Along with mash potato and creamy pasta, we bet our bottom dollar that mac ‘n’ cheese was on your list of ‘favourite foods as a child’. As the years go on and you become more conscious about what you put in your body, these dishes become nothing more than a long lost memory. But as we’ve said time and time again here at Sporteluxe, it doesn’t have to be a case of missing out on the foods you love, the trick is to find healthy swaps…
“While traditional macaroni and cheese is delicious, we wanted to make a more nutritious version. Our macaroni and cheese is packed with vegetables, vegan-friendly and just as tasty as the original!” — Jessica Sepel, Nutritionist.
RECIPE: MAC & CHEESE
Serves 4 as a side
V: DF: GF
Ingredients
¼ jap or kent pumpkin, skin removed and chopped into chunks
½ head cauliflower, chopped into florets
¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes (or parmesan cheese if you’re okay with dairy)
sea salt
black pepper
¼ bunch parsley leaves and stalks, finely chopped
3 cups cooked gluten-free pasta
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. To steam the vegetables, add 2 inches of water to a saucepan and place a steamer basket with a lid on top. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and allow the water to boil.
3. Once boiling, add the pumpkin to the steamer basket, cover with a lid and steam for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and add in the cauliflower florets. Cover and steam for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
4. Once cooled, blend the vegetables together in a food processor or blender until smooth.
5. Add in the nutritional yeast flakes or parmesan cheese, season to taste and blend again.
6. In a large mixing bowl, combine the vegetable mix, chopped parsley and cooked pasta. Stir well to evenly coat the pasta.
7. Pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes or until golden on top.
Notes
Pasta types I love and recommend are gluten-free pasta, mung bean pasta, pulse pasta, quinoa pasta, brown rice pasta or black bean pasta. If you tolerate gluten, wholemeal and spelt pasta varieties are also good options.
