Vegan Poblano Mac & Cheese

I've made vegan mac & cheese before (check out a post from April 2013).  But, I was ready for something new.  We are a huge fan of poblano peppers in our family - I put them in tons of things!  So, why not mac & cheese!

You will need:

2 poblano peppers
2 C whole wheat elbow macaroni - boiled to al dente & drained
1 small white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 white white (vegetable broth will work here)
1/2 C vegetable broth
1/2 C vegan sour cream
1 C + 2 tbsp Daiya cheddar flavored vegan cheese
1/4 C chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
dash or two cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1/2 C whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tbsp vegan butter (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

Roast the poblano peppers under a broiler until the skins are blackened.  Remove from oven, place in a plastic or paper bag and seal.  Allow to steam for about 15 minutes to loosen up the skin.  Then, peal off the skin, remove the stems and deseed the peppers before chopping.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Grease/spray with Pam an 8X8 baking dish and set aside.  Cook the macaroni to al dente, drain and set aside.  In the same pan the macaroni was cooked in, add the oil, onions, garlic, and a dash of salt.  Cook until the onions start to brown and soften.  Add the wine (or broth) to deglaze the pan.  Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan.  Add the broth and sour cream and whisk until well combined.  Add the cheese and stir until melted and incorporated.  Finally, add the spices, cilantro and poblanos.  Stir to combine.  Add the macaroni back in and stir to coat thoroughly.  Pour the mixture into your greased pan.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese and then the bread crumbs over the top.  Add the butter, distributing pats of it across the top of the bread crumbs.  Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.  Turn the broiler on for the last 2 minutes.  Remove, allow to cool slightly and serve.  Enjoy!

Southwest Chop Salad

This is a very loose interpretation of a Pinterest recipe that I came across.  I've been looking for a good avocado salad dressing recipe.  This one was pretty good as is, but we all enjoyed it more with a few additions and subtractions :)

For the Dressing:

2 Ripe Avocados
2 Cloves Garlic
1/2 C Plain Coconut Yogurt (you can substitute any plain yogurt here)
2-3 Tbsp Vegan Sour Cream
1 Jalapeño (with or without seeds depending on how spicy you like it!)
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Juice from 1 lime
2-3 Tbsp Plain Coconut Milk
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a food processor place the the first 7 ingredients.  Mix until smooth.  Slowly add in the coconut milk until you reach a desired consistency - slightly runny.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

For the salad I chopped some dinosaur kale and added spring mix.  On top I placed some diced tomatoes, black olives, diced onion, and canned sweet corn.  You could also add some black or pinto beans, cilantro, mushrooms, bell peppers, or whatever you have on hand for a salad.  Be creative!