Quick and Easy Vegan Quinoa Mac and Cheese

Hey there!
I want to share a recipe I made today for lunch. I don't know about you but I love mac and cheese so anytime I can figure out a way to make it a teeny bit healthier I will.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
~1/2 cup of quinoa pasta noodles. I get mine from Trader Joe's. You could also use brown rice pasta if you like
~1/4-1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk. The amount really depends on how thick you want the sauce.
~1 tsp ground mustard powder
~1 tsp chili powder
~1/2 tsp turmeric
~ 1 tsp sea salt
~4 tbsp nutritional yeast. I would add in 2 tbsp and then give it a quick taste. If you want it to be cheesier then add in the other 1-2 tbsp. You could also add more than 4 tbsp. It really depends on your personal preference.
~Dried parsley for garnish (optional)


What to do:
1. Cook and drain pasta.
2. In a sauce pan add in almond milk and warm it on low-medium heat.
3. Add in mustard powder, chili powder, and turmeric first, stirring the mixture well.
4. Then add in nutritional yeast.
5. Add the salt in last because depending on your brand of chili powder and nutritional yeast the sauce might already be salty enough.
6. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle on the parsley.
7. Enjoy and share with others!

Hope you enjoy this recipe and if you know any other healthy spins on the traditional Mac and Cheese please let me know in the comments section!

Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes" Recipe

Good Evening! Or Morning, or afternoon....depending on where you live. 

I just got done eating dinner and taste testing a new recipe I tried out today. Like always I cant't just keep these things to my self. Oh no. They must be shared! :)

This is a recipe where you take a head of cauliflower and make a substitute for mashed potatoes. This recipe is 100% gluten-free, vegan, and delicious. 

 It still has the same texture as mashed potatoes and basically the same taste but with more nutritional value. Cauliflower is a great source of protein, potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, K, and B6.   

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

1 1/2 tsp of nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp garlic salt or just plain salt depending on what you prefer

A pinch of black pepper

2 Tbsp of unsweetened almond milk. You could also use unsweetened soy milk. 

Directions:

1. Chop up your head of cauliflower and add all pieces to a large pot of slow boiling water. You can use every bit of the cauliflower except for the leaves so don't be afraid to add both the florets and stems. 

2. Once your cauliflower bits are tender drain the water and add the cauliflower to your blender along with the almond milk. 

3. Blend on lowest setting until the mixture is well blended but a few lumps remain. If your blender has a pulse setting, use that. 

4. Pour the mixture back into the pot and place it on low heat. 

5. Slowly mix in the salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast one at a time. 

6. Remove the pot from the stove and serve!

While the recipe itself is vegan I sprinkled a little cheddar cheese on top and it was quite tasty. ;)

This was my first time making this recipe and I was pleasantly surprised. It really does taste just like mashed potatoes! 

I hope you enjoy this dish and have a great day!

Courtney