"Mac Daddy" Macaroni and Cheez

This macaroni and cheez casserole, almost directly out of the Veganomicon, is heavy-duty comfort food for a rainy day and a sick girlfriend.

Warning: It's heavy on the nutritional yeast and may be for aficionados only.

Equipment

an 8 1/2" by 11" casserole dish or baking pan
a whisk

Ingredients

4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
liberal pinch of dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp dry mustard

1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
1 lb extra firm tofu
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 Fahrenheit.

Begin cooking the macaroni before you start on the sauce. Cook the noodles until they are just entering the al dente stage and then drain and set aside until you're done with the sauce.

Whisk the broth, flour together until smooth. Add the turmeric and nutritional yeast and whisk again.

Saute the garlic in the olive oil on medium-low heat for two minutes. Increase heat to medium and add the thyme, salt and pepper. Stir for 15 seconds and add broth mixture and whisk constantly for about three minutes. If it doesn't thicken and bubble, increase the heat to medium high and keep whisking.

Once it thickens and bubbles, cook for another two minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Stir before using.

Once the sauce and noodles are ready, crumble the tofu into the baking dish. Keep mashing with your hands and squishing it through your fingers until it has the consistency of ricotta, about three minutes. Stir in the salt, lemon juice and olive oil.

Then stir in about 1/2 cup of cheez sauce. Next, add the noodles and stir again. Even everything out, add the rest of the sauce, and even it out one more time.

Bake uncovered at 325 Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. The top should be slightly browned. Let sit for 20 minutes before serving.

Variations

There are lots of variations in the source material for vegetables you can add. Broccoli, peas, greens, squash, zucchini, and probably whatever else you find in your fridge. Be imaginative. Throw some asparagus in there.

Myself, I like to add 1 - 2 tbsp Cholula. Maybe I'll try jalapeno slices and pineapple chunks, too, who knows.