Vegetable Cheese Sauce

Cheese sauce made from veggies. Vegan creativity never fails to influence my everyday meal.

Happy Juneteenth!

Today, we celebrate our ancestors across America, the last of African diaspora slaves in Galveston, Texas earned their emancipated freedom. On 153rd anniversary of this great victory, well giant steps to victory, we must never forget the painful hardships and dangerous oppression that had been orchestrated since coming enslaved to a young country. There is still long ways to go until true, honest, authentic resolution for all the peoples residing in America. And I believe that it can be achieved.

From onward, Juneteenth will be a yearly blog tradition.

I started a 20" x 30" acrylic painting that combines the highlight of the Grenada cocoa fashion show from last month and a generous piece of a still life containing a fair trade chocolate bar (Chauo Chocolate) on headwrap fabric.

Just like a the standard mixtape on the hot summer barbecue days and nights, here's some soulful tune suggestions while making art and cooking for feel good vibes:

"California Soul"-- Marlena Shaw
"Like This"-- Monica
"You Don't Have To Worry"-- Doris & Kelley
"Summertime"-- DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
"Word Iz Bond"-- 702
"Tonite's Tha Nite"-- Kris Kross
"I Can Love You"-- Mary J. Blige & Lil Kim
"Can We"-- SWV
"Rhythm Nation"-- Janet Jackson
"Hot Like Fire (Remix)"-- Aaliyah
"Queen"-- Janelle Monae Feat. Erykah Badu
"Love Like This"-- Faith Evans
"Music"-- Eric Sermon & Marvin Gaye
"Your Woman"-- White Town
"Here Comes the Hotstepper"-- Ini Kamoze
"PYT"-- Michael Jackson
"Black Sweat"-- Prince
"Creep"-- TLC
"Hit Dem Wit Da Hee"-- Missy Elliot & Lil Kim
"American Boy"-- Estelle
"Black Steel"-- Tricky Feat Martina Topley-Bird
"Don't Disturb This Groove"-- The System
"He's The Greatest Dancer"-- Sister Sledge
"I'm So Excited"-- The Pointer Sisters

And so many, many more (please give me your songs).....

At last, Juneteenth couldn't be complete without a scrumptious dinner. I finally made cheese sauce with carrots and potatoes-- inspired by a video long ago posted on my Facebook page. Isn't it amazing that the simplest of vegetables, cheap vegetables, concoct perfect solutions when one doesn't have cashews on hand? Usually people add Yukon or white or golden potatoes, but I had sweet potatoes. The sauce comes out a pretty shade of orange, reminding me a bit of the butternut cheese sauce. It's tangy, light on sweetness, irresistibly creamy.

Vegetable Cheese Sauce Ingredients and Preparation

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
5 small to medium sized carrots
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Chopped veggies. I saved the sweet potato scraps for future plans.

Bring sweet potatoes, carrots, red onions, and olive oil to a boil-- approximately 30- 40 minutes. Make sure carrots and sweet potatoes are fork tender before placing in the blender. Blend with nutritional yeast, turmeric, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and black pepper until smooth and creamy.

Add to any pasta of your choice. Macaroni is always a good choice. 

The Pan African Flag is on full display: green for Brussels sprouts, the red bowl of dinner, and a black "Black is Beautiful" Studio Museum Harlem mug of iced cold cocoa tea (recipe will be posted this week-- a special treat from the Caribbean).