Mac and Cheese


The weather has been so erratic here in New Jersey. Yesterday it was about 60 degrees and rainy, so I was in the mood for something warm and comforting. So I decided I need a little mac and cheese.

This is very, very similar to the chickpea helper I made in January. I did use the same cheese sauce made with nutritional yeast, but I didn’t cook the chickpeas and pasta together they way they are made in chickpea helper. This was really delicious and really warmed me up on the cold and dreary day.

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Double Broccoli Quinoa


I saw this recipe on 101 Cookbooks a few months ago and have been waiting for the perfect moment to try it. That moment finally came! This was super quick and easy to make, and I was able to veganize it with ease. I used nutritional yeast instead of parmesan and swapped the almonds with cashews for my allergies. I omitted the heavy cream, which I could have easily switched with cashew cream, but I didn’t feel the recipe needed it.

The first part of the double broccoli is broccoli pesto with is mixed with the quinoa. The second part is steamed broccoli that’s added to the quinoa mix. I added some red onions and bell peppers to the broccoli for some color and extra nutrition. This meal was amazingly delicious!

So what is nutritional yeast? It’s an inactive yeast that has a nutty, cheesy flavor. Vegans and people with lactose intolerances use it often because of its unique flavor and similarity to cheese when added to foods. It’s delicious sprinkled on popcorn or pasta, and it can even be made in to “cheesy” sauces for nachos and mac & cheese. Nutritional yeast is full of B12, protein, folate, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and a huge list of other nutrients.

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Comfort Food


With this crazy elimination diet, you might think that everything I’m eating is green and super healthy. Yes, I am eating lots of green, healthy food, but sometimes a girl needs something warm and comforting. Enter the Mac Daddy.

This recipe is from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. The basic Mac Daddy is macaroni and tofu covered in a cheesy sauce made with nutritional yeast and I’ve made it a few times in the past. There are several variations on the Mac Daddy though, and one uses mashed chickpeas instead of tofu. Others involve adding various veggies. So I decided to try out the variations. I made rice pasta macaroni which tastes almost identical to wheat pasta. I mashed up some chickpeas and then added broccoli to mix. The result was a warm and comforting meal that pleased both my taste buds and my tummy!

Dr. Fuhrman