Mac and cheese. With sweet potatoes and carrots.

Are you using mac and cheese boxes?
Boxed mac and cheese is a children favorite. It is comforting. The kids are happy to see it on their plates. I used to make mac and cheese from scratch, but after eating the box version in a friends house, my kids started to ask me to buy it.  After some time I gave in.  Lately I serve it to the kids couple times a month. It is convenient and saves time.

Mac and cheese with sweet potato and carrot

How to make it healthier? And yummier?

To boost mac and cheese with vegetables, you can add pureed vegetables. I like orange vegetables - sweet potatoes, carrots and butternut squash. My children know I add it and learned to love it.

For me, it is important to check the ingredient list. I like the organic version Trader Joe's sells. The list is short - organic pasta shells (organic durum wheat semolina, organic wheat), organic white cheddar cheese (organic cultured pasteurized milk, salt,enzymes), organic whey, salt, disodium phosphate.

Here is a version using sweet potatoes and carrots, any other combination can be used. Cauliflower is on my list to try.

Mac and cheese with sweet potatoes and carrots

Ingredients
Butternut squash, 1 small,  peeled and cut to 1 inch pieces
Sweet potatoes, 1 small, peeled and cut to 1 inch pieces
Mac and cheese, 1 box (I used organic Trader Joe's mac and cheese, gluten free version works the same way)
butter, 1 tablespoon or to taste
Parmesan cheese, grated, 1 tablespoon or to taste

butternut squash

Sweet potatoes in carrots cooked

Note: When starting to introduce vegetable puree blends, you might want to increase the amounts gradually, starting from 1/4 cup and building it up. We use now about 2 cups. Leftover vegetables can be used in your other recipes.

Method 
Steam orange vegetables in a steamer basket or in large pot or skillet covered for 15 minutes until soft. Puree using blender or smash with fork the amount you will use for mac and cheese. Prepare pasta according to the instruction. Leave 1/4 cup of cooking pasta water. Mix into pasta together the cheese package, pasta water, butternut squash and sweet potato puree, butter and Parmesan cheese.
Cook on low heat for 3 minutes to blend the tastes.

You may consider to make double and enjoy it yourself!

Nourish. With chicken soup and carrots.

Chicken soup is a staple in our house during colder months of the year. It keeps well and makes lunch preparation a breeze. It nourishing, warming and healing.

Served for lunch at home - chicken noodle soup with carrots and chicken meat

I like it with pasta, rice, quinoa or other grain and leafy green vegetables - kale, bock choy, chard. The kids prefer it with pasta or rice. Good thing they like carrots. From my mom point of view I use way too much carrots. "Carrots make the soup so sweet! I can't eat it" she said. But the kids love it.

This chicken soup is a like my marriage - pairing of Russian and Yemeni. With a lot of carrots, onion and parsnip (Russian side) and hawaij spice mix made of turmeric, pepper, cumin, coriander (Yemeni side). Being multinational has a huge advantage. It allows me to adopt healthy practices from various cultures. Like in this chicken soup. Carrots for vitamins and fiber,  turmeric for its anti inflammation properties.

Chicken carrot soup

Serves 4 with enough leftovers to pack few lunches

Ingredients:
chicken, 1/2 whole natural, preferable organic (see note)

carrots , 5-6 cut to bite pieces

onion, 1 peeled whole
black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon or to taste

sea salt, 1/2 table spoon or to taste
parsley leaves, chopped, 1 table spoon or to taste (optional)

healthy extras (optional)

bone gelatin powder, 2 teaspoons 

1 teaspoons turmeric or 1 teaspoons of hawaii

cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp

bay leaves, 2 

vinegar or lemon juice, 1 tea spoon (acid helps to extract minerals from the bones to the broth)

parsley steams, 4-5 tied using tea bag string

Method
Wash chicken pieces under cold water. Place them in big, preferably heavy pot and cover with cold water. Bring close to boiling on medium high heat. Turn the heat to low. As foam is forming,  discard it using large spoon (slotted works the best). Repeat as needed. Add carrots, onion and any of healthy extras. Simmer for 4 hours to ensure the bird will release minerals, gelatin and other good nutrients into the stock. Add salt and black pepper and simmer for 10 more minutes. Turn off.  Get the cooked meat out and strain the stock. Remove meat from the bones and cut to bite pieces. Return the carrots and the clean meat back into the broth. Discard the bones. Boil the broth for 3 minutes. Serve the broth over cooked regular or whole grain pasta garnished with chopped parsley.

Chicken noodle carrot soup in thermos for school lunch

Serve leftover stock with rice, pasta or whole grain of your choice. My childhood favorite is to boil the stock with potato chunks. Heavenly.

Note

You can get whole chicken and use breast and tight meat for stir fry or other dish and take bones, wings, drumsticks and this little package it has inside for soup.

Questions? Comments? I invite you to discuss.

Light Bolognese Sauce - Cooking once, eating twice

Tomorrow and day after tomorrow there is no school. Anyway I have cooked Bolognese sauce with whole wheat spaghetti for lunch today.  It is a time saver - I will use the sauce again this week. During school days, I pack it with whole grain pasta or brown rice. You can adopt it and serve any way you like - with couscous or rice noodles, with basmati rice or polenta. Everything works.

My version of the sauce is lighter than traditional with carrots and zucchini. 

Light Bolognese sauce with zucchini added, cooked sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
1 medium onion - diced
1 glove of garlic - diced
1/4 teaspoon of chili flax
1 pound ground beef (grass fed)
1 (24 ounce) bottle tomato puree or can of crushed tomatoes
2 medium carrots, peeled and cubed
1 zucchini, cubed
1/2 cup wine
cumin
turmeric
black pepper
salt
bay leaf

Method:

In big skillet heat the oil on medium heat for a minute. Add garlic and chili flakes. When fragrant, add onion and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened and golden. Add ground beef and saute until cooked through. Add tomatoes and spices and let simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Add everything else and let simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water or broth, if needed.  

The longer this sauce cooks, the better. If using frozen peas, add them 10 minutes before turning off the heat. You may choose to garnish with parsley for added minerals and vitamins.

Bolognese sauce served with whole grain pasta and vegetables side

For lunch, reheat in the morning and pack in thermos with pasta (or gluten free pasta) or your favorite grains.