Vegan Mac 'n' Cheese Recipe Gluten Free Eli Brecher

Who would have thought that a vegan version of mac ‘n’ cheese could taste this good?! That’s right – totally dairy-free, delightfully creamy and undeniably delicious!

This vegan mac ‘n’ cheese is the ultimate comfort food after a long day. The recipe is also gluten-free and uses only wholesome ingredients, such as cashews which give the sauce a rich velvety thickness.

Not only do the sweet potatoes provide the vibrant orange colour, they also have so many health benefits. They are rich in both soluble and insoluble fibre, and are high in beta-carotene, an antioxidant which is converted into vitamin A – essential for a strong immune system and healthy vision. 

Vegan Mac 'n' Cheese Recipe Gluten Free

Vegan Mac 'n' Cheese Recipe Gluten Free

Vegan Mac & Cheese Recipe (Dairy-free, Gluten-free)

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups of pasta of choice (I used wholegrain brown rice penne which is gluten-free)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped (I used American Sweet Potatoes)
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • ⅔ cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours then drained
  • ½ cup milk of choice (I recommend coconut milk for creaminess)
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast (or your cheese of choice) 
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • ⅔ tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp cayenne powder
  • ½ tsp dried thyme (optional)
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

Method:

  1. Place the cashews in a bowl, completely cover with water and leave to soak for 2 hours, then drain but keep ⅔ cup of this water.
  2. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. 2 minutes before cooked. Drain but keep the pasta in the pot/pan to serve.
  3. Meanwhile, add the olive oil and onion to a large saucepan and sauté on a medium heat for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
  4. Add the chopped sweet potato, crushed garlic, salt and spices/herbs. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring consistently.
  5. Add the cashews, ⅔ cup water conserved from soaking cashews and ½ cup chosen milk. Stirwell and allow to simmer on a low-medium heat for 6 – 8 minutes, until sweet potatoes are fully cooked. 
  6. Add all the contents of the pan to a strong blender, along with the cider vinegar and nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth and no lumps remain, scraping down the sides several times if necessary.
  7. Taste, then if you feel it needs more, add a pinch more salt and another teaspoon of vinegar if you wish. Blend again.
  8. Pour the sauce into the pot of pasta and stir through evenly. Gently re-heat if necessary. Serve hot with a sprinkle of chilli flakes and black pepper. Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for 3 days. When re-heating, you may wish to add a splash of water first.

If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @brechernutrition – I LOVE seeing all your recreations!

For more dinner ideas, try these recipes:

Vegan Mac 'n' Cheese Recipe Gluten Free

Follow:

You may also enjoy:

Teriyaki Salmon, Wild Alaska Salmon Recipe, Honey Glaze, Eli Brecher

This teriyaki-glazed oven-baked salmon has become a staple dinner in my kitchen. It’s my go-to recipe when I come home from a long day at university and don’t want to make anything too fancy or complicated.

The recipe uses simple ingredients, most of which I always keep in the pantry anyway, to create a homemade sticky teriyaki glaze, sweetened with honey. This juicy flaky salmon is baked to perfection and bursting with so much flavour – it’s sweet yet savoury and the delectable glaze is easier than you think!

In terms of nutrition, wild salmon is high in Omega 3 oils which is essential to so many functions of the body, from the nervous system to maintaining a healthy inflammatory response. It is also packed with protein, B vitamins and several minerals including potassium and selenium.

I love serving this teriyaki salmon alongside some rice and green vegetables like broccoli or asparagus, but this could of course be swapped with whatever you have in the fridge – mushrooms, peppers, carrots or anything else will still be delicious in this recipe!

Teriyaki Salmon, Wild Alaska Salmon Recipe, Honey Glaze, Eli BrecherTeriyaki Salmon, Wild Alaska Salmon Recipe, Honey Glaze, Eli BrecherTeriyaki Salmon, Wild Alaska Salmon Recipe, Honey Glaze, Eli Brecher

Teriyaki & Honey Glazed Wild Alaska Salmon Recipe

This recipe has been sponsored by Alaska Seafood.

