Mac & Cheese is one of my old time favorites! But unfortunately it doesn’t have many nutritional benefits and can leave me feeling rather blah and heavy…
So I have made it my mission to come up with something lighter, healthier, fast and still yummy with the traditional Mac & Cheese taste that we all love!
The pasta I have used today is Gluten Free elbow pasta, though wholemeal pasta would be a great option too (if you not affected by gluten). I have kept mine plant based, but as with all my recipes feel free to add your own spin! Free range chicken would be a great option to add for extra protein for you and your family.
This will serve 4-6 and will take about 15 mins from start to finish!
What you will need
- Gluten Free Elbow pasta (or wholemeal pasta)
- 1/2 of a Cauliflower
- 2 Cups of Edam Cheese- grated
- 2 Cups of baby spinach
- 1/2 Cup of Greek yogurt
- teaspoon of onion salt
- teaspoon of garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Options: 1/2 red onion thinly sliced and cherry tomatoes.
Note: I have left the red onion out for today.
How to
- Cook the macaroni according to the package’s instructions (usually about 8-10 minutes)
- While the pasta is being cooked, roughly chop up 1/2 of a cauliflower and pan fry in a non stick pan. This is where you can add your sliced red onion if you choose too (I like the cauliflower slightly underdone for the crunch!).
- When the pasta is cooked, place the spinach leaves in the bottom of a strainer, and pour the pasta over top to drain and wilt the spinach.
- Save about 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and then return the cooked macaroni and wilted spinach to your pot.
- Now you can add about 1/4 cup of the reserve pasta water to the pot, and stir in the cheese until melted.
- Stir in the Greek yogurt, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, until smooth and creamy.
- Take the pot off the heat if needed, and add your cauliflower and red onion, mix well.
- Serve nice and hot with some fresh cherry tomato to decorate, and add pepper. Feel free to add more baby spinach on top!
A fresh take on an old kiwi tradition. This will leave you feeling lighter than usual and will be great for next day lunches and those cold winter nights. A healthier alternative to good classic comfort food!
Nutritional benefits
- Iron
- Protein
- Calcium
- Zinc
- Folate
- Vitamin C, K
…along with many others.
Enjoy,