Vegan MoFo #17 - Pepperoni Pizza Mac//Violife Cheese Review

This week the lovely people at Viotros sent me some of their Violife cheeses to sample! If you haven't tried Violife cheese you have been missing out big time! 

Not only are all of their cheeses 100% Vegan, non GMO and free from nuts, gluten and soy - they're made using coconut oil which means that they melt oh so well. If you've been searching for the perfect ingredient for a gooey grilled cheese, here it is!

I was really excited to try these cheese slices. They are really convenient for making sandwiches and rolls and of course grilled cheese! You get 10 slices in each pack which is enough to make 5 cheesy sandwiches - if you really wanted to stretch it you could just use one slice of cheese in a sandwich but it's much better with two! There are lots of different flavors available including Mushroom and Hot Pepper flavor.

The mozzarella slices are really creamy and mild, just like the dairy version, and go really well with sliced tomato in a sandwich.

The original slices are very like a mild cheddar or edam, creamy and cheesy without being overpowering.

The cheddar slices have a stronger taste than the other two I tried, not quite as strong as dairy cheddar but really delicious.

I was also sent some of their amazing Pizza Cheese - I use this cheese regularly when I make my Pizza Rolls, and I have yet to find a vegan cheese that is so melty and works so perfectly for pizza!

The smoked cheese has a really appealing flavor which reminded me of edam. Both of these shred really well and are great to use for pizza or pasta dishes.

They are a bit tricky to remove from the packaging, but they are one of the best vegan cheeses I've come across - and I eat a lot of vegan cheese!

Violife is available in various health food shops worldwide and online.

The other day I was craving pizza AND macaroni cheese, and this is what happened!

I used vegan pepperoni in this recipe but feel free to adapt it by adding your favorite pizza toppings - olives, roasted veg and even vegan ham with pineapple are all great options!

Pepperoni Pizza Mac

Serves 4

500g macaroni

3Tbsp vegan butter spread

4Tbsp plain flour

2 1/2C soy milk

1/3C nutritional yeast

1tsp onion powder

1tsp garlic powder

1/2tsp smoked paprika

3Tbsp tomato paste

1C grated vegan cheese (I used half Violife Pizza Cheese + half Violife Smoked Cheese)

100g vegan pepperoni, chopped

Fresh basil to serve

Boil the macaroni according to the package instructions while you make the sauce.

In a medium pan over a medium heat melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk until a thick paste forms. Add the soy milk in 1/2C increments, whisking well after each addition to form a thick but smooth sauce. Add the nutritional yeast, garlic, onion, paprika, tomato paste and vegan cheese and whisk until everything is melted together and smooth. (You may need to add a dash of almond milk to help the cheese to incorporate into the sauce.) Season to taste and drain the pasta. 

Return the pasta to the pan and pour over the cheesy sauce. Fold the sauce into the pasta until each piece is coated and then fold in the pepperoni. Sprinkle over the fresh basil and serve.