Vegan Cheezy Brown Rice & Greens Casserole

This is comfort food at its best. This really is my new favorite dish - a retake of a childhood favorite, my mom's chicken, broccoli, rice casserole.

3 c. uncooked brown rice
1 bunch green veggies (i.e., kale, chard, collards, broccoli)

Cheezy Sauce
2/3 c. raw, unsalted cashews
1/4 c. vegan butter (like Earth Balance)
1/4 c. flour
2 c. vegetable broth
1/4 c. nutritional yeast
1/2 c. vegan cheese (I'm a Daiya loyalist)

Tofu
1 package extra firm tofu, cubed
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
dash of pepper

Step 1: Cook up some fluffy brown rice. About 3 cups, dry.

Step 2: Soak 2/3 cup of cashews in purified warm water for cashew cream. You can also buy cashew cream at some natural foods stores, but don't count on it.

Step 3: Go pick some greens (if you happen to be so lucky to have a winter garden tended by an awesome hubby, like I do). If not, buy some! Then wash and ribbon cut them. I'm using lacinato kale because it's my absolute favorite and its ready for picking, but curly kale, chard, collards, and broccoli would work really well too.

Step 4: Cube, season and pan fry your tofu.

Step 5: Toss your rice, greens and tofu together and lay down into large casserole dish

Step 6: Make your cheezy sauce...

...by whisking the seasoned flour into vegan butter in a medium-sized sauce pan on medium heat until browned. Whisk in vegetable broth, nutritional yeast and cashew cream one at a time until creamy. Add vegan cheese and stir until melted.











 







 Step 7: Liberally pour sauce over rice mixture in casserole dish, top with the rest of the "cheese" and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Vegan Mac & "Trees"

The kiddos love mac and cheese, so I had to find a great recipes for a vegan version. I threw some broccoli in the mix and this makes a great kid-friendly dinner. The girls are currently on their second helping this evening.

2 1/2 tbls vegan butter (Earth Balance)

2 1/2 tbls all-purpose flour

Salt & pepper

1/4 tsp turmeric (for color)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 cups unsweetened soy milk (or any other kind of non-dairy milk)

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 cup Daiya vegan cheese shreds, cheddar style

Whole wheat elbow macaroni

Medium bunch of broccoli, cut into florets

Cook the pasta until almost done and then add the fresh broccoli florets until just tender.

For sauce:

Mix together the flour, salt, pepper, turmeric and garlic powder. Melt the vegan butter in a medium saucepan and then add the flour mixture. Stir constantly until well mixed and the roux is cooked. Add the soymilk gradually, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. It should began to thicken at this point. Add the nutritional yeast and vegan cheese shreds and cook on medium low heat until the shreds are melted and the sauce is thick and creamy.

Pour over cooked, hot macaroni and broccoli.