Cheezy Baked Macaroni
I have had many requests for a macaroni & cheese substitute, mainly from people with children. This recipe was developed with the children in mind, but Heather and I really like it, too.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6-8
12 ounces uncooked macaroni
1 ¼ cups raw cashews
1 ¼ cups water
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 ½ tablespoons chopped pimientos
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons white miso
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ to 1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place a large pot of water on to boil. Drop in the pasta and cook until just tender, about 6 minutes, depending on the kind of pasta used. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
Meanwhile, place the cashews in a food processor with half of the water. Process until fairly smooth, then add the remaining ingredients, except the bread crumbs, and process for several minutes until mixture is VERY smooth. Pour the mixture over the pasta and stir to combine. Transfer to a covered casserole dish, sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top, cover and bake for 30 minutes.
Hints: Use any of your family's favorite tubular pasta in this recipe. The initial cooking time may have to be adjusted slightly depending on which type of pasta you choose. Cook until just tender, do not overcook because the pasta will cook again while baking.
This may be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to bake. Add about 10 minutes to the baking time.
Hash Browns
Preparation Time: 2 minutes
Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
Servings: 2
4-5 cups shredded potatoes
Preheat a non-stick pan for 30 seconds, then add the potatoes to the dry pan. Flatten slightly, cover with a lid, and cook over medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes before turning. (Fresh shredded potatoes will cook faster than frozen shredded potatoes.) Then turn over and cook for another 7-10 minutes on the other side, turning as often as you like for even browning.
Hints: Shredded potatoes may be purchased in supermarkets and natural food stores, either frozen or fresh. Check to make sure there are no added oils. Or you can easily shred your own potatoes using a food processor. Chopped onions and peppers also make a delicious addition to Hash Brown potatoes.
Fat Free Golden Gravy
This is a delicious fat-free healthy version of the creamy Golden Gravy from last month's newsletter. You'll never miss the tahini and you can serve this one every night of the week! Try this on the Hash Browns listed above.
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Servings: makes 2 ¼ cups
1 ½ cups vegetable broth
½ cup water
¼ cup soy sauce
½ teaspoon onion powder
1/3 cup brown rice flour
Place the broth and water in a saucepan. Stir in the soy sauce and onion powder. Bring to a boil. Add the brown rice flour a tablespoon at a time and stir in well. Cook and stir until thickened.
Walnut Dressing
This dressing is from Ann Crile Esselstyn in the book Prevent and Reverse Heart Diseaseby Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. MD. She calls it Miraculous Walnut Sauce. Order the book here.
This is a simple, delicious dressing that is wonderful on almost everything. Use sparingly because of the walnuts and a little goes a long way because it is very flavorful! Try it on steamed greens or salads.
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Servings: makes 2 cups
1 cup walnut pieces
1 cup water
2 cloves garlic
2-4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until VERY smooth. Add more soy sauce according to your individual taste.
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Hints: Ann says this is delicious on kale, and the best way to cook kale is to boil it in lots of water until just tender. We agree. This sauce really makes kale special!
Note: There are many more delicious recipes in the book listed above and they all fit the McDougall Program perfectly. I highly recommend it.
Festive Dal Soup
This soup is a beautiful red and green color and it is so delicious and easy to make that it has become a lunchtime favorite in our home.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Servings: 4
3 ¼ cups water
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 ½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger
¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red lentils
1 15 ounce can garbanzos, drained and rinsed
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon chili paste (Sambal Oelek)
2 cups fresh chopped spinach
Place ¼ cup of the water in a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add the ginger, paprika, cumin and several twists of freshly ground pepper. Mix in well, then add the remaining water, the lentils, garbanzos and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 50 minutes, until lentils are tender. Add lemon juice, chili paste and spinach. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season with a bit of sea salt, if desired. Serve hot.
Mediterranean Garbanzos
I developed this recipe on the same day that I made the Cheezy Baked Macaroni, thinking that our grandson, Jaysen, would love the pasta and that this dish would be too spicy for him. Well, he proved me wrong, and ate 6 bowls of this dish and only a few bites of the pasta. So I just never know which foods will appeal to which people since we all have different tastes.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6-8
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup vegetable broth
2 15 ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil
1 large fresh tomato, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoon lemon juice
4 cups packed chopped fresh spinach
freshly ground black pepper
Place the onion and garlic in a large pot with the vegetable broth. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion is tender, about 4 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, oregano and red pepper flakes. Mix well, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the lemon juice, spinach and several twists of freshly ground pepper. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, until spinach is tender. Serve over hot brown rice or whole wheat couscous. |
