Scallion Mac and Cheese from Little Fat Boy
I have been focused on cookbooks from the Asian Diaspora. With the way the world is turning, on a definite lopsided tilt, I want to support my community. Representation matters, and we need to see POCs, LGBTQ, you know, EVERYONE represented in all walks of life. The gold standard should be human + compassion, empathy, and vision for a better, kinder, world. A world you are proud to leave your kids.
Recently I dashed into the city for another book signing at Omnivore Books on Food. Frankie Gaw, author of the long-awaited, First Generation: Recipes from My Taiwanese-American Home was in town and I couldn’t pass on his book signing.
A graphic designer by trade, his evenings were spent creating the blog, Little Fat Boy. Stories, beautiful photographs, and recipes, woven together in this mash-up of his Taiwanese roots, midwest upbringing, and Southern ties to Memphis. His recipes are fun, a fusion of his upbringing and later West Coast migration. His recipes make me happy. Yep, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Mochi or topped with Pepples cereal, tell me you’re not smiling right now.
It’s VEGAN, yeah baby…More, Please
I LOVE mac and cheese. Frankie’s Vegan version is a riff on this much-loved dish. Is it Mac and Cheese? Nope. Is it delicious? YEP. In place of butter, milk, and cheese you’ll find scallion oil, cashews, garlic, and my own little tweak, nutritional yeast. Pureeing cashews into a creamy, lovely sauce, is really so good, this may become my go-to mac and cheese when I am feeling a little lactose intolerant, lol.
Not gonna lie, cashews are not diet food, just like a lot of nuts. The upside is they do supply protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Plus, no animal products were used in the making of this..so there is that. To offset some of the calories in this dish I reduce the pasta and substitute roasted or steamed cauliflower florets. Yummos.
I like my mac and cheese super saucy so I decrease the amount of pasta, add more cauliflower florets and throw in some mushroom broth to extend the sauce. The kid in me likes the macaroni cooked beyond al dente, really who eats mac and cheese that’s not soft and squishy? This is two very generous servings, actually, I think it serves 3-4 people…see the calories won’t be that bad!
Scallion Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 4 scallions finely chopped white and green parts divided
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 11/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 lemon, juice of
- 1/2-1 cup water, or pasta water or mushroom boullion
- 1 tsp hot sauce to taste optional
Toppings
- 1/4 cup panko
- 1 scallion, Thinly sliced
Noods
- 4 ounces macaroni
- 1 cup cauliflower florets or broccoli approx 4 oz
Instructions
Cashews
- Before making dish, place cashews in a medium bowl and cover with water by 1 inch. Let the nuts soak for 2-3 hours.
Carbs & Veggies
- Cook your pasta as directed on package. With about 3-4 minutes to go, add the cauliflower to the pot. Return to boil and cook until al dente (from original recipe-lol. In my book mac cheese needs pasta cooked beyond al dente). Drain and place back in pot. Set aside.
Sauce
- In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add scallions and garlic. The oil should not be smoking but hot enough that the aromatics sizzle when added. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes. The scallions should be soft and your kitchen should smell delicious from the scallions and garlic. Transfer all of it to a blender. Set skillet aside, do not wash! You will be using this to brown the Panko Crumbs!
- Drain the cashews and add to the blender along with the lemon juice, paprika, salt, sugar, nutritional yeast, and water or pasta water.
- BLEND til smooth. Add additional water or pasta water to desired consistency.
- Add sauce to macaroni, and stir to combine. Pour into a casserole dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle Panko Crumbs and diced green onions on top, and serve immediately.
The Crumbs
- The skillet used to fry the scallion and garlic will have residual oil to brown the Panko crumbs. On medium-high heat toss the panko in the skillet until toasty brown.