Pulled “Pork” Mac N Cheese
Serving Size 4
Prep Time empty mins
Cook Time 45mins mins
Difficulty Easy
Ingredients
Pulled Tofu:
- 1 block Super Firm Tofu
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
- ¼ cup water
Mac n Cheese:
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (soaked in water for 2 hours, if desired)
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 clove garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard
- 16 ounces Elbow pasta
- freshly ground black pepper
- Paprika
Inspired by: It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken
Preparation
- Pulled Tofu:
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Line with parchment paper or lightly grease a large baking sheet. Use the large side of a cheese grater to grate the block of tofu into shreds. Set aside. Mix the oil, soy sauce, chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Add the shredded tofu, and use a spatula to gently toss to evenly coat the tofu in the seasonings. Spread the tofu evenly over the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring the tofu halfway through, until the tofu is browned. (For chewier shreds you will want to bake them a little longer, or for more tender shreds bake them a little less). Heat the BBQ sauce and water in a pan, and then stir in the baked tofu. The tofu will absorb some of the liquid and it will soften to tofu slightly making the most perfectly meaty texture.
- Mac N Cheese:
- Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Drain the cashews if you soaked them. (This makes them easier to blend.) While the pasta is cooking, combine the cashews, lemon juice, water, salt, nutritional yeast, chili powder, garlic, turmeric, cayenne, and mustard in a high speed blender and blend until silky smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add 2-4 more tablespoons of water and blend again. Once the pasta is tender, drain and rinse it, then return the pasta to the pot and stir in the cheese sauce. Top with pulled “pork.”