Mac & Cheese

Who doesn't crave mac & cheese every now and then?  I do, at least once a month.  It's also still one of my kids' favorites.  So, I started thinking about how I can make my own and make it healthy and still delicious.  Voila!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb brown rice elbow pasta (or what ever shape)

Cheese Sauce:

• 2 C. raw cashews, soaked for 2-4 hours
• 1/4 C. melted Kerrygold butter, or ghee, or olive oil
• paprika, salt, garlic powder to taste
• pinch of cayenne
• 1/4 - 1/2 C water
• 2 blocks of raw cheese, grated (to make this dairy free you can substitute the cheese for nutritional yeast)

Directions:

1. Cook your pasta according to package directions.
2. While your pasta is cooking make sauce.
3. Drain cashews and add to food processor.
4. While the processor is on add butter and seasonings, blend until smooth.
5. Add enough water to make it a creamy liquid, kinda like cake batter.  It will thicken as it sits.
6. When pasta is done, drain and add back into pot.
7. Add sauce and 3/4 of cheese, stir until well blended.
8. Pour into a buttered casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.
9. Bake at 350˚ for about 20 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbly.

I had cooked, leftover broccoli so just before I drained the pasta I added the broccoli to the hot water to heat it up and drained it with the pasta.

This is good enough that I am putting it on my Christmas Eve and Christmas Day menus.

Crockpot Stuffing

I know. I know. But seriously, this is an amazing recipe.  It's easy, doesn't take up any room in your already packed oven, and is delicious!

Ingredients:

Photo: Serious Eats

• 1 C butter
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 C chopped celery
• 2T chopped fresh parsley
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced (optional)
• 12-13 C slightly dry gluten free bread, cubed
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1 t dried sage
• 1 t dried thyme
• 1/2 t ground marjoram
• 2 - 2 1/2 C chicken or bone broth
• 2 eggs, beaten

Directions:

Photo: Serious Eats

1. Melt butter in a large skillet and sauté onion, celery, parsley, and mushrooms, until onions are translucent.
2. Add bread cubes to a large bowl and add butter mixture.
3. Add all the seasonings as toss well.
4. Pour in enough broth to moisten bread cubes.
5. Add beaten eggs and mix well.
6. Pack lightly into a well buttered slow cooker.
7. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Serves 6.

Whole30 Day 13: BLATs

Bacon Lettuce Avocado Tomato - easy, delicious, quick, yummy.  This time I turned my avos into guacamole (smashed and added salt, pepper, garlic powder) because that is the only way Cooper will eat them.  I used baby heirloom tomatoes from Trader Joe's and Niman Ranch bacon.

Cauliflower Poppers

Easy and super yummy as a side dish or afternoon snack.

Turn on the oven to 425º and by the time your oven is preheated you'll have your head of cauliflower chopped up.

Drizzle cauliflower florets with extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.

The first time I made this my kids and their friends devoured it within seconds.  Seriously!

I tried to tell my popcorn-loving friend this would be a good substitute for her popcorn cravings but after making and eating it again, it really doesn't take care of that need for crunch.

It is delicious, though!  I hope you try it.