Healthy Macaroni Cheese with Veggies!

June 8, 2013 · 14 Comments

Macaroni Cheese is such a childhood comfort food and it tastes pretty good too!

I came up with this version which is a little more healthy and choc full of hidden vegetables. It tastes really good.

Healthy Macaroni Cheese with Veggies!

Vital Stats: gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, egg-free, nut-free

Okay so this is what you need:

1 litre organic milk

100g cornflour

100g organic butter

1 cup organic cheese, grated

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

500g gluten-free pasta shapes

3 handfuls of organic baby spinach

2 cups of lightly steamed organic vegetables, diced (I used carrot, broccoli, corn and zucchini)

Herbamare or salt and pepper to taste

Okay, so this is how you do it:

Preaht your oven to medium, about 180° celsius.

Put the pasta on to cook in a pot of boiling water and follow directions on the packet.

While that’s cooking, make your white sauce (if you have a thermomix, use the bechamel sauce instructions on page 58 of the EDC cookbook).

If you are making it the old-fashioned way, melt the butter, add the flour and stir until it’s well combined and coming away from the side of the saucepan. This ‘roux’ takes about one minute. Remove from the heat and add milk gradually. I like to use a whisk to get out any lumps. Return the pan to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring or whisking all the time until it thickens. Add the grated cheese and whisk in. Cool down.

Puree the spinach in a blender or thermomix and add to your white sauce.

Drain the pasta well. Add the white sauce and the vegetables and combine thoroughly. Add seasonings to taste.

Put into a greased lasagne dish (or two) and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.

Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until the macaroni cheese is warmed through and the cheese on top is brown and melted.

Serve with salad on the side.

Notes:

This recipe makes a lot so feel free to halve it or to make it and use over two nights.

The photo doesn’t show it well, but it is a really nice light green colour.

If you would like to make this recipe dairy free, use this delicious dairy-free white sauce from Quirky Cooking.

Using nutritional yeast in place of the cheese gives it a lovely cheesey flavour and is dairy-free.

To save time, I used leftover steamed vegetables in this recipe. Make extra the night before.

Okay, so that’s my natural new age mum version of macaroni cheese! I hope you (and the kids) enjoy it.

How do you make macaroni cheese?

Roasted Vegetables and all the things you can do with them!

June 12, 2012 · 13 Comments

I have a confession to make. I haven’t always been a vege-lover. My love of veges developed when I was well into my twenties!

Even today, I like to eat vegetables that have been jazzed up and made more interesting with other flavours.

One of my favourite ways to eat vegetables is roasted. It intensifies the flavour and makes them sweet. I make up a large tray of these roasted vegetables and then use them throughout the week in various ways.

Okay, so this is how I do it:

Choose some yummy organic vegetables. I like using mediterranean flavours for this – so capsicum, red onion, zucchini, eggplant, fennel, garlic, asparagus, tomato. I also like adding sweet potato as well!

~ veges ready to pop in the oven ~

Chop up all your vegetables into medium size chunks. I use a whole head of garlic and squeeze it out later. Soft vegetables like tomato and asparagus get added in the last five minutes of cooking time. Toss in some oil – I use grape seed or coconut. Season with some cracked black pepper and pink Himalayan salt. Fling into a shallow sided baking tray, taking care not to pile them up too much – you end up with steamed veges then, rather than roasted. Roast in a very hot oven 220 degrees celsius for about 20 minutes, stirring regularly until the veges are soft and caramelized. Add some fresh herbs if you like.

~ veges – all roasted and gooey! ~

Okay, so these are some of the ways I use them in meals:

* Toss through some organic pasta. If you like, add a can of organic tomatoes to the roast vege mix in the last few minutes to heat.

* Serve alongside some grilled meat. Top with pesto and shaved parmesan or fetta.

* Serve over some polenta – soft or grilled, firm squares. Top with pesto and shaved parmesan or fetta.

* Puree the vege mix (with or without a can of organic tomatoes) and use on pasta, in lasagne or as a sauce for meat. This freezes well if you have leftovers.

