In a medium saucepan, heat the vegetable oil and saute the garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add the rice flour and nutritional yeast and stir to mix completely.  Add a little of the hot stock and mix to form a paste. Keep adding the stock a little at a time and keep whisking to form a thick sauce.  Whisk the miso through the sauce, with the lemon juice and soy milk.  Set to one side.

Cornbread Topping

Pour the stock into a medium sized bowl. Whisk in the corn meal, rice flour, baking powder and oil to make a thick smooth paste.

Putting it all together

Cook the pasta as per the packet's instructions.  When it cooked, drain it and mix it with the chili.  Mix in the creamy sauce until everything is well combined.

Pour into a baking dish, approximately 25 to 30cm long by about 20cm wide and at least 10cm deep.

Dot with tablespoonfuls of the cornbread topping at 1cm intervals and then gently pull the cornbread together to cover the top.

Bake until the sides are bubbling and the cornbread topping is cooked through and dry, about 30 minutes.

Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

"The Peas Knees" - Pea Puree & Marinated Tempeh Macnnotcheese

I used to make creamy pesto mac and cheese and loved the pretty green colour of the sauce nestled around the pasta.  In recent times, I've seen lots of references to pea pesto and my desire for green macnnotcheese went into high gear.

I like some protein in my macnnotcheese and thought that the savouriness of tempeh would match well with the sweetness of the pea puree.

Sadly the crappy phone pictures don't show off the gentle green to best advantage, but you get the idea.

Ingredients

Pea Puree

2 cups frozen (or fresh) peas, cooked until just tender
1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 tablespoon Braggs (or soy sauce)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

Marinated Tempeh

300g tempeh block
juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon Braggs (or soy sauce)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
dash of hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

White Sauce

1 tablespoon Nuttelex or olive oil
1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/3 cup rice flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 cups vegetable stock
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tablespoon barley miso
1/4 cup non dairy milk

500g macaroni/pasta elbows

Method

Pea Puree

Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth and thick. Set to one side.

Marinated Tempeh

Steam the tempeh for 10 minutes.  Finely dice and place into a large heatproof bowl.  Mix in the rest of the ingredients and set to one side.

White Sauce

Heat the Nuttelex or olive oil in a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat.  Saute the garlic for a minute and then add the rice flour and nutritional yeast.  Stir to combine and cook the flour and nutritional yeast for a couple of minutes.  Pour in some of the vegetable stock and whisk to form a smooth thick paste.  Pour in further stock and whisk to form a smooth sauce. Continue adding a little stock at a time and whisking until the sauce is pourable but coats the back of a spoon. Whisk in the barley miso.  Take the sauce off the heat and stir through the lemon juice and non dairy milk.  Set to one side.

Putting it all together

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celcius.

Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions and drain.  Pour the pasta into the large bowl with the marinated tempeh and mix together well.

Pour in 3/4 of the white sauce with the pasta and tempeh and mix through well.  Pour in 3/4 of the pea puree and mix through well.

Pour the pasta mixture into a baking dish, approximately 25 to 30cm long by about 20cm wide and at least 10cm deep.

Mix together the remaining 1/4 of the white sauce and the 1/4 of the pea puree.

Pour over the pasta, pulling away at the sides of the pasta as need to let the sauce run down through the whole dish.

Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top looks dry and there are golden spots, about 20 minutes.

Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. If you don't, then instead of a nice neat wedge, you'll get this, which is just as tasty but not as pretty:

"The Cassie" - Caramelised Onion Mushroom MacnnotCheese

I had the request of both caramelised onions and mushrooms from my friend Cassie as dinner options.  I thought that it would be a great opportunity to branch out, macnnotcheese-wise.

Check it:

Ingredients

Caramelised Onion

650g brown onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon Braggs
1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 cups vegetable stock

White Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced (about 3 medium cloves)
1/3 cup rice flour
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 to 3 cups vegetable stock
juice of one lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup non dairy milk

Smoky Breadcrumbs

3 to 4 slices of bread, processed into 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mushrooms

350g mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil

Other

1 can chickpeas, drained
400g macaroni/pasta elbows

Method

Caramelised Onions

Peel the onions and slice into thin half moons.  Heat the olive oil in a deep sided frying pan over a medium heat.  Saute the onions until they are softened and beginning to colour.  Add the brown sugar and stir through to mix thoroughly.  Pour in the red wine vinegar, mix through and cook off.  Add the Braggs, vegan Worcestershire sauce and 2 cups vegetable stock.  Simmer until the liquid has cooked off and the onions are brown and gooey.  Set to one side.

