PLANT BASED CHEESE SAUCE

CHEESE SAUCE
Yum!  Easy to make.  Takes about 35-45 minutes to make.  Freezes good.

2-3 Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces
1 large carrot, chopped into bite size pieces
1 cup water, reserved from boiling vegetables
3 T nutritional yeast
2 T lemon juice
1.5 T olive oil (I only use 1 T and used avocado) - next time try without any
2 tsp salt
1 jalapeno, stem removed - didn't add
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/8 cayenne powder - didn't add

Start by bringing a pot of water to boil.  Once boiling, add chopped veggies and cook until fork-tender (around 10 minutes).  Transfer veggies with a slotted spoon to a blender - SAVE 1 CUP OF THE WATER

Allow the veggies to cool for 15 minutes.

Next add everything else to the blender and process until smooth and creamy.  Keeps wells for 1-2 weeks in fridge.


CHEESE SAUCE
Javan said he likes this more than real cheese.  Lots of steps so I usually do the top one.  This one is darker than the one above and looks more like cheese.  Works really good for mac & cheese also freezes well.

2 cups water
3 medium white potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 cup garbanzo beans
1/4 cup aquafaba (bean water from the garbanzos)
1/4 to 1/2 cup cashews

2 tbsp tahini
1 tsp paprika
pinch red pepper flakes

Peel and cut the potatoes. 

In a medium pot, add the potatoes and carrots and about 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Boil for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. Set aside to cool until it can be handled. 

Add the potatoes and carrots and the cooking water to a high-speed blender. Add the salt, garbanzo beans, aquafaba, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice. Blend well for a minute, until smooth. 

Add the remaining ingredients and blend for a couple minutes, until the cheese sauce is uniform, glossy, and silky smooth.

Use on vegetables, chips, pasta, etc. Store covered in the fridge for up to three days.