Get recipes for Moku Roots’ vegan mac and cheese, lū‘au leaf with roasted garlic dip, vegan nut cream, garlic mashed potatoes with vegan gravy, and Alexa’s kabocha pie!

Moku Roots Vegan Mac & Cheese

Yield 4–6 servings | Prep Time 30 minutes

Vegan Mozzarella

½ Tbsp. white pepper

½ Tbsp. garlic powder

½ Tbsp. onion powder

½ Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. salt

1/8 c. lemon juice

1 c. nutritional yeast

2 c. raw macadamia nuts (or substitute almonds or cashews, soaked in water overnight)

1½–2 c. water, for thinning mixture

Method Place ingredients into a high-speed blender, such as a Vitamix. Add 1½ c. water. Mix at low speed for 20 seconds, then slowly increase to the highest speed and blend till creamy. Adjust thickness with additional water, as needed.

Boil pasta following package directions. Drain, and fold in cheese sauce to your desired cheesiness.

Lū‘au Leaf & Roasted Garlic Dip

Yield Enough for a party | Prep Time 45 minutes, plus 4 hours to cook lū‘au leaf

1 lb. lū‘au leaves, stems removed*

2 heads of garlic

2 onions, minced

½ c. vegan butter or organic canola oil

3 Tbsp. fresh thyme, or 2 Tbsp. dried

1 Tbsp. black pepper

2 tsp. fresh oregano, or 2 tsp. dried

½–1 tsp. crushed red pepper, to taste

2 tsp. sea salt

4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, or GF flour

*Available in the freezer section in Asian markets. Or substitute spinach: Blanch for 2 minutes, drain well and chop.

Vegan Nut Cream

4 c. macadamia nuts

8 c. water

2 c. nutritional yeast

salt and pepper, to taste

2 loaves of French bread

Method: Cover lū‘au leaves with water and simmer for 4 hours. Drain well and chop finely.

Roast garlic in 300-degree oven for 30–40 minutes. Cool. Remove cloves.

Place vegan nut cream ingredients into a Vitamix blender and purée till smooth.

Sauté onions in vegan butter until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add roasted garlic and seasonings. Sprinkle flour over onion mixture to make a roux, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the vegan nut cream and the drained and chopped lū‘au leaves, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Mixture will thicken.

Serve with good French bread for dipping.

Chef Nick’s suggestion for serving: Heat French bread in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes, or until warm and crunchy on the outside, soft and moist inside. Slice ¾” thick. Slather with luau dip. Enjoy with a glass of MauiWine chardonnay!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Yield 10–12 servings | Prep Time: 45 minutes

Vegan Nut Cream

1 c. raw macadamia nuts

2 c. water

1½ c. nutritional yeast

pinch of salt and pepper

2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes

1 Tbsp. salt

½ Tbsp. white pepper

1 Tbsp. garlic powder

½ c. vegan butter (sans palm oil)

Method Purée vegan nut cream ingredients in Vitamix blender until smooth. Boil potatoes until soft and drain. Mash to desired consistency. While potatoes are hot, add vegan nut cream, seasonings and vegan butter. Mix well.

Vegan Gravy

Yield 7–8 cups | Prep Time: 30 minutes

Vegan Nut Cream

2 c. raw macadamia nuts

4 c. water

1 c. nutritional yeast

pinch of salt and pepper

½ c. vegan butter + 2 Tbsp. (sans palm oil)

1 large onion, minced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. black pepper

½ Tbsp. sea salt

3 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, or 2 Tbsp. dried

Puree vegan cream ingredients in Vitamix blender until smooth. Warm vegan cream and ½ c. vegan butter in pot, stirring frequently. In a sauté pan, add 2 Tbsp. vegan butter and sauté onions and garlic until fragrant and light golden, about 5 minutes. Add onion mixture and seasonings to pot and mix well. Simmer on low for a few minutes to blend flavors.

Alexa’s Kabocha Pie

Raw, vegan, and frozen before service, this pie has all the great elements for a holiday party.

Yield 1 10” pie | Prep Time 1 hour to bake kabocha, 40 minutes to make filling and pie crust, and 6 hours to freeze pie

1 medium-size kabocha squash

Method: Cut in half and seeded. Place on a sheet pan, cut side down in a 300-degree oven for 1 hour. While squash is roasting, prepare the crust.

Crust

3 dates, seeded

1½ c. coconut flour (or substitute any nut flour, such as almond or hazelnut)

1 c. unsalted, raw macadamia nuts

1 tsp. salt

½ c. vegan butter

Method: Place ingredients in a food processor and pulse till fine. Press mixture evenly into a pie pan.

Kabocha Filling

3 c. roasted squash

1½ c. macadamia nuts (or substitute almonds or cashews that have been soaked in water overnight)

¾ c. water

1 c. sugar

½ tsp. ground cloves

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. ground ginger

½ c. melted coconut oil, cooled to room temperature

1 tsp. salt

pinch of nutmeg

Method In Vitamix, blend 1 c. squash with the spices, coconut oil, water and nuts, till smooth. Add the last 2 cups of squash and blend to purée. Pour into prepared pie crust and freeze for at least 6 hours, till set. Move pie to refrigerator section 1 to 2 hours before serving. Slice and serve. Enjoy!