This has probably been the longest I’ve gone without
writing a post so far. Between defending a dissertation proposal, celebrating a
million holidays (ok fine….two) and travel prep, I really have felt like there
has been too much on my plate. But at 36,000 feet above ground, there is no
better use of my time than to get back to blogging. Yes, I am that person who
keeps staring at the map on the little personal screen you get on airplanes.
And yes, writing certainly trumps staring at the screen and counting the hours
to home.
Anyway, celebrating two major holidays (Diwali and
Thanksgiving) meant that a lot of cooking and eating took place. In addition,
being in India on vacation means it’s going to be food all the way. So much to
post about…….
Crappy airplane food reminded me of good old comfort
food, so that’s what this post is going to be about. While anything cooked by
mom tops the comfort food charts, macaroni and cheese is a pretty good
substitute when I am left to my own devices. Mac and cheese - so good, yet so
bad for you. I am sure most of you have eaten it in restaurants or have made
your own versions at home. Now call me crazy, but I like my mac and cheese to
have more substance to it. I've figured that vegetables do that very well for
me. Plus they take a little bit of guilt out of eating all that white sauce and
cheese. Some of you are probably very skeptical about this, so I’d say give it
a shot and tell me if you like it.
Here’s my version of veggie mac and cheese with broccoli.
You can use other vegetables too…more about that in the notes that follow.
Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli
1.5 cups macaroni (uncooked)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons chopped onion (optional)
2 tablespoons flour (all purpose or whole wheat)
1 cup milk or half and half
½ cup pasta cooking liquid or water
1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
up to ½ cup breadcrumbs, more or less as you prefer
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Take a square 8 inch baking dish
and grease it lightly with cooking spray or butter.
Using a large enough pot and a lot of water, cook the
macaroni according to the directions on the package. About 3 minutes before the
pasta is done, add the broccoli. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and set
aside. At this stage, you will want to save some of the cooking liquid. It is
advisable to avoid overcooking the pasta until mushy. It will get cooked in the
oven again.
Heat the butter in a pan and cook onion until it starts
softening.(Skip if you’re not using onions. Start with flour in that case.) Then
add the flour and cook until it turns a nice golden color. Avoid browning the
flour…doesn't yield very good results. Once the flour turns golden (and smells nice), slowly add
the milk or half and half, stirring continuously to ensure that there are no
lumps. Then slowly add the water or cooking liquid. Stir away for 2-3
minutes. At this point the mixture should start thickening. Don’t worry if it
doesn't thicken much….so long as it’s not very watery. Mix in 1 cup of cheese
and turn the heat off. Mix well until it is combined. Then add in the salt,
pepper and red pepper flakes.
Mix the sauce with the pasta and broccoli, and transfer
it to the baking dish. Top with the breadcrumbs and remaining cheese. Bake for
about 15 minutes, and then serve.
Notes:
1. If the sauce seems too thick before adding the cheese,
add extra water/cooking liquid/milk – up to half a cup.
2. If you want to use other vegetables such as carrots or
mushrooms, I would suggest sautéing them separately in a pan until just cooked
and mixing them with the sauce and pasta. Green beans can be used in the same
way as the broccoli.
3. If you like more spice, experiment with nutmeg or a
pinch of garam masala. It works wonders.
