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    Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

    Appetizers, Salads, Sides

    Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Barilla. Thank you for supporting our work here at Food Heaven!

    Can we talk about 2018?

    It feels like just yesterday I was celebrating New Year’s Eve in Joshua Tree. Then I blinked and it was basically Thanksgiving. As my 11-year-old nephew would say: SERIOUSLY?

    Time flies. But we already knew that.

    The good news is there is a silver lining in all of this … and it’s the food. It’s always the food. Thanksgiving is a chance to enjoy those classic comfort dishes and — if you’re feeling creative — put a spin on some old favorites, which is exactly what we did here. Say hi to our extra creamy vegan butternut squash “mac and cheese” made with Barilla Chickpea Rotini.

    We partnered with our friends at Barilla — an Italian food company that makes pasta and sauces — to create a series of dishes using with their new gluten free legume pasta line. Our favorite part about the line is that all the pastas are made with just ONE simple ingredient: chickpeas or red lentils.

    The chickpea rotini? Just chickpeas. Because real food and whole ingredients are what makes life worth living (that and plants). Each pasta is deliciously unique in taste and has an “al dente” texture. They also provide a good source of plant-based protein and an excellent source of fiber.

    My family does the holidays potluck style, and for some reason (maybe has something to do with the fact that I’m a dietitian), they always expect me to bring the vegetables. This “mac and cheese” was my latest holiday addition, and it was an absolute winner.

    It’s easy, creamy, flavorful and, best of all, good for you. In addition to fiber and protein, it packs a powerful punch of healthy fats (cashews) and beta carotene (all those orange vegetables). Even my nephew who “hates” veggies scarfed this dish down with a quickness (to this day, he still doesn’t know what was in it…shhhh).

    Convinced? Cool, let’s move onto the recipe. Start by soaking 1.5 cups of raw cashews in 1 cup of water. While the cashews are soaking, chop butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes and onions. Next, add the veggies to a bowl and cover with 1/2 cup of water. Cook in the microwave for 15-20 minutes or until you can puncture the sweet potato and butternut squash with a fork. If you don’t have a microwave, you can steam the vegetables or toss them with one tablespoon of olive oil and roast at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until tender.

    Meanwhile, cook the entire box of pasta according to package directions (boil 4-6 quarts of salted water. Add pasta and boil for 7-9 minutes. Then drain.) Once the vegetables are done cooking, drain any excess water and add them to a high-speed blender (or food processor). Add the cashews into the blender, too (along with the water they soaked in), and then the nutritional yeast and spices. Blend until you get a smooth, creamy consistency.

    Now we want to know, have you tried a chickpea pasta before? Did you like it? Let us know in the comments below. We love hearing from you! Get some for yourself from Amazon!

    For more information about Barilla Legume pastas, visit www.barilla.com/legume.

    Print
    VEGAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH MAC AND CHEESE
    Ingredients
    • 1 box of Barilla Chickpea Rotini
    • 1 1/2 cups of raw cashews
    • 1 1/2 cups of chopped butternut squash
    • 2 medium chopped carrots
    • ½ chopped sweet potato
    • 1 chopped yellow onion
    • ½ cup of nutritional yeast
    • 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon of onion salt add more if desired
    Instructions
    1. Start by soaking 1 1/2 cups of raw cashews in 1 cup of water

    2. While the cashews are soaking, chop butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes and onions
    3. Add the veggies to a bowl and cover with 1/4 cup of water. Cook in the microwave for 15-20 minutes or until you can puncture the sweet potato and butternut squash with a fork. If you don’t have a microwave, you can steam the vegetables or toss them with one tablespoon of olive oil and roast at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until tender.

    4. Meanwhile, the cook entire box of pasta according to package directions (boil 4-6 quarts of salted water. Add pasta and boil for 7-9 minutes. Drain.)
    5. Once the vegetables are done cooking, drain any excess water and add them to a high- speed blender (or food processor). Add the cashews into the blender too (along with the water they soaked in) and then the nutritional yeast and spices. Blend until you get a smooth, creamy consistency.
    6. Blend until you get a creamy consistency.
    7. Mix cooked pasta and blended “cheese” together
    8. Enjoy!

    2 Comments

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    Comments

    1. Krystal says

      January 4, 2019 at 7:37 pm

      Thank you for including non-microwave recipe directions. Can’t wait to try!

      Reply
      • Wendy says

        January 7, 2019 at 2:46 pm

        Of course! Hope you enjoy <3

        Reply

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    Crispy on the outside, oozy on the inside, we are Crispy on the outside, oozy on the inside, we are using @cabotcheese seriously sharp cheddar to make these bolitas de yuca for your superbowl turn up! A mouthwatering Dominican appetizer made with my favorite root vegetable, these bolitas feed a crowd and pair perfectly with Cabot cheddar, which is naturally aged and 100% lactose free. See below for the full recipe! #cabotcreamery 

Ingredients 
🧀 1 pound yuca, peeled and chopped into small chunks 
Salt
🧀1 tablespoon butter 
🧀1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped 
🧀1/4 teaspoon of garlic
🧀1/4 teaspoon of paprika 
🧀4 ounces of Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese, cut into small 1/2” chunks 

Directions:
🧀Preheat the oven to 450F.
🧀Bring a medium pot of salted water to boil and add the yuca. Boil for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain the yuca, remove all of the fibrous stems and add to a medium sized bowl. 
🧀Mash the yuca well with butter, jalapeño and spices until completely smooth. Adjust for salt and set aside until cooled. 
🧀Grab about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the yuca mix, put the cheddar cheese in the center and roll it up into a ball. Repeat for the remaining yuca and cheese. 
🧀Add the yuca balls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet OR air fryer and spray with oil. Bake for 25 minutes (or air fry for 10-12 minutes) until crispy and browned on the outside. Enjoy on their own or with your favorite sauce! 

TIPS: 
👉🏽If the balls are extra sticky, wash and dry your hands throughout the rolling process - this will help. 
👉🏽If your yuca mash is bulky, add a little bit of water while mashing to make it smoother.
    Ya’ll, let’s normalize checking in on people w Ya’ll, let’s normalize checking in on people when we see them versus commenting on their bodies. It’s just not it. Over the holidays, I had to check several family members about this. For many including myself, it’s awkward, uncomfortable and even if well-intentioned, it can be triggering for people. And you just never know what’s going on (maybe they’re sick, maybe they’re on medication, maybe they’re pregnant and don’t want you in their business)

What are some other ones you’ve been told? The latest on my roster has been “damn that ass is fat” 🤣 (can’t make this up)
    NEW MONTH, NEW SERIES. This time we’re talking a NEW MONTH, NEW SERIES. This time we’re talking about relationships. Do you ever wonder what science has to say about maintaining a fulfilling long-term relationship? Today on the podcast, we interviewed acclaimed relationship scientist, #tytashiro. His book, The Science of Happily Ever After, shows how our decision-making abilities falter when choosing mates and how insights from social science can help us make smarter decisions. 

You don’t want to miss an episode of our dating and relationships series! We are going to speak to everyone from @tenneshawood the founder of the first ever matchmaking firm dedicated to black professionals, to @loganury the author of How Not to Die Alone & director of relationship science at the dating app Hinge. And of course we can’t talk about relationships without talking about divorce, so we will interview @chautethompson, a counselor who helps couples and families grow healthier relationships.

What we cover:
What “happily ever after” really means
Why we only get 3 wishes for an idea partner
Why most people wish for the wrong things
Why the seeds of marital conflict can be traced back to your first dates
How to improve the quality of your existing relationship
Why is it so hard to date these days?
What is wrong with online dating?
What is the best age to get married?
What is the worst age to get married?
How to swipe smarter on dating apps.
What traits make a great life partner?
What is the number 1 trait to have in a satisfying relationship?
Is being “nice” a bad thing in relationships?
What is a novelty seeker and why could that be a dealbreaking trait?
3 things to look for successful online dating (hint: it’s not compatible zodiac signs).
Does wealth really matter in relationships?
Are soulmates real?
What does it take to make relationships work?
Should you feel a spark when dating?
1 thing you can do NOW to improve your relationship.

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