Finally a cold, gloomy week in LA! It's hard for it to feel like fall when the weather is basically melting you in October and you're still ordering iced coffee. I am taking full advantage of the weather change by enjoying my warm holiday drinks and whipping up some warm, hearty dishes this week.

Mac n' cheese has always been a favorite of mine. Thank god I've moved away from the questionable yellow boxed stuff and resorted to more homemade versions.

Whether you're Vegan, Paleo, Low Carb, Keto, or someone who will eat anything - anyone can benefit from losing (or lessening) the dairy consumption. Dairy can be very mucus forming in the body and can worsen any inflammation. Without going too far into detail, I have seen clients remove their dairy and see incredible results: healed gut issues, lowered allergies, cleared skin, and faster weight loss.

With that said: here is a delicious nutty plant based version of Mac n Cheese that I make often and everyone seems to love.

Ingredients:

1 box/bag of organic pasta (I used a brown rice gluten free pasta)

Sauce

1 cup cashews
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp dijon mustard
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Dash of cayenne and turmeric (for brighter yellow color)
Seasoned bread crumbs
** for extra creaminess** + 1/4 cup shredded cheese alternative (like daiya)

Directions

Chop up the garlic and transfer to a cooking pot and sautee in tsp olive oil. Add in rest of the sauce ingredients and cook for about 15 min in medium heat until cashews soften. While sauce is heating, cook the pasta by following the instructions on the box.

Transfer cooked "sauce" to a blender or food processor and blend on high until completely smooth. Drain the pasta, pour sauce in, and mix it all together. Transfer warm cheesy pasta to a greased casserole dish and sprinkle seasoned breadcrumbs on top (optional to add vegan shredded cheese). Broil for 5-10 min until top is crispy and brown!

Enjoy!

Be Sure to Tag #peppiinawellness for your recipes! <3