Mac and No cheese

Time : 15 mins + time to boil pasta
Complexity : easy
Servings :  for 4-5

Ingredients :

• Macaroni pasta - 3 cups
• Cauliflower, cut into medium size florets - 1
• Carrot, cut into small pieces - 1 1/2
• Salt - 1 tbsp
• Garlic powder - 1 tsp
• Onion powder - 1 tsp
• Olive oil - 1/3 cup
• Water - 1/3 cup

Method :

Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In parallel, put cauliflower florets and carrot pieces into boiling water and let them boil for 10-12 mins or until tender. When done, put boiled vegetables, garlic powder, onion powder, salt into a mixer or food processor with water and olive oil and grind until it turns into a smooth paste.

Put this mixture into boiled pasta. Heat it for 5 mins. Your macaroni and no cheese pasta is ready. Enjoy.

Vegetarian pot pie

Ingredients :

• Puff pastry sheets - 1
• Carrots, medium size, cut into small pieces - 1
• Celery, medium size, cut into small pieces  - 2
• Mushroom, cut into small pieces  - 8 to 10
• Potatoes, medium size, cut into small pieces  - 1
• Shallots, cut into small pieces  - 4 to 5
• Heavy cream - 1/2 cup
• Corn flour - 1 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp or according to taste
• Ground black pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Method :

Put a pot on medium heat and add oil to it.

Stir in carrots, celery, mushroom, potatoes and shallots together. Let it cook for 7 mins and then stir in flour, water, cream, salt and pepper. Simmer until mixture thickens.

Preheat oven to 425 F. 

Line the  edge of ramekins with puff pastry strips, cut from puff pastry sheets.

Fill with the vegetable mixture. Cover the top with pastry sheets and seal with a fork. 

Bake for 20 mins. Vegetable pot pie is ready. Enjoy.

Baked shell and cheese pasta

Preparation time : 5 mins + time to boil pasta
Cooking time : 40 mins
Complexity : Medium
Servings : 5

Ingredients :

• Pasta- shell or macaroni - 8 oz
• Broccoli florets - 8 oz
• Onion, chopped finely - 1/6 cup
• Vegetarian broth - 1/3 cup
• All purpose flour - 1/6 cup
• Salt - 1 tsp or according to taste
• Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
• Bread crumbs - 1/6 cup
• Butter - 1 tbsp
• Cheddar, sharp (fat free or reduced fat) - 5 oz
• Parmesan cheese, grated - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Fat free or skim milk - 1 1/2 cup

Method :

Cook pasta according to package direction with salt. 

Meanwhile steam broccoli florets and put them aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Put a large and heavy pan on medium heat and melt butter. Add onion and cook for 2 mins, add flour and cook until it turns a little brown. 

Add milk and vegetable broth and stir it to mix well, raising heat to medium-high until it comes to boil. Cook until the sauce becomes smooth and thick. Put salt and pepper.

Once the sauce is thick, take it out from heat and add cheddar cheese and mix well until cheese is melted. Add more salt and pepper as per ones taste, add cooked pasta and broccoli and mix well.

Grease two 8" baking sheets with vegetable oil or butter. Pour cooked pasta with sauce into baking dishes. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. 

Bake for 15-20 mins, then broil for another minute or two. Bakes pasta is ready. Serve it hot. Enjoy.

Mashed cauliflower recipe

Preparation time : 15 mins for steaming cauliflower florets
Cooking time : 5 mins
Complexity : easy
Servings : 8
Ingredients :

• Large cauliflower, steamed- 1
• Fat free sour cream - 1/2 cup
• Skim milk, warm - 1 cup 
• Butter - 2 tbsp ( I used it's not butter for healthy version )
• Salt - 1 tsp or according to taste
• Black pepper - 1 tsp or according to taste

Method :

Steam cauliflower florets until they are tender and put all ingredients, except black pepper, in blender. Once it turns into smooth paste, take it out and season with black pepper and a little amount of butter on top. Mashed cauliflower is ready. Serve hot. Enjoy.

Cranberry cake

Preparation time : 20 mins

Cooking time : 60 mins or more

Complexity : easy

Ingredients :

• Cranberries - 2 1/2 cup
• Eggs, medium - 4
• All purpose flour - 2 cup
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 2 cups
• Butter, unsalted, at room temp - 3/4 cup
• Salt - 1 tsp

Method :

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Beat eggs and sugar until very smooth. The egg and sugar mixture will double in size and turn pale yellow.

Beat in the butter, vanilla extract.

Pour egg, sugar mixture to the flour, salt and cranberries. The batter will be thick. Spread gently into the slightly greased 10" pan. Bake it for an hour or until the top turns a little brown. Enjoy.

Chickpea salad

 

Prep time - 10 mins + time to boil overnight soaked chickpeas (20-30 mins)

Cooking time - 5 mins
Complexity - easy
Servings - 3

Ingredients :-

• Chickpeas/ garbanzo beans - 1 cup

• Cherry or grape tomatoes, cut into halves - 1/2 cup

• Basil leaves, finely chopped - 1/2 cup

• Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

• Salt - 1 tbsp or according to taste

• Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Method :-

Put chickpeas (soaked overnight) in 4 cup water in a pressure cooker on medium heat. Add salt while boiling chickpeas. Boil till 4 whistle. 

Once boiled, drain chickpeas and add all the ingredients. Mix well. Chickpea salad is ready. Enjoy.

Roasted corn and tomato soup

Ingredients :

• Corn - 1 1/2 cup
• Tomatoes, cut in halves - 3,  medium size
• Olive oil - 2 tsp
• Garlic, finely chopped - 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp or according to taste
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Method :

Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil. Coat tomatoes and corn with a little bit of olive oil and place everything on baking sheet. Broil corn and tomatoes for 5-7 mins or until corn turn a little brown.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds to it. Add roasted corn and tomatoes to the pan as soon as cumin seeds starts splattering. Put salt and black pepper powder. Add 2 cups water to it and let it boil on medium heat for 12-15 mins.

Place everything in the blender and blend it in a smooth mixture. Soup is ready. Heat it again for 2-3 minutes, and Enjoy.