Macaroni and cheese is an all American favorite, but lets face it, its not on the list as  "good for you" type of food. Here is my take on a vegan mac and cheese that you wont leave you with guilt. The cheese is made with soaked cashews which gives this side dish creaminess and the yellow color comes for healthy ground turmeric.  I used whole grain pasta filled with fiber but you can use your own choice of healthy pasta depending on your dietary needs.

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)

8 ounces of dry Barilla Protein Plus Pasta
1 cup of raw cashew nuts, soaked overnight and drained
1 cup of vegetable broth
1 tablespoon of lemon juice or AC vinegar
3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast (optional)
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of crushed black pepper
1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 cloves of minced fresh garlic

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Make the sauce by combining the soaked cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast if using, salt, pepper and the ground turmeric into a blender until smooth. Set aside.

Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. 

Saute the garlic until it becomes fragrant.

Add the sauce ingredients to the pan and cooked until thickened. The process should take 5-8 minutes.

Add the cooked pasta to the cheese mixture and coat with the sauce. 
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Adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Serve.

Makes 4 Servings
(2 thighs per serving)

Ingredients:
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
(Rub)
(use half of this blend for this recipe. Save the rest for another batch)
4 whole star anise (ground) you can use 1 tablespoon of ground allspice if you don't have
2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of kosher salt or to taste
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F. 

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients until blended. Set aside.
Rub the chicken thoroughly onto the chicken thighs. (You can let it sit for a few hours for deeper flavor.)
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Place the rubbed chicken onto a lightly oiled sheet pan. Place into the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until juices run clear. Serve.