* Spread the roasted vege mix onto a wrap (Sorj and Mountain Bread brands are best), add fetta cheese or dairy free cheese spread. Roll up and toast in a pan or sandwich press.

* Serve with some baked ricotta, crusty bread and olives for a light lunch.

* Toss through some cooked, organic couscous or quinoa with some fresh herbs and fetta for a lovely warm salad.

* Spread onto a slice of sourdough bread, top with fetta and grill for a yummy brushetta.

* Cool the vege mix and toss with some baby spinach and an olive oil/balsamic dressing to make a lovely salad.

* Puree with a can of organic tomatoes and enough vegetable stock to make yummy vegetable soup.

* Cut the veges larger and serve alongside a roast for a modern spin on a roast dinner.

* Use in a frittata, quiche or tart.

* Use as a pizza topping (my favourite!) I added organic ricotta and a little parmesan on these pictured below and used Quirky Cooking’s yummy gluten-free thermomix pizza base.

~ roasted vege pizza ~

Do you like roasted vegetables? Please share your ideas on how to use them in your cooking!

Tomato Noodle Soup

April 7, 2012 · 12 Comments

This is one of those great recipes for lazy Sunday nights or the times you haven’t been shopping or the times the budget is a bit stretched. It uses foods you probably already have in the pantry and is still very nutritious and tasty.

Tomato Noodle Soup

Vital Stats: Gluten Free, Egg Free, Nut Free, Vegetarian, Vegan

So, this is what you need:

2 tspn macadamia oil

2 cloves crushed organic garlic

2 x 410g cans Spiral organic diced tomatoes

1 tbs organic tomato paste

1 tspn dried Italian herbs

4 cups/1 litre chicken bone broth or vegetable stock

250g thin uncooked organic spaghetti or gluten free spaghetti

1 organic zucchini (optional)

fresh herbs and fresh parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Okay, so this is how you do it:

In a large pot, slurp the oil. Then grate in the organic garlic (or use Spiral organic garlic in a jar) and cook for one minute on a low heat. Get the garlic pong off your hands by rubbing them vigorously on your stainless steel sink.

Next, fling in the diced tomatoes – use Spiral Organic tomatoes as there is no BPA plastic lining the can. Then chuck in the tomato paste, herbs and the stock or broth. Stir and bring to the boil.

Now this bit is optional, but I like to feel virtuous by adding green stuff! Grate in one zucchini. You could also use this opportunity for a bit of a fridge clean out and throw in any leftover veges instead!

Add the spaghetti and cook for 15 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Go and put your feet up, get a kid to stir it occasionally to make sure it doesn’t catch on the bottom. If you want some protein, you could add any cooked leftover meat or a tin of tuna now and heat through.

Serve with some fresh herbs, cracked pepper and fresh grated parmesan cheese on top (not the packet stuff please!). It makes about 4-6 portions, depending on how big you like your serves. It works well next day for lunch too.

Now, a word about tinned or canned food and BPA.

It’s not good. Most people are aware of the dangers of BPA or bisphenol A as it has been pretty topical lately. You can read more here. It’s something I have been very careful of and have taken steps to remove it completely from our home.

Take a look inside the can next time you open one. Is the lining plastic? Good chances are it contains BPA and the BPA has leached into your food! I can only find one brand of organic tomatoes that do not contain BPA and that is Spiral Organic. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anyone in my area that stocks it.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and the kids like it too. Remember to come back and tell me how it was!

Update: I have had some great feedback on this recipe via Facebook. Here is what other mums have to say:

* Melissa says “I made your tomato & noodle soup for dinner tonight. It was yum! M loved it too, & when I could get I (aka Miss I don’t like soup) to have some she said it was nice.”

* Peta says “Tomato Noodle Soup was AMAZING!!! It was the nicest soup I have eaten in AGES!! My Miss 2 LOVED it and Master 4 devoured half my soup while waiting for his noodles to cool! He has also re-named it in our house-hold as “Christmas Soup” because it has the red tomatoes and green zucchini!! Thanks once again :)”

How to Save your Family from Fast Food !

