Recently a few friends started Fry Fridays. Basically every Friday we plan to fry something up and have a get together. Last week was potato taquitos and flautas! I was in charge of the guacamole and it reminded me of my Dad’s recipe for guacamole. After being a hit at the party I decided to share the recipe with everyone.

Ingredients:
Avocados
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Salsa
Tofutti Sour Cream
Tomatoes
Red Onion

Basically start with the avocados. I used 6 but I was feeding a lot of people. Cut the avocado in ½ and separate the two halves. Use a spoon to scrape out the inside, the easiest way to get the pit out is to cut the top and bottom and squeeze the pit out. I use a mashed potato tool to smash everything up until you’re preferred chunkiness. This is where you start to add things; I usually do this all by taste, LOTS of garlic powder and pepper. Then add your thinly chopped red onion and tomatoes (make sure you gut the seeds etc.). I usually like to put enough so that each bite has a tomato chunk. After that start adding spoonfuls of salsa last add a ½ cup or cup of Tofutti sour cream and chill for an hour.

I have always loved macaroni and cheese, so when I went vegan... I was determined to find a good recipe. Nutritional yeast seems to be found in most vegan “mac and cheese” recipes, which I don’t care much for... so I decided to make my own vegan recipe from a more traditional mac and cheese standpoint. By making a roux, the “moms” home-style mac and cheese taste really seemed to come through. I use “Follow your Heart” cheese; it melts pretty well, tastes good and is probably my favorite of the vegan cheeses. The breadcrumb crust is also good to mix it up a bit and the seasoning adds a little kick. This recipe is perfect for Portland rainy days with its warm, creamy and rich taste.

What you will need:
6 tablespoons vegan butter of your choice
½ pound elbow macaroni
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups soy milk half and half
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
2 cups grated “Follow Your Heart” Cheddar
2 cups grated “Follow Your Heart” Mozzarella
½ cup fine bread crumbs
Seasoning

Now for the seasoning:
2 ½ tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme


1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees

2. Boil macaroni according to package directions.

3. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

4. Add the flour, and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to let the flour brown. Using a whisk, add the soy half and half in a steady stream and cook, whisking constantly, until thick and smooth, 4 minutes. (Just keep whisking, my arm felt like it was going to fall off!! Just keep going until you see the roux getting thick!)

5. Remove from the heat. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne, and cheese (Save ½ cup from each to add to topping) – Stir. Add the noodles, mix it and then pour into your casserole dish.

6. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup of cheese with the bread crumbs and seasoning. Sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and bake until golden brown and bubbly, roughly 25 minutes.

7. Take out of oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes.

Enjoy.