Mac and Cheese — Per Your Request!

Yes, your call was heard, dear blog readers! When I posted photos awhile back of some of the wonderful gluten-free meals prepared by Seattle chef, Francis Janes during his family's visit to our home, many of you e-mailed me asking for the recipes. When I told Francis about it, he gladly shared them with me. So, as requested, here’s his recipe for Mac and Cheese -- and I can personally vouch for how delicious it is!

The photo above shows my version of it. I didn’t put the peas in it that Francis calls for in his recipe, but that’s only because I didn’t have any on hand — I love it with this peas added in for extra bursts of color and flavor. I also used regular (not gluten-free) elbow macaroni, because that’s what I had on hand, but wow, I really love the Tinkyada brand brown rice pasta.

This photo shows how Francis made his mac and cheese when he and his family were visiting with us:

As you can see, he topped it with steamed broccoli — a good addition. Okay, now here’s the recipe:

Mac and Cheese

Recipe by Francis Janes, used with permission.

1 (16-ounce) package Tinkyada brand (gluten free) Brown Rice Elbow Pasta

1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cubed

1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
1 medium sweet onion, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 (4-ounce) jar pimentos, drained
Juice of 1 small lemon
3/4 to 1 cup nutritional yeast (recommend Red Star Large Flake)
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 cup thawed frozen petite green peas
Minced fresh cilantro, basil, or parsley, for garnish

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, combine the potato, onion, carrot, and garlic in a medium saucepan. Add the broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
When vegetables are tender, pour the vegetables and broth into a VitaMix or other high-speed blender. Add the pimentos, fresh lemon juice, nutritional yeast, sea salt, and onion powder and blend on medium speed until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine the sauce with the pasta and green peas. Serve hot, garnished with cilantro or other fresh herb.
Note: For a “baked” style mac and cheese, transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled 9 x 13 inch baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.


If you try this recipe, be sure to tell me (and Francis) what you think of it!