February 1, 2012 · 11 Comments

I don’t reaaaallly have to tell you how bad fast food is, do I? Well, I will anyway….. it’s loaded with fat, sugar, salt and artificial stuff galore. It’s not the kind of food you want your family to be eating on a regular basis.

I know, I know…… there are days when cooking a meal just seems the last straw after a huge, messy day. But trust me, your body will thank you for it… no fast food hangover the next day. Your wallet will be happy too.

So, I have got some REALLY easy, I mean RIDICULOUSLY easy ideas to save you from the fast food trap. I am not reinventing the wheel here… some of them are nothing new. There are plenty of things lurking in the pantry that can give your families a nourishing meal with minimum effort expended.

PANTRY STAPLES

TOMATO NOODLE SOUP : Try this super quick Tomato Noodle Soup using pantry staples!

TUNA COUSCOUS: Grab a can of tuna (in springwater and dolphin friendly) and some couscous (organic wholewheat or corn for the GF people) from the pantry. Raid the fridge for salad ingredients – onion/shallots, tomato, capsicum, cucumber, carrot, etc. Pour couscous into a stainless steel or glass bowl. Boil kettle and pour just enough water over the couscous to cover, maybe a tiny bit over. Cover with teatowel. Meanwhile, quickly chop up some salad into small dice. Add veges to couscous and then mix in a tin of tuna and a good grind of salt and pepper. Any fresh herbs you may have can be added too or use a sprinkle of dried. Serve. Eat.

VEGE PASTA : Grab from the pantry a bag of organic wholemeal pasta (or GF pasta) and a jar of organic pasta sauce (Jensens make a nice one). Cook pasta while you sit down for ten minutes (boil water in the kettle and put into the saucepan for even quicker set up). Dump in the jar of sauce, stir around. Add whatever leftover veges or meat happen to be floating around in the fridge or a can of tuna from the pantry. Heat. Serve with some fresh parmesan cheese on top (not the packet stuff please). Serve. Eat.

BEANS N TOAST : Grab a can of organic baked beans and a couple of slices of good quality bread. Chuck beans in saucepan and heat. Make toast. Add beans to toast and sprinkle with grated cheese. Serve. Eat.

FRIDGE PICNIC: Assemble artistically on a platter any of the following : leftover cooked meat, hard boiled eggs, cheese, fruit, salad veges, additive free crackers, chutney or pickles, dried fruit, nuts. Serve. Eat with fingers. One plate to wash up. BONUS!

POACHED EGG on TOAST: Get a large frypan, fill half with boiling water from the kettle, drop in some egg rings, drop your organic eggs into the egg rings and put the lid on. Take them out when they are just done to your liking. Spread slices of good quality bread with organic avocado and top with egg. Add a good grind of salt and pepper. If you have any tomato and spinach to hand, heat and eat that too.

SUPERMARKET RUN:

You are on your way home from work and the fast food joint is calling your name….. set your GPS and detour immediately to the nearest supermarket!

*Grab some organic meat and a bag or box of pre-cut salad and a punnet of cherry tomatoes. When you get home, grill the meat, chuck the salad and tomatoes in a bowl. Throw away any dressing that has come with the salad. While the meat is grilling, add some olive oil and vinegar, mustard, garlic and seasonings to a jar and shake. Pour over salad. Eat.

*Grab a packet of noodles (choose additive free ones), a packet of pre-cut stirfry strips of any meat you like and a bag of pre-cut stirfry vegetables. Go home, chuck it all in the wok with some coconut oil, grate in some garlic and ginger. Splash in some soy sauce or tamari. Eat.

LEFTOVERS :

Also known in our house as freezer-free-for-all ! Build up a stash of frozen meals. Whenever you cook, make extra. Curries, spaghetti bolognaise, lasagne, mince patties, whatever. Some frozen, organic Australian vegetables (no sauces etc) are also handy to get some veges on the side. Name and date the containers and you will always have a nutritious meal on hand to save you from fast food!

So, there you have it, a few ideas to get you started. I would love you add your own ideas in the comment section !

I think you should print this list out. Keep it near the takeaway menus! 😉