Sweet Potato Vegan Mac n Cheese

Inactivation of psbA genes in Paulinella plastids.

Yeah, it's over my head, too. This is why I'm an MA student, not an MS. I'm sure it's fascinating, but I'll spend this lecture I'm sitting through writing about what I made for dinner last night. Professional, I know. What I really want to do is get up and watch the electrical storm that's over Stony Brook right now. It sounds intense from this dark, windowless room, and I love storms!

I wish I could say that I grew that sweet potato, but I didn't.
Next year!

Another awesome gift from Mama Jo..
the Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus Processor chopped onions and garlic fabulously!

I came across a recipe similar to this months ago. There's really nothing like a warm bowl of cheesy mac n cheese. I make a vegan version made with butternut squash that's a crowd favorite, but it's a lot of work! This recipe, while a heck of a lot easier and less time consuming, was good, but not as close to traditional mac n cheese as the butternut version. Still, it was delicious and unique, so it's worth blogging about. It has a bit of a spicy kick. Not like you just bit into a jalapeño, but a very mild spice. Don't let that scare you from this recipe if you don't like spicy, even my 22 month old was able to handle it!

Sweet Potato Vegan Mac n Cheese

Serves 6 to 8

• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp. dried sage
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup of coconut milk
• 2 tsp. ground mustard
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

1. Boil the potatoes and sage in the 2 cups of water until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
2. Drain the potatoes, reserving the water, and add them to a blender.
3. Sauté the onions and garlic in the oil just until the onions begin to brown.
4. Add the onions and garlic to the potatoes in the blender.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until combined.
6. Add the reserved potato water to thin the sauce to the desired consistency.
7. Serve over pasta.