This is gonna sound crazy...

But cauliflower makes the best cheese sauce.  Really, it's true.  Cauliflower is the latest trend vegetable, it does ANYTHING.  It turns into pizza crust, rice, and now...cheese sauce.

I was given a challenge in my Just A Mommy With MS group to post healthy macaroni and cheese. (I do a Healthy Recipe Friday there) and it took me a week or two to figure this one out.  I had seen an alfredo recipe using steamed cauliflower so I decided to try it out with macaroni and cheese!  I'm so happy to say I was successful, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Cauliflower Mac N Cheese

1 cup cauliflower steamed in chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup cottage cheese
Milk
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Once the cauliflower is steamed, add it to the blender with a bit of the cooking liquid.  Add cottage cheese, cheddar and a splash of milk with some pepper and a pinch of salt.  Blend until smooth and pour over your favorite pasta (I used whole grain penne).

Tip: You can omit the shredded cheddar, add some Parmesan and a bit of garlic if you'd like.  Alfredo!!

(21 Day Fixers- This serves 2 yellow containers of pasta.  Total-1 green, 2 yellow, 1 red)

Put your hand up on my nip.  ParsNIP, that is.

I've been repeating that tag line in my head for the last hour and it keeps cracking me up.

Anyway, parsnips.  You need to get all up in that.  I never had a parsnip in my life until I started dating an Englishman who loved them.  I've heard them called carrots with attitude and that's actually pretty accurate.  They have a semi-sweet flavor, and are amazing roasted in the oven with a little bit of olive oil.   But when they're mashed or pureed, they have a starchy quality a lot like a potato.

As such, they make a great replacement for mashed potatoes.  They have almost half the calories and carbohydrates as potatoes and twice the fiber and nutrients.  For real, try them.  You won't be sorry you did!

Parsnip Mash with Goat Cheese and Thyme

4 large parsnips
4 oz goat cheese
2 tsp fresh thyme
1 cup chicken broth
3 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring chicken broth and water to a boil.  Add peeled and chopped parsnips. Boil for about 30 minutes or until fork tenders.

Drain parsnips and reserve some of the cooking liquid.  Place parsnips in the blender with goat cheese, thyme, butter, and salt and pepper.  Blend until smooth.  (You want a thicker consistency, add a little of the cooking liquid until you get a consistency you like).

Tip:  Eat this with Roasted Balsamic Dijon Chicken and some steamed greens like spinach or swiss chard.

(21 Day Fixers- there is much debate over whether a parsnip is a green or a yellow.  It's a yellow, the carbs and fiber content is too high to be considered a vegetable.  I'm eating my words on this because I called parsnips a green for so long.  I'm very sorry! 1 green container serving of parsnips would be considered 1 yellow, 1 blue, 1 tsp)

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