Recently I was spending time on YouTube, enjoying some of my favorite shows from my childhood such as All in the Family, Golden Girls, The Jeffersons & Empty Nest. Yeah, I know, even though was a child these were some of the most formative shows of my life that led to my fascination with sitcoms, comedy and storytelling.
And food. Yes, food.
Even though I don’t throw back vegan cheesecake the way Blanche, Dorothy & the crew did, I still have a fondness for Eighties and Nineties traditional Americana food. Sort of.
One of the things I really liked when I was growing up was Hamburger Helper, well it was something I liked anyway. Maybe it’s because I’m not longer living in the United States or maybe I’m feeling homesick for my grannies and my childhood, but I was in the mood for something ‘like’ hamburger helper.
With a few tweaks, of course.
This vegan version of cheeseburger helper comes without cheese but with an unsweetened almond milk sauce that is very cheese-like but without the extra calories and fat. Add some vegan mince, nutritional yeast and fresh jalapeno peppers and presto-change-o, you have a vegan throwback to one of your favorite childhood favorites.
Right?
Kitchen Tools:
*Skillet
*Wooden spoon
*Stock pot
*Cutting board
Ingredients:
*Elbow pasta
*Vegan mince
*Garlic
*Tomato paste
*Dijon mustard
*Shallots & onions
*Unsweetened almond milk
*Salt & black pepper
*Smoky paprika
*Turmeric
*Nutritional yeast
*Fresh or dried herbs
*Jalapeno peppers
Instructions:
*Set a stock pot of water to boil, add a few pinches of salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
*In a deep skillet, add shallots and onions over medium high heat, stirring regularly until they start to brown at the edges.
*Add garlic, turmeric and vegan mince, stir for 2 to 3 minutes.
*Stir in tomato paste and mustard until well-blended.
*Add in milk and nutritional yeast, a little bit at a time. You want to make sure everything blended.
*Bring liquid to a boil and then reduce to a simmer to thicken. If you’re feeling impatient, add a cornstarch slurry to thicken quicker.
*When pasta is done stir it into the sauce until you have a thick and saucy pasta. Be sure to add herbs & seasoning until you get the flavor you desire.
*Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or serve immediately, the choice is yours!
*Garnish or bake with jalapeno peppers (totally optional)
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The Spicy Spatula 
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