Ingredients:

  • 2 fillets of wild salmon (if frozen, defrost to fridge temperature or room temperature)
  • 1 spring onion, chopped
  • ¼ cup vegetable of choice (I used tenderstem broccoli but you could use asparagus, carrots, mushrooms etc)
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

For the Teriyaki Glaze:

  • 3 tbsp teriyaki sauce
  • 2 tbsp soya sauce (or tamari if gluten-free)
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
  • 1 inch piece fresh ginger (grated) or 1 tsp ground ginger

To serve:

  • ¾ cup rice
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

Method:

  1. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper, tin foil or simply brush it with cooking oil of choice. In a small bowl or mug, stir together all sauce ingredients until well combined.
  2. Place salmon in a mixing bowl, pour over the sauce, cover and leave to marinate for 20 – 30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 200 C.
  3. Transfer the salmon to the baking tray and place the vegetables on the tray. Pour the remaining marinade on top and sprinkle with chopped spring onions and sesame seeds. Bake for 13 – 15 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with a fork. A thicker piece of salmon may need another few minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, bring the rice to a boil, then add in the lemon juice and chilli flakes and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.
  5. Serve salmon over the rice and enjoy hot, or allow to cool then keep in the fridge for up to three days.

If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @brechernutrition – I LOVE seeing all your recreations!

For more dinner ideas, try these recipes:

Teriyaki Salmon, Wild Alaska Salmon Recipe, Honey Glaze, Eli Brecher

Follow:

You may also enjoy:

Vegan Carrot Chickpea Patties Veggie Burgers

These Carrot Chickpea Patties make an easy and delicious lunchbox treat, alongside some quinoa or brown rice and leftover veggies. They can be batch-made ahead of time and kept in the freezer, so are really convenient when you’re short of time. 

They’d also make a fantastic canapé to serve at a party – just roll them into mini patties and top with a dollop of Hummus or Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. Simply double or triple the recipe to accommodate all your dinner guests!

I got really into making my own veggie burgers after I experimented with these Edamame Mushroom Burgers which turned out to be so tasty! Although there are lots of vegetarian/vegan options available in the supermarket, they tend to be loaded with unnecessary additives and high amounts of sugar and salt, which is why I much prefer to make my own.

Like all my recipes, these are dairy-free, refined sugar-free and gluten-free (provided you use GF oats). They are also suitable for vegans if you use maple syrup instead of honey! If you have a nut allergy, just swap the almond butter for tahini (sesame seed paste) or your seed-butter of choice.

Carrot Chickpea Patties Vegan Gluten Free Eli Brecher cereal and peanut butter

Carrot Chickpea Patties Vegan Gluten Free Eli Brecher cereal and peanut butter

Vegan Carrot Chickpea Patties

This recipe was developed in collaboration with Meridian Foods.

Makes 6 medium patties or 12 mini patties

Ingredients

  • 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 200g tinned chickpeas (half a regular size tin)
  • 4 tbsp oats
  • 3 tbsp smooth almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
  • 1 tbsp za’atar herbs (try my homemade za’atar recipe)
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tbsp oil of choice (+ extra 1 and 1/2 tbsp oil for frying)
  • 2 tsp honey/maple syrup

Method

  1. Rinse the chickpeas under the tap, add them to a strong food processor with the carrots and pulse together for 10 seconds.
  2. Scrape down the sides, add all remaining ingredients to the food processor and pulse until fully combined.
  3. Use your hands to roll into 6 medium-sized patties or 12 mini patties.
  4. Heat 1 and 1/2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry on a medium heat for 4 minutes on each side. Serve immediately, or allow to cool then place in tupperware in the fridge for tomorrow’s lunch!

If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @brechernutrition – I LOVE seeing all your recreations!

For more packed lunch recipes, try these:

Recipe Vegan Carrot Chickpea Patties Veggie BurgersVegan Carrot Chickpea Patties Veggie Burgers

 

 

Follow:

You may also enjoy:

Vegan Nut Roast Christmas RecipeVegan Nut Roast Christmas Recipe by Eli Brecher

I’ve had lots of requests for Christmas Day recipes and this hearty Vegan Nut Roast is the perfect main course to serve for lunch. With crisp edges and a softer middle, this will soak up all the flavours on your plate, so I recommend serving alongside some roast potatoes, veggies and gravy!

This Vegan Nut Roast is an explosion of flavour, thanks to the parsley, oregano and thyme, as well as the garlic, mushrooms and soya sauce which enrich the flavour even further!

