RECIPE | NO CHEESE BACON KALE MAC-N-CHEESE

Yes, you read the title correctly. Today, I bring to you a dairy-free (and gluten-free if you're into that) version of your favorite comfort dish.

I have tried countless "healthier substitutes" over the years and this has just made the top of my list. The thing with most substitutes is that you really have to remind yourself that it is simply an alternative, not a replacement. I can't tell you how many times I've been disappointed because I expected it to taste just like the real deal. But this recipe is an entirely different story.  Honestly, if someone didn't tell me there wasn't any dairy, I probably wouldn't have thought twice. The sauce is rich and creamy, and especially with the bacon and kale, this dish packs a mouthful of flavor. Doesn't bacon just make everything taste better?



The base sauce recipe comes from Veggie Inspired (check out her drool-inducing feed @veggie_inspired) but I made some adjustments based on my own preferences.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups chopped butternut squash (I used Trader Joe's zig-zags because they're pre-cut) 
• 1/2 of a large sweet onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 16 oz package macaroni noodles 
• 1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, then drained
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 4 strips bacon of choice
• kale (I used dinosaur kale)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Place butternut squash and onions into a medium-sized sauce pan and fill with water until submerged by about an inch. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Once the butternut squash and onions are done, set aside 1/3 cup of the cooking water for later. Drain the rest. 

2. Fill a large sauce pan with water and add your garlic cloves, bring to a boil. Cook macaroni noodles according to your package directions. I used Trader Joe's Brown Rice Pasta (gluten-free) but any kind of noodle will work. Keep in mind that brown rice pastas tend to stick together, so rinse thoroughly with cold water until cooled. Remove the garlic cloves and set aside for the sauce. 

3. In a large skillet, cook up your bacon, about 4 strips (TJ's applewood smoked bacon bits are great). Set aside and chop into small pieces. Blot the skillet with a paper towel to remove excess drippings but keep some because the kale is going in next. 

4. Saute about three handfuls of kale, removing the stems, for about 5 minutes or until bright green and slightly crisp. Sorry I don't have a more accurate measurement but you really can't go wrong with the amount of kale!

5. Take out your blender and add the squash, onions, cashews, lemon juice, salt, garlic cloves, black pepper, paprika, tumeric, nutmeg, and cooking liquid you set aside earlier. Blend until smooth. 

6. Lastly, combine all ingredients and ENJOY!

RECIPE | STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE PASTRIES

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

In elementary school, I always looked forward to making my own Valentine's day cards for classmates.  One year, I cut out heart shaped cards and decorated them with gold pen and glitter to make them look like conversation hearts. I remember having a special one for the boy I liked. "Ur Cute"? Oh gosh, I hope I didn't write that, but I probably did.

This year, I had a potluck to go to, so I decided to make these cheery little puff pastry hearts. I love how fluffed and flaky the puff pastry is on the edges, with the sweet but slightly salty cream cheese and strawberry filling. I topped them off with a little powdered sugar and voila! the perfect Valentine's day treat.

The recipe for these beauties comes from Cooking Classy, and can be found here. I followed it exactly and found that my pastries needed to bake for 14 minutes. I did add one drop of red gel food coloring for extra brightness.


For those of you who don't have a heart shaped cookie cutter, you can simply cut out a pattern from a piece of paper. I used a 3x3 inch square as the guide for my heart. Lay the pattern on the puff pastry and use a knife to cut around it. You want the puff pastry to be thawed but still cold. If it thaws out too much, the dough will catch on your knife and it'll be harder to cut (plus, the packaging says it shouldn't be fully thawed when you bake it). If you find your pattern sticking, you can add a bit of flour, but as long as the puff pastry isn't too thawed, that shouldn't be a problem.

The concept behind these is quite simple and I'm already thinking about other fruit and shape combinations.