Two for Tuesday: Macaroni

I love macaroni.  I love it hot and I love it cold.  Here are two of my favorite macaroni recipes, and neither one of them is mac and cheese!  (Though I really love that, too.)

Buffalo Mac Salad: cold AND hot

Buffalo Mac Salad (From The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions, page 100)
Maybe I've been working in a deli for too long, but it seems I can always be counted on to be the one who whips up a kick ass macaroni salad to bring to any get together.


For the Buffalo Dressing:
14 ounces (396 g) soft silken tofu, drained but not pressed
1 stick (1/2 cup, 112 g) nondairy butter, melted
1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
2 to 4 tablespoons (30 to 60 ml) hot sauce, like Tobasco, depending on how spicy you like it
1 tablespoon (8 g) garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Salad:
1 pound (454 g) elbow macaroni, prepared according to package instructions
1 ounce (28 g) fresh baby spinach leaves
1 cup (6 ounces) chopped roasted red peppers
1/2 cup (80 g) diced red onion
1 cup (100 g) chopped celery
1 tablespoon (8 g) red pepper flakes

To make the dressing, add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth.
To make the salad, rinse and drain cooked pasta and return it to the pot.
Add dressing, spinach, red peppers, onion, celery and red pepper flakes.
Toss to coat.

Yield: 8 servings

Beefy Cheesy Mac...So, so bad for you, but OH SO GOOD!

Beefy Cheesy Mac (From Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites, page 135)
My mom used to make us Hamburger Helper at least once a week for dinner (Tuna Helper on at least one other night). Cheeseburger Macaroni was our favorite flavor. After awhile she started adding peas or broccoli to the mix, you know to make it more healthy, so you can do that if you choose, but I am a Hamburger Helper purist and like it without any add-ins.

I did a version of this in Cozy Inside, but it was just pasta topped with sauce and crumbled seitan. This is taking it to a whole new greasy-yellow-pasta kind of level. Using a big old frying pan (with a lid) is key here, and no you won't have to fry the pasta, but geez, it will almost taste that way!

If you don't have a huge frying pan, use a big soup pot, the wider the better.

1/4 cup (56 g) nondairy butter
1 cup (160 g) finely diced onions
4 cups (940 ml) vegetable broth, divided
1 cup (96 g) TVP granules
1 cup (235 ml) nondairy milk
1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
1 tablespoon (15 ml) sesame oil
1 tablespoon (8 g) garlic powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 tablespoons (36 g) miso paste
1 tablespoon (7 g) paprika
1 tablespoon (15 g) prepared yellow mustard
1/4 cup (30 g) nutritional yeast
12 ounces (336 g) uncooked elbow macaroni
1/2 cup (120 g) nondairy sour cream
1/2 cup (136 g) tomato ketchup
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until just beginning to brown. Add in 1 cup (235 ml) of the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and stir in TVP granules. Continue to cook until TVP has absorbed most of the liquid.
While TVP is cooking, mix together remaining 3 cups (705 ml) vegetable broth, soymilk, vegetable oil, sesame oil, garlic powder, turmeric, miso, paprika, mustard, and nutritional yeast.
Add mixture to the pan, stir, and bring to a boil. Add macaroni, reduce to a simmer, cover and simmer until pasta is tender. About 12 to 15 minutes, returning often to stir in order to prevent scorching.
Uncover and stir in sour cream, ketchup, and salt and pepper to taste.
Remove from heat and allow to stand 10 minutes to thicken up before serving.

Yield: 4 to 6 main dish servings (with enough left over for seconds)