Cheese-less sauces

PERHAPS YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THE MOOD for a creamy, cheesy sauce every once in a while, or maybe even every day. You crave it for your macaroni, cauliflower, tortilla chips, stuffed tomatoes, or bean dishes. Luckily, there are lots of vegan versions of traditional cheese sauces, containing varying fat contents and calories and requiring various amounts of time and different cooking techniques. There are choices out there for everybody.

AN EASY CHEESE-LESS SAUCE

If you are not in the mood to stand and stir for too long, make a from-the-refrigerator cheese-less sauce. In a small pot, combine equal amounts of vegan sour cream and soft silken tofu. Stir over low heat until warm. Crumble in some vegan American- or cheddar-style cheese and stir like crazy until the cheese is melted in. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a little bit of water or soymilk to thin while continuing to heat. If the sauce is too thin, remove from the heat and stir in additional sour cream.

Depending on your taste, you can season this basic sauce with any combination of white pepper, garlic or onion powder, curry powder, hot sauce, cumin, or dry mustard.

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USING STARCHES

If you'd like to make cheese-less sauce using starches, you've got three choices for main ingredients--nutritional yeast, potatoes and tofu, or cashews.

For a nutritional yeast sauce, combine the yeast and some all-purpose white or wheat flour in a small sauce pot. Add just enough water, soymilk, or rice milk to thicken the mixture. Mix like crazy to form a thin, smooth paste. Put the sauce on low heat, and add more water or milk to make the desired consistency. This sauce must be stirred constantly so it does not burn and lumps won't form.

When the sauce is thoroughly heated, remove it from the stove and whisk in a small amount of vegan margarine for smoothness. Add dry mustard and white pepper. As long as you are patient, this is a relatively foolproof sauce to prepare. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to four days and can be reheated, either on the stove or in the microwave, without breaking down.

If you have a bit more time and a blender, you can prepare a potato- and tofu-based cheese-less sauce. Peel and dice some potatoes, and cook them in water, along with some minced carrots and a hint of diced onions and garlic, until very soft. Pour the cooked potatoes and liquid into a blender and process until smooth. Add silken tofu and process the mixture again until smooth. To flavor, select from nutritional yeast, soy sauce, hot sauce, cumin, or dry mustard.

When finished, this sauce resembles a smooth, medium-consistency cheese sauce. The secret is in the flavoring, which will take a bit of experimenting until you get the 'cheese' flavor you like. This sauce separates if stored in the refrigerator or reheated, so make just enough for a single meal.

Cashew-based cheese-less sauces are very popular because of their texture and ease of preparation. Place raw cashews, water or soymilk, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and lemon juice in the canister of a blender or food processor and process until smooth and creamy. This sauce can be refrigerated for approximately two days, and it can be gently reheated as needed.

MANY USES FOR CHEESE-LESS SAUCES

No matter how you make it, cheese-less sauce can be used to spruce up frozen veggies, leftover potatoes or pasta, veggie burgers, or baked potatoes, to name a few options. Cheese-less sauce plus chopped, steamed broccoli equals creamy broccoli and cheese soup. Cheese-less sauce, a hint of tomato puree, and a splash of hot sauce can yield a hot nacho sauce, great for soups or dips. 'Kitchen sink' cheese-less sauce for a baked potato topping can include diced onions and bell peppers, minced black olives, cooked beans, and a dash of curry.

For a traditional macaroni and cheese, figure on 1/2 cup of sauce for each cup of cooked pasta. Begin with 1/3 cup uncooked pasta, cook according to the package directions, drain the pasta, and toss it with your cheese-less sauce of choice.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking dish with vegetable oil and add the mac 'n' cheese mixture. Top with bread crumbs, crushed corn flakes, chopped onions, cooked soy crumbles, diced sweet onions, or paprika and bake, uncovered, for approximately 20 minutes or until bubbly.

In addition, there are countless other ways to use cheese-less sauces. Many can be served as a hot dip for fresh fruit--such as apples, pears, pineapple, peaches, or plums--or for vegetables--such as carrots, tomato wedges, bell peppers, celery, jicama, green beans, zucchini, or summer squash. Use cheese-less sauce as a topping for bean chili or tamale pie, as part of a rice-and-bean casserole, or as a creamy soup, filled with vegetables and beans.