One of the things that I had time giving up, and this may sound disgusting to some, was the Canadian classic, Kraft Dinner. Even just talking about it makes me want to bust open a pack of KD and throw in some butter, some whole milk and then, after it’s been cooked and that powdery “cheese” goodness has been lovingly mixed in with those enriched yet bleached wheat noodles, I’d drench it in ketchup (and maybe add some hot dogs to it).
Now that I know better – that sounds like a recipe for disaster – even though my stomach is growling at the thought.
I’ve had to come up with other creative ways to include my love for pasta and my love for gooey cheese in a nutritious dish.
This, my friends, has become an oldy but a goody!
NOTE: If you don’t like broccoli, I won’t hold it against it you. You can always substitute it for spinach or even roasted green or red peppers or even zucchini – actually, any veggie that you think would be delicious. But I wanted to keep this somewhat simple, so I went with broccoli.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of brown rice pasta (spirals, penne, whatever you prefer, just not spaghetti – doesn’t bode well).
- 1/2 head of broccoli
- 1/2 of a large portabello mushroom or 3 baby bellas – chopped
- 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
- 1/3 large red onion – finely chopped
- 1 cup of goat mozerella cheese – shredded
- Olive oil
- 1/4 tsp of black pepper
- 1/4 tsp of sea salt
- 1/2 tsp of coriander
- 1/2 tsp of chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp of 0regano
- Garlic (2 cloves, minced)
Method:
Boil water and cook the rice pasta. TIP: Add a table spoon of olive oil to the water so that the pasta doesn’t stick together.
While the pasta is cooking, steam the broccoli (should take about 10 to 20 minutes, but keep an eye on it). When it’s tender, it’s ready!
Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
In the meantime, in a medium frying pan, heat 1 table spoon of olive oil and add your spices. Let them simmer for about a minute or until fragrant. Then add your onions and stir until they become soft.
Then add the mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and garlic. Let this simmer for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Layer so that the rice pasta goes in first, then the veggies, then the cheese.
When the pasta has finished cooking, drain it and add it to the frying pan. Same goes with the broccoli. TIP: Once the broccoli florets have been steamed, cut them into smaller pieces or in half.
Mix all ingredients together. Let the flavour soak in for a couple minutes then transfer to a medium sized baking dish. Add the shredded goat mozerrella cheese on top and bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese starts bubbling.
Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Serves between 2 and 3. Serve with some chicken or fish and salad or on it’s own – why not?
Cook time: 30 to 40 mins
Enjoy!