White Sauce

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat.  Saute the garlic for a minute, and then add the rice flour and nutritional yeast.  Stir to combine and cook the flour and nutritional yeast for a couple of minutes.  Pour in some of the vegetable stock and whisk to form a smooth thick paste.  Pour in further stock and whisk to form a smooth sauce.  Continue adding a little stock at a time and whisking until the sauce is pourable but coats the back of a spoon.  Take off the heat and stir through the lemon juice and non dairy milk.  Set to one side.

Smoky Breadcrumbs

Combine all the ingredients well in a bowl or food processor.  Set to one side.

Mushrooms

Cut the mushrooms into thick chunks.

Heat the olive oil in a deep sided frying pan over a medium heat and saute the mushrooms until slightly softened and beginning to colour.  Set to one side.

Putting it all together 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions.  Drain the chickpeas and pour into a large bowl.  Mash roughly.  Stir through the cooked mushrooms and half the white sauce.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the chickpea/mushroom mixture and pour through another 1/4 of the white sauce. Mix well.

Pour half of the pasta mixture into a baking dish, approximately 25 to 30cm long by about 20cm wide and at least 10cm deep.

Spoon over 1/3 of the caramelised onion and sprinkle over 1/3 of the smoky breadcrumbs.

Pour over the rest of the pasta mixture and smooth down the top.  Pour over the remaining white sauce, pulling away at the sides of the pasta as needed to let the sauce run down through the whole dish.

Carefully top with the remaining caramelised onions and the breadcrumbs, pressing the breadcrumbs down carefully.

Bake until the sauce is bubbling, the edges are browned and breadcrumbs are golden, about 20 minutes.

Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Review: Vegan Mac & Cheese at the Gasometer Hotel, Collingwood

I was very excited about going to the Gasometer Hotel, run by the ex-owners of the East Brunswick Club, with a seasonally changing menu and a great eye for managing vegan requirements.

The food for winter is Southern US style comfort food, which of course includes mac and cheese.

I'd heard some raves about the vegetarian mac and cheese so was interested to see what the vegan mac and cheese would be like.

This is the meal that I got - BBQ seitan ribs with sides of greens and vegan mac and cheese.  You can't really see it in the photo, but it was sprinkled with grated vegan cheese (Cheezly Cheddar, I think, though it was possibly the Mozzarella).  There wasn't much sauce - it mostly tasted like the macaroni had been tossed with Nuttelex and Cheezly and then served.  I was disappointed because I think it's really easy to make a good vegan mac and cheese without relying solely on vegan cheese - I also find that the vegan cheese has a chemical and sweet aftertaste that really overpowers the palate.

However, the three flavours - BBQ, lemony greens and sweet fatty mac and cheese - did go really well together when consumed as a single mouthful.

So, anyone gone to the Gasometer? What are your thoughts on their vegan mac and cheese? Leave 'em in the comments!

Cauliflower MacnCheez

White creamy sauce wrapped around tender pasta, topped with zingy fresh tomato and smoky crunchy breadcrumbs.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Cauliflower White Sauce

• 400g fresh cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 medium brown onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 to 2 cups water
• juice of half a lemon
• 1/4 cup non dairy milk
• 2 to 3 tablespoons barley miso
• 3 tablespoons rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Smoky Breadcrumbs

• 3 slices fresh bread processed into about 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

Other

• 300g extra firm tofu
• 1 packet (500g) macaroni or other small pasta
• 1 medium fresh tomato, sliced thinly

Method

Cauliflower Sauce

Steam the cauliflower until tender.  Whilst the cauliflower is steaming, saute the onion in the olive oil in a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat until the onion is translucent and soft.  Add the tender steamed cauliflower to to the onion and olive oil, and mash.  Pour in 1 cup of water (can use the steaming water for extra cauliflower flavour) and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add another 1/2 cup water and take the saucepan off the heat.

Carefully blend the cauliflower with a immersion blender or food processor until smooth and place back into the saucepan.  Place the saucepan over a low heat and whisk in the lemon juice, non dairy milk, barley miso, rice flour and white pepper.  Simmer, whisking constantly, for a minute to thicken slightly, and then take off the heat.

Smoky Breadcrumbs

Mix the breadcrumbs with the smoked paprika and olive oil.

Putting it all together

Cook the pasta as per the packet's instructions until tender.  Drain.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius.

Crumble the extra firm tofu into the bottom of a baking dish, approximately 25 to 30 cm long by about 20cm wide and at least 10cm deep.

Mix in a third of the cauliflower sauce with the crumbled tofu.  Pour in half of the cooked pasta and mix thoroughly.  Pour in another third of the cauliflower sauce and the other half of the cooked pasta and mix thoroughly.  Press down the pasta to make a flat surface and pour on the remaining cauliflower sauce and smooth over the pasta.

Top with the thinly sliced fresh tomato.

Spoon on the smoky breadcrumbs and press them down firmly.

Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the edges are browned and the breadcrumbs are crispy.

Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.