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So, a couple of months ago I shared that I would be attempting to add more vegetables to the family diet and that I was not above hiding said veges in any given meal.  I am happy to report that things are going quite well.

I spent one afternoon preparing and freezing a bunch of purees (i’ll have to show you those pix soon): brocolli, peas, carrots, squash, sweet potato, cauliflower, red peppers, and spinach. Armed and ready, I am able to easily slip them into all sorts of dishes and I am happy to report that (aside from a sad spinach in the brownies fiasco) the purees not only boost the vitamins in a meal, they add a nice depth of flavor. One of my favorite additions is throwing the red pepper puree into chili. Yum.

Tonight, I made a recipe out of Jamie Oliver’s cookbook “Food Revolution”. (This does not require a puree but does do a wonderful job of hiding cauliflower from a preschooler.)  I am a big fan of Oliver’s simple rustic cooking style and his desire to see us feeding our children healthful delicious food at home and at school. Gotta love someone living their passion. It is so compelling!

Here is what I made: (please excuse the iphone pic)

And here is how I made it:

Macaroni and Cauliflower Cheese Bake

1/2 head of cauliflower
8 ounces cheddar cheese (i did 4 oz cheddar, 4 oz colby jack, it’s what was in the fridge)
4 ounces parmesan cheese
a small bunch of Italian parsley, chopped (as you can see, i forgot this)
sea salt
1 lb dried macaroni (i used the penne i had in the pantry)
1 cup sour cream or creame fraiche (i NEVER do this, but I used low fat sour cream, and it was still delish!)

Remove the outer green leaves from the cauliflower and discard. Slice the end off the cauliflower stalk and cut the head into small florets. Halve the thick stalk lengthways, then slice thinly.

Grate the Cheddar and Parmesan into a large heatproof bowl.

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and all your cauliflower and cook according to the macaroni package instructions.

Place the bowl of cheese over the saucepan and add the crème fraiche. Carefully stir every so often until the cheese is smooth and melted. If the water boils up beneath the bowl, just turn the heat down slightly. Add all the chopped parsley to the melted cheese and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Carefully remove the bowl of cheese using a towel or oven gloves and put aside. Drain the macaroni in a colander over a bowl, reserving the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pan, pour in the melted cheese and stir. It should have a lovely, silky consistency, but if it’s too thick for you. add a splash of your cooking water to thin it out a bit.

At this point you can either serve the macaroni as is, or finish it under the broiler to make it crispy and golden on top (is this even an option?? go crispy!!). To do this, preheat your broiler to a medium to high heat.  Add 2/3 cup of the reserved cooking water to the macaroni, stir in, then transfer to a baking dish. Place under the broiler until golden and bubbling. Serve warm.

bon apetit!

claire