How to make powdered mac n cheese that's plant-based, healthy and damn good!

When I was young I LOVED boxed macaroni and cheese.  Lol especially the next day when there were tiny "cheese balls" on the noodles (I know you know what I'm talking about).

But now, I can make an optimal version of powdered mac n cheese that gives me that same nostalgic feeling from being a kid, it's just A LOT healthier.  It's delicious, it's health improving and it's super easy to make.

I love this recipe so much that I made it on the set of "Making It Grow" last night (I'll email you when the replay is out).

Trish with Amanda McNulty (and her flower crown), the amazing host of Making It Grow

The recipe is so easy to make.  Once you've made your powdered "cheese" mix, you can have a cheese sauce ready within 2 minutes that's delicious, dairy free, gluten free, vegan and low in fat.  Lol yes, it really does taste good.

Before I introduce the recipe, you need to know where it came from.  My husband is a Chef and his good friend Mike Joyce, the head chef of Aldine Restaurant in Philadelphia, got us this cookbook as a wedding present.  It's one of the most delicious tasting, unique and spot on vegan cookbooks I've ever had and I highly recommend it.

How to Make Powdered and Plant-Based Macaroni and Cheese

(Recipe Below)

Plant-Based Powered Mac and Cheese

Sauce by Miyoko Schinner of The Homemade Vegan Pantry: The Art of Making Your Own Staples and pasta dish recreated by Nutritionist, Trisha Mandes, MPHN of www.TrishaMandes.com

Powdered Cheese Sauce Ingredients:

• 3/4 C nutritional yeast
• 3/4 C oat flour
• 1/4 C tapioca flour
• 1 T paprika
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp powdered mustard 

Pasta Ingredients:

• 100% whole grain pasta (whole wheat or brown rice or other)
• 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
• 2 cups almond milk

Instructions for making powdered cheese mix:

1. Place all powdered cheese ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Mix with a whisk until equally mixed. 
2. Put in an airtight container, label it and store in the cupboard. 

Instructions for making the mac and cheese:

1. Cook pasta according to the instructions on the package.
2. Steam broccoli.
3. To make cheese sauce, put almond milk and 2/3 C cheese powder mix in a sauce pot.  Turn stove on high and begin mixing the powder mix and almond milk together using a whisk until it's evenly blended.  Continue to whisk as it comes to a boil and thickens.  As soon as it comes to a boil immediately remove it from heat, and continue whisking.
4. Place cooked pasta, broccoli and cheese sauce in a large bowl and toss until evenly coated with cheese.  Then plate and enjoy.

Now I'd love to hear from you.  Answer today's question and click 'comment' below to answer.

Take Control Now Question

How will you enjoy this cheese sauce?

How to Cut Cauliflower & Five Ways to Eat It

No more steamed cauliflower for you baby! (although I do love steamed cauliflower as part of a salad tossed with an amazing dressing -- if there's great dressing, I can eat loads of cauliflower then!). 

There's so many unique, easy and interesting ways to eat cauliflower now that you don't have to settle for steamed cauliflower.  The up-tick in cauliflower recipes, is in part, due to the unjustified gluten-free craze (Capannolo, et al. 2015).  

Despite the misinformation the gluten-free craze has caused, at least there's more creative ways to eat cauliflower because of it.    

Before I introduce five unique, easy (and plant-based) ways to make cauliflower, Chef Erik of Trisha's Healthy Table (my husband - I'm a lucky woman!) is here to show you an easy way to cut cauliflower.

Before Erik taught me how to cut cauliflower, I was clueless.  I never had uniform cuts and I'd always cut through the "leaves" of the cauliflower tree instead of cutting them, like this...

Once you know an easy way to cut cauliflower, it's time to put your skills to good use with fun and easy cauliflower recipes, like these...

 

Five Unique, Easy (and Plant-Based) Ways to Eat Cauliflower

1.  Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower rice is SO easy to make.  Simply grate cauliflower with a cheese grater or pulse in a food processor until you get 'rice like' pieces and then microwave with your favorite spices.  We serve cauliflower rice with our Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas at Trisha's Healthy Table.  If you're going to eat cauliflower rice instead of a whole-grain rice, be sure to include Foundational Filling Foods (like sweet potatoes and black beans) with your cauliflower rice, in order to stay full. 

Here's a cauliflower rice recipe from Minimalist Baker you can use.

2.  Cauliflower Wings

I made these this weekend for the first time and they were awesome!  I used chickpea flour as part of the breading mixture (I tried whole wheat too but that didn't turn out as well) and Trader Joe's General Tso's sauce as the wing sauce.  

We dipped the final product in cashew-based ranch (mix ranch dressing spices into cashew sour cream) and ate them with a veggie vegan pizza we made using Trader Joe's pre-made, whole wheat pizza dough.  It was an awesome dinner and the wings tasted great the next day too.

