Mac & Cheeze & Toms & Beans

I must apologize right now. I found this recipe in my AZZ Cardfile and don't have any attributions with it. If anyone knows where this recipe comes from, PLEASE let me know in the comments so I can set the record straight. Thanks.

Now, on to the recipe.

After yesterday's blah meal I needed something with a wee bit more kick today, and this one will do beautifully.

Mac & Cheeze & Toms & Beans 

10.5 oz tofu
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 T. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup onion flakes
1 tsp veg. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Bragg's
Blend all in a blender.

Mix together:
1 14 oz can fat free refried beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes (I used "mild")
1 tsp. ground cumin

Then add the "cheez" sauce. Pour over one pound cooked macaroni (I used Tinkyada gluten free brown rice pasta) and serve. Or possibly bake for a half hour at 350 to heat thru? This seems warm enough to serve and I'm off to eat a bowl full right as soon as I'm done here!
I ran the numbers and according to my calcs this should be about 6 percent fat. 

My notes:
I buy MoriNu extra-firm silken tofu by the case from Amazon, so there's always a box on hand for when I need it. Things like nutritional yeast, Braggs and Liquid Smoke are also staples every pantry should have. Just before winter set in I bought a few cans of Amy's Organic lighter sodium ones from the health food store for quick winter soups or pasta meals like this one. The can I grabbed today was the black bean, but I also have some traditional pinto in the pantry, too.

Rotel tomatoes I don't usually have on hand, but I just so happened to have this one lone can in the pantry from a recipe that never got made. I always found them to be a bit too spicy, even the mild one, but my husband likes it so I use it when called for instead of plain diced tomatoes.

Hmm, I just noticed that Mori-Nu tofu has changed its name to Morinaga on their web site and new packages. Mine still say Mori-Nu, but I guess when I replenish them with another case from Amazon they'll have the new name on them.

I'm going to commit a mortal sin as far as McDougalling goes - I'm using semolina (white flour) elbow pasta instead of whole grain. IIRC, Jeff Novick even mentioned in one of his lectures that when it comes to nutritional density, white pasta and whole grain are close because of the water absorption into the dry pasta product. And if I mis-remembered, oh, well.

I'm not bothering with a photo of this meal, because all you really see is this greyish sauce mixed in a pot of pasta - big whoop. But believe me, the taste IS a big whoop! Is "flavor explosion" used as in advertisements? You can use that to describe this dish. And I can tell you right now there will be no leftovers after we get through with it tonight.

Fast, flavorful and cheap - my kind of meal.