As I mentioned in my last post, Vishnu and I are heading to Atlanta today. Woo hoo! I can’t wait to spend some time with my family before the big day. 
There’s still so much left to do before the wedding, but I’m confident that my mom and I will get it all done with time to spare. And now that Vishnu’s a little more free, in terms of time, he’ll be able to help as well.
More wedding related updates to come in the coming weeks – stay tuned…
Because we’ll be gone for a few weeks, I didn’t stock up on groceries. Instead, I managed with the things currently in my fridge and pantry. Lots of egg whites and vegetables were consumed over the past few days. Not too surprising though!
Anyway, not wanting to eat yet another omelet, I was forced to come up with something new for lunch yesterday. I knew I wanted to use up some whole wheat penne and spinach I had sitting around. With no marinara to top my bowl of pasta with, I decided to make my own cheese sauce….with nutritional yeast…dun dun dun!
My family and a lot of my friends have tried my “normal” mac n’ cheese made with real cheddar. In fact, I’ve made it so many times now that I don’t even have to look at a recipe. So, when I was trying to figure out how to make my nutritional yeast cheese sauce, I thought about that tried and true recipe to come up with my new healthy version.
I wasn’t sure how the sauce was going to turn out, but I’m happy to report that it was delicious. In all honesty, it didn’t taste exactly like the real thing, but it was rich, creamy, flavorful, and cheesy”esque” – exactly what I was hoping for.
“Cheese” Sauce for One
Serves 1
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoon milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond milk)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl until combined. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat for another 30 seconds.
Sautéed spinach was the perfect addition to this dish. All of the flavors really worked well together!
I’m not going to lie, I kind of felt like I was on the Food Network show Chopped. If I do say so myself, I think this dish would’ve survived the chopping block.
Wow…the next time I post, it’ll be from Atlanta. YAY!
What’s the most creative and resourceful dish you’ve come up with lately? Ideas are always appreciated!
Oh this sounds delicious…especially for those days when those cheese cravings hit but I don’t want anything too heavy! I’m still yet to try nutritional yeast and am kinda kicking myself for not buying it in Singapore when I saw it! I can’t think of any creative meals I’ve had lately- I’ve been in a rut of enjoying a handful of meals, including omelets! However I think I want to shake it up tonite- the eggs will stay but here’s hoping I come up with something slightly more exciting :)! Safe travels to ATL, P!
One of these days you’ll have to let me know when you’re coming in town and we’ll get a blogger group together!
I love doing cheese sauce with nooch. I like to use tamari or miso to season it as well.
ooooh bookmarked. i NEED to use up the giant tub of nutritional yeast i have that is yet to be opened 🙂
Pasta looks delicious Parita! I always have half-stocked pantry and when it comes to cooking with whatever I have, its always hit & miss for me! One of my best one is Peanut Butter Hummus
http://www.foodpleasureandhealth.com/2012/03/peanut-butter-hummus.html
Good luck with all the new upcoming changes 🙂
I always turn to eggs when I have nothing in my fridge. Which is just about every day!
Have a safe trip to Atlanta Parita! Hope you have the best time. 🙂
Hey… this recipe looks so good.. considering there is no cheese or butter, it looks pretty thick to me. The only new recipe I’ve tried is the Avocado Pasta which you saw. Today I was super hungry and I ate eggs. Btw.. I used your omelette technique and no BREAKS! I loved that post! I made my husband an omelette this past weekend with cheese and he was like why is it so soft, why is it so fluffy. I was like JUST EAT.. he’s like no, you did something different. LOL. 🙂 Thanks girl.. wish you the best… I can’t wait to see your photos and honeymoon pics and all.
Looks delicious. Prob a stupid question, but is the nutritional yeast you buy gluten free?
It doesn’t say gluten free on the container – probably because it’s made in a facility that also processes wheat. Boo!
Wow, this looks really good. I have nutritional yeast at home and I’m never sure what to do with it other than put it on salad and pasta as a replacement for cheese. I’m trying this soon!
I can’t WAIT to come home and eat all of yours and mom’s yummy concoctions! 😀 SO.EXCITED.