Check out this cauliflower wing recipe to make them yourself.

3.  Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

We're serving 100% whole-grain pasta with cauliflower Alfredo and broccoli at Trisha's Healthy Table this week.  A lot of mock Alfredo sauces use cashews and are calorie dense and high in fat.  

Cauliflower Alfredo sauce however, is a low-fat and less calorie-dense version that's especially great for anyone trying to eat more veggies, eat vegan, or trying any who is looking to achieve accelerated weight-loss with a plant-based diet.

Try this Cauli-Powder "Alfredo" from Oh She Glows.com  We LOVE her recipes!  (Psst - I'd omit the 1/2 TB of oil from the recipe.  Save yourself an 60 extra calories).

4.  Cheesy Cauliflower Sauce

I LOVE pouring this sauce on my oil-free potato and oil-free sweet potato fries.  With ketchup of course!  I can eat a huge plate of these, watch some University of South Carolina women's basketball and munch out on what tastes like greasy bar food, but is even better!

Use this Cheesy Cauliflower Sauce from fatfreevegan.com  We love this blog too!

5.  Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I haven't made this yet, so if you do, please comment below and let me know how it goes!  Again, I'd be sure to add Foundational Filling Foods to this pizza to make it a complete, and filling meal.

This cauliflower pizza crust recipe is oil-free and vegan and has a 5 star rating (hence why I picked it for you!).

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If you're interested in learning how to healthy and more plant-based (including fun ways of cooking!), be sure to sign-up for email updates about my next "Plant-Based Nutrition and Cooking eCourse for Weight-Loss and Improved Health."  It'll be here just in time for summer!  If you want to be one of the first know about it (there's perks to that!) be sure to sign-up here.

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Take Control Now

Which of these cauliflower recipes will be the first you try?  Have another cauliflower recipe to share?  Please post it by clicking 'comment' below.

5 freezer friendly plant-based meals

Freezing plant-based or healthy vegan dinners can make eating healthier easier.  When eating plant-based is easier, and done continually, it's more likely you'll feel less jiggle in your belly.

I love being able to pull out a home-made frozen meal on the nights I need lunch for the next day, but don't want to prep it.

I pop my frozen vegan dinner in the fridge and then by 12pm the next day, it's ready to be warmed in the microwave.

Whether for lunch, dinner or natural disaster, having healthy and delicious, home-made plant-based meals stocked in the freezer can make eating healthier much easier.

Here's 5 plant-based dinners that taste just as good as they did fresh once thawed using Trisha's Healthy Table dinners as an example (Trisha's Healthy Table (THT) sells prepared, plant-based dinners to-go in Columbia, SC to make eating healthy easier.   The chance to get a Spring-Summer, 2017 THT membership with discounted dinners ends on Friday, March 31st).

 

5 Freezer Friendly Plant-Based Meals

Using Trisha's Healthy Table dinners as examples

1.  Vegetable Lasagna

Trisha's Healthy Table makes lasagna using 100% whole wheat noodles, with roasted veggies, a "beef" marinara and a tofu-based ricotta cheese.  It's one of our member's favorites.  

Vegetable lasagna is perfect for freezing whether it's a four person serving or single size.  

All of Trisha's Healthy Table containers are freezer and microwave safe making it easier to freeze, thaw and eat.  You could use a glass tupperware container at home to do that too.

2.  Soups

I enjoy freezing and then reheating THT's cauliflower soup and lentil soup.  Add cashew sour cream and some nice hearty bread to cauliflower soup, and I have a yummy and refreshing meal.  The lentil soup is so filling, delicious and nutrient dense -- it's an awesome and easy meal to reheat as well.

3.  Meatballs and Sauce

Many plant-based meatballs freeze excellently.  Freeze home-made marinara sauce in a separate container.  Once both are reheated, you can add them to pasta or to hotdog buns to make "meatball subs."

4.  Chili and cornbread

Chili freezes really well and maybe to your surprise, cornbread does too!  To freeze cornbread, tightly wrap it in foil (don't forget to date it) and then place in a sealed ziplock bag or tupperware container.  They store well for 3 months.  To eat, heat in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through.

5.  Enchiladas

At THT we love layering enchiladas like lasagna and calling it... enchilasagna!  I've frozen this dinner multiple times and it comes out perfect.  Whether you're eating THT's enchilasagna or one you've made yourself, this is one of my freezer favorites.

If you're in Columbia, SC and are interested in having Trisha's Healthy Table cook you dang delicious plant-based dinners, Friday at 11 pm EST is the last day to become a Trisha's Healthy Table member and get discounted dinners for Spring and Summer 2017. 

Now it's time to hear from you.  Answer today's Take Control Now Question...

Take Control Now Question

What are your top three favorite meals to freeze and why?

Answer by clicking 'comment' below.