Healthy Mac n Cheese Muffins

The aim of this recipe is to get vegetables into our families daily diet especially children. This way they can't see or taste any but are getting the best without feeling overwhelmed or bored by big bits of broccoli and beans, chewing on what may seem at times endless. It is quick and simple to prepare and more importantly can be made ahead for the week.

My base for most things involves carrots, onions, garlic and ginger as they all work really well together and are very good for you. I wanted to see how Silverbeet would taste as it is great for added magnesium into your diet, but definitely I reckon the more vegetables you add the better!

I added my own homemade vegetable stock to this mix (my recipe at the bottom) which is packed full of the good stuff and you know exactly whats in it. Also you may think I have added a strange combination of ingredients, but I guarantee you the flavour can be surprisingly subtle, in this case a very healthy addition with no over powering flavour.

Extra Ideas for an addition of vegetables or vegetable sauce

Broccoli, red pepper, squash, zucchini, spinach, caramelised onions, apples, mushrooms. Other extras that can work well are bacon or  you can save the meat for main part of the meal and toasted walnuts just to add a little flavour and body.

Ingredients:

• 2 x Leaves Silverbeet
• 1 x Onion
• 1 x Carrot 
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• Vegetable or chicken broth

Method:

• Pre heat oven to 180C
• Chop silverbeet and onion, slice carrot into circles and crush garlic with the back of knife.
• Blend all vegetables together until it is quite fine

• Blend up bread into breadcrumbs (you can buy them, but I like choosing what bread to use)
• Mix vegetables and broth together with a spoon, just to loosen it a little and add some moisture for the pasta. In addition to this you can cook your macaroni and any pasta really in a clear stock and keep the strained stock for the baking.
• Mix macaroni into the vegetable mix and add macaroni until they are coated well then add cheese sauce on top, I used half a jar in this case which didn't require me to pre cook any macaroni, so if you decide to make a healthier version of cheese sauce again make enough to coat macaroni

• Spoon mixture into muffin trays and coat with bread crumbs

• Time is dependant on how big your muffins are so to be safe give them between 20 - 45 minutes, just to cook through and to get a nice crunchy, cheesy top.

I had it as a side dish, but it can be great for lunches or a morning time carb pick me up.

Homemade Vegetable Stock:

2 x teaspoons Turmeric

2 x Apples 

2 x Carrot 

2 x Onions

3 x Cloves Garlic

Fresh Ginger cut of depending to taste 

Half a bunch of Kale leaves

I cook everything together first except the kale then the last few minutes I pop it in so it cooks but still has some body. You will be able to make two dishes out of this as I took out everything but the carrot, some onion and bits of kale to make the clear stock as all the goodness is in the water and I blended the apple, kale, onion, ginger and garlic and to my surprise it was smooth and subtle with hints of ginger and apple. I personally cut everything quite chunky into quarters and let it turn soft, I don't worry too much about sizes as it will be blended anyway.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and come up with your own!