Jumpstart Dinner Recipe #12: Pasta with Cheesy Sauce

PASTA WITH CHEESY SAUCE

Ingredients:

1/2 lb dry whole wheat or brown rice pasta

1 batch Cheesy Sauce without Nuts (recipe below)

About 2 cups frozen peas or other veggies, cooked 

8 oz tempeh*, prepared with Tempeh Treatment (recipe below) and cubed *Note: Tempeh sometimes has black or gray spots or streaks. This is normal and part of the fermenting process!

Dash lemon juice or light vinegar

Directions:

Cook the pasta al dente. Toss it with the Cheezy Sauce. Add the peas or other vegetables and the tempeh. A squeeze of lemon juice or dash of white vinegar is nice.

You can use steamed fresh veggies instead of frozen, or use leftover steamed veggies.

CHEESY SAUCE WITHOUT NUTS

Ingredients:

2 tbsp whole wheat flour, brown rice flour or cornstarch, or a mix

2 cups water, plant milk, or a mix

1/4 tsp salt

1 to 2 tsp spicy brown or Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp garlic or onion powder

1 to 2 tbsp nutritional yeast 

1/2 tsp turmeric or curry powder

1/4 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together the flour or cornstarch with the water or plant milk. In a saucepan, over medium heat and stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, take off the heat and add the next 5 ingredients (mustard and spices).

TEMPEH TREATMENT

(This treatment takes the slight bitterness out of the tempeh.)

Ingredients:
One 8-oz package tempeh plus 1 cup water and 1 tbsp each soy sauce and mirin (sweet rice wine) or rice vinegar (in Asian aisle or with vinegars). 

Directions:

In a saucepan, gently simmer the tempeh in the liquid until it’s absorbed (about 20 minutes). Watch carefully so tempeh does not burn.