Who doesn’t love Mac and Cheese? It is a classic comfort food. Noodles covered in cheesy sauce, YUM! Unfortunately it sometimes does not align with our goals. So I figured lets make a healthy twist of it!
What You Will Need
Casserole dish
1 Cup Broccoli Florets
1 Cup Cauliflower Florets
1 Cup of chopped Bok Choy
1 Cup of sliced mushrooms
You can choose any 4 cups of vegetables, it works with any of them really. (just make sure whatever vegetables you use are cooked slightly before adding into the dish) Its also a great dish to use any produce that might be close to turning. Use any vegetables that might be on their last legs.
1 Cup Frozen Edamame Beans (or 1 Cup of lean meat)
1 TBS of Olive Oil
1 Large White Onion thinly sliced
1 TBS minced Garlic
2 Cups of Whole Wheat Pasta (or pasta of your choice)
“Cheese” Sauce
1 Can of Coconut Milk (400ml)
6 TBS of Nutritional Yeast
4 TBS of Whole Wheat Flour (or flour of your choice)
1 tsp of good quality salt
1 tsp of Onion Powder
1/2 tsp of Garlic Powder
Directions
Pre heat over at 350F of you plan on eating it right away. It can be stored in fridge or freezer until you are ready to bake it. From cold or frozen it could take 15 – 20 mins longer.
Step 1.) In a pan heat 1 TBS of oil, once hot add in onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add in garlic and mushrooms cooking for 5 minutes. Then add in Bok Choy. Cook until Bok Choy is soft. Add Edamame beans to pan until warm. Add add the ingredients into casserole dish.
Step 2.) Steam the broccoli and cauliflower in a pot with water and a steamer. Steam until it can be pierced with a fork. Usually no more than 5 minutes. You don’t want them to be mushy. Once done strain and add to the casserole dish. Mix well.
Step 3.) Cook your pasta as per directions. You want them to be el dente. If they are too soft it will turn into mush. Once they are cooked strain, add and mix into casserole mixture.
Step 4.) Mix all of the ingredients for sauce in a sauce pan before putting it on the stove. Mix until it is a uniform liquid, no lumps. Begin to slowly heat on the stove. It has to be stirred often as it thickens very quickly. Make sure you keep stirring, it can also burn very quickly. Once it is nice and thick remove from heat. Pour sauce over all the ingredients in the casserole dish. Stir everything very well until all is covered in sauce.
Step 5.) In a pre heated oven (350F).Place the dish in the middle rack and bake for 45 mins The top should brown nicely. The sides should be bubbling slightly. This dish can be prepared before hand, stored in the fridge and baked in the over at any time. Freezing it is also an option.
Step 6.) Once cooked, remove from over let sit for 10 minutes scoop and serve. Add your favorite hot sauce, yogurt or even a little ketchup.
I hope you enjoyed this twist on a classic comfort dish. Its great to cook on meal prep day as a side or as a snack to have during the week. It has lots of vegetables (carbohydrates, fiber, proteins, vitamins and minerals). Healthy starches, protein and fats. It can be a meal all on its own. Great for leftovers re heated in pan with a little olive oil.
If you have any comfort foods you want me to try and make into a healthy version. Or you want to sit down and talk about your personal nutrition. Send me an email at [email protected] or click the link below.
As always thanks for your time and healthy regards
KJ