It’s surprisingly cheap to make too – I always buy lentils in bulk and have my cupboards stocked with herbs and nuts, so the only real shopping necessary is for the vegetables!

Don’t feel restricted to only making this at Christmas though! It’s delicious all year round, and you can play around with different nuts, seeds and vegetables, or even throw in some dried cranberries for a sweeter twist!

Vegan Nut Roast Christmas Recipe Eli Brecher

Vegan Nut Roast Recipe (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

This recipe was developed in collaboration with Indigo Herbs, using their products.

Ingredients

Serves 6

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 1/3 cup chestnut mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 cup of mixed nuts (I used walnuts and cashews)
  • 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup of raw puy lentils
  • 1 heaped tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup of gluten-free flour
  • 3/4 cup of vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp soya sauce (or tamari if gluten-free)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts to scatter on the top – add about 10 minutes before the end of baking time or else they will burn

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 C and line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper (or plenty of oil).
  2. Sauté the onion, garlic, carrot and mushrooms in the olive oil on a medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the onion turns translucent.
  3. Add the nuts, pumpkin seeds, lentils, coriander and dried herbs to your food processor and pulse just until it’s all broken down into small pieces.
  4. Add this mixture to a large bowl, along with the flour, salt and pepper, and mix well.  
  5. Add in the soya sauce and sautéed vegetables, pour into the stock and mix very well. 
  6. Transfer the mixture into the loaf tin and roast for 45 minutes, until the top develops a crust and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. 10 minutes before the end, scatter over the pine nuts.
  7. Set it aside to cool for about 20 minutes before removing from the tin and slicing.
  8. Scatter pine nuts on the top about 10 minutes before the end of baking time.

If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @brechernutrition – I LOVE seeing all your recreations!

For more festive recipes, check these out: 

 

Vegan Nut Roast Christmas Recipe

Follow:

You may also enjoy:

Greek Fava Bean Dip Hummus Eli Brecher cerealandpeanutbutter

I’ve experimented with different flavours of Homemade Hummus before, adding in extras such as roasted red peppers or beetroot, and switching up the base of chickpeas in favour of butter beans or other pulses. This time I’ve used Greek fava beans (yellow split peas) – a famous product of the island of Santorini – to form an ultra thick and creamy basis of this dip, alongside fresh lemon juice, garlic, spices such as cumin and paprika, and the highest quality olive oil to achieve a velvety smooth consistency.

The Mediterranean diet has long been hailed for it’s health benefits, thanks to the abundance of polyphenol-rich olive oil and the protein-packed fibre-rich pulses like fava beans – both of which form the core of this recipe for this Fava Bean Dip.

This fava bean dip is delicious for dunking crackers or cucumber sticks, and works so well spread on toast topped with a handful of pomegranate seeds (try it!) or as part of a sandwich filling. Alternatively, spoon it over a plate of Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables or add it on top of your Shakshuka!

Greek Fava Bean Dip Hummus Eli Brecher cerealandpeanutbutter

Greek Fava Bean Dip Hummus Eli Brecher cerealandpeanutbutter

Greek Fava Bean Dip Recipe

This recipe was developed in collaboration with Greek Flavours using their ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried fava beans 
  • 4 tablespoons tahini
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 lemon, juice
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Method

  1. Rinse the split dried fava beans in 4 and place in a saucepan with 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 25-30 minutes stirring consistently, until all the water has been absorbed.
  2. Meanwhile, add all other ingredients to the food processor and blend together.
  3. When the beans are cooked, add them to the food processor and blend again, scraping down the sides a few times to ensure a smooth finish.
  4. Drizzle a little olive oil on top and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and a small handful of chopped parsley. The dip will thicken over time so each time you serve it, stir in a little extra olive oil.
I’d love to know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment and rate it, and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @cerealandpeanutbutter!

Check out my other dips like this Classic Homemade Hummus and this Baba Ganoush (smoky aubergine dip), and for more Mediterranean-inspired recipes, try my Shakshuka (baked eggs in tomato sauce), Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables and Homemade Za’atar herbs!

Greek Fava Bean Dip Hummus Eli Brecher cerealandpeanutbutter

Greek Fava Bean Dip Hummus Eli Brecher cerealandpeanutbutter

Follow:

You may also enjoy: