Cashew Mac and Cheese Bread Bowl

I wonder if there’s such a thing as carboholics anonymous where instead of giving you a plastic chip to denote your successes in sobriety they give you a potato chip and you have to resist the urge to eat it. Anyway, if there was such a thing as CA I would not be joining it any time soon. They may take my life but they will never take my bread roll. If you just want to make the mac and cheese without the bread, the recipe will serve two but can easily be doubled or tripled to make more servings.

CASHEW MAC AND CHEESE BREAD BOWL [VEGAN]

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE BREAD BOWLS:

• 1 tablespoon yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 cups of bread flour, plus extra for kneading

FOR THE CASHEW CHEESE SAUCE:

• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked overnight or at least a few hours
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• A pinch of white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon miso (optional)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

FOR EVERYTHING ELSE:

• 1 cup of macaroni or similar pasta shapes
• 1/2 cup broccoli florets, cut small
• 1/4 cup frozen peas

PREPARATION

TO MAKE THE BREAD BOWLS:

1. Place the water, sugar, yeast, and olive oil in a jug and whisk together. Leave to stand for a few minutes until it becomes frothy.
2. In a large bowl, sieve in 2 cups of flour and mix the salt through.
3. Slowly pour the wet ingredients a bit at a time into a well in the middle of the flour, mixing with your hands until it begins to make a soft dough ball, but not too sticky.
4. Cover the bowl in a tea towel and leave to rise in a draught-free area for about 30-40 minutes until it has doubled in size.
5. When the dough has risen, sprinkle your work surface with a little flour and tip out the dough. Punch the air out of the dough and continue to knead it for about 10 minutes until it begins to get stretchy.
6. Divide the dough into four even balls and place on a baking sheet. Set aside and allow them to rise for a further 30 minutes.
7. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 400°F. Before placing the bread in the oven you can brush them with a little non-dairy milk to make them crisp up more. Bake the bread for 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

TO MAKE THE CASHEW CHEESE SAUCE:

1. Add the cashews to a blender with the garlic powder, mustard, miso (if using), pepper, lemon juice and a few tablespoons of the stock. Allow the blender to run, adding a little more stock if needed to get everything running. The power of your blender will determine how long it takes for your sauce to become smooth paste; less powerful blenders may take up to 10 minutes. Be careful your machine does not overheat. And remember to scrape down the sides every so often.
2. When the mixture is smooth, stir in the remaining stock. Don’t worry if it looks a bit thin, you can always reduce it down or add a little water if it’s too thick. Season with extra salt and pepper to taste.

TO MAKE THE MAC AND CHEESE BREAD BOWLS:

1. Boil the pasta shapes until al-dente (about 9 minutes or according to package instructions). Boil the broccoli for about 3 minutes, then add the peas to the pot and boil for a further three.
2. Add the vegetables in with the pasta and stir through the cashew cheese sauce. Cut the tops off the bread bowls and remove the soft bread inside (you can use this to make breadcrumbs which you can freeze!). Scoop a ladle full of mac and cheese into the bread bowls and serve.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/cashew-mac-and-cheese-bread